Did anybody ever notice that Tom Reilly and Randi Oakes were guest stars in earlier episodes only late to become regualar cast members?Randi Oakes was in the episode Down Time(Season 2,Episode 13)as a character Kim Balford who was part of a car theft ring.Tom Reilly guest starred in Force Seven(Season 5,Episode 27) as a character Rick Nichols.
shareYes, most long time fans of the series know about these two having previous guest roles before becoming regulars. The guest role by Randi Oakes is probably the best remembered of the two. It was done more often back then. The producers would hire someone in a guest role and like the actor/actress so much they would ask them back in different guest roles and sometimes as regulars.
The Force Seven episode was a backdoor pilot for a series that was never picked up. Force Seven was also Larry Wilcox' final episode of CHiPs before he quit. When Force Seven didn't go to series, they hired Reilly to replace Larry Wilcox in the next season of CHiPs.
On Barney Miller Steve Landesberg appeared in the first episode of season 2 where he played a priest who was arrested, just 10 episodes later in episode 12 he became a regular as Detective Deitrich.
Before he became Lennie Briscoe for 12 seasons on Law & Order starting in season 3, Jerry Orbach played a defense attorney in an early season 2 episode.
(knock,knock,knock) Penny (knock,knock,knock) Penny (knock,knock,knock) Penny
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Wasn't Mitchell And Woods supposed to be a backdoor pilot episode for a series as well?By the way they had two different actresses play the Mitchell and Woods as well.Also Jayne Kennedy was in another episode as another character.And Cindy Morgan was in the 2 part episode Ponch's Angels which featured the original Mitchell and Woods,and then she goes on to play the Melanie Mitchell role in the Mitchell and Woods episode.Really weird how this stuff happens in the TV world.
shareAs the other poster noted, this is SOP for many shows. In addition to the L&O references, the shortest episode-to-episode I know of was also on L&O where Jeremy Sisko was a defense lawyer in the season 17 finale, then on the season 18 intro, he was an NYPD detective. While these would be seen back-to-back in syndication, when first aired they were months apart.
Dean: I am wearing sunglasses at night. You know who does that? No-talent douche bags!
Same thing happened with Kip Niven on Emergency!
In Season 1 episode 6, he was a crook that got shot.
In Season 2 episode 5, he was a father of a little girl hurt by a drunk driver.
In Season 2 episode 14, he was a paramedic trainee.
In Season 3 episode 11, he was a drug dealer.
Harry Morgan guest starred on an episode of M*A*S*H as a somewhat off-kilter General in the third season, and got along so well with everyone that when they needed to replace McLean Stevenson, he got the call.
I DIED IN EPISODE 81!!!share
Yep. Chips is notorious for this!
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