As the networks perfect their new shows for the 2010-11 season, the level of tinkering seems to have gone beyond the changes usually seen, report Joe Flint and Maria Elena Fernandez in the Los Angeles Times.

For instance, more than 20 of the new 37 scripted shows have had changes and 17 actors have been replaced, the story points out. Actors that have been removed include Ryan Devlin, who was recast as the son in CBS’ "Bleep My Dad Says" with Jonathan Sadowski, and Joely Richardson, whose role in ABC’s "The Whole Truth" was given to Maura Tierney.

Sometimes the changes are due to simple fate, the article says. Take for instance Fox’s "Running Wilde," which had planned to tap David Cross to play the fiance of Keri Russell’s character, only to be forced to temporarily replace him with Andrew Daly in the pilot when the eruption of an Icelandic volcano shut down European travel and trapped Cross overseas.

Changing actors means reshooting scenes, which isn’t a huge stress on the bottom line, the article notes. Actors in a new series can earn between $15,000 to $125,000 per episode. Taking on the added costs can be better than the other option: a series that doesn’t work, the story says.