10 TV Shows That Switched Main Characters
6. The Hogan Family
This is a prime example as to why making the name of the main character be the same as the name of the show - also known as an eponymous character - might not always be a wise decision. The Hogan Family had originally been named Valerie and revolved around Valerie Hogan (to be known as VH in this entry to avoid confusion).
The sitcom had always been based around the Hogan's, a standard family dealing with the day-to-day life of raising a family and juggling a career. The show was a critical success, and the viewership quickly spiked after a move to a prime-time slot on Monday nights. Actress Valerie Harper (playing Valerie, just to add to the confusion), whose husband Tony Cacciotti worked on the show as a producer, assumed greater creative control over the show, and in the period between seasons 2 and 3, the duo approached the NBC about a pay bump.
What followed was a well-documented, messy legal fight between Harper/Cacciotti and the NBC. This constant back-and-forth ultimately led to Harper's termination from the show, with her character being killed off off-screen. The show was subsequently re-branded twice with the emphasis being on the remnants of her family. It would carry on for a further 4 seasons before abysmal ratings led to its cancellation.