# Did a show ever improve after the departure of a star? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 18, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308 "2008-06-18T05:35:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/21 "2008-06-18T15:48:10Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] I think that Star Trek Voyager would have been significantly improved if they had replaced Kate Mulgrew. Every time I watched the show, she just really came across to me as a total shrew. [/QUOTE] I agree totally. And yet, Mulgrew herself was a replacement. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/22 "2008-06-18T15:51:26Z")
I’ll go out on a limb here to say I think _Bonanza_ actually improved after Pernell Roberts left the cast. The writers still had Ben for the serious story lines, but had room to expand the Hoss and Little Joe characters and could play with lighter, more comedic plots. _Barney Miller_ was supposed to focus more or less equally on Barney’s home and work life. It turned out that the work setting was far better and Barney’s wife Elizabeth (Barbara Barrie) was written out of the show. I don’t know that _Charlies Angels_ got “better” but the loss of Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson didn’t seem to hurt the show badly. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/23 "2008-06-18T16:15:22Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] I think that Star Trek Voyager would have been significantly improved if they had replaced Kate Mulgrew. Every time I watched the show, she just really came across to me as a total shrew. [/QUOTE] The departure of Kes and the addition of 7 of 9 improved **Voyager**. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/24 "2008-06-18T16:23:45Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] Every time I watched the show, she just really came across to me as a total shrew. [/QUOTE] And what exactly is wrong with that? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/25 "2008-06-18T16:42:46Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] And what exactly is wrong with that? [/QUOTE] There’s only room in our hearts for one shew and you’ve already taken that spot. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/26 "2008-06-18T17:10:42Z")
_NYPD Blue_ benefited by the departure of David Caruso. Caruso wasn’t much to start with and by getting rid of him it created the opening to develop Dennis Franz’ character. > [@](#): > > MASH got incrementally better when Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson and Larry Linville left. Oddly, Gary Burghoff’s departure hurt them some. The big mistake was not replacing Radar with a new character. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/27 "2008-06-18T17:37:58Z")
1. **Elisabeth Rohm** on **Angel**. She served very little purpose and was distracting. 2. **McLean Stevenson** from **MASH**. I like Wayne Rogers a lot too, but Col. Potter(Harry Morgan) really lifted the shows quality a lot. 3. **Shelly Long** from **Cheers**. The show was way better after Diane was out of the picture. 4. **Michael O’Hare** from **Babylon 5**. It was the right choice by both O’Hare and JMS to move on without him. Bruce Boxleitner, while not a great actor, had a better written character and he’s a better TV actor(O’Hare is a stage actor). 5. **David Duchovny** from **X-files** Kidding! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/28 "2008-06-18T17:42:57Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] The big mistake was not replacing Radar with a new character. [/QUOTE] They did drop Klinger into the slot . . . but it just wasn’t the same . . . ---
**Author:** ![bubastis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bubastis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubastis)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/29 "2008-06-18T18:03:24Z")
Oz kept getting better and better… and lost major stars like, ALL the time 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/30 "2008-06-18T18:06:44Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] They did drop Klinger into the slot . . . but it just wasn’t the same . . . [/QUOTE] I’ve wondered before if the producers decided that Klinger’s drag act was getting old or if Jamie Farr brought it up when his contract was up for renewal, because that’s about the same time he started wearing fatigues only. [QUOTE=Krokodil] The Avengers improved when Ian Hendry, the original star of the series, left and Patrick McNee, the sidekick, took his place. When Dianan Rigg replaced Honor Blackman, they became a true hit. [/QUOTE] Until this post I actually assumed Patrick McNee was _always_ the star. I’m probably not alone- Hendry’s episodes must not have been that memorable. (McNee’s autobio, [Blind in One Ear](http://www.amazon.com/Blind-One-Ear-Avenger-Returns/dp/0916515850), is one of the most best celebrity memoirs ever, incidentally, especially his childhood (among other unusual moments was when his mother left his dad for a butch lesbian coal mine heiress and farmer he called “Uncle Evelyn” who required McNee and his brother to wear dresses when they visited). While I was never a fan of _Saved by the Bell_ (I’m about 15 years or so too old for their target audience) IIRC it began as a sitcom starring Halley Mills, who left after the first season. I could imdb it, but I don’t believe it was called _Saved by the Bell_ in the Mills episodes, but obviously she’s forgotten and the show became a huge success. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/31 "2008-06-18T18:12:20Z")
