http://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-didnt-know-episodes-without-main-character.php Many shows have had absentees during their run. Hell, some shows pretty much have it in the cast members’ contracts that they will only feature in half the episodes of a given season. But there are few shows which ditch their main characters altogether. Once in a blue moon in television, there will be moments where the cast are given the day off, they can’t make it to filming, or they walk out of the show altogether. This list compiles 10 shows wherein their mainest of main characters didn’t take part in at least one episode. I’m also providing a few exceptions wherein the character appeared VERY briefly or made an appearance as themselves at some point. If the main actor has left a show and the show continues, it doesn’t count, however. For example, Charlie Sheen in Two And A Half Men? Doesn’t count. Zach Braff in Scrubs Season 9? Doesn’t count. One decent example would be Wiseguy. In this show, no one character appears in every episode. Jonathan Banks’ Frank McPike is absent in one episode during the entirety of the show’s history, but he isn’t the central character of the show, as that honour goes to Ken Wahl’s Vinnie Terranova, who is replaced in Season 4 by Steven Bauer’s Michael Santana. Neither of these characters were supposed to be anywhere else, Vinnie was in Seasons 1-3 and Santana was in Season 4, so they weren’t absent when they weren’t supposed to be. Read more at http://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-shows-didnt-know-episodes-without-main-character.php#ijwIt8uHSBBoPoaX.99

there was also 1 ep of cheers without ted danson/sam malone sam was seen olny for about 45 seconds in the opening but for the bulk of the show he was not there and imho it just was not cheers without sam

One episode of MacGyver hardly featured Mac at all, except in the prologue and epilogue- that episode is "The Coltons". (Of course, that one probably doesn't quite count for this list since MacGyver does still make an appearance in the episode and since that episode was meant as a back door pilot for a possible spinoff series that never happened.)
Nice list. But I kind of wonder if ensemble shows can really be said to have a main character. For example, wouldn't LOST count as having multiple main characters?

All In The Family was missing The Archie Bunker lead character during a 4 part episode when he's off to a convention and never made it there. In actuality he was out due to a contract dispute. Sanford And Son's Redd Foxx did the same after Season 2.

Bob Newhart also missed a few episodes of the last season of The Bob Newhart Show.

To all members: Would you refuse to watch a particular episode of a TV show just because a certain main character is absent from that episode?

I recall also that due to Raymond Burr's health problems, he had to miss out on a few outings of Perry Mason.

There were two ATHF Cartoon Episodes that didn't have the Aqua Teens Meatwad, Frylock, and Master Shake...but it did have Carl in it....

A friend of mine told me that there was an episode of Dr Who--without the Doctor! I believe it involved the daleks.

There was the 1981 "K-9 and Company" spinoff special from Doctor Who that didn't feature The Doctor.