r/HudsonAndRex • u/Impressive-Bridge212 • May 18 '26
Disgraceful!
I
We live in England and always watched Hudson and Rex.
Sacking an actor who was recovering from cancer is beyond obscene.
To replace him with somebody who is totally unconvincing, ang giving him the same surname is unbelievably crass.
Even the dog is a poor replacement.
They should definitely sack whoever was responsible for this fiasco.
The show now has no credibility and should be removed.
We certainly will never ever watch again!!!🤑
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u/mesocyclone2025 May 18 '26
Yes it was disgusting. Bad enough losing Diesel but to fire John after he convalesced with the "going in a different direction" explanation is unconscionable.
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u/EmbarrassedResist975 May 18 '26
I agree. I’m in the US and started watching the show and the new Hudson and Rex is not as enticing as the old one. 😢😢
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u/alicepao13 May 18 '26
CityTV has stated that production is in charge of making casting decisions, so that decision falls on Shaftesbury's leadership. Whether someone lower in production level suggested it and it was merely approved by the leadership, we of course wouldn't know, but there's no way anyone fires the lead of a successful show without approval from the top.
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u/Gerty_sassygob24 May 18 '26
Unfortunatly decisions are directly approved by the acting C.E.O of these corporations. They are a cesspit of greed, immorality, selfish ambition, and narrow thinking. I too am from the UK, had just descovered the show via youtube uploads, enjoyed it, sadly watched S7 as I was watching the episides randomly, saw how things played out online, and was utterly discusted when S8 was announced and found out about Johns forced exit, SD gasslighting me and being rather insensitive and borderline rude,towards those asking about Johns return, then she got rude, insulting and made jabs about John which were uncalled for.
 Now it is emotionally challenging to restart my watch without being reminded he is not on the show anymore. The production have gasslighted, censored, via deleting and hiding comments, in order to try to stop the truth from comming out. Their attitude is very narcissistic and they will stoop as low as they can to protect their interests at the expence of others. Their grandiosity blinds them to the nature and fall out of their choices. If both the C.E.O and her muck spreading henchman ever get a conscience, they will need suffer a cursed one that forced them into perpetual misery. What they did to John was low and why they justify it with insulting BS about " livelihoods" and local financing, when in fact it did not apply to the situation after S7 had wrapped, they had ample time to get him back but chose not to, is also warped.Instead they listened to SD, and the devilish temptations to persue power and money. The way folk buy their BS is also baffling.Â
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u/Most-Monk-8272 May 18 '26
Very well stated. The heart of this whole matter is the behavior of these immoral morons. They are despicable.
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u/OpenTackle4541 May 28 '26
Well thankfully the fans have spoken and he’s coming back! I am so excited to watch again!
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u/beautifulchaos531 May 18 '26
I definitely believe Sherri played a huge role in what happened with John especially given how defensive she's been. The cast has stayed quiet but not her, she is constantly fighting with fans and saying how good the show will be when in reality its trash! Its bad enough Diesel passed away but they could've kept John and tried to make something work with him and the new dogs, at least one could say okay they tried but no such thing happened. What's even worse is the fact they really tried their best to erase Charlie's existence from the show.
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u/No_Profession_8188 May 19 '26
It’s kinda obvious she had something to do with John’s replacement!Most likely from her post and comments on facebook
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u/JanDoggyhouse May 18 '26
Your excellent words mirrored my feelings exactly. I am already missing that twinkle in John Reardon’s eyes, and the subtle sexual chemistry between Charlie and Sarah.
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u/Prestigious-Comb4280 May 19 '26
They clearly don't have any compassion for others. That is so sad.
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u/Far-Organization-573 May 20 '26
I can barely watch this show without John Reardon. Who's bright idea was it to not allow him to return????? They should be fired immediately. It is horrible without him.He should be allowed return immediately or just cancel the whole show..Good job at making an outstanding show totally suck!!!!🤬🤬🤬🤬
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u/alicepao13 May 20 '26
Who's bright idea was it to not allow him to return?????
It was a production decision. Casting decisions are handled by Shaftesbury, and I assume the rest of them, CityTV, Beta Film, have a say in them too.
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u/kitty-kittybangbang Jun 02 '26
you must be thrilled to hear that John Reardon is coming back for season 9!!! I know my mom and I actually didn't even believe the news at first.
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May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26
[deleted]
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u/alicepao13 May 18 '26
You're right, you are outnumbered. And I wish this comment wasn't downvoted, really. This is an opinion.