[QUOTE=kunilou] I don’t know that _Charlies Angels_ got “better” but the loss of Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson didn’t seem to hurt the show badly. [/QUOTE] Farrah was dispensable, but no one could replace Kate. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/32 "2008-06-18T18:13:09Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] While I was never a fan of _Saved by the Bell_ (I’m about 15 years or so too old for their target audience) IIRC it began as a sitcom starring Halley Mills, who left after the first season. I could imdb it, but I don’t believe it was called _Saved by the Bell_ in the Mills episodes, but obviously she’s forgotten and the show became a huge success. [/QUOTE] Oh yeah, they called it “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” and the focus was pretty much on her/the teachers’ perspective. Then after she left, the style where Zach Morris would narrate and use his ultra huge cell phone was introduced. I knew all that, but until now, I had no idea that Haley Mills of the Parent Trap was Miss Bliss. Gosh. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/33 "2008-06-18T18:15:42Z")
[QUOTE=dalej42] How about Star Trek:TNG after Wil Wheaton was no longer a regular? 😃 [/QUOTE] I don’t have the hate for The Wesley that other people seem to have. I’ll admit I liked it more when he went off to Starfleet Academy. It made him seem more adult-like. Of course that necessitated him leaving the Enterprise, so he was a lot less of a regular character by then. But it made him seem more of a legitimate part of the crew when he returned during the episodes that placed him on leave. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/34 "2008-06-18T18:19:19Z")
[QUOTE=Mahaloth] 4. **Michael O’Hare** from **Babylon 5**. It was the right choice by both O’Hare and JMS to move on without him. Bruce Boxleitner, while not a great actor, had a better written character and he’s a better TV actor(O’Hare is a stage actor). [/QUOTE] This would have been mine if I’d gotten here first. That 1st season was painful, and if there weren’t a number of foundation-laying episodes in it, I would suggest that newbies to the series just start with season 2. I’ve said before that they could have replaced O’Hare with a hockey stick and gotten a less wooden performance. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/35 "2008-06-18T18:59:22Z")
Way late to the party, but **M_A_S\*H** and \*\*NYPD Blue \*\* saw big improvements with early Stars leaving. \*\*Nightcourt \*\* changed casts several time and greatly improved by Paula Kelly & Ellen Foley being replaced by Markie Post as Christine Sullivan. Loosing Selma Diamond hurt the show, but later when Florence Halop also past away, Marsha Warfield was a big improvement. Carl Reiner replacing himself and the entire cast of “[**Head of the Family**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455118/)” (1960) where he play Rob Petrie was a decision that made TV history. This show of course became the Dick Van Dyke show with Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam & Rose Marie starring and Carl becoming the Sid Caesar like star of the show within the show. \*\*Taxi \*\* quickly replace the quirky young character John Burns (Randall Carver) with Reverend Jim and became the best show on TV for about 3 years. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/36 "2008-06-18T19:15:58Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] \*\*Taxi \*\* quickly replace the quirky young character John Burns (Randall Carver) with Reverend Jim and became the best show on TV for about 3 years. [/QUOTE] Nitpick: John Burns was a minor recurring character (granted, he seems to have been intended to be one of the leads, but he just never got the screen time to qualify) throughout the first season, and Reverend Jim did appear during the first season and then become a regular in season two, but IMHO saying Jim replaced John is overstating it just a bit. It’s like saying Geordi “replaced” the string of losers that had the job of Chief Engineer on TNG’s first season. In Reverend Jim’s case, they had a character they loved and found a place to put him. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/37 "2008-06-18T19:16:56Z")
Maybe not exactly the kind of thing the OP was loking for, but The Daily Show got better when Jon Stewart replaced Craig Kilborn. The show wasn’t bad with Kilborn, but Stewart took it to a whole different level. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/38 "2008-06-18T19:25:55Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] Nitpick: John Burns was a minor recurring character (granted, he seems to have been intended to be one of the leads, but he just never got the screen time to qualify) throughout the first season, and Reverend Jim did appear during the first season and then become a regular in season two, but IMHO saying Jim replaced John is overstating it just a bit. It’s like saying Geordi “replaced” the string of losers that had the job of Chief Engineer on TNG’s first season. In Reverend Jim’s case, they had a character they loved and found a place to put him. [/QUOTE] It is a fair nitpick, but John was originally to be a major character. Several early shows dealt with him and his new wife minimizing everyone elses role except Alex. [QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Maybe not exactly the kind of thing the OP was loking for, but The Daily Show got better when Jon Stewart replaced Craig Kilborn. The show wasn’t bad with Kilborn, but Stewart took it to a whole different level. [/QUOTE] That is a great example. The old Kilborn show was pretty blah, the new Jon Stewart version has been sustained greatness. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/39 "2008-06-18T19:31:07Z")
In Britcoms, Men Behaving Badly took off after Harry Enfield’s departure. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308/40 "2008-06-18T19:35:40Z")
The Daily Show is better with John Stewart than Craig Kilborn. Even though I liked Craig Kilborn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-a-show-ever-improve-after-the-departure-of-a-star/453308.md?page=3)