# Does any tv show have "contingency plans"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161 "2010-02-08T17:35:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/1 "2010-02-08T17:35:15Z")
The recent weirdness with Charlie Sheen’s car has got me thinking. Charlie Sheen has been in plenty of trouble over time. It must have ocurred to the producers of _Two and a Half Men_ that there’s a possibility that Sheen might one day get himself killed or sent to prison. This would probably mean the end of his show (You could try to continue it without him, but that would be like trying to continue _Eight Simple Rules_ without John Ritter.) I wonder if they have an emergency “final episode” written out, in case Sheen suddenly becomes “unavailable.” I can imagine the episode beginning with Sheen’s character dying off-screen, and then everybody gathers for the wake and reminisces about him, with the bulk of the episode being a clip show. Has anybody ever heard of any show that has such “emergency” plans in place, in case a starring actor is lost, or if the show gets cancelled unexpectedly, or some other disasterous situation befalls the show? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/2 "2010-02-08T18:43:51Z")
The universal Hollywood contingency plan: Bring in Ted McGinley. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/3 "2010-02-08T18:44:41Z")
JMS had all sorts of back doors written into **Babylon 5** in case something happened to his actors. He ended up using a few of them, too. Most notably [Talia Winters](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talia_Winters). ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/4 "2010-02-08T18:49:17Z")
Emilio Estevez? That said, the writers could probably morph it into a spinoff where Alan gets the house as long as Berta remains there. They could play the conflict of Alan vs Berta instead of Allen vs Charlie ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/5 "2010-02-08T18:57:08Z")
Obviously, “Bewitched” back in the day replaced Dick York, who IIRC suffered from debilitating back pain, with Dick Sergeant in the same character and just kept rolling. Has any other show tried to do that? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/6 "2010-02-08T19:07:47Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > Obviously, “Bewitched” back in the day replaced Dick York, who IIRC suffered from debilitating back pain, with Dick Sergeant in the same character and just kept rolling. Has any other show tried to do that? “Roseanne” did it with the Becky character - when the original actress went to Vassar they replaced her, and when she returned to the show she and the other actress alternated. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/7 "2010-02-08T19:07:50Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > Obviously, “Bewitched” back in the day replaced Dick York, who IIRC suffered from debilitating back pain, with Dick Sergeant in the same character and just kept rolling. Has any other show tried to do that? There’s been some shows that replaced actors for the same character, Fresh Prince comes immediatelty to mind. TVTropes has a page about this: [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheOtherDarrin](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheOtherDarrin) ---
**Author:** ![Wash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@Wash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wash)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/8 "2010-02-08T19:20:12Z")
The Brooke Shields vehicle [_Suddenly Susan_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suddenly_Susan) had to do something like this when cast member David Strickland committed suicide. The Wikipedia link above describes the episode better than I could, so I’ll leave you to read it there. Obviously as Strickland wasn’t the main character the show could continue without him, but it really wasn’t the same. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/9 "2010-02-08T19:24:31Z")
In general, they don’t (B5 was different, since it had a five-year story arc). The major options are to replace the actor, continue the series and write the actor out with a backstory (Adam in **Bonanza** ), acknowledge the actor’s real-life death (used when the actor actually dies, like Coach in **Cheers** or John Ritter in **Eight Simple Rules** ) or just killing off the character(e.g., Henry Blake in **MASH** or Valerie Harper in **Valerie** ). But the plan is made up as necessary. There is usually time to make the changes; shows are shot weeks before they air. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/10 "2010-02-08T19:26:08Z")
_The West Wing_ was another show that had to deal with an unexpected death. John Spencer died while his character Leo McGarry was running for Vice President which made it difficult for them to write around his absense. Ironically, his character had almost died the previous season and it would have been easy to cover his loss then. And of course after he was elected Vice President, it would have been realistic for his character to never be seen or heard again. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/11 "2010-02-08T19:32:03Z")
