Just got to thinking about this. Don’t ask me why.
What original TV characters were dropped out of their series without anyone really bothering to explain what happened to them?
I can think of three.
Tiger from the Brady Bunch. Disappears after the second or third season.
The oldest brother from Happy Days. Can’t even remember his name but he was pretty much vaporized after season one.
John from Taxi. The doofus who was around for the first season and who the writers -wisely- felt no need to keep around for a second one.
I don’t recall any explanation as to what happened to these characters. Normally, the character is said to have died (particularly after the real-life actor/actress kicks the bucket) the character moves to a new town or is shipped off to the mental home. Something.
My question is, what other TV characters can you think of who disappear without any measurable trace?
I read somewhere that there were 2 different actors used to play the Happy Days older brother, obviously months, if not years, apart.
I hated the show, but would be watch it occasionally. Funny thing is, the only gag I remember from those googleplexes of episodes involved the older brother!
If you recall, he was a very tall doofus whose whole life revolved around playing basketball. In one of the Christmas episodes he gets handed a sphere – about 12" across – covered in wrapping paper. He bounces it, looks up, and says “Gee, what is it?”
Kinda lame, I’ll admit, but I’ll take that gag to my grave.
Well, the doggy may have died in the course of the series, but the resolution of the “Jan is allergic” episode was that she was allergic to Tiger’s flea powder, not Tiger himself, so they rescue Tiger just as he’s being driven off to live on a farm. Was the dog never seen again after that? I also want to know what happened to the orange cat that was in the first episode and never seen again.
MASH had an “Ugly John” like the movie (except in the book, the guy was called “Ugly John” because he was so good-looking. The TV show took the more obvious tack). I think they had a “Spearchucker” too, but both disappeared very early on; I don’t know if they even lasted a season.
The older brother in Happy Days was Chuck. He “went off to college” and was apparently never heard from again or at least they never spoke about him again. Geez, talk about out of sight, out of mind.
As far as MAS*H goes, I think I read somewhere (if you ask me for a cite, I’m going to have to cop out - I have no idea where I read it) that they couldn’t keep all of the characters they started with in the TV show because there were just too many to handle for a 1/2 hour show.
Dorky John from Taxi moved to California, IIRC.
I can’t remember my phone number half the time - but this crap I can call up without any effort. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
Knowing what big “Family Matters” fans you all are, I’m surprised that no one has mentioned Laura’s little sister, um… uh… whatever her name was. She disappared after the first or second season.
And I seem to remember “Full House” having some disappearing characters, too.
IIRC, the actor who played Seven simply wouldn’t cooperate. Apparently he was more trouble than he was worth, so he simply disappeared without explanation.
About a year or so after he was gone, the show poked fun at itself by putting his face on a milk carton that was sitting in front of one of the characters.
I saw that episode not too long ago.
IIRC, the dog wasn’t replaced for the entire episode, just the last scene. And if you have good eyes, you might be able to spot the difference.
Also, keep in mind that at in that episode, they never actually show you Tiger (not Tigger) being rescued; everybody says “We’ve gotta go stop Dad from returning Tiger!” then Alice (I think) runs out the door and it’s the end of the episode.
Yeah, they got a new actor. Kind of like the “Bewitched” thing. In fact, in her first episode, they ended with the family watching Bewitched and talking about the switch. IIRC, the new daughter said something about how she liked the second one better anyway. Ha ha.
Sorry to correct you, but Catrandom has it right. In the first four T.V. episodes they refer to, and even show, a black character as ‘Spearchucker Jones’. Granted, it was brief, but it was there. He dropped out of sight soon after, episode five, I believe.
It’s kinda fun watching Mr. Political Correctness Hawkeye Pierce say ‘Spearchucker’ if you ask me.
nash bridges: there was the “hippie guy”, who i believe, wore a grateful dead mourning armband- he is still in, but did he not have a partner, also kida hippy, disappeared season before last? Does anyone remember hom or his name?
Roseanne’s eldest daughter was a double switch - the original actress left for a season or two, then came back to finish off the series.
Also on Spearchucker - one reason for his disappearance I heard was that it was discovered there were no African-American surgeons in Korea, and so for the sake of authenticity, they wrote him out.
And while we’re on the subject of African-American actors and characters, just what happened to Sergeant Kinchloe/Ivan Dixon from Hogan’s Heroes? Dixon, I understand, went onto become a director, and Kinchloe was replaced by Sgt Baker/Kenneth Washington, also African-American. But there was no explanation whatsoever for the character’s departure.
Also from Married With Children, in the first season Al had another guy working in the shoe store called Luke, who was a lot more popular with the customers, especially the ladies.
Two Guys, A Girl And A Pizza Place - Julius Carry and David Ogden Stiers both disappeared. Julius’ departure left a big question - who owned the pizza place? Was it the two guys? Was it an unseen character? Who?
One tv show that demands investigating for numerous missing and replaced family members are the Winslows from Family Matters.
The youngest daughter was played by two actresses, and then disappeared along with the sister-in-law, and not just from first season finetuning - this was four years in!
Then in the final season, the father replaces his wife! And he was a cop too, he’d know how to get rid of the evidence!