Television shows that when a main character

[skysdad]

left no matter if it was because of death or time to move on just wasn't the same anymore.

Dan Blocker as Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza passed away while still on the program. The only mention of his character's passing was when his father Ben told someone he knew what it's like to lose a son. The show lasted a few more years but not near the quality as it was with Hoss. OFC

 

[pisgah101]

John Ritter 8 simple rules

 

[bleediteveryday30]

Michael Scott (Steve Carell), The Office. Show was never the same after he left. If you watch, "Goodbye, Michael" and you're not sobbing at the end, well, you're not human.

 

[Bludvls1]

Andy Griffith Show when Don Knotts left.

 

[Mac9192]

Spin City when Charlie Sheen replaces Michael J Fox

 

[smashmouth5]

Mike and Gloria left All In The Family.

Richie left Happy Days.

 

[lgreen1357]

I agree 100% with Dan Blocker and Don Knotts , also Rawhide was never the same when Eric Fleming left

 

[Bludvls1]

Charlie Sheen leaving Two and a half Men.

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

This was a USA Network show but when Patrick J Adams aka Mike Ross and Meaghan Markle aka Rachel Zane left the show Suits I quit watching it because it just wasn’t as good after they left the show.

 

[meisperplexed]

Dan Stevens leaving Downton Abbey. Connie Britton leaving Nashville and 9-1-1.

 

[hart2chesson]

Any Three Stooges episode without Curly isnt the same....Sheriff Andy Taylor should have ALWAYS dated county nurse "Peggy" in "Andy Griffith" show....She put Helen Crump and others to shame... OFC

 

[DukefanKY]

Charlie Sheen leaving Two and a half Men.

This is the one I was going to use.

 

[skysdad]

I agree 100% with Dan Blocker and Don Knotts , also Rawhide was never the same when Eric Fleming left

Eric Fleming drowned while filming in Peru. OFC

 

[dukiejay]

Luke Perry, Riverdale

Larry Hagman, Dallas remake

Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter

 

[Fourteen44]

Gary7, when he left THR.

 

[df64]

Zion when he left Duke.

 

[skysdad]

Victoria Principle ( Pam Ewing ) . They had several beautiful women to take the place of her as Bobby Ewing's love interest and there were some good but her character was Bobby's only true love. OFC

 

[timo0402]

Victoria Principle ( Pam Ewing ) . They had several beautiful women to take the place of her as Bobby Ewing's love interest and there were some good but her character was Bobby's only true love. OFC

Kelly Kapowski and Jesse Spano when they left Saved By The Bell

 

[Hurley22]

Kind of recent, but Criminal Minds wasn't the same for me when "Hotchner"(Thomas Gibson) left. I haven't even watched past few seasons. Of course when Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) left after season three I thought the same, but Rossi (Joe Mantegna) did a good job to keep the show worth watching.

Now Mandy Patinkin is in one of my favorite shows Homeland. Great actor.

 

[christophero]

Definitely when Ritchie left Happy Days. When Clooney left ER.

 

[OldasdirtDevil]

Bewitched is one of my favorite tv shows of all-time. I was just short of 12 years old when it premiered in 1964. At that age I just loved Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha...even though I couldn't quite put my finger on the reason why (well, maybe I could put my finger on it, but that would be a couple years down the road). But the character of Darrin Stephens, played by Dick York, was just as important. Dick York was likeable, funny, and perfect for the part, so when he left after the 5th season (actually didn't appear in all the later episodes that season due to his back problems) I couldn't watch it anymore. The show was never the same to me. I own the dvds of the show, but only the first 5 seasons. There were multiple other actors who died on the show and were missed dearly (Alice Pearce as Gladys Kravitz & Marion Lorne as Aunt Clara), but I was able to continue watching, but imo there was and is only one Darrin Stephens...Dick York.

OFC

 

[skysdad]

Also when Jim Davis died, Jock Ewing on Dallas. Plot was he died in a plane crash but in a later season he survived and had plastic surgery that changed his look. It just didn't work. OFC

 

[KDSTONE]

Jerry Orbach (Lennie Brisco) from Law and Order. It lasted god knows how long after he left, but it was never the same.

 

[christophero]

Jerry Orbach (Lennie Brisco) from Law and Order. It lasted god knows how long after he left, but it was never the same.

I never knew until recently that Orbach was the candle in Beauty and the Beast.

