Like a book, an article, or a movie, a TV show needs a good title to grab the attention of any random viewer. However, coming up with the right words is not always easy. There are thus a few cases of shows that started with weak titles and got poor ratings as a result. The original phrasing didn’t explain what the show was all about, either because it was too brief, too long, or too complicated, turning off fans in the process. There are also cases of titles changing to reflect the change in tone or a new plot direction.
In many of these small-screen projects, the networks and creators decided to substitute words with new ones or add a couple of new nouns, verbs, or adjectives. Others went the trimming route, leaving only one word. For some shows, such a decision was a stroke of genius, while for others, it didn’t change anything. Whatever the outcome, fans can appreciate the effort made to make the titles catchier.
10Pennyworth: The Origins of Batman’s Butler (2019-2022)
Original Title: Pennyworth
Pennyworth
Pennyworth: The Origins of Batman’s Butlerwas a three-season-long background story of Bruce Wayne’s iconic butler, Alfred Pennyworth. The show traced his journey from his time as an SAS agent in Britain to his friendship with Bruce’s father, Thomas Wayne. The series, therefore, played out like manypopular spy and conspiracy showsrather than a superhero show.
The Outcome of the Title Change
Putting the word “Batman” in the title was wise because even non-comic fans know the superhero. However, the use of the word “Pennyworth” rather than “Alfred” was a mistake. The butler is rarely addressed by his second name in any comic or adaptation, so many potential viewers might have been confused as to who or what Pennyworth was. Consequently, the name change didn’t benefit the show. After the third season, it was canceled, bringing an end to a story that might set up a great Batman sequel.Stream on Max
9Two Guys and a Girl (1998-2001)
Original Title: Two Guys and a Pizza Place
Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place
Two Guys and a Girlfollowed three 20-something friends — Berg (Ryan Reynolds), Pete (Richard Ruccolo), and Sharon (Traylor Howard) — who shared an apartment in Boston. In the first two seasons, the guys worked at a pizza place while Sharon was a student. Sharon then became a corporate spokesperson in the third season.
The title change made sense because Berg and Pete were no longer working at a pizza place in Season 3. To grant them proper character development, the showrunner felt they needed to pursue new dreams. The original title was faulty, too, because it didn’t acknowledge Sharon’s existence. Still, as flawed as it was, the titleTwo Guys and a Pizza Placewas catchier thanTwo Guys and a Girl.After the change, ratings tanked, leading to a cancelation after Season 4.Rent on Prime Video
8The Hogan Family (1986-1991)
Original Title: Valery
The Hogan Familywas initially about a working mom named Valery. The plot mainly revolved around her career and her frustrations about having to raise three boys alone because her husband was an airline pilot. Valery was eventually killed off the show and replaced by the boys’ aunt, necessitating a name change.
This particular title tweak was motivated by behind-the-scenes decisions rather than a thirst for ratings. Star Valerie Harper had gotten into a pay dispute with the studio, so she ended up getting fired. As sad as the situation was, the show’s quality wasn’t affected. New stars emerged and today,The Hogan Familyis remembered more for being oneJason Bateman’s best shows, rather than a Valerie Harper show.Rent on Prime Video
7NCIS (2003-Present)
Original Title: Navy NCIS
NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Special Agent Alden Parker, a quirky former FBI agent who solves his cases with calm professionalism and sharp, sarcastic charm, leads the NCIS team.
From the outside, military personnel seem like the most disciplined (or safe) individuals out there, butNCIShas proved otherwise. The show centers around the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s investigations of crimes involving members of the US Marine Corps and the US Navy (either as victims or perpetrators). A spinoff ofJAG, the long-running series was briefly known asNavy NCISbefore the title was shortened toNCIS.
The change was justified becauseNavy NCISwas a grammatically wrong title. Because “NCIS” stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Services, it was a mistake to also include “Navy.” After the change, the network executives might have been worried about viewers not knowing whatNCISwas (the reason “Navy” had been included in the first place), but things worked out just fine. Today, it’s considered one of theessential shows about military personneland has gone on to birth numerous spinoffs.Stream on Paramount+
Related:NCIS: Every Main Character Who Left the Show (& Why)
6Seinfeld (1989-1998)
Original Title: The Seinfeld Chronicles
Described as “a show about nothing,”Seinfeldfocused on a fictional version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld as he dealt with life’s mundane aspects and interacted with his three friends; Costanza, Elain, and Kramer. The sitcom — now regarded as one of the best in its genre — got off to a rough start, with test audiences reacting poorly to it, and NBC almost shelving it completely.
