In any long-running sitcom, it is common to have main characters come and go. It is indeed a rarity to have a long-running sitcom where all the main starting characters last from the debut all the way to the series finale. Characters often leave the series for both personal and professional reasons and in some cases, new characters come in. Off the top of my head, it's easy to think of a dozen examples where main starting characters are lost along the way:

1. Three's Company - Chrissy left.
2. Cosby Show - Denise left.
3. The Wonder Years - Karen left.
4. Family Matters - Judy left.
5. Happy days - Richie left.
6. Diff'rent Strokes Kimberly left.
7. Alice - Florence left.
8. Cheers - Diane left.
9. Home Improvement - Randy left.
10. The Jeffersons - Lionel left.
11. Married...With Children - Steve left.
12. Murphy Brown - Miles left.
13. Head of the Class - Mr. Moore left.
14. The Facts of Life - Mrs. Garrett left.
15. Step by Step - Brendan left.

I tip my hat to any sitcom that has the courtesy to bring back a lost main character for the finale. In a few cases, that indeed happened.

But overall, I have the most respect for TV sitcom series where NONE of the main characters are lost. Let's say a long-running series is one that lasts three or more seasons. What are some sitcoms where all the main characters in the debut lasted all the way through to the finale? Amazingly, I was able to come up with a few. Correct me if I'm wrong:

1. Gilligan's Island
2. Taxi
3. WKRP in Cincinnati (great one, considering so many characters)
4. ALF
5. Family Ties
6. The Golden Girls
7. Growing Pains
8. Mr. Belvedere
9. Punky Brewster
10. Too Close for Comfort
11. Who's the Boss
12. Full House
13. Roseanne
14. Seinfeld
15. Friends

Can anyone think of other long-running TV sitcoms that has the honor and distinction of not losing any main starting characters?

Originally posted by stella
Can anyone think of other long-running TV sitcoms that has the honor and distinction of not losing any main starting characters?

I'd say The Brady Bunch, although Mike, the father, was absent from the final episode.

Bobby (and Jeff Conaway) left Taxi after season 3.

I don't think any major characters left the Odd Couple.

Frasier lasted 11 seasons with all 5 principal actors entact

Originally posted by stella
In any long-running sitcom, it is common to have main characters come and go. It is indeed a rarity to have a long-running sitcom where all the main starting characters last from the debut all the way to the series finale. Characters often leave the series for both personal and professional reasons and in some cases, new characters come in. Off the top of my head, it's easy to think of a dozen examples where main starting characters are lost along the way:

1. Three's Company - Chrissy left.
2. Cosby Show - Denise left.
3. The Wonder Years - Karen left.
4. Family Matters - Judy left.
5. Happy days - Richie left.
6. Diff'rent Strokes Kimberly left.
7. Alice - Florence left.
8. Cheers - Diane left.
9. Home Improvement - Randy left.
10. The Jeffersons - Lionel left.
11. Married...With Children - Steve left.
12. Murphy Brown - Miles left.
13. Head of the Class - Mr. Moore left.
14. The Facts of Life - Mrs. Garrett left.
15. Step by Step - Brendan left.

I tip my hat to any sitcom that has the courtesy to bring back a lost main character for the finale. In a few cases, that indeed happened.

But overall, I have the most respect for TV sitcom series where NONE of the main characters are lost. Let's say a long-running series is one that lasts three or more seasons. What are some sitcoms where all the main characters in the debut lasted all the way through to the finale? Amazingly, I was able to come up with a few. Correct me if I'm wrong:

1. Gilligan's Island
2. Taxi
3. WKRP in Cincinnati (great one, considering so many characters)
4. ALF
5. Family Ties
6. The Golden Girls
7. Growing Pains
8. Mr. Belvedere
9. Punky Brewster
10. Too Close for Comfort
11. Who's the Boss
12. Full House
13. Roseanne
14. Seinfeld
15. Friends

Can anyone think of other long-running TV sitcoms that has the honor and distinction of not losing any main starting characters?

Boy Meets World, none of the main characters left. They had supporting characters come and go, but the main cast was there throughout the 7 year run. :)

Too Close for Comfort, didn't Ted Knight pass away while that show was still on the air? So technically didn't TCFC lose a main character? Correct me if I'm wrong :)

Originally posted by Dr. Jazz
I don't think any major characters left the Odd Couple.

The poker playing buddies were only on in year 1, except for Murray who was on it for the whole show, although whether or not Vinnie, Speed and Roy were major players is open to debate. Also, the Pigeon sisters were only in year 1, nancy was only in years 1-2. Again, whether or not they were major is open to debate. Same with Gloria who was in all 5 years, Myrna who was in years 2-5, Miriam in years 3-4.

I always thought Boy Meets World was longer...since it started when he was like in 6th grade or something and ended when he was a sophomore in college.


