The names of some of our favorite TV characters have undergone behind-the-scenes changes for a variety of reasons, from politics to legal issues to shows on competing networks. Here are seven such examples. 1. "The Mash" When Garry Marshall was first assembling the show that eventually became Happy Days, he envisioned the local hoodlum as a tall Italian guy named Marsciarelli whose nickname would be "Mash." By the time the show was cast, what he ended up with was a short Jewish guy... READ ON

A lot of readers seemed to enjoy last week's look at the early roles of actors who went on to bigger and better things (and you guys came up with a lot of good ones on your own as well!) Your collective power of recall inspired me to so some further sleuthing through the archives; I hope you enjoy this second installment of big hair and bad fashions! 1. Michelle Pfeiffer After Animal House became a bona fide box office hit, all three TV networks scrambled to get a frat-house sitcom on the air... READ ON

Extended family members always seem to figure more prominently in TV-land than in real life; in this first part of an occasional series, we take a look at some of the more memorable uncles who have graced our airwaves. 1. Uncle Joe Prolific character actor Edgar Buchanan is probably best remembered as the gravelly-voiced Uncle Joe, who was always movin' kinda slow on Petticoat Junction. Uncle Joe Carson was one of a handful of Hooterville residents who also made semi-regular appearances on Green... READ ON

Okay, this is just the best kind of silly. Eye on Springfield is a blog with a single, unswerving mission: to provide "a retrospective of Simpsons hilarity spanning from seasons 1 to 9, when it was still funny." And oh man, is it ever. (Funny.) The blog consists solely of screen grabs from the show, occasionally with snippets of explanatory dialog. Here are some of my... READ ON