> [@](#): > > used when the actor actually dies, like Coach in Cheers or John Ritter in Eight Simple Rules Also Jack Soo in _Barney Miller_ (the show acknowledged his death in real life with a tribute show), Michael Conrad on _Hill Street Blues_, and Phil Hartman on _NewsRadio_ (their characters died off screen on the shows). ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/12 "2010-02-08T19:36:28Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Emilio Estevez? He’s already been in an episode, and was dead by the end. Good ep too. > [@](#): > > That said, the writers could probably morph it into a spinoff where Alan gets the house as long as Berta remains there. They could play the conflict of Alan vs Berta instead of Allen vs Charlie IIRC, as of Charlie’s last will revision (which was in the same episode as Emilio), Alan gets nothing. And now that Charlie’s engaged, his fiancee probably gets the house as long as she never gets a breast reduction. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/13 "2010-02-08T19:55:39Z")
Every show with Mandy Patinkin has to eventually deal with it when he decides he’s not interested in showing up any more. If the producers of _Criminal Minds_ didn’t have a contingency plan for him then I have to think it would be pretty uncommon for anybody to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/14 "2010-02-08T20:25:41Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > He’s already been in an episode, and was dead by the end. Good ep too. Actually, he was dead before the opening credits! Alan: “Who’s your favorite brother now?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/15 "2010-02-08T20:41:22Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Actually, he was dead before the opening credits! > > Alan: “Who’s your favorite brother now?” > > 😃 “He’s the brother I never had.” “What about me?” “You’re the brother I never wanted!” ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/16 "2010-02-08T20:41:24Z")
I’ve got to mention Dr. Who. The greatest built in contingency plan ever. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/17 "2010-02-08T20:46:23Z")
The actress who played the oracle in the Matrix died after the 2nd movie. They cast a new actress for the 3rd movie and they had an explanation why she looked different but I can’t recall what they said. ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/18 "2010-02-08T21:10:30Z")
One of my favorite short-lived shows was Action with Jay Mohr and Illeana Douglas. They knew they weren’t going to last, and they had a contingency plan for the whole show going down the tubes – basically the Elephant Girl returns episode was written so that it could happen at any point in the first season, so as soon as they knew they were being cancelled, they could pull it out and wrap it up. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/19 "2010-02-08T22:03:49Z")
Don’t the soaps regularly have people die off both on and off stage? I don’t know because I never watch them, but it used to be a running gag on _Friends_. I’ve always thought that shows should have it in the contract that actors tape a death scene so if they get a better offer for some other show, the show can plug the taped scene in. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161/20 "2010-02-08T22:08:42Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > Obviously, “Bewitched” back in the day replaced Dick York, who IIRC suffered from debilitating back pain, with Dick Sergeant in the same character and just kept rolling. Has any other show tried to do that? > [@pravnik](#): > > “Roseanne” did it with the Becky character - when the original actress went to Vassar they replaced her, and when she returned to the show she and the other actress alternated. Back in the day before the day it wasn’t infrequent. The most infamous example was the comedy [_The Goldbergs_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goldbergs). Actor Phillip Loeb (who played the father) was blacklisted, then replaced by Harold Stone and, later, Robert H. Harris. Danny Thomas replaced Sherry Jackson, who played his daughter, with Penny Parker. \*The Munsters \* had two different actresses play Marilyn, and \*Petticoat Junction \*had three Billie Jo’s and two Bobbie Jo’s. Legend has it that when Fred Clark left _The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show_ Burns stopped the show in mid-scene, announced Clark was leaving, and then resumed the scene with his replacement, Larry Keating. And speaking of _Bewitched_, it wasn’t just Darren who was replaced. The show used multiple actors for Louise Tate, Gladys Kravitz, Aunt Hagatha and Darren’s father. The closest parallel to Charlie Sheen might be Stacy Keach in _Mike Hammer_. Keach was convicted of cocaine possession in Britain and spent six months in jail. The show simply shut down production until Keach returned. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-any-tv-show-have-contingency-plans/528161.md?page=2)