Kate left Drew Carey...though I stopped watching it a while before that, that's just what I heard, and IMDB backs that up

Originally posted by Angela Micelli
Boy Meets World, none of the main characters left. They had supporting characters come and go, but the main cast was there throughout the 7 year run. :)

Too Close for Comfort, didn't Ted Knight pass away while that show was still on the air? So technically didn't TCFC lose a main character? Correct me if I'm wrong :) Actually the show ended when he died but Jackie And Sarah had left the show earlier so it did lose 2 major characters.

Originally posted by ThirteenInchEscape
I always thought Boy Meets World was longer...since it started when he was like in 6th grade or something and ended when he was a sophomore in college.


Kate left Drew Carey...though I stopped watching it a while before that, that's just what I heard, and IMDB backs that up

:) BMW ran from 1993-2000

Originally posted by Angela Micelli
Boy Meets World, none of the main characters left. They had supporting characters come and go, but the main cast was there throughout the 7 year run. :)

I always though Minkus was a star in the first season

Originally posted by barwars
I always though Minkus was a star in the first season

Well I never thought of him as a main character, and technically in the first season Topanga would have been considered a guest star character :)

Originally posted by ThirteenInchEscape
Kate left Drew Carey...though I stopped watching it a while before that, that's just what I heard, and IMDB backs that up

She did. The actress is now appearing on Scrubs.

Originally posted by mr roper
Actually the show ended when he died but Jackie And Sarah had left the show earlier so it did lose 2 major characters.

Technically, the entire five-year run of "Too Close for Comfort" had all the main characters. Ted Knight, Nancy Dussault, and Jm J. Bullock went on to the spinoff, "The Ted Knight Show", in which the two daughters did not appear. After Knight died, the show shut down production, and the lone season of "Ted Knight" was folded into the "Too Close for Comfort" syndication package. But if Knight had not died, "The Ted Knight Show" would have continued production and been syndicated separately from "Too Close".

"Roseanne" lost Lecy Goranson, BTW.

Other shows that kept the casts intact:

"The Nanny"
"I Love Lucy"
"I Dream of Jeannie"
"The Partridge Family"
"Sanford & Son"

I can't believe I forgot to mention Coach! :eek:

Originally posted by TV Guy
"Roseanne" lost Lecy Goranson, BTW.

Yes, but I was referring to the actual characters and not the actors or actresses who played them. When actress Lecy Goranson left Roseanne twice, her character was picked up by new actress Sarah Chalke each time. So therefore, the character of Becky did not leave the series, even if she was played by two different actresses.

On a side note, I commend Roseanne's producers for thinking of ways to keep a character alive by bringing in a new actress to replace a departing actress. Off the top of my head, I only know of one other TV series that did this. On Baywatch, after Brandon Call left, Jeremy Jackson was brought in to take over the character of Hobie Buchanon.

shows get new actors for characters all the time. Well, I think it is less common now than it used to be.

In Petticoat Junction the girls were played by like 3 different actresses each.

I prefer for them to write the character out instead.

Linda Kaye Henning (daughter of Paul Henning who created the show)-Betty Jo-stayed with the show for the entire run, and I think the one who played Bobby Jo (the brunette) also did. The blond one (I forget her name) was played by Jeannine Riley then Merideth MacRae.

I can't beleive noone's mentioned "The Dick Van Dyke show"!!!!:talk: :talk: :talk:

Originally posted by jamesanthony
The poker playing buddies were only on in year 1, except for Murray who was on it for the whole show, although whether or not Vinnie, Speed and Roy were major players is open to debate. Also, the Pigeon sisters were only in year 1, nancy was only in years 1-2. Again, whether or not they were major is open to debate. Same with Gloria who was in all 5 years, Myrna who was in years 2-5, Miriam in years 3-4. Gloria joined the cast in the 2nd season, and they would still show Speed every now & then after they stopped showing the others (exept for Murry, like you said).

Originally posted by Dr. Jazz
Bobby (and Jeff Conaway) left Taxi after season 3.

I don't think any major characters left the Odd Couple. John (Randall Karver) left "Taxi" after the first season.

What about Full House? All of the original characters were there from the beginning to the end and none of the original cast members left.

The Honeymooners cast stayed in tact.

Originally posted by Brian Damage
The Honeymooners cast stayed in tact.

I heard there was a different Alice.... but she was only for the "lost" episodes.

yes, there was another Alice, but she wasn't in all those "lost" episodes. "The Honeymooners" was originally a weekly skit on "Calvacade of Stars" which was a variety show Jackie Gleason had on the Dumont network in 1951. On there, Alice was played by Pert Kelton (if you've ever seen the movie "The Music Man" she's the one who played Shirley Jones mother). Then when the show left Dumont in 1952 and went to CBS where it was renamed "The Jackie Gleason show", Audrey Meadows took over the role.
I've heard different reasons as to why Pert Kelton left. I've heard she had a heart attack and her doctor told her to stop working for a while, and I've heard she was blacklisted.
At first, there was also a different Trixie, but Jackie replaced the actress (Elaine Strich) after her first appearence.

