# Major characters killed off sitcoms but not because of the actor's death. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 27, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379 "2017-04-27T17:47:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/41 "2017-04-28T17:43:36Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > On the original **One Day at a Time** Ann’s boyfriend Nick (played by the still alive Ron Rifkin) was killed between seasons 6 and 7 in a car accident. I don’t know why they killed the character. Probably because Ann having a permanent boyfriend limited the scope for stories. The same fate befell Ted Bessell (“Joe”) on _ **Mary Tyler Moore** _ (not killed off _per se_, just disappeared without a trace). ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/42 "2017-04-28T20:46:40Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > “Make Room for Daddy” they killed off Danny Williams’s wife Margaret after three seasons because Jean Hagen and Danny Thomas didn’t get along (she felt under utilized). Had her death happened between seasons so season four Danny was a bachelor, single father of two until he met his second wife late in the year. I did not know that! I was watching that show not too long ago until they moved it into the dark of the night times. They replaced it with Joey Bishop. That show is ok but I didnt even know he had a show! The good episodes had Danny in it. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/43 "2017-04-28T21:14:37Z")
I think Dan Conner died in Rosanne. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/44 "2017-04-28T21:16:18Z")
Laverne, on Scrubs. Replaced by her twin, Shirley. ---
**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:** [April 29, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/45 "2017-04-29T18:50:57Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > I think Dan Conner died in Rosanne. Dan had a heart attack at Darlene and David’s wedding, but survived. It was only revealed in the last episode that the whole last year was the tale of a book Roseanne was now writing, and in real life Dan did die, Roseanne went into a depression and didn’t snap out of it till Darlene and David’s daughter Harris almost died at birth, but pulled through. Roseanne pulled herself together because Darlene needed her. ---
**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:** [April 29, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/46 "2017-04-29T19:12:50Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Chevy Chase’s character Pierce Hawthorne was killed off on _Community_, mainly because everyone hated him. Did the cast hate him? I thought his problems were mainly with the producers. I know, I know. Almost _everybody_ can’t stand Chevy. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/47 "2017-04-29T19:13:40Z")
On\* “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”\*, wife beater **Garth Gimble** (played by Martin Mull) died by being impaled by an aluminum Christmas tree. Martin Mull would return to the show as \*\* Barth Gimble\*\*, Garth’s identical twin brother, and would star in the spinoffs \*“Fernwood 2 Night” \*and _“America Tonight”_. ---
**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:** [April 29, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/48 "2017-04-29T19:23:09Z")
Speaking of Roseanne, her father Al Harris was killed off when John Randolph, the actor who portrayed him, could not be secured for future appearances. The phone call when they got the news was a marvelous scene portrayed by John Goodman (Dan Connor). ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/49 "2017-04-30T13:04:58Z")
Regarding _Roseanne_ and the death of Dan: They are talking up doing a [reboot](http://deadline.com/2017/04/roseanne-revival-roseanne-barr-john-goodman-sara-gilbert-1202078883/)\*. In an old interview Roseanne said that she’d have John Goodman come back. Dan had faked his death! (Scroll to the 2nd to last paragraph.) So if the new episodes come thru, we’ll have to cross off Dan Conner from the list. - This article also has the bit with Dan and Darlene from a couple months ago. (I can’t believe I forgot the Laverne/Shirley and Barth/Garth examples. :smack:) ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/50 "2017-04-30T16:03:08Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > Unless you’re talking about the 1984 short lived sitcom _“E/R”_ > Though if memory serves, it wasn’t too funny.🙂 You memory serves you quite well. The Dad on The Wonder Years almost fits, as the last episode ended we were told of his death. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/51 "2017-04-30T19:56:26Z")
I don’t know if you can consider it a major character but Kevin Pollak had a long story arc (15 episodes via IMDB) on the sitcom Mom before being killed by an onscreen heart attack. I’ve never watched the show but I heard him talking about the experience on his podcast. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/52 "2017-05-01T00:15:39Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > With the exception that most survive in Blackadder the Third and Blackadder Back & Forth (1999). Most of them survived onscreen in Blackadder the Third. Presumably none of them survived to the birth of the generation that would fight World War One. Blackadder Back & Forth is a whole other timey-wimey ball. ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/53 "2017-05-01T01:26:07Z")
Phil the bartender died in a season 9 episode of _Murphy Brown_, only to reappear in the series finale telling Murphy he was in the witness protection program. Pat Corley, the actor who played Phil, outlived the series by about a decade. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/54 "2017-05-01T02:20:20Z")
Bob Newhart’s Professor Proton was killed off of “Big Bang Theory” although he continued to appear to Sheldon in his dreams. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/55 "2017-05-01T03:21:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Chef (Issac Hayes) on South Park was killed off because he left show, objecting to the episode they did on Scientology. Isaac Hayes’s son says Isaac didn’t quit, the Church of Scientology quit for him while he was having severe health problems. He had no say in the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Lorne\_Armstrong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@Lorne\_Armstrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorne_Armstrong)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/56 "2017-05-01T04:34:51Z")
How many characters were killed off on Little House On The Prairie? I seem to recall coping with death was one of the major themes on that show. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/57 "2017-05-01T04:57:14Z")
> [@Lorne\_Armstrong](#): > > How many characters were killed off on Little House On The Prairie? I seem to recall coping with death was one of the major themes on that show. Yeah, but Little House On The Prairie wasn’t a sitcom. ---
**Author:** ![TYphoonSignal8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@TYphoonSignal8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TYphoonSignal8)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/58 "2017-05-01T05:01:46Z")
What about Lucy’s husband in _I Love Lucy_? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/59 "2017-05-01T05:06:14Z")
> [@TYphoonSignal8](#): > > What about Lucy’s husband in _I Love Lucy_? Who, Ricky? He never died. When _"I Love Lucy_" ended Lucille Ball returned with her own sitcom, _“The Lucy Show”_ which also costarred Vivian Vance, at least for the first few seasons. On this show she was a widower (as was Vance’s character) but her name was Lucy Carmichael and had no connection to “I Love Lucy”, where she was Lucy Ricardo. ---
**Author:** ![TYphoonSignal8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@TYphoonSignal8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TYphoonSignal8)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/60 "2017-05-01T08:47:40Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > Who, Ricky? He never died. > When _"I Love Lucy_" ended Lucille Ball returned with her own sitcom, _“The Lucy Show”_ which also costarred Vivian Vance, at least for the first few seasons. On this show she was a widower (as was Vance’s character) but her name was Lucy Carmichael and had no connection to “I Love Lucy”, where she was Lucy Ricardo. Well, there you go. I never noticed that they were two different shows. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379.md?page=4)