Sebastian Cabot (as Mr. French) left "Family Affair" for nine episodes in the first season. From what I've read it was due to health reasons, though I don't know the specifics. While he was away, Mr. French's brother (played by John Williams) took his place.

Ross Martin (as Artemus Gordon) left "The Wild Wild West" for nine episodes in the fourth (final) season, while he recovered from a heart attack. While he was away, his position was filled by Charles Aidman for four episodes as Jeremy Pike.

Howard McNear (as Floyd Lawson) left "The Andy Griffith Show" for about a year, after he suffered a stroke. After he left in the middle of the third season, Gomer Pyle joined the show. Towards the end of the fourth season, Floyd returned.

milburn stone had a heart attack and was off of gunsmoke as doc for a number of eps and pat hingle filled in for him

Rosco P. Coltrane, Enos Strate, Cooter Davenport, and of course Bo and Luke Duke (Dukes of Hazzard). Basically anyone not named Boss, Jesse or Daisy. :lol:

Gil Grissom (CSI) left for awhile a season or two back. And this season he's leaving for good.

Jennie Malloy (Unhappily Ever After) left for a few episodes in the 1997-98 season.

David Gallagher, Mackenzie Rosman and Barry Watson on 7th Heaven
Vic on What I Like About You

Lecy Goranson (Becky) left Roseanne and returned.

Paul Benedict (Mr. Bentley) left The Jeffersons and returned.

Redd Foxx (as Fred Sanford) left "Sanford and Son" towards the end of the third season and didn't come back until the fourth or fifth episode of the fourth season. While he was away, Grady moved in with Lamont.

Scott Baio & Erin Moran (as Chachi and Joannie) left "Happy Days" for their own show "Joannie Loves Chachi." When that show didn't work out, they returned to "Happy Days."

Scarlett Pomers (Kyra) left Reba in it's 5th season after filming 2 episodes because she need to get treatment for anorexia. She returned for the 6th and final season.

Lecy Goranson (Becky) left Roseanne and returned.

Paul Benedict (Mr. Bentley) left The Jeffersons and returned.

Lionel and Jenny also left that show and returned.

Barbara Bel Geddes was replaced as Miss Ellie on "Dallas" for a season by Donna Reed.

Josie Bissett aka Jane Mancini left MP for about 2 seasons I think? All I know is she came back the last season. She moved back with her parents in Chicago because her life in LA was too "hectic".

Richice left happy days toward the end of the series
Red foxx left sanford and son. they had gradey.

Clayton Moore was absent from more than 50 black-and-white episodes of
The Lone Ranger, replaced by John Hart in the role -- and later returned.

David Canary ("Candy") left Bonanza after several seasons as a regular, replaced by a new character but later returning following the death of Dan Blocker ("Hoss").

when I think "briefly". A good example IMO would be Charlotte Rae on Facts Of Life. She was barely there in the last third of season 6 and same with the last half/third of season 7, before returning to say goodbye at the beginning of season 8.

Currently Hallmark channel is showing season 4 of M*A*S*H, and I noticed that Loretta Swit (Margaret) was absent from quite a few episodes.

Granted, there was an episode with limited cast members (The Bus) and one with just Hawkeye (Hawkeye) so i won't count those, but she was absent from lots of "full cast" episodes:


The Late Captain Pierce
Of Moose And Men
Some 38th Parallels
The Novocaine Mutiny
The More I see You
The Interview

Currently Hallmark channel is showing season 4 of M*A*S*H, and I noticed that Loretta Swit (Margaret) was absent from quite a few episodes.

Granted, there was an episode with limited cast members (The Bus) and one with just Hawkeye (Hawkeye) so i won't count those, but she was absent from lots of "full cast" episodes:

Wasn't Radar missing from some? I believe I heard that he wanted to cut back his airtime. This was during seasons 4 thru 7.

Also, (you'd be the one to ask) didn't Father Mulcahy miss some episodes during the fifth season?

Wasn't Radar missing from some? I believe I heard that he wanted to cut back his airtime. This was during seasons 4 thru 7.

Also, (you'd be the one to ask) didn't Father Mulcahy miss some episodes during the fifth season?

Gary Burghoff did cut back on his work load to spend more time with his family, and avoid "burnout" as he called it.

You are right about William Christopher. He was absent from several epsiodes in season 5 becasue he had hepatitis. They even wrote an episode that had his character catching the disease.

Bevery Crusher (Gates McFadden) left Star Trek-The Next Generation after the first season and was placed by Katherine Pulaski for the second season. Crusher returned to the show for season three. I'm not sure how much her departure really effected the series since I think that Crusher was a weak character. I actually perfer Pulaski.

Bevery Crusher (Gates McFadden) left Star Trek-The Next Generation after the first season and was placed by Katherine Pulaski for the second season. Crusher returned to the show for season three. I'm not sure how much her departure really effected the series since I think that Crusher was a weak character. I actually perfer Pulaski.

Pulaski was good. He had McCoy's acerbic attitude. It's too bad that she was quickly forgotten when McFadden came back.

Tracey Gold left Growing Pains temporarily to get treatment for her anorexia in 1992, and was well enough to return for the series' last couple of episodes.

Scott Baio and Erin Moran as Chachi Arcola & Joanie Cunningham left HD, to star in their own spinoff series that did nothing lol. so they went back to HD for the final season.

Tracey Gold left Growing Pains temporarily to get treatment for her anorexia in 1992, and was well enough to return for the series' last couple of episodes.

I recall hearing about that, how many episodes did she miss because of that?

I recall hearing about that, how many episodes did she miss because of that?
I'm not sure exactly, but her leave of absence began in late 1991/early 1992.

