History Flanderization / LiveActionTV

*** Also want to add that Pam went from being a timid, but sweet and funny girl to an outspoken but slightly mischievous girl. Andy went from being an annoying, arrogant jerk with anger problems to a total nice guy. Angela went from being the strict religious person to a promiscuous hypocrite. Toby's apathy was amplified several times later in the series as well as his unsuccessful personal life. Even though Oscar was smart, he wasn't always on the edge of his seat to point out a flaw in someone's logic, now he's a pretentious smart ass. Phyllis went from being a sweet older woman who had low self esteem to a slutty bitch.

* Ted, the protagonist from ''HowIMetYourMother'' started out as a dorky, hopeless romantic with a few pretentious, hammy qualities. Come 2012, he's a certified pretentious ''LargeHam''.

* This has happened to several characters from ''TheMuppetShow'' when they made the transition to the movies, but perhaps none as much as Statler and Waldorf. In the original show they were audience members who constantly complained about the show. They show up in various roles later, where they complain about ''everything'' and seem to have never had a positive experience in their lives.

* In comparison, this was inverted with Alex Trebek of ''{{Jeopardy}}'', whose hosting style started out rather uptight and formal, like a very strict teacher; sometimes if a contestant screwed up, it almost seemed as if he were scolding them. As the show's writing style loosened up (more wordplay-based clues, non-traditional categories such as stupid criminals, etc.), Trebek loosened up with it. Particularly in the 2000s, it's now very common to see him laugh, smile and joke around (often [[SelfDeprecation at his own expense]]).

** Anya started out a bit unskilled with human culture (and didn't even have that in her first two appearances) she got worse throughout the show. Some people believe that this was on purpose, to f*ck with everyone.

* ''TheSteveHarveyShow'': Romeo and Bullethead started the show as two BookDumb guys who occasionally got into trouble. However, as the series progressed, they became more and more stupid and got into more and more trouble in and out of school. They both still showed occasional flashes of intelligence, but it would be quickly snuffed out by jokes about Bullethead's family living in a trailer park and Romeo [[{{Fanservice}} ripping off his shirt to the delight of the females in the audience]]. The show did provide a glimmer of hope at the end of the series when they finally graduated and prepared to go to college, but then [[{{Fanservice}} Romeo took off his gown to show off his chest to his classmates one last time.]]

* Alex, from ''{{Wizards of Waverly Place}}'', started out as a mischievous, witty, lovable JerkWithAHeartOfGold. Now she is a [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]], AntiVillain (and a possible [[ChaoticEvil anarchist]]). The UnsymphateticComedyProtagonist title fits her like a glove. [[EvilFeelsGood And she likes it.]]

** Arguably, this was used for legitimate CharacterDevelopment. Dean's escapades escalate from occasional flirting to almost incessant sexual encounters somewhere between Seasons Two and Three, exacerbated by his determination to [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean live life to the fullest]] before being [[spoiler:dragged to hell in a year's time]]. However, he gets a severe reality check in early Season Three when he seeks a casual hookup with an old flame, only to find her happily settled and supporting both herself and a child; after this, his slutty tenancies gradually peter out, disappearing almost completely by early Season 5. Upon Sam's [[spoiler:decent into Lucifer's Cage]], Dean keeps his final promise to his brother and establishes a caring, if somewhat lukewarm, family arrangement with the aforementioned single mother and her son. However, after [[spoiler:Sam's resurrection]] he drops those relationships like a hot potato in favor of traveling with his brother again, and is left with a much sterner outlook on life, with most of his earlier sluttiness forgotten.

** Also done ''positively'' in season 3 with regards to Ted. After suffering from DesignatedProtagonistSyndrome for two seasons and being arguably the most boring character, the show's heightened emphasis on the ensemble after Ted and Robin's breakup allowed Ted to be a far more colorful supporting character in numerous plots that weren't about him, as things like his "dorky dad"-ness, highbrow tastes, wild rushes to poor judgment, sentimentality, overactive imagination, bossiness, and obsession with architecture and obscure factoids were emphasized. He also developed from a BitchInSheepsClothing to a more likable JerkWithAHeartOfGold as he became more honest about his negative traits.

* Corporal Walter "[[HypercompetentSidekick Radar]]" O'Reilly in ''[[{{MASH}} M* A* S* H]]'' grew more and more infantile as the series progressed (while, ironically, actor Gary Burghoff's hair grew thinner and thinner). In the early seasons, Radar, while certainly young and inexperienced, wasn't a total innocent; he drank, played poker with the guys, helped himself to Colonel Blake's cigars, and was clearly a sly and knowing individual. In later seasons he became so childlike that he drank nothing but grape soda and couldn't say words like "nudity" without stammering. Additionally, his literal telepathy -- demonstrated in more than one early episode -- eventually degraded to simply an ability to detect incoming helicopters before anyone else, a feat which Hawkeye was able to duplicate during his TemporaryBlindness.

* ''TheSteveHarveyShow'': Romeo and Bullethead started the show as two BookDumb guys who occasionally got into trouble. However, as the series progressed, they became more and more stupid and got into more and more trouble at school. They both still showed occasional flashes of intelligence, but it would be quickly snuffed out by jokes about Bullethead's family living in a trailer park and Romeo [[{{Fanservice}} ripping off his shirt to the delight of the females in the audience]].

* ''TheSteveHarveyShow'': Romeo and Bullethead started the show as two BookDumb guys who occasionally got into trouble. However, as the series progressed, they became more and more stupid and got into more and more trouble at school. They both still showed occasional flashes of intelligence, but it would be quickly snuffed out by jokes about Bullethead's family living in a trailer park and Romeo [[Fanservice ripping off his shirt to the delight of the females in the audience]].

* ''TheSteveHarveyShow'': Romeo and Bullethead started the show as two BookDumb guys who occasionally got into trouble. However, as the series progressed, they became more and more stupid and got into more and more trouble at school. They both still showed flashes of brillance, but it would be quickly snuffed out by jokes about Bullethead's family living in a trailer park and Romeo [[ {{Fanservice}} always ripping off his shirt and showing everyone his muscular, tattooed chest]].

* The titular ''Series/{{Merlin}}'' used to be quite good at hiding his magical abilities and explaining (or completely avoiding) the odd situations he would often find himself in because of them. Nowadays not an episode will go by that doesn't have Merlin getting caught in an incredibly compromising position (usually with a dose of [[PanderingToTheBase slash-bait]]), and having to explain himself with increasingly bizarre excuses.

** Deb has gone through some radical Flanderization throughout the series five season run. Originally she was a tough but occasionally emotional and had a habit of sleeping around and cursing. As the series dragged on the sleeping around angle turned into a minimum of one illicit, RomanticPlotTumor a season. Her strong emotions, which Dexter once commented she worked hard to hide, escalated to the point where she would break down and cry almost every episode. The culmination of this was a breathtakingly terrible scene in the beginning of season five in which Deb immediately after [[spoiler:cleaning her murdered sister-in-law's blood off the floor]] with the help of a male friend, Deb breaks down crying, then fucks him.

*** ''{{Frasier}}'' is a fairly realistic example, though. He'd become more grounded with his bar buddies in Boston and as a deliberate counterpoint to Lilith. Back in the much more high-society Seattle he starts out still in Cheers-mode but as his circle of regular-guy friends is replaced with a closer bond with Niles he eventually becomes more elitist again, while Niles is brought down to earth through his relationship with Frasier and the dissolution of his marriage to Maris. They eventually meet in the middle.
*** Indeed, the flashback episode that takes place immediately before the first episode really makes lemonade from lemons with this one.

** Also done ''positively'' in season 3 with regards to Ted. After suffering from DesignatedProtagonistSyndrome for two seasons and being arguably the most boring character, the show's heightened emphasis on the ensemble after Ted and Robin's breakup allowed Ted to be a far more colorful supporting character in some plots, as things like his "dorky dad"-ness, highbrow tastes, wild rushes to poor judgment, and obsession with architecture and obscure factoids were emphasized. He also developed from a BitchInSheepsClothing to a more likable JerkWithAHeartOfGold as his negative traits were made more open.

* Missy on ''[=~Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide~=]'' was originally just the AlphaBitch who happened to have a crush on the protagonist, who escalated into a persistent StalkerWithACrush, and then escalated even ''more'' into a dangerously obsessive ClingyJealousGirl.

* ''[=~Two Pints of Lager & A Packet of Crisps~=]'' has multiple examples, such as:

* Almost all of the characters in ''[=~It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia~=]'' were Flanderized after the first season. Charlie was simply slow-witted in the first season, and now he's an illiterate idiot-savant. However, since [[TropesAreNotBad tropes aren't necessarily bad]], this has worked to the show's favor. Most people would agree that the "current" characters are [[GrowingTheBeard a hell of a lot funnier than they were starting out]].

* Jenna Maroney of ''[=~30 Rock~=]'' has basically reached the point where being an AttentionWhore is her whole personality.

* Alex, from ''{{Wizards of Waverly Place}}'', started out as a mischievous, witty, lovable JerkWithAHeartOfGold. Now she is a [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]], harsh [[TheSociopath sociopath]] (and a possible [[ChaoticEvil anarchist]]). The AntiHero title fits her like a glove. [[EvilFeelsGood And she likes it.]]
*** She's almost reached the VillainProtagonist title in the latest seasons.

** Chandler's effeminacy. In the first season, he liked sports, beer, pizza and ''{{Baywatch}}'' as much as the other guys but had to fight against the popular misconception that he was gay. By the end, he has two copies of the ''Annie'' soundtrack, can identify the film ''MissCongeniality'' through a wall, gets pedicures and has had it revealed that he (accidentally) made out with a guy in college.

* The titular ''Series/{{Merlin}}'' used to be quite good at hiding his magical abilities and explaining (or completely avoiding) the odd situations he would often find himself in because of them. Nowadays not an episode will go by that doesn't have Merlin stumbling into an incredibly compromising position (usually with a dose of [[PanderingToTheBase slash-bait]] to the audience), and having to explain himself with increasingly bizarre excuses.

* RulesOfEngagement: After the first couple seasons Adam became incredibly stupid. The actor doesn't mind.

* Alex, from ''{{Wizards of Waverly Place}}'', started out as a mischievous, witty, lovable JerkWithAHeartOfGold. Now she is a [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]], harsh sociopath (and a possible anarchist). The AntiHero title fits her like a glove. [[EvilFeelsGood And she likes it.]]
*** She almost reached the VillainProtagonist title, in the latest seasons.

* On ''{{The Suite Life of Zack and Cody}}'', London Tipton started out as the shallow, somewhat snobby rich girl who had her airhead moments. Gradually, the airhead part became more and more prominent. On the show's spinoff ''Suite Life on Deck'', she's a full-fledged RalphWiggum.

--> "If I wanted to watch a Reality Game Show that was all about winning competitions with little to no social game whatsoever, I'd watch TheAmazingRace."

* Missy on ''[=~Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide~=]'' was originally just TheLibby who happened to have a crush on the protagonist, who escalated into a persistent StalkerWithACrush, and then escalated even ''more'' into a dangerously obsessive ClingyJealousGirl.