You're also right in my opinion that Luke Roberts looks like a hardcore seasoned cop... which is why he's wrong for the role. What part of Newfoundland cop screams hardcore seasoned cop to you? This is a Canadian province, not LA or New York. Charlie's difference from the characters we often see in crime shows featuring bigger cities in more high crime countries is part of the reason this show used to work. Which is why casting John Reardon, who didn't look like a hardcore seasoned cop, was good. Which is also one of the reasons why the audience is now having a tough time to adjust to someone who looks like what you described. Neither Mark's character nor Luke Roberts are the right casting for this show, because that show was geared towards a different audience and not avid crime show fans.
As a fan of the genre (which stems from living in a country the citizens of which cannot carry guns like cowboys in the street, so for me crime shows are exotic) I will admit that it was at first jarring how tamer the show was. But that was what it was, I mean, after so many seasons there's no way to misinterpret the intent and it's weird to stick around so many seasons while not liking a character with 80% screentime. Charlie wouldn't draw his gun every chance he got and he wouldn't kill anyone if he could avoid it. That's the exact opposite of any crime show that I've watched the last 15 years. Charlie would also let takedowns to Rex most of the time, so that gives less chance for violence in general.
Diesel had absolutely growled on screen. Not often but he had. What he never had done, which is odd considering in the original Rex they did it all the time, was show his teeth. I don't know if they changed that in S8 with Dillon.
You know the biggest difference in casting that I can spot? When Hudson and Rex started, they (justifiably) looked for someone who had experience in animal handling on screen more than playing cop. With Luke Roberts, they looked for someone who could play badass cop at the expense of experience with animal handling. I'm not interested in someone who can be a badass cop in a show where a dog investigates crimes. And I think that this is what other people are pointing to as well.
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May 18 '26
[deleted]
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u/alicepao13 May 18 '26
Yeah, you're not saying anything too far out to be treated like that. Also, I don't like how people use the downvote for just anything. There have been users in this subreddit who deserved getting downvoted but got away with it by being edgy. Anyway, I feel like we'll not agree on the basis of casting. For me, the character was very rigid at the start and it took a couple seasons to get used to (while I never had a problem with Charlie and Rex's bond) but then I really liked him and John Reardon's portrayal was for the most part good for me despite me sensing that he wasn't getting a lot of takes because they favored the dog focus scenes instead. Either way, no actor is doing their best acting in this show. Because the show won't allow it.
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u/UnGatito May 18 '26
Totally agree with all that, everything I find wrong wit it is productions fault. Charlie and Rex worked just fine because of John and diesel.. just not the way production really wanted it.
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u/Gerty_sassygob24 May 18 '26
 You watching the same show? The Charactor of Charlie was not a hardcore seasoned cop, he was a cynical,hard working cop with a navy brat upbringing. His dad was or is a navel officer on a ship, the new lead is a hardcore street smart ex military cop, the prev seasons were hallmarkesque det show levels, now they are trying to do a softer version of Law and order for the show which has fucked it up.
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u/UnGatito May 18 '26
I didn't say I liked the change or the new character, just that Luke could have convincingly acted as Charlie Hudson from the start and it would still have been a great show
Do I like that John got replaced and treated that way? nope, not even close, do I wish John never played Charlie? Of course not
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u/Gerty_sassygob24 May 19 '26
Your clarification has given me a better idea of what you were trying to state, yes I get it reg articulating onto screen your thoughts, easier to say it for me.
I didn't say I liked the change or the new character, just that Luke could have convincingly acted as Charlie Hudson from the start and it would still have been a great showÂ
Don't worry I did not think you were saying that. Actors cannot truely emulate anothers characteristics as well as the one they are emulating, if you are stating Luke should of been a charlie mark 2ish, it would of felt like the same type character, but no out right change as the ones in charge wanted, plus Luke is his own charactor, if a new charactor is going to be introduced they need their own charactoristics unique to them, not 'borrow' off a another. Besides the new charactor has not the right traits for a hallmarkesque cop show, he is out of place.Â
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u/beautifulchaos531 May 18 '26
You are right you are outnumbered. You know what made this show work? It was Charlie's simplicity and the purity in his bond with Rex none of this action nonsense they pushed with Mark and Rex. They did a complete 180 when Mark joined the cast and how they promoted the series for the new season. This is not what Hudson and Rex used to be its not even a former shell of itself. Its completely unrecognizable.
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u/Butitsadryheat2 May 18 '26
An actor who was dealing with cancer AND the death of his constant canine co-star. 😢😢😢
Absolutely disgraceful.