http://www.answers.com/article/1191762/9-stars-who-left-their-hit-shows-too-soon?param4=ysa-us-demo-gut#slide=1

Shannen Doherty never left Charmed. It's well known she was fired. But at the time of the news, Shannen said she had left as saying your fired for being a bitch doesn't look and sound good.

The OC had been in a decline a long while before Misha left. But her departure was just the final nail in the coffin.

I was sad to see Katherine Heigl go but Grey's anatomy for me is one of the few shows that has survived it's cast changes.

I was rather happy when Matthew was killed off in Downton Abbey. I found his character incredibly unlikeable. I felt at times the show was too centred around Mary and Matthew and by killing him off, it took the show in a different direction and gave it a fresh breath of life.

I couldn't stand the character of Diane on cheers, so similar to what i said above, i was happy to see her go and felt it gave the show a fresh breath of life when Kirsty Alley took over the female lead.

Here's one...

McLean Stephenson from "M*A*S*H", perhaps the most notorious of the bunch! He left the show in the middle of the series for greener grass...but that grass was pretty much yellow when he got there!

Don't forget Dawnn Lewis who left Hangin' With Mr. Cooper after the 1st season.

EDIT: Never mind. She was fired.

I'm surprised Don Knotts wasn't on the list.

I'm surprised Don Knotts wasn't on the list.

And I'm surprised David Caruso isn't on the list. He left NYPD Blue for a movie career, which bombed big time.

Here's the ironic thing about David Caruso, which people often overlook: He DID get his start with a movie career, starring in films such as First Blood. THAT movie career was at least fairly successful, why not the 1990's one?

And I'm surprised David Caruso isn't on the list. He left NYPD Blue for a movie career, which bombed big time.

Here's the ironic thing about David Caruso, which people often overlook: He DID get his start with a movie career, starring in films such as First Blood. THAT movie career was at least fairly successful, why not the 1990's one?
He thought he was bigger than he was. Dennis Franz made that show.

And I'm surprised David Caruso isn't on the list. He left NYPD Blue for a movie career, which bombed big time.

Caruso is last on the list.

I though Brandon the middle brother on step by step left too early didn't even get to see him grow up.

They should have put Shannon on the list when she left 90210.

Shannen was fired from Beverley Hills as well. She never left.

Her bitchy behaviour on both 90210 and Charmed is why her career has resorted to reality shows and crappy tv movies.

They have forgotten Larry Linville.

Lisa Bonet leaving A Different World. I always wonder what it would have been like if she had stayed after the first season. The show was a mess for most of the first season through no fault of her own. But she got pregnant and left the show just as a new producer (Debbie Allen) who knew what she was doing joined the behind the scenes crew.

Lisa Bonet leaving A Different World. I always wonder what it would have been like if she had stayed after the first season. The show was a mess for most of the first season through no fault of her own. But she got pregnant and left the show just as a new producer (Debbie Allen) who knew what she was doing joined the behind the scenes crew.

Marisa Tomei also left after that first season and I thought the show wasn't as good from then on.



Others gone too soon for various reasons:

George Clooney left after the first season of "Roseanne" and after doing one season of "The Facts Of Life". Molly Ringwald was also gone after the first season of "The Facts Of Life".

Warren Beatty and Tuesday Weld left after Season 1 of "Dobie Gillis" because they both hated it!

Jeremy Gelbwaks played Chris in the first season of "The Partridge Family" and was replaced by Brian Forster in Season 2.

In the first 3 seasons of "Petticoat Junction" , both Billie Jo (twice) and Bobbie Jo Bradley were played by different actresses. From Season 4 onwards, both parts remained unchanged. Season 1 also had a character named Herbie Bates who disappeared suddenly after 7 episodes.

"The Munsters" began with Beverly Owen playing Marilyn. She was replaced by Pat Priest about halfway through Season 1.

MASH had many cast changes during its long run with the most infamous being the sudden departure of McLean Stevenson. Speaking of bad career moves, you can also include Shelley Long leaving Cheers in this category as well.

And of course, we all know about Chuck Cunningham, the strangest case of all...:lol:

She also went back to the Cosby Show. I guess Lisa and Mr. Cosby made up with each other. George left and became a big movie star. Some of these actors like George were made for the big screen while others like Shelly should have stayed on tv.

Lisa Bonet leaving or being fired from the show was a blessing i think. She wasn't a strong actress to lead a show and if anything, the show became the big success once she left. Although it was an ensemble, Jasmine Guy was the much stronger actress to take over.

But when she went back to The cosby show, she was fired after a 2 seasons due to creative differences.

Plus it never hurt Marissa Tomei as she has gone on to have an oscar winning movie career.

A Different World got better when she left and Marisa Tomia left too. It was strange that a spinoff would go on without the main star but it worked.

She also went back to the Cosby Show. I guess Lisa and Mr. Cosby made up with each other. George left and became a big movie star. Some of these actors like George were made for the big screen while others like Shelly should have stayed on tv.
There was never any feud between Lisa Bonet and Bill Cosby, at least not until The Cosby Show's seventh season when Lisa Bonet was fired. Contrary to these silly rumors, he was perfectly okay with her doing Angel Heart and she was not fired from The Cosby Show in the third season like people keep saying. I mean, why would he fire her and spend money giving her her own spinoff?

Once Lisa Bonet got pregnant, she left A Different World and was actually set to return to A Different World in its third season. However, due to the success of A Different World's second season, it was decided that she return to The Cosby Show on a regular basis for its sixth season.

Lisa Bonet leaving or being fired from the show was a blessing i think. She wasn't a strong actress to lead a show and if anything, the show became the big success once she left. Although it was an ensemble, Jasmine Guy was the much stronger actress to take over.

But when she went back to The cosby show, she was fired after a 2 seasons due to creative differences.

Plus it never hurt Marissa Tomei as she has gone on to have an oscar winning movie career.
That first season of A Different World was not Lisa Bonet's fault. Say what you will about her acting ability (that's your opinion), but she and the other actors could only work with what they were given and it's not fair that she took the heat for the mediocre first season that was caused by the writers. Dawnn Lewis and Jasmine Guy even said the same thing in interviews.

I am curious to see how seasons two to six would have been if she had stayed on the series since by that time Debbie Allen had replaced the previous producer Anne Beatts and Debbie Allen actually knew what she was doing.

I saw an interview in the 1990's on The Howard Stern Show (it was televised on You Tube) where when asked, Larry Linville said "no" immediately if he had regrets leaving MASH.

Don Knotts was under the impression that TAGS was going to stop its run after five years and signed on to a multi movie deal. Dick Van Dyke Show was not he same network and stopped after five years.

But Knotts got a better deal in the end and made a lot. Ore money, although his fills were basically forgettable. But from all accounts, him and Griffith were literally best friends and would have happily stayed.