TV Shows That Struggled After Losing Main Cast Members

TV cast exits are, for some shows, a way of life to adjust to, but there are many that have pushed shows past the point of believability. Although some shows are able to find their balance after a cast member exits, others struggle to get back on their feet or recapture the original magic. While some exits aren’t permanent, they can permanently alter a series.

Casting is an art within itself, putting together the actors best suited for the roles, but it doesn’t always anticipate a show’s longevity. While some shows lose cast members early, others lose them well into the life of a show, which can cause tension within the remaining cast or create story issues that the writers struggle to resolve. There are some shows that don’t recover from a cast exit.

10

That ‘70s Show

Eric Foreman

That ’70s Show ran for a successful 8 seasons, revolving around the life of Eric Foreman (Topher Grace) in Point Place, Wisconsin for nearly the entirety of the show’s run. While the majority of the show featured Eric as the main character, Grace’s career began to take off just a few seasons into the series. Despite most of the cast returning for the final season, Grace left the series.

While That ’70s Show attempted to add Josh Meyers’ Randy Pearson to the cast to replace Eric in spirit, it was a tough blow and didn’t often make sense with the story. Grace returned to That ’70s Show for an uncredited appearance in the series finale, but the show’s final season felt off-balance after his exit, and never regained its momentum.

9

ER

Doug Ross

As one of the most successful TV medical dramas of all time, ER had quite a few casting changes throughout its run. While the initial departure of Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) was a shift, the departure of George Clooney’s Doug Ross in the middle of ER season 5 was a shock to the show’s system.

Doug, who had gone through a huge transformation over 5 seasons, was a major piece of the show’s puzzle. Between his personal issues bleeding into his professional life and his on-again-off-again romance with nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies), Clooney’s performance was consistently praised throughout his time on the series, and Doug’s presence felt integral to the series.

With Clooney’s career on the rise, his film career wound up taking precedence over his role on ER. Doug was written off the series, and the show quickly changed to try and fill the void of Clooney’s charming character. While it ultimately got back on its feet, ER wasn’t the same for quite some time after Doug’s departure.

Troy Barnes

A series revolving around a group of students at Greendale Community College, some of Community’s funniest moments came from Troy Barnes (Donald Glover) in its early years. Embodying a high school athlete that fell from grace ahead of college, Troy’s character was one of the most interesting in the group, and his dynamics with his fellow classmates brought a richness to the series.

After years on the show, Glover wound up leaving Community during its fifth season. While his character was written out in an interesting way, his absence was something that was felt strongly within the core dynamics of the group. Rather than making the other characters closer, Glover’s absence shifted the cast dynamic in a way that couldn’t be salvaged in the long run.

7

Two And A Half Men

Charlie Harper

Two And A Half Men was a massive hit upon its debut in 2003, and the dynamic between the main characters, Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) and his brother Alan (Jon Cryer), was the heart of the show. While it was clear that Charlie’s character was based on Sheen’s bad boy image, the show always poked fun at him in a way that felt kind, rather than harsh.

As Two And A Half Men continued, however, Sheen’s personal issues with substance abuse began to impact his performance. When it became clear that his public persona was eclipsing his professionalism, Sheen went into a rehab facility, and wound up leaving Two And A Half Men behind. While it was written into the show in an interesting way, Two And A Half Men ultimately never recovered from his departure.

6

The Vampire Diaries

Elena Gilbert

A staple of The CW, The Vampire Diaries followed the life of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) as she struggled as one of the sole humans in a supernatural vortex. Caught between two brothers, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), Elena’s story throughout her high school years felt like a long-winding cornerstone of teen drama. As she aged, however, the show faltered.

When Elena’s character ultimately felt like she’d reached the end of her story with the rest of the group, Dobrev decided to leave the series behind. Though The Vampire Diaries continued for a few more seasons, the story ultimately fell flat without Elena, especially because many of the plots put into motion had to do with her despite her absence.

5

The OC

Marissa Cooper

The OC was one of the most intense teen dramas of the early 2000s, looking at life inside the bubble of Orange County, California. Exploring the world of Newport Beach, the show starred Ben McKenzie as outsider Ryan Atwood and Mischa Barton as Marissa Cooper, his troubled next door neighbor in his new home. Barton, who was decidedly younger than the rest of the cast, struggled in the role.

As a young actor still learning the profession, Barton’s performance was often criticized as The OC continued. Her character, who went through some intense storylines involving substance abuse, had such intense ups and downs that she ultimately died wrapped up in her drama. While Barton’s exit came ahead of the show’s final season, many felt that The OC season 4 didn’t live up to the show’s earlier seasons.

4

Grey’s Anatomy

Derek Shepherd

While Grey’s Anatomy is well known for killing its characters off in dramatic fashion, there are a few cast member departures that viewers haven’t recovered from. As one of the original pieces of the Grey’s puzzle, Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) was the first and best love interest of main protagonist Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). Derek, a neurosurgeon, was an intense character who drove Meredith’s story forward for years.

While many didn’t want to believe it could happen, the series chose to kill Derek off in one of the most shocking deaths in Grey’s history. Dempsey left the show during Grey’s Anatomy season 11, after his character was in an accident that left him with inadequate medical care. While the show had been moving in a new direction, his departure signaled the true end of its best era.

3

Suits

Mike Ross

Suits, which follows Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) as he works as an associate for Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), was one of the most intriguing law dramas of the 2010s. Despite being a major part of the show’s DNA as Mike and Harvey kept the secret of his lack of a law degree close to the chest, after Suits season 7, Adams left the show along with others.

The dynamic between Mike and Harvey had long been one of the most important throughout the series, if not the most important, so Suits quickly felt off when it returned. Though Katherine Heigl came into the show as Samantha Wheeler and several recurring characters were promoted to regulars, Suits never felt the same after Adams’ departure and ended after its ninth season.

2

The Walking Dead

Carl Grimes

As one of the most popular prestige dramas in the modern era, The Walking Dead saw a ton of cast member exits, but none were as hotly debated as Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs). Carl, who was a major part of The Walking Dead’s comic series, was written out of the show after years of following the source material with an intentional closeness.

Carl’s death was, at the time, the biggest divergence from the comics the show had ever done, and left fans divided. After eight seasons of watching The Walking Dead and enjoying seeing the comics come to life, millions of viewers chose to abandon the series, which threw things off balance. The Walking Dead never narratively recovered from losing Carl.

1

The Office

Michael Scott

As the heart and soul of The Office, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) felt like a completely irreplaceable part of the series. While Carell was a part of the ensemble, his character wasn’t a part of the show that could shift or move too much to one direction, or the whole show would feel off-balance. After seven years, however, Carell was ready to pursue other avenues.

Choosing to leave the series, Carell’s exit was handled craftily, and he did ultimately return for the show’s final season as a guest star. Still, The Office never felt the same after Michael’s exit, and the show wound up ending just two years later. Despite The Office continuing, Michael Scott’s departure was the beginning of the end.