I wonder if any members of the SitcomsOnline Forums had to avoid watching a TV show just because somebody within that TV show has died (most likely an actor within that TV show, it can be either lead or supporting; it'd be less likely with that TV show's crew members).

I mean, if somebody with a current show has died, somebody watching it would end up avoiding its future original episodes or even reruns of the episodes featuring that deceased actor. Or if one or more actors of a TV show from decades past has/have died, somebody would end up avoiding watching that TV show's reruns or maybe even refuse to get a DVD set of that show.

Most of the actors from my childhood have gone. I would have nothing to watch if I did that.

I don't stop watching a show if an actor or actress had passed away. Whenever I read of a celebrity passing away I'll Play a DVD or two which that person starred in as a "Tribute to a Fallen Star". :rip:

The closest I have ever done to doing something like this was when I stopped watching "Two and a Half Men" because they killed off Charlie Sheen's character.

Are we talking the actors or the characters in the show? I have sometimes. I quit watching E/R after they killed off the character of Dr. Mark Green. He died of cancer, a brain tumor if I remember. He was about my favorite character and it just wasn't worth it after that. And they were changing some of the other characters and I didn't like that.

Ed.

Are we talking the actors or the characters in the show? I have sometimes.

I believe this is mostly about the actors passing away in real life than the characters they portrayed in a TV show. Sometimes characters can get killed off because the actor left the show on bad terms.

On Dennis the menace, when Joseph Kearns the actor who played George Wilson passed away, they brought in Gale Gordon as John Wilson. I didn't think the show was nearly as good as when Joe Kearns was there, but I still watch the eps with Gale Gordon !

not really but its been hard to watch reruns of everybody loves Raymond lately..due to Sawyer Sweetins death.

Even though Jack Soo passed on in 1979, I still watched the remaining three seasons of Barney Miller from Shout!'s full-series release. It was still a good show, but it didn't have that special something that it had when Jack was in there.

Yea my mother liked 2 and a Half Men until Charlie left. I kept watching it.

I remember watching Eight is Enough when it was in production. Diana Hyland was ill and I am sure the cast and the viewers were hoping she would recover. The show had a xmas episode and I can still see Willie Ames character mentioning or saying something to the effect MOm always like such and such. IF I remember, Diana's character had a gift for Willie. Knowing Diana and the mom character had died I just burst out in tears.
So knowing it at the time of the actor's death, it made a far bigger impact than seeing the show years in the future. I watch Mr Ed and I knew actor Larry Keating died during production but it didn't effect me as much. Now I go on google and look up the actor to find more about them.

not really but its been hard to watch reruns of everybody loves Raymond lately..due to Sawyer Sweetins death.

If it's so "hard" to watch a certain show all because of the death of some actor, then that may lead you (or any viewer) to avoid watching reruns of a show altogether and quit watching them completely.

In my experience. When an actor/actress dies, they become more popular and people tend to watch their movies/TV shows a little more for awhile just because they are gone.

Now u may not be talking about this, but here it is anyway. As far as the death of a character within the story? Yes there are some shows I stopped watching because that character was why I was watching. But they are very few, as it's usually the lead character in a story I like the most and continue to watch.
SPOILER-------SPOILER------SPOILER ALERT!!!!
For example. In star Trek Generations, when they killed off Kirk, I refuse to watch any of the other Next generation movies for awhile.

In my experience. When an actor/actress dies, they become more popular and people tend to watch their movies/TV shows a little more for awhile just because they are gone.

Now u may not be talking about this, but here it is anyway. As far as the death of a character within the story? Yes there are some shows I stopped watching because that character was why I was watching. But they are very few, as it's usually the lead character in a story I like the most and continue to watch.
SPOILER-------SPOILER------SPOILER ALERT!!!!
For example. In star Trek Generations, when they killed off Kirk, I refuse to watch any of the other Next generation movies for awhile.
this is off-topic, but wasn't Kirks death in STAR TREK: GENERATIONS ridiculous? I mean, he's piloted the Enterprise from one end to the other numerous times, faced death and survived it numerous times; and he dies by FALLING OFF A SCAFFOLD!!!:lol:
And why'd they have a scaffold in the 23rd century?

I don't avoid shows where a cast member has died, it would leave no classic shows to watch. When I watch them I just think about how things were and what wonderful entertainment they gave us. BUT I don't watch something if I know it involves certain topics. I can't stand it when a family member or pet is killed or dies on the show or movie. I also avoid rape scenes whenever possible and a lot of violence.

I don't avoid shows where a cast member has died, it would leave no classic shows to watch. When I watch them I just think about how things were and what wonderful entertainment they gave us. BUT I don't watch something if I know it involves certain topics. I can't stand it when a family member or pet is killed or dies on the show or movie. I also avoid rape scenes whenever possible and a lot of violence.

http://i.imgur.com/ZvozNVr.png (http://lunapic.com)

I am avoiding Three's Company due to the passing of John Ritter ( I worked with him in the film Stay Tuned), and I am avoiding anything with Robin Williams.

I got trouble watching Three's company I watched mork n mindy but was not the same you know,knowing their both gone just not fair

http://i.imgur.com/ZvozNVr.png (http://lunapic.com)
MINE TOO!

In my experience. When an actor/actress dies, they become more popular and people tend to watch their movies/TV shows a little more for awhile just because they are gone.

In other words, this may imply that the death of a lower-tier actor alone may make that lower-tier actor better than an A-list actor (whether that A-list actor s living or deceased). For example, If a D-list actor only starred in a few films, and he had died (naturally or by accident) shortly thereafter, then does this make that D-list actor any better than a living A-list actor who has starred in many films?

The COVID-19 Nightmare-Virus Pandemic over the past year has made me want to re-ignite this conversation.

Knowing that Dawn Wells died of that virus, I will NEVER want to watch another rerun of Gilligan's Island again for as long as I live, no matter how common the reruns are.:crying:

As for Cloris Leachman, I know that even ONE main-castmember of The Mary Tyler Moore Show dying from that virus will tarnish its excellent legacy. And I won't feel comfortable watching seasons 8 and 9 of The Facts of Life anymore, either, knowing COVID-19 just HAD to be the cause of Ms. Leachman's death.:crying:

It depends on the circumstances. I can still watch Three's Company and not feel upset over John Ritter's death. But I'm not entirely comfortable revisiting the show that he was working on at the time of his passing, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. It's a lot different seeing John still in his prime than seeing him middle aged and literally close to death.

I can also still watch Sanford & Son despite Redd Foxx's own death 30 years ago, this coming October. I maybe just out of morbid curiosity, would've still been able to watch his final project, The Royal Family it it weren't for the presence of Naya Rivera, who played his youngest grandchild. The thought seeing her in light of her own