Top 20 Character Deaths Caused by Production Issues

“Lost” (2004-10)
The second season of “Lost” introduced a ton of new characters, the most popular of which was arguably Mr. Eko. A man deeply devoted to his faith, Eko was poised to have a brilliant character arc, and his past was tied directly to the island via his dead brother Yemi. But all that promise was dashed after he was randomly killed by the Smoke Monster. This random death was not planned, but came about because Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje did not like living in Hawaii and wished to return to his native London. The decision upset fans of the series and showrunner Carlton Cuse, both of whom loved Eko and wanted him to stick around.

“Good Times” (1974-79)
Firing your lead is certainly a gutsy move, but that’s what the producers of “Good Times” were forced to do. A spin-off of a spin-off, “Good Times” starred Esther Rolle and John Amos as Florida and James Evans. While the initial plan was to mix drama and comedy similar to “All in the Family,” “Good Times” quickly veered into goofy, catchphrase-laden antics led by the popular J.J. Amos hated this new direction and often got into heated arguments with the writers, so his contract was not renewed. The character of John was subsequently killed off in a car accident at the beginning of Season Four.

“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1993-99)
Jadzia Dax is a joined Trill, meaning she appears human but is actually the physical host of a symbiont named Dax. When one host dies, Dax simply finds another. This is highly convenient, and it allowed the show to navigate the sudden departure of actress Terry Farrell. Farrell did not get along with creator Rick Berman, claiming that he was misogynistic and often spoke to her inappropriately. Following the sixth season, Farrell asked to have her work reduced, going from lead to recurring character. Berman was not impressed, the negotiations turned hostile, and Farrell was ultimately fired. Following her departure, Jadzia was killed off, and Dax bonded with a new host played by Nicole de Boer.

“Bones” (2005-17)
Police procedurals aren’t known for killing off main characters, but sometimes the actor wants to do something else and you have to go with the flow. John Francis Daley was added to the cast of “Bones” in the third season, providing some warmth and levity to the proceedings. He remained a series regular until the start of the tenth season, when he was shot and killed by Kenneth Emory. Sweets was the only main character on “Bones” to die. Daley, who was already a prolific comedy writer, had the opportunity to direct the 2015 film “Vacation,” which he co-wrote with Jonathan Goldstein. Unfortunately, this clashed with his schedule for “Bones”, so he chose directing over acting and was written off by showrunner Stephen Nathan.

“Cheers” (1982-93)
Played by Jay Thomas, Eddie LeBec was a hockey player turned mascot who enters a relationship with Carla. However, it was this relationship that would ultimately lead to the termination of Thomas. The comedian hosted a radio show, and a caller asked what it was like working on the popular sitcom. In jest, Thomas replied, “It’s brutal. I have to kiss Rhea Perlman.” Unsurprisingly, the producers didn’t take kindly to one of their stars insulting another, so they fired Thomas and killed off Eddie by having him get run over by a Zamboni. They also rubbed salt in the wound by tarnishing Eddie’s character and revealing that he was secretly married to another woman.

“Arrowverse” (2012-23)
Being one half of Firestorm (alongside Jefferson Jackson), Martin Stein was played by veteran theater actor Victor Garber. While Garber has appeared in many movies and TV shows, his true love is the stage, as evident by his four Tony award nominations. And his departure from the Arrowverse. Garber sacrificed a steady role on TV to return to theater, finding it too difficult and time-consuming to juggle both. Garber decided to leave “Legends of Tomorrow” after landing the role of Horace Vandergelder on “Hello, Dolly!”, and Martin Stein is killed off in a heroic sacrifice. You can’t ask for a better departure!

