# ABC-TV to air John Ritter tribute tonight **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924 "2003-09-16T12:20:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924/1 "2003-09-16T12:20:09Z")
Instead of airing last season’s hour long finale of “Eight Simple Rules” ABC is airing a hour long tribute to John Ritter tonight at 8 p.m. And it is so sad to see the “Returning Shows” edition of TV Guide this week covering “Eight Simple Rules.” I guess next week they will have a real tribute in it. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924/2 "2003-09-16T15:01:00Z")
Yeah, you’d think John Ritter would at least have the courtesy to drop dead **before** the TV Guide printing deadline. (Ow! Stop hitting!) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924/3 "2003-09-16T15:19:03Z")
Has anyone heard what they plan to do with the show? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924/4 "2003-09-16T15:23:24Z")
They certainly won’t be showing [this](http://snopes.com/radiotv/tv/ritter.asp) :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924/5 "2003-09-16T15:30:02Z")
From **Tapioca Dextrin** ’s link: > [@](#): > > The most famous quip about this issue was uttered by John Ritter, who told the New York Observer when they asked him about the controversy: “I’ve requested that [Nickelodeon] air both versions, edited and unedited, because sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don’t.” This is just one of many reasons why this man will be sorely missed. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924/6 "2003-09-16T17:02:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*Yeah, you’d think John Ritter would at least have the courtesy to drop dead **before** the TV Guide printing deadline. > > (Ow! Stop hitting!) \*\* Yes, but he did die 10 days before the Emmy Awards. That’s the mark of greatness. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924/7 "2003-09-17T14:24:09Z")
I think it was a nice tribute. I was hoping they would air the last three episodes and then wrap the show up. John Ritter was the show and there is no replacing him. I was glad that they gave a timeline of his day before dying. I was also glad to hear that his wife made it to the hosptial before his surgery and he was conscience. But instead they said they will write it in the script that he dies and carry on without him. I don’t think Katy Segal can carry the show alone. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924/8 "2003-09-17T14:30:18Z")
I think it was a nice tribute. I was hoping they would air the last three episodes and then wrap the show up. John Ritter was the show and there is no replacing him. I was glad that they gave a timeline of his day before dying. I was also glad to hear that his wife made it to the hosptial before his surgery and he was conscience. But instead they said they will write it in the script that he dies and carry on without him. I don’t think Katy Segal can carry the show alone. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924/9 "2003-09-17T15:56:22Z")
The show is about a FATHER dealing with teenaged daughters. It seems rather pointless to try to carry the show without the father. They said in the tribute that they were filming the 204th episode when John fell ill. The show’s only been on a year, right, not five? How can they have 200+ episodes already? ---
**Author:** ![peterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bb73d2/32.png) [@peterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peterW)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924/10 "2003-09-17T16:08:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ivylass \* > \*\*The show is about a FATHER dealing with teenaged daughters. > > It seems rather pointless to try to carry the show without the father. > > They said in the tribute that they were filming the 204th episode when John fell ill. The show’s only been on a year, right, not five? How can they have 200+ episodes already? \*\* I am thinking Diane Sawyer misunderstood it. I think episode 204 is meant to be read as Season **2** Episode **04**. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-tv-to-air-john-ritter-tribute-tonight/201924/11 "2003-09-17T16:10:27Z")
Ah, that makes more sense.