Should Prue have been recast rather than character replaced?

[rebooted]

I was recently thinking about this when I saw Aunt Viv change actresses in Fresh Prince and how they did the same thing in Bewitched. 

Even though its impossible to think that Shannen's version could be replaced - do you think it would have been cleaner?

Would the series still have declined in quality at the same speed, given Connie was being overtaken by Kern regardless?

Would it have been unpalatable to watch more than it was to swallow the arrival of another half sister character?

[Esmeralda]

I think that because Kern would be in charge, that, yes, the quality would've declined no matter what they did.

I'm so glad they didn't recast Prue - I don't think anyone could play Prue as well as Shannen did and I'd never be able to accept the new actress as Prue. Ditto if it had been Piper or Phoebe or Leo or Cole who was recast.

I just wish they hadn't cast Paige or if they had, not make her a half-whitelighter no matter who her father was and have the same version of TK that Prue and Chris had. THAT'S what could've given them a chance for the quality to stay on the same level, because the show would've remained "Charmed", a show about sisters who happen to be witches, not a show where having a whitelighter for a father was more important than having a witch for a mother. That I'll NEVER forgive Kern for doing.

[prudencehalliwell]

NO. It wouldn't make a difference, Kern still would ruin the show with bad writing. Maybe worse, because he'd try to turn Prue 2.0 into someone she isn't. I wouldn't put it past him to reinvent Prue's character with the new actress playing her making her act so unlike Prue just in name only. Even if they pulled a good reason for why Prue looks different from the comics so it worked with the stories. Plus fans will forever compare the two Prue's over who's better.

A re-cast typically works for a minor character or someone who only appeared once. But never for a lead role. Well, I haven't watched a show that re-cast a lead character with a new recast, and one that worked well.

I'd prefer a third option, no re-cast or introduction Paige. S4 focuses on just the surviving sisters, Leo and Cole. Bring in Paige mid-season 4, not right away. I too wished they didn't make her a half-whitelighter no matter who her father was. I never liked how being a whitelighter was no longer a gift and earned once someone dies and gets a second chance. It always felt like Paige was just a spare to say Po3 spells, and the focus was on her whitelighter side. I wished her powers worked exactly like Prue and Chris with their TK powers.

[Emmett]

No recast of Prue. I just don't think the show would do well with a new actress playing Prue. She'd already have ten times the hate coming in that Rose got when she played Paige. Way too many comparisons to Shannen. I don't think it will fix the writing at all.

It won't stop the declined in quality.

Plus, the chemistry Holly and Alyssa had with Shannen would feel very off trying to re-create it with a new actress playing Prue.

I don't think I could accept a new actress playing Prue. Same if they recast Phoebe or Piper.

[BriannaWarren2.0]

Replaced. 

Prue, was Shannen Doherty, I can not picture someone else in that role, no matter who they would have selected.

Paige should have been a cousin to the sisters not a half-sister, from the Bowen line, that would have expanded the Warren Line and would have given us some information with what happened after the Russell vanquish. Especially because they didn't do much with her being witch-whitelighter hybrid.  

[Julian]

NO WAY! I'd never accept another actress as Prue. That's worse, than being upset Prue was killed off. This would really tick me off bigtime. 

It would also feel very awkward, seeing someone else as Prue. Regardless if they pulled a twist to explain why Prue looks different like the comics or the soap-opera way, like Prue's face got burnt in a fire trying to rescue Phoebe from the Underworld.

[goldeneye049]

No because Prue wouldn't be Prue anymore. Kern would have done what he wanted with her. When Prue was sexy, it was badass, she had class and charm. I can't imagine Prue in Valkyrie sorry.. he would have broken all Shannen Doherty's work as well. And then I like Paige! I just wish she had real telekinesis and read the future in the cards.

[Elle Em]

Prue definitely should not have been recast for all the reasons already said here by others.

In my dream world, Brad Kern is the one who is fired, and Constance and Shannen work together for the next two or three seasons of the show, keeping the original sisters and the original vision. 

[Esmeralda]

Jun 8, 2022 7:26:39 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

Prue definitely should not have been recast for all the reasons already said here by others.

In my dream world, Brad Kern is the one who is fired, and Constance and Shannen work together for the next two or three seasons of the show, keeping the original sisters and the original vision. 

Oh, man! DON'T I WISH! Would there be a way to fire Aaron Spelling and give "Charmed" to a different company where tits and ass isn't more important than dramedy? That's what would've happened in my dream world.

[Olga Halliwell]

I don't have much more to add, other than I totally agree with what everyone said in regards to not recasting Prue.

[Olga Halliwell]

Jun 8, 2022 7:34:16 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

Jun 8, 2022 7:26:39 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

Prue definitely should not have been recast for all the reasons already said here by others.