Thanks for the info!!
Although, I'll stick to the "Classic 39"

you're welcome! Check out this site for more info:

http://www.honeymooners.net (www.honeymooners.net)

AshDude: I listed Full House in my original list of sitcoms that did not lose any starting characters.

--------

There is one sitcom I forgot that lost a major character: Laverne & Shirley. In that series, Shirley left at the start of the final season when Cindy Williams became pregnant. The storyline was written to explain that Shirley moved out to get married.

Everybody Loves Raymond will finish with all the characters in tact. Ditto for "That 70s Show," unless you count Laurie as a lead, which she really wasn't.

And I'm assuming that Will & Grace will also finish with all the characters in tact, I can't really imagine the show going on without all 4 of them.

Then, of course, there's The Simpsons:)

I'm surprised that noone's mentioned "Freinds"!

Anyway, here's some more:
"Green Acres"
"The Addams Family"
"The Munsters"
"WKRP in Cinncinati"

Originally posted by treky
I'm surprised that noone's mentioned "Freinds"!

Anyway, here's some more:
"Green Acres"
"The Addams Family"
"The Munsters"
"WKRP in Cinncinati"

I mentioned both "Friends" and "WKRP in Cincinnati" in my first posting that started this thread.

Originally posted by treky
I can't beleive noone's mentioned "The Dick Van Dyke show"!!!!:talk: :talk: :talk:

I am surprised as well. Another show where the cast stayed intact the entire run was The Beverly Hillbillies.

The Bob Newhart Show stayed intact the entire run.

Originally posted by barwars
I always though Minkus was a star in the first season

Lee Noriss (minkus)did get credit in the first season but him and topanga were supposed to dissapear after season 1.. He was more of a supporting character...

Originally posted by barwars
No, they got rid of Gethro's mother early on. it's Jethro.
And, his mother wasn't a MAIN character!

I Dream of Jeannie kept its main cast, along with Bewitched and I Love Lucy.

Maybe McHale's Navy? The truly main characters were Earnest Borgnine, Tim Conway and Joe Flynn.

Frasier kept the main characters for it's entire run, also Seinfeld

Frasier kept the main characters for it's entire run, also Seinfeld

I mentioned Seinfeld already in my first list.

Typing error, sorry. I knew it was Jethro.
I always thought his mother was a main character, meaning -- she was in the opening credits.
No she wasn't in the opening credits. When the show went off at the end their were episodes were they showed her waving goodbye along with the others in the cast.

How about Soap.:)

And I'm assuming that Will & Grace will also finish with all the characters in tact, I can't really imagine the show going on without all 4 of them.

It already lost one of its original main characters. Gary Grubbs played Will's client Harlin in the first few episodes of the first season, and was even listed in the opening credits. Somewhere around episode 6 or so, he stopped appearing regularly and only showed up sporadically, but his name remained in the credits throughout the entire first season. By season two, he was written out of the show and off the credits entirely.

Yes, but I was referring to the actual characters and not the actors or actresses who played them. When actress Lecy Goranson left Roseanne twice, her character was picked up by new actress Sarah Chalke each time. So therefore, the character of Becky did not leave the series, even if she was played by two different actresses.

On a side note, I commend Roseanne's producers for thinking of ways to keep a character alive by bringing in a new actress to replace a departing actress. Off the top of my head, I only know of one other TV series that did this. On Baywatch, after Brandon Call left, Jeremy Jackson was brought in to take over the character of Hobie Buchanon.
What abt Bewitched? They had to get rid of the original Darrin because of his back pain and they replaced him with another actor, Dick Sargeant. So that show remained intact.

How about Soap.:)

Didn't Corinne Tate-Flotsky played by Diana Canova and Benson DuBois played by Robert Guillaume leave before the series ended?

Funny how someone mentioned that That 70s Show would keep the entire cast in tact. I guess the 8th season renewal really was a shock.

:)

D'OH your'e right. all well I love the show anyway.:wave:

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Mary Tyler Moore, or 3rd Rock from the Sun. Or Get Smart (rest in peace, Don Adams).

Also, on Coach, Kelly and Stuart both left. And on Frasier, Bulldog was a fairly regular character the first few years (and actually was a regular cast member for a year, if memory serves) but left midway through.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Mary Tyler Moore.

Didn't Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern and Cloris Leachman as Phyllis Lindstrom both leave before the show ended in 1977?

yes, they did.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Mary Tyler Moore, or 3rd Rock from the Sun. Or Get Smart (rest in peace, Don Adams).

Also, on Coach, Kelly and Stuart both left. And on Frasier, Bulldog was a fairly regular character the first few years (and actually was a regular cast member for a year, if memory serves) but left midway through.
who left on "3rd Rock From The Sun" (which my cousin was a writer for-and they mention his name in one episode) and "Get Smart"?

If I remember right Felicity,Dawsons Creek, and Party Of Five did not loose it's main staring characters.They may not be sitcoms but they should count in my opinion.I also know characters were added to all 3 shows but I'm talking very main characters.:cool: