# 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:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**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 19, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/101 "2017-06-19T22:27:13Z")
In _Designing Women_, Hal Holbrook played Julia Sugarbaker’s boyfriend throughout the first four seasons. When Season 5 rolled around, Holbrook was busy with _Evening Shade_, and his _DW_ character died from a heart attack. I remember this only because Suzanne Sugarbaker became unusually kind and supportive toward her sister. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/102 "2017-06-21T20:19:42Z")
Though she never made the screen, Howard’s mother on _The Big Bang Theory_. Bernadette’s best line. **One way or another we are leaving this airport with a dead woman.** Didn’t Tim Allen’s “father” die in _Tool Time_? Or was it Mr. Binford? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/103 "2017-06-21T20:28:08Z")
> [@PoppaSan](#): > > Though she never made the screen, Howard’s mother on _The Big Bang Theory_. Actually, the actress who voiced the role, Carol Ann Susi, died and that’s exactly why they killed off the character. ---
**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:** [June 21, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/104 "2017-06-21T20:32:27Z")
> [@PoppaSan](#): > > Didn’t Tim Allen’s “father” die in _Tool Time_? Or was it Mr. Binford? Mr. Binford definitely died but I don’t ever remember him actually being on the show. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/105 "2017-06-22T13:41:24Z")
I’d guess why this was missed is because the **Big News** was that the producers actually _stopped_ killing Kenny every episode on _South Park_ … Willy E. Coyote died about every 30 seconds during his run on the _Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner Hour_ … (didn’t mess up _my_ brain) … ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/106 "2017-06-22T19:12:53Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > I’d guess why this was missed is because the **Big News** was that the producers actually _stopped_ killing Kenny every episode on _South Park_ … > > Willy E. Coyote died about every 30 seconds during his run on the _Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner Hour_ … (didn’t mess up _my_ brain) … Technically speaking, a character who dies but later comes back to life is merely _killed._ What this thread’s looking for are characters who die and remain dead, which means they’re _killed off._ ---
**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 22, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/107 "2017-06-22T19:15:54Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Mr. Binford definitely died but I don’t ever remember him actually being on the show. I seem to recall him showing up in flashbacks, at least. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/108 "2017-06-22T19:26:58Z")
> [@PoppaSan](#): > > Didn’t Tim Allen’s “father” die in _Tool Time_? Or was it Mr. Binford? Jill’s father had a heart attack and died off-screen. BTW, the show was called _Home Improvement_. “Tool Time” was the show-within-the-show that Tim Allen’s character hosted. I wouldn’t call Jill’s father a “major character,” although he had appeared a few times. Similarly, Marshall’s father died of an off-screen heart attack on _How I Met Your Mother_. Played by Bill Fagerbakke, he had appeared in several episodes. ---
**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:** [June 23, 2017, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379/109 "2017-06-23T01:08:26Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I seem to recall him showing up in flashbacks, at least. Are you perhaps thing of Charlie Robinson who played Bud Harper, the CEO of Binford Tools in the later seasons? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-characters-killed-off-sitcoms-but-not-because-of-the-actors-death/785379.md?page=5)