In my dream world, Brad Kern is the one who is fired, and Constance and Shannen work together for the next two or three seasons of the show, keeping the original sisters and the original vision. 

Oh, man! DON'T I WISH! Would there be a way to fire Aaron Spelling and give "Charmed" to a different company where tits and ass isn't more important than dramedy? That's what would've happened in my dream world.

Don't I wish, Es. I do feel like the show not under Spelling would really be a HUGE blessing for the show.

Even though, I'd always love to imagine a Charmed where Kern leaves after S4, and Nell Scovell took over (as we learned from her book). I'm not sure, it would be much better. An improvement, but Nell still has Spelling to deal with.

I'll dream in a perfect world that Charmed jumps networks (maybe UPN. I don't think a main network like CBS or FOX would take it, unless that's where it started from Day 1) and cleans house with Spelling and Kern gone and a different production company takes the show.

[Lexi]

Nothing could have saved Charmed with Kern as showrunner and some of the terrible writers in the writers' room. Recasting Prue would have probably just meant a death knell sooner, probably after the fourth season instead of it going on for eight seasons. I think a lot of people would have stopped watching if Prue was recast instead of replaced. I definitely would have. It's very rare I can accept a recasting unless it's like Rosanne where the characters poke fun at it.

[rebooted]

Jun 15, 2022 20:02:36 GMT -5 Lexi said:

Nothing could have saved Charmed with Kern as showrunner and some of the terrible writers in the writers' room. Recasting Prue would have probably just meant a death knell sooner, probably after the fourth season instead of it going on for eight seasons. I think a lot of people would have stopped watching if Prue was recast instead of replaced. I definitely would have. It's very rare I can accept a recasting unless it's like Rosanne where the characters poke fun at it.

I agree wtih what you have said. 

For me, I think i would rather have had Prue's character recast just because the focus on whightlighters with Paige's introduction followed by Wyatt and Chris, and concentration on the elders  just took the focus off the sisterhood. 

But like you the show would have been killed by kern regardless. 

Interesting that the poll is split in half. 

[Katie Warren]

Jul 15, 2022 20:36:39 GMT -5 rebooted said:

Jun 15, 2022 20:02:36 GMT -5 Lexi said:

Nothing could have saved Charmed with Kern as showrunner and some of the terrible writers in the writers' room. Recasting Prue would have probably just meant a death knell sooner, probably after the fourth season instead of it going on for eight seasons. I think a lot of people would have stopped watching if Prue was recast instead of replaced. I definitely would have. It's very rare I can accept a recasting unless it's like Rosanne where the characters poke fun at it.

I agree wtih what you have said. 

For me, I think i would rather have had Prue's character recast just because the focus on whightlighters with Paige's introduction followed by Wyatt and Chris, and concentration on the elders  just took the focus off the sisterhood. 

But like you the show would have been killed by kern regardless. 

Interesting that the poll is split in half. 

I'd prefer a third option no Prue re-cast or Paige introduction. Just continue the show with the surviving characters. Just means the Source won't go after them anymore since the Power of Three is no more.

I mean looking at S5-S8, the Po3 wasn't even that important in so many episodes. They just had Piper blowing up a demon or them coming up with a potion to take out demons. It might mean they can't vanquish upper level demons though, so the series would likely end with this set up sooner.  But, I'd be fine with that. If it means no hybrids, no Wyatt or Chris and so much focus on Elders and having a whitelighter for a father is more important than having a mother as a witch.

[rebooted]

Someone please break this tie!

[sonja]

Jun 7, 2022 21:04:39 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

I think that because Kern would be in charge, that, yes, the quality would've declined no matter what they did.

I'm so glad they didn't recast Prue - I don't think anyone could play Prue as well as Shannen did and I'd never be able to accept the new actress as Prue. Ditto if it had been Piper or Phoebe or Leo or Cole who was recast.

I just wish they hadn't cast Paige or if they had, not make her a half-whitelighter no matter who her father was and have the same version of TK that Prue and Chris had. THAT'S what could've given them a chance for the quality to stay on the same level, because the show would've remained "Charmed", a show about sisters who happen to be witches, not a show where having a whitelighter for a father was more important than having a witch for a mother. That I'll NEVER forgive Kern for doing.

Yup. I honestly think it would've been too messy to have a different actress play Prue. I never liked it when other shows did it, it's corny, cheesy, it never looks good when the character in question is the main character. You can't expect the audience to accept a brand new face!
I also agree about the telekinesis. I have to say it—I really hate the way that power manifested with Paige. I wish it could've gradually grown into a type of telekinesis that Prue, Chris and Grams had or at least have her be able to summon objects without saying their name out loud. It just seems so inconvenient. But I digress.

Also I see the point about how maybe recasting Prue would've solved the issue of bringing too many Whitelighters into the story but honestly, the writing would've been bad one way or another. 