The main reason why the title was changed was to avoid comparisons to ABC’sThe Marshall Chronicles.Seinfeldlater proved to be the stronger show, but the network didn’t want to take any chances, so they opted to only go with a single noun.The Marshall Chronicleswas canceled after a single season, whileSeinfeldlasted for nine, proving that the decision had been a wise one.Stream on Netflix
5Ellen (1994-1998)
Original Title: These Friends of Mine
Before Ellen DeGeneres became one of the world’s most successful talk show hosts, she was a sitcom star. The celebrity played a bookstore owner named Ellen Morgan inEllen, a show that was originally known asThese Friends of Mine.Ellen’s character was also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, something that generated controversy at the time, but proved to beahead of its timeand is now widely appreciated for opening doors for representation on mainstream television.
The show’s producers were afraid that the sitcom’s ratings would suffer because people would confuseThese Friends of Minewith NBC’sFriends.The title was, therefore, changed beginning with the second season. Whether this was a good or bad decision is debatable.Ellen’s ratings improved, enabling it to stretch until Season 5, but it has generally fallen into obscurity, mainly because the title is too similar to the star’s more successful talk show. So, the fix worked short-term, but proved costly in the long run.Buy on Prime Video
4Parker Lewis (1990-1993)
Original Title: Parker Lewis Can’t Lose
parker lewis can’t lose
Originally knownas Parker Lewis Can’t Lose,Parker Lewisfollowed the optimistic titular character and his friends as they strove to be seen as cool in their high school. On many occasions, their fun was ruined by Parker’s sister, Shelly, and the school principal. The episodes had a cartoon-like quality and were full of pop culture references.
By the third season, the writers had opted for serious storylines, and Parker was no longer the cartoonish character audiences had known him to be. He was no longer trying too hard to prove himself either. This prompted the network to trim the title. Unfortunately, fans weren’t too happy about the change and ratings tanked. Consequently, the show wasn’t renewed for an extra season as had been anticipated.Rent on Prime Video
Related:10 Best TV Shows About Being a Teenager
3Saved By the Bell (1989-1992)
Original Title: Good Morning Miss Bliss
Saved By the Bell
Saved By the Bellwas about theexperiences of high school buddiesand their eccentric principal at Bayside High School in Los Angeles. Though it had a light-hearted approach to everything, the sitcom covered serious topics such as drug addiction, alcoholism, homelessness, feminism, and environmental conservation.
Initially, the focus was on the teacher, Miss Bliss, but this eventually changed, with most of the storylines now centering around the teenagers. To reflect the new direction, they switched to a new title, and it worked out for the better. The new format birthed four more seasons and spawned two equally popular spinoffs:Saved by the Bell: The College YearsandSaved by the Bell: The New Class, as well as two TV movies,Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian StyleandSaved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas.Stream on Spectrum
2Saturday Night Live (1975-Present)
Original Title: NBC’s Saturday Night
Saturday Night Live
The longest-running sketch-comedy/satire show on television, premiering in 1975, Saturday Night Live is a weekly series that features new hosts for each episode, with a core cast of actors and comedians that rotate over time. Episodes feature several skits that are sometimes ad-libbed on the fly, with the hosts engaging in most of them, and also provide musical guest performances that cap off each night.
Saturday Night Liveneeds no introduction. It is widely known as one of thegreatest sketch showsof all time, thanks to its marvelous monologues and skits. The long-running series has also built a reputation as the birthing ground for many of the entertainment industry’s popular comedians. Today, it remains one of the most-watched shows in America.
Viewers don’t care about networks, soNBC’s Saturday Nightwas never going to work. Still, that wasn’t the main reason for the change. NBC had named the sketch series that way to avoid confusion with ABC’sSaturday Night Live with Howard Cosell. Thankfully, an opening came up once again when the ABC show was canceled. NBC jumped on the chance and the rest is history.Stream on Peacock
1Little House: A New Beginning (1975-1983)
Original Title: Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie
Little House: A New Beginningwas about the misadventures of a family living on a farm in Plum Creek, Minnesota, in the late-1800s. The sitcom was adapted from theLittle Houseseries of children’s novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder. For a‘70s TV show, it was considered progressive, given the way it dissected themes like prejudice and classism.
The show’s case is a rare one because the title change didn’t happen until the final season. The tweak was influenced by the departure of star Michael Landon, who was widely thought of as the glue that held everything together. Rather than end things, the producers opted to tell a new story and focus on a new family. Regrettably, fans didn’t like it. Ratings tanked, causing NBC to cancel it.Stream on Peacock