“Sliders” (1995-2000)
The grumpy, pseudo father figure of the Sliders group, Professor Maximillian Arturo was played by veteran actor John Rhys-Davies. Rhys-Davies was quite vocal in his criticism of “Sliders”’ writing throughout his run on the show, but he was supported by the network. A number of explanations have emerged as to why he departed “Sliders,” including that he was fired for insulting an executive who was later put in charge of the show, the aforementioned criticism of the writing staff, and possibly to make way for younger cast members. The official reason though, which Rhys-Davies maintains, is “creative differences.” Whatever the case, Rhys-Davies’ move was written into the story when the Professor was shot protecting his friends.

“M*A*S*H” (1972-83)
If you were around in the 1970s, you remember the sight - Radar walks into the tent, a heavy look on his face. The room turns serious, and he announces the sudden death of Henry Blake, whose plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. It’s an iconic moment in TV history, and to think, it would never have happened if McLean Stevenson didn’t hate being on the show. The story is that Stevenson didn’t like being part of an ensemble cast and wanted to leave the show for better opportunities. He was ultimately released from his contract and killed off. Ironically, it was Henry Blake who made him a star, and his career declined after he left “M*A*S*H.”

“Desperate Housewives” (2004-12)
The departure of Nicollette Sheridan is fraught with drama. After starring in the show for five seasons, Edie Britt is killed when she gets into a car accident and electrocutes herself. This death came about after some intense behind-the-scenes drama between Sheridan and showrunner Marc Cherry. According to Sheridan, she was continuously assaulted by Cherry, and she was fired after reporting this abuse to the network. Cherry claims that she was let go for both budgetary reasons and her unprofessional behavior on set. Sheridan then filed a $20 million lawsuit against ABC and Cherry, but all of the charges were ultimately dismissed. And unlike other deceased characters, Sheridan did not return for a cameo in the series finale.

“The Walking Dead” (2010-22)
TV is a business, and some people decide to take a role not because they want it, but because they like working with certain people. Enter Jeffrey DeMunn, who played Dale in the first two seasons of “The Walking Dead.” DeMunn often collaborates with director Frank Darabont, who created the TV adaptation and briefly served as showrunner. Darabont left the series after the first season, with insiders claiming that he had been fired over budgetary and creative differences. Darabont was out, and so was DeMunn. Not wanting to do the show without his buddy, DeMunn quit and asked to be killed off. The producers obliged, and Dale was removed from the story far earlier than he is in the comics.

“Archie Bunker’s Place” (1979-83)
We return to the “All in the Family”-verse for another dissatisfied actor. Jean Stapleton played Edith Bunker for nine seasons, which left her feeling burnt out and desiring new opportunities. So when it came time for the follow-up “Archie Bunker’s Place,” she decided to sit out. As the title suggests, the series is more concerned with Archie’s bar than his home life, and this gave the producers a good excuse to sideline Edith. Stapleton agreed to appear in just five episodes of the first season, partly to help ease the transition, before disappearing entirely. She was eventually killed off at the beginning of season two, having suffered a stroke off-camera.

“Doctor Who” (1963-89; 2005-)
The sixth incarnation of the regenerating time traveler was a controversial one, particularly given his choice in wardrobe and less than friendly introduction. However, it was behind-the-scenes issues that ultimately led actor Colin Baker to depart the role. BBC controller Michael Grade had an infamous dislike for “Doctor Who” and, Baker in particular (whose ex-wife Grade was particularly close to). After putting the show on hiatus for over a year, Grade forced through Baker’s firing, leading to the character’s abrupt, and embarrassing, death and regeneration portrayed by his successor in a wig.

“Breaking Bad” (2008-13)
This drug lord and intense psychopath was all set to be a major antagonist for Walter White and Jesse Pinkman to contend with at the end of “Breaking Bad’s” first season. However, actor Raymond Cruz actually requested that the character be killed off, citing his difficulty playing the role. Given the character’s intense personality, we can hardly blame him, and Tuco’s death did make way for some excellent villains down the line. Cruz seems to have gained some more confidence, however, if the character’s reappearance on the show’s prequel, “Better Call Saul,” is anything to go by.

