Additional Cast Members

[zimmerman]

I posed this option to you on the Fantasy guest star thread a few months ago, but it got lost in the shuffle.

Basically I want to know if Additional cast members could have been a help or a hinderance had WWW lasted longer than four seasons.

I will wait until I read some of your responses to tell you my opinion.

[artiesniecewannabe]

As in a third member of the team? or some recurring character(s) that are kind of the equivalent of Bakers Street Irregulars? or stories with Jeremy Pike, Frank Harper, Ned Brown, or Bosley Cranston contributing some help to Jim & Artie?

I have a few ideas along those lines, but plan to explore them in fanfic, so you'll just have to wait on my answer. ;D

[rielle]

Aug 16, 2012 17:28:05 GMT -8 @artiesniecewannabe said:

As in a third member of the team? or some recurring character(s) that are kind of the equivalent of Bakers Street Irregulars? or stories with Jeremy Pike, Frank Harper, Ned Brown, or Bosley Cranston contributing some help to Jim & Artie?

I have a few ideas along those lines, but plan to explore them in fanfic, so you'll just have to wait on my answer. ;D

I like both these ideas, Niecie, and will look forward to your stories about them.

I have included Jeremy and Frank in some fanfics, but not at the exclusion of Artie... although it occurs to me now that an interesting plot could involve Artie working with Frank, Ned, Jeremy or ... yes, even Bosley... and Jim busy elsewhere... hmmmm too many ideas!

But I didn't answer the question. I think it would have been a fine idea to have the other agents already introduced to the viewers show up to lend a hand to Jim and Artie now and then. Frankly, I would have liked that more than all those 'Colonel's secretaries' ... I know, not my usual stance, LOL. Its just that they seemed throwaway characters... and mainly there for the requisite exposition. sigh. I use too much exposition in my stories, I guess that's why I'd rather not see it onscreen... LOL

[California gal]

I was wondering just what kind of additional characters is meant. Maybe you should clarify a little, zimmerman, or give us your ideas... to give us an idea! ;D

[Nydiva]

Speculating on a possible real scenario...while it might have been a good idea to lighten the burden for RC and RM, I personally think that additional characters would dilute the stories further.

It took a while to establish a balanced partnership/relationship between Jim and Artie. For purely selfish reasons - I'd have liked to see more of RM, and not less of either agent with additional characters taking screen time.

However, fanfic, is another matter entirely. Then we're in the realm of fantasy; and I've already developed a third regular character for the series. Just taking me forever to write the stories. I keep getting sidetracked with "one-offs".

[LuckyLadybug]

I agree mostly with Nydiva. I've heard that if the series had been renewed, Jeremy was supposed to have been a regular cast member along with Jim and Arte. (Is that true?) I can't say I would have liked that. I have nothing against Jeremy, really, but having him or anyone else there as a regular would seem highly unnecessary to me. Jim and Arte handled things just fine for four seasons; they didn't need anyone else!

Now, as just recurring characters, that's different. It would have been fun to have seen Jeremy and some of the others pop up now and then.

[California gal]

Now that I'm clearer on what the question is, I think I posted something like this previously but I don't know where.

I agree that adding more "every episode" characters would dilute the show, especially the Jim & Artie screen time, together and apart. We have Col. Richmond and Pres. Grant as recurrent characters, played by the same actors. It might have been nice to have a consistent person as an assistant to the colonel, instead of the beautiful woman of the week. Chances are very good at that time he would have had a male assistant.

Several people appeared in episodes that it would have been fun to see again, like Lydia, Josephine, the Prince, American Knife Sordo... along with the various villains who did not meet their maker at the end of the episode.

I think having the other agents like Jeremy and Frank pop in from time to time--as happens in fan fiction--would be fine. I have introduced a recurring new agent in my stories, along with a couple of new villains I've brought back--as well as reviving some from the series.


In sum, I don't think I'd want much changed in season 5 et seq. as far as characters go.

[artiesniecewannabe]

The funny thing about this question is that I had a dream a while back in which the show was not cancelled and continued on, but because of Ross's health problems, a third partner was added to the show to take some pressure off Ross - sort of his own personal assistant. That's what started me thinking along this line for a fanfic (or more).