The person who portrayed Florida Evans (Esther Roll) was absent during the fifth season of Good Times. She returened for the show's sixth and final season.

patrick duffy left dallas during the 1985/86 season and returned the following season

patrick duffy left dallas during the 1985/86 season and returned the following season

Yes! Good one!

In arguably what was the silliest plot twist ever, Bobby came back and the previous season when he was absent was "just a dream."

Amazing.

;)

Yes! Good one!

In arguably what was the silliest plot twist ever, Bobby came back and the previous season when he was absent was "just a dream."

Amazing.

;)

Not just absent -- DEAD! Just a dream my butt!! Stupid plotline.

Ted McGriff from "Hey Dude." He left for Summer School in episode 29 and returned in episode (I believe) 54 and remained to the end (episode 65).

Duke Slater (Ronnie Schell) left "Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C." for it's fourth season in order to do "Good Morning, World." When that failed, Slater was back in the Marines for the fifth (and final) season of "Gomer."

Jane Wyman on Falcon Crest was gone for a good chunk of the 1989-90 season due to poor health. And Heather Locklear was absent for quite a bit from Dynasty from 1982-85 as she was working full-time on T.J. Hooker.

Pulaski was good. He had McCoy's acerbic attitude. It's too bad that she was quickly forgotten when McFadden came back.
She was played by Diana Muldaur. I heard she was hard to work with and not really liked.

Giles left "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" early in it's sixth season and returned in the last episode (well technically the final scene of the second to last episode) of the season. He was back for the marjority of the seventh season.

She was played by Diana Muldaur. I heard she was hard to work with and not really liked.
Wasn't she on a soap back in the day??

Carol O'connor was absent in the second season of In the heat of the night , for about 4 episodes during the second season in 1989 , While he had a quad bypass . Joe Don Baker took O'connors place while he was gone . They worked the plot as the Cheif was at some " police meeting " unquote , in quantico VA . Then right when he is comming back , he is kidnapped by extremist , that are trying to kill a civil rights leader . In an interview O'connor hated the whole plot while he was gone .

^ Speaking of, wasn't Howard Rollins written out a few times before leaving the show for good?

Yeah ... Rollins was said to be in " New Orleans " most of the time , working with the FBI , I think his absence was due to his drug problem . That was unfortunate , because I feel he played the part so well . According to an interview with O'Connor , he picked Rollins for the role of Tibbs, and NBC wanted O.J Simpson .

John Goodman as Dan Connor briefly left Roseanne during season 9.

It wasn't exactly brief, but Sherry Stringfield as Susan Lewis left ER almost halfway through season 3 and returned in the beginning of season 8. She left again four years later.

Luke Perry as Dylan McKay left Beverly Hills 90210 halfway through season 6 and returned in the beginning season 9.

Molly Price as Faith Yokas briefly left Third Watch for a few episodes during season 5 (she had a baby in real life).

Jason Wiles as Maurice "Bosco" Boscorelli briefly left Third Watch for a few episodes during season 6.

Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson briefly left Law & Order: SVU during season 8 (she had a baby in real life).

Harold Perrineau as Michael Dawson left LOST at the end of season 2 and returned during season 4 to finish off his storyline.

Carol O'connor was absent in the second season of In the heat of the night , for about 4 episodes during the second season in 1989 , While he had a quad bypass . Joe Don Baker took O'connors place while he was gone . They worked the plot as the Cheif was at some " police meeting " unquote , in quantico VA . Then right when he is comming back , he is kidnapped by extremist , that are trying to kill a civil rights leader . In an interview O'connor hated the whole plot while he was gone .
Carol O'Connor was also missing from the first few episodes of season 4 of All In The Family due to contract negotiations.

Carol O'Connor was also Missing in a few Episodes of In The Heat Of The Night

Yeah ... Rollins was said to be in " New Orleans " most of the time , working with the FBI , I think his absence was due to his drug problem . That was unfortunate , because I feel he played the part so well . According to an interview with O'Connor , he picked Rollins for the role of Tibbs, and NBC wanted O.J Simpson .
I thought so...I was still pretty young when that show was on the first time. Thanks!!

I fotgot about Mr Rollins missing episodes of In The Heat of The Night.

Gabe Kaplan - He dissapeared for a handful of eps. of Welcome Back Kotter during the 1978-79 season, but he did return for the series finale ep.

Kristy McNichol - She was absent for a handful of eps. on Empty Nest during the 1992-93 season (only appearing in about 6 eps. at most) before she left the show for awhile (and her being replaced by Lisa Reiffel as the third Weston sister Emily) due to her ongoing bout with bipolar disorder. She would return in the series finale in 1995.

Katy Segal was missing for half of season6 of MCW and most of 8 and 9 due to pregnancy and contract dispute.

I remember that Caroline Rhea wasn't present for the last few episodes of Sabrina. I think it had something to do with her starting her talk show.

Danica McKellar was absent from most of the fifth (1991-92) season of The Wonder Years for money reasons--or so I've read.

when I think "briefly". A good example IMO would be Charlotte Rae on Facts Of Life. She was barely there in the last third of season 6 and same with the last half/third of season 7, before returning to say goodbye at the beginning of season 8.
It looked starting in season 6 she did not want to be there. She did not play Mrs. Garrett the same way as she did early on.

Peggy Bundy.

Three times from 1991-1996, Katey Sagal missed a stretch of episodes because of pregnancies.

James Garner left "MAVERICK" for the second-to-last season because he brought suit against Warner Bros. (a move which was unheard of at the time-there was an unwritten rule that actors just left the big studios alone and let them do their job) but then returned for the last season. While he was gone, he was replaced by Roger Moore as their english cousin, Beau.

Meredith Baxter missed several episodes of Family Ties in Season 3 due to her pregnancy.