“Community” (2009-15)
Lewd, crude, and more than a little weird, Pierce Hawthorne was the strange older figure on “Community.” Actor Chevy Chase was often critical of the show and its creator, Dan Harmon, expressing confusion over its humor. This ultimately led to his and the executives’ mutual decision for him to leave. Pierce was phased out at the beginning of the show’s fifth season, first appearing as a hologram, before dying off-screen of dehydration, due to… ahem… samples he donated, which were ironically part of his final gifts to his friends.

“House” (2004-12)
As one of House’s newer and more adventurous diagnostic team members, Kutner quickly proved popular with audiences. However, in real life, actor Kal Penn was offered a position in President Barack Obama’s administration and chose to take the job. Kutner’s death led to an intense episode, which took a hard look at what happens when someone takes their own life. The mystery of why he did this had a profound impact on House himself, with his inability to see it coming, prevent it, or to discover the reasons behind it, haunting him, quite literally, until the final episode. The writers truly made the best of Kal Penn’s departure.

“Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)
Although his somewhat naïve and relatable personality endeared him to audiences, this young doctor and fresh-faced U.S. army recruit was destined for a death brought about by difficulties behind the scenes. Actor T.R. Knight had already experienced production related drama in 2006 when a homophobic slur prompted him to come out of the closet. Three years later, Knight would cite his character’s lack of screen time and an overall collapse in the degree to which show creator Shonda Rhimes communicated with him as significant factors in his decision to depart. Meanwhile, his character is killed when a horrific bus accident leaves him unable to be identified, after which he’s declared brain-dead and the plug is pulled.

“The Conners” (2018-)
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. There was a time when Roseanne Barr was considered a brilliant comedian, with her sitcom “Roseanne” being one of the most celebrated shows of the ‘80s and ‘90s. It was so popular that it was briefly revived in 2018. But it was canceled just as quickly as it arrived, following some enormously controversial tweets that were written by Barr. Considered both racist and Islamophobic, the tweets were widely condemned in the media, and “Roseanne” was canceled after just nine episodes. However, the revival was eventually re-tooled as “The Conners.” Roseanne was absent, having died off-screen from a drug overdose.

“The Simpsons” (1989-)
The wife of the Simpsons’ mustachioed neighbor, Maude Flanders meets her untimely death after getting knocked off some bleachers by a t-shirt launched at Homer. The character’s actress, Maggie Roswell, had moved to Colorado to raise her daughter and needed to fly to California to record twice a week. She requested a pay increase to justify that ongoing expense. However, Fox refused to meet her demands and she left the show. Although briefly recast, Maude was soon killed off by “The Simpsons”’ producers to allow for more story options featuring Ned Flanders as a single father. Advances in remote recording technology have allowed Roswell to return to the program, although Maude remains in heaven.

“South Park” (1997-)
A musically gifted mentor of the South Park boys, Chef had been a mainstay on the irreverent cartoon satire since its first season. However, in 2006 actor Isaac Hayes departed the program following a recent stroke and due to the show’s infamous episode poking fun at the Church of Scientology, of which Hayes was a member. So creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone went whole hog when they killed off Chef, having him join an organization of predators, before being lit on fire, falling off a bridge, getting impaled, shot, and mauled by animals! Talk about overkill!

“Two and a Half Men” (2003-15)
After actor Charlie Sheen publicly criticized the creator of “Two and a Half Men,” Chuck Lorre in 2011, Sheen was fired from the hit show. Following his TV meltdown, the character of Charlie Harper was apparently killed off-screen after a jealous lover pushes him in front of a train. The show continued to add insult to injury by having the character supposedly haunt his brother in the guise of Kathy Bates while he’s in hell, serving as a kind of karmic punishment. However in the series finale, Harper is then revealed to be alive, only to be really killed by a falling piano after having escaped 4 years of capture. Chef’s death might have been overkill, but Charlie Harper’s is something else entirely.

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