[greta]

Aug 31, 2022 8:44:00 GMT -5 sonja said:

Jun 7, 2022 21:04:39 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

I think that because Kern would be in charge, that, yes, the quality would've declined no matter what they did.

I'm so glad they didn't recast Prue - I don't think anyone could play Prue as well as Shannen did and I'd never be able to accept the new actress as Prue. Ditto if it had been Piper or Phoebe or Leo or Cole who was recast.

I just wish they hadn't cast Paige or if they had, not make her a half-whitelighter no matter who her father was and have the same version of TK that Prue and Chris had. THAT'S what could've given them a chance for the quality to stay on the same level, because the show would've remained "Charmed", a show about sisters who happen to be witches, not a show where having a whitelighter for a father was more important than having a witch for a mother. That I'll NEVER forgive Kern for doing.

Yup. I honestly think it would've been too messy to have a different actress play Prue. I never liked it when other shows did it, it's corny, cheesy, it never looks good when the character in question is the main character. You can't expect the audience to accept a brand new face!
I also agree about the telekinesis. I have to say it—I really hate the way that power manifested with Paige. I wish it could've gradually grown into a type of telekinesis that Prue, Chris and Grams had or at least have her be able to summon objects without saying their name out loud. It just seems so inconvenient. But I digress.

Also I see the point about how maybe recasting Prue would've solved the issue of bringing too many Whitelighters into the story but honestly, the writing would've been bad one way or another. 

I think it would not go well with fans. The new actress would get so much backlash.

I never got why Chris had telekinesis that worked like Prue, but Paige didn't. Summoning objects and saying them out loud. I can't recall if that actually ever worked against Paige. When a demon hears her calling an object to send flying at them. One thing I never liked was was how her orbing worked exactly like a whitelighter. She isn't a full whitelighter. I'm surprised her powers were not limited more. She got everything they had, so she's just a living whitelighter not a half-whitelighter.

I would've prefered if she had telekinesis exactly like Prue. But her whitelighter half had orbing as her only whitelighter power. Only that power is limited because she isn't a full whitelighter.

[West]

Big fat NO! I'd likely have been madder than I already was seeing Prue killed off. Seeing another actress playing Prue who would need to recapture the same chemistry she had with Alyssa and Holly, it would come across as awkward.

I know Charmed re-cast Victor. But this is a lead role. It changes the already established chemistry. Even if new Prue proved to be a good actress, it wouldn't be the same.

[Esmeralda]

Sept 1, 2022 21:57:46 GMT -5 West said:

Big fat NO! I'd likely have been madder than I already was seeing Prue killed off. Seeing another actress playing Prue who would need to recapture the same chemistry she had with Alyssa and Holly, it would come across as awkward.

I know Charmed re-cast Victor. But this is a lead role. It changes the already established chemistry. Even if new Prue proved to be a good actress, it wouldn't be the same.

Yes, Victor being recast worked, but we only saw Victor Halliwell once in Season One and Victor Bennett didn't take over until S3. Prue was a lead character through three full seasons. To have her die at the end of S3 and then have her come back looking different in S4? Like you said, West, that would also be for me a BIG FAT NO!

My actual response would be neither. I would've preferred if it was Piper & Leo and Phoebe & Cole with the Source leaving them alone and them going back to their true destiny of protecting innocents. That's what I like to think happened in the REAL Charmedverse, not the alternate-universe one. The series probably would've only gone four seasons, but that would've been perfectly okay with me!

So much thanks to Assassin Witch for coming up with the two-couples idea!

[West]

Sept 1, 2022 22:17:31 GMT -5 Esmeralda said:

Sept 1, 2022 21:57:46 GMT -5 West said:

Big fat NO! I'd likely have been madder than I already was seeing Prue killed off. Seeing another actress playing Prue who would need to recapture the same chemistry she had with Alyssa and Holly, it would come across as awkward.

I know Charmed re-cast Victor. But this is a lead role. It changes the already established chemistry. Even if new Prue proved to be a good actress, it wouldn't be the same.

Yes, Victor being recast worked, but we only saw Victor Halliwell once in Season One and Victor Bennett didn't take over until S3. Prue was a lead character through three full seasons. To have her die at the end of S3 and then have her come back looking different in S4? Like you said, West, that would also be for me a BIG FAT NO!

My actual response would be neither. I would've preferred if it was Piper & Leo and Phoebe & Cole with the Source leaving them alone and them going back to their true destiny of protecting innocents. That's what I like to think happened in the REAL Charmedverse, not the alternate-universe one. The series probably would've only gone four seasons, but that would've been perfectly okay with me!

So much thanks to Assassin Witch for coming up with the two-couples idea!

Now that's an interesting idea. No replacement for Shannen at all!   Many thanks Assassin Witch for this idea. I never would've thought of that.