 

[kwyjibos13]

Taraji p. Henson (joss carter) person of interest.

also, it was on its last legs (could never recover from a so-so 4th season and a bad 5th season - although my favorite episode is from the fifth season), but the nail in the coffin was john spencer dying on the west wing. Hell of a job playing leo mcgarry

 

[KDSTONE]

Taraji p. Henson (joss carter) person of interest.

also, it was on its last legs (could never recover from a so-so 4th season and a bad 5th season - although my favorite episode is from the fifth season), but the nail in the coffin was john spencer dying on the west wing. Hell of a job playing leo mcgarry

That's a stretch. She was no means the heart of the show; she did a good job with a serviceable role, but let's not rewrite history here. The 4th season was great; the 5th season was wobbly at times granted.

 

[OriginalJayWill]

When Chester left Gunsmoke and they replaced him with Festus.

Slightly off topic, but M*A*S*H* did an amazing job of replacing seemingly irreplaceable characters with new ones. BJ for Trapper, Colonel Potter for Colonel Blake, Winchester for Frank Burns, etc.

Cheers also did well replacing Coach with Woody and Diane with Rebecca.

 

[skysdad]

When Chester left Gunsmoke and they replaced him with Festus.

Slightly off topic, but M*A*S*H* did an amazing job of replacing seemingly irreplaceable characters with new ones. BJ for Trapper, Colonel Potter for Colonel Blake, Winchester for Frank Burns, etc.

Cheers also did well replacing Coach with Woody and Diane with Rebecca.

Although Chester was a great character and Dennis Weaver a fine actor I liked Fetus better. Ken Curtis guess starred in Gunsmoke before the character of Fetus was created and he also was cast in a few television shows and he was a very accomlished singer after a stint with The Sons of the Pioneers. Google him to hear "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" . His bantering with Doc Adams was fun to watch also. Fetus in my opinion was a very good replacement for Chester. Agree with you on the other two. OFC

 

[DiehardDukeFan4Life]

NCIS is still a really good show and I still watch it every Tuesday night but it hasn’t been quite as good since Ziva (Cote de Pablo) and Tony (Michael Weatherly) left in seasons 11 (Ziva) and 13 (Tony). NCIS New Orleans also hasn’t been quite as good since Sonya Percy and Chris LaSalle left the show.

 

[skysdad]

Wagon Train. Ward Bond as Major Seth Adams. Bond passed while the show was in production and replaced as wagon master by John McCintyre as Chris Hale. Bond was only 57 when he passed away. McIntyre did a real fine job as the replscement but Bonds character as the tough but fair wagon master was burnt into the fans and Wagon Train although a still very high rated show just wasn't the same. OFC

 

[FearTheBeard]

Rick (Andrew Lincoln) leaving The Walking Dead.

 

[FearTheBeard]

Kind of recent, but Criminal Minds wasn't the same for me when "Hotchner"(Thomas Gibson) left. I haven't even watched past few seasons. Of course when Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) left after season three I thought the same, but Rossi (Joe Mantegna) did a good job to keep the show worth watching.

Now Mandy Patinkin is in one of my favorite shows Homeland. Great actor.

I love Homeland. It’s sad this is the last season.

 

[IFaZe]

Criminal

Kind of recent, but Criminal Minds wasn't the same for me when "Hotchner"(Thomas Gibson) left. I haven't even watched past few seasons. Of course when Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) left after season three I thought the same, but Rossi (Joe Mantegna) did a good job to keep the show worth watching.

Now Mandy Patinkin is in one of my favorite shows Homeland. Great actor.

Good things must come to an end...One of my favorites

 

[IFaZe]

NCIS is still a really good show and I still watch it every Tuesday night but it hasn’t been quite as good since Ziva (Cote de Pablo) and Tony (Michael Weatherly) left in seasons 11 (Ziva) and 13 (Tony). NCIS New Orleans also hasn’t been quite as good since Sonya Percy and Chris LaSalle left the show.

NCIS comes on I change the channel lol

 

[IFaZe]

Talk sex with Sue Johanson I think she’s still kicking though!

 

[Hurley22]

I love Homeland. It’s sad this is the last season.

It is sad, just watched episode 10 last night. If you are looking for something after that, Billions is really good too, and I think another season is starting the beginning of May.

 

[tcoyle34]

When Eric left That 70's Show. In my mind, the last season of the show, with the blonde-guy character, doesn't exist.

 

[christophero]

Suzanne Somers leaving Threes Company. She was hilarious. And pretty.

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

Dan Conner from Roseanne. Roseanne from Roseanne reboot.

 

[bleediteveryday30]

Newsradio. When Phil Hartman was tragically murdered and they had his character, Bill, pass on the show that was too much to overcome for me. Even bringing on Hartman's real life SNL best bud, the amazingly talented Jon Lovtiz, to replace him just wasn't enough to overcome how wonderful that character was and how even more so Hartman was in real life and as a performer. Truly one of the greats who was taken from us far too soon.