8 Ways Test Audiences Changed TV Shows

So, technically this specific piece of test audience tinkering came on the back of an early movie screening, but its lasting effects were most definitely felt on the small screen too. That more than qualifies it for this list, my friends!

We take you back to the mid-90's when Stargate first blasted onto the big screen, with the likes of Kurt Russell and James Spader introducing the world to what would later become a full blown media franchise. The film's central antagonist is brought to life by the unsettling Jaye Davidson, but audiences initially had one specific problem with the formidable character of Ra. He simply didn't look alien enough for their liking.

So, the character's signature glowing-eye effect was added in post-production to combat Ra seeming a bit too human for some. This would eventually bleed into the Stargate SG-1 series too, with each character who is taken over by the Goa'uld also coming equipped with a similar other-worldly effect as the show trickled on.

It just goes to show that a detail as subtle and seemingly minuscule as a pair of flashing eyes can add a whole new dimension to a character/race and take them from forgettable to immortalised in the blink of an... well, you know.