# TV Series That Killed Off the Most Regulars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [January 17, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361 "2023-01-17T18:00:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/21 "2023-01-17T22:38:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Not remotely close to some of these examples, but Babylon 5 killed off at least three characters major enough to make it into the opening credits. If you’re talking actors instead of characters, though, it’s got a pretty big lead. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/22 "2023-01-17T22:52:08Z")
[This link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hill_Street_Blues_characters) lists 7 characters killed off during the run of _Hill Street Blues_, including two major players, Sgt Esterhaus (played by Michael Conrad, died of cancer in real life) and Officer Joe Coffey (Ed Marinaro), who actually died twice on the show (the first time his death was changed to a serious injury). Thankfully, one of my favorite characters, Buck Naked survived the series run. \*I have somehow resisted the long-standing temptation to change my name to Dr. Buck Naked. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/23 "2023-01-17T22:54:42Z")
On my favorite show of all time Dark Shadows they killed off many characters… and they didn’t even have to leave the show! ---
**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:** [January 17, 2023, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/24 "2023-01-17T22:56:18Z")
Wasn’t the Star Fury pilot character who was in the S2 credits a character that the suits insisted that JMS should add to the show? I seem to remember reading or hearing that JMS said he humored them for one season then killed him off in the S2 finale. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/25 "2023-01-17T23:01:47Z")
Oh, right, I’d forgotten about him, that makes four-- What was his name? The three I was thinking of were Marcus, Lennier, and Sheridan. (I think the others I was thinking enough are obvious enough to fans of the show). ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/26 "2023-01-17T23:34:59Z")
Warren Keffer – I had to look it up; thought it was Keffler. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/27 "2023-01-18T00:01:10Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > > [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > > > I believe I learned from a similar thread years ago that British sci-fi classic Blake’s 7 will win. I think by the end of the show… all the original 7 including–Blake had been killed off? > > Not only all of the original crew, but all their replacements. We don’t actually see Avon die, the screen fades as we hear lots of laser fire (Avon was surrounded). According to Wikipedia only Blake is dead dead, the others are only mostly dead. Brian ---
**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:** [January 18, 2023, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/28 "2023-01-18T00:14:35Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Thankfully, one of my favorite characters, Buck Naked survived the series run. Vic Hitler nodded off (often) but didn’t die. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2023, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/29 "2023-01-18T01:00:00Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > [This link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hill_Street_Blues_characters) lists 7 characters killed off during the run of _Hill Street Blues_, including two major players, Sgt Esterhaus (played by Michael Conrad, died of cancer in real life) and Officer Joe Coffey (Ed Marinaro), who actually died twice on the show (the first time his death was changed to a serious injury). Coffey was killed twice? I remember Andy Renko (Charles Haid) was proclaimed DOA in the pilot, but resurrected when he scored favorably with test audiences. They had to reshoot the final scene, where Esterhaus informs Furillo of the death over the phone. The victim’s name wasn’t mentioned, leaving viewers to wonder who had been killed, Renko or Bobby Hill (Michael Warren). ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/30 "2023-01-18T01:05:00Z")
Over the course of four seasons, there were twelve members of Blake’s Seven. Gan, Zen, Cally and Blake died in onscreen scenes. Jenna’s death was reported by Blake, but it happened offscreen. The sentient computer Slave was burned out. Ambiguous “death”, it could have been repaired if the series continued. Vila, Tarrant, Dayna, Soolin were shot onscreen, and went down. Ambiguous deaths, they could have been just stunned if the series had continued. At the very end, Avon was surrounded, and just about to be shot. So that’s five definite deaths, and six various degrees of probable, out of twelve. Only Orac survived. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2023, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/31 "2023-01-18T01:06:08Z")
The _Liberator_ blew up, too. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/32 "2023-01-18T01:07:49Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Thankfully, one of my favorite characters, Buck Naked survived the series run. aka “Buck Nekkid.” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/33 "2023-01-18T01:18:59Z")
I believe the entire cast of _Sledge Hammer_ was incinerated in a nuclear fireball at the end of the first season, when they didn’t think they’d get renewed. They got better for the second season, when it turned out they did. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/34 "2023-01-18T01:29:08Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > They got better for the second season, when it turned out they did. The second season was a prequel. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hzQRyvI79xM/maxresdefault.jpg "Sledge Hammer Season 2 Episode 1 A Clockwork Hammer") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzQRyvI79xM) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/35 "2023-01-18T01:29:18Z")
They didn’t exactly get better-they claimed that the second season was a prequel. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/36 "2023-01-18T09:37:15Z")
Does _Six Feet Under_ count? The entire regular cast died, eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/37 "2023-01-18T10:23:14Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > The entire regular cast died, eventually. Everyone does. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/38 "2023-01-18T12:11:34Z")
Notorious prison drama **Oz** inserted a new character most weeks who would be dead before the end of that episode. But most of the truly regular characters died along the way. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/39 "2023-01-18T12:30:53Z")
The second season of _The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret_ ends with Todd detonating a nuclear bomb and killing everyone on Earth. Then the third season reveals that the first two seasons were all just a dream…or were they? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361/40 "2023-01-18T13:02:39Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > Notorious prison drama **Oz** inserted a new character most weeks who would be dead before the end of that episode. Oz should be given a special mention in that category. Its pilot episode follows one particular character, showing the prison and its intrigues almost entirely form his perspective, only to kill him off at the end of the episode, when you thought he was going to be the main character\*. The person who kills him then becomes one of the major players in the show. Every (almost?) killing in the first season is either committed by him, or brought about by his manipulations. \*The Shield pulled the same stunt many years later. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-killed-off-the-most-regulars/978361.md?page=3)