Due South - ITV3 - Ray Vecchio

[ali_alic]

I am currently watching the re-runs of Due South screened at 6am (and 7pm) on ITV. The cast member that played Ray Vecchio changed a couple of episodes and was replaced by another actor. In the series it was explained away that the real RV was going undercover so this new RV was in his place so that no-one would get suspicious. My questions is : did they ever change back. was this just a way of writing out the old actor and bringing in the new. I never watched it the first time round so its all new to me.
Cheers
Ali

[LazyGun]

Used to love that series :)

IIRC, there was some argument between the original RV and the producers over salary. They didnt pay what he wanted, so he walked.... as far as I am aware, it was a permanent change.

[ali_alic]

Cheers - will be interesting to see how they write him out or if he makes a "final" guest appearance.

Cheers

Ali

[marwel7]

Ray went undercover with the mob,I think due to his startling resemblance to a mobster.But Ray couldn't just disappear,so they brought in Kowalski,who had identity troubles of his own and needed to drop off the map,to be Ray Vecchio.They forgot to tell Frasier who was on holiday at the time.
The real Ray Vecchio,in his undercover guise,appears towards the end of the third series,but the partnership of Frasier and Kowalski goes on.
Confused,you will be after the next episode of....

[marwel7]

By the way the budget was reduced for the third series leading to negotiation problems and David Marciano not returning to play Ray.

[CLOWN TICKLE]

Not 100% true, David was in the first episode and returns in the last episode, the series was dropped at the end of season two, frasier flat was demolished so that was the reason for the fire, at the start of season 3. It was the BBC who picked up production but DM had already signed for something else, hence the two appearances, but Kowalskis good

[FrancisB]

On Wikipedia, it says that the original RV returned for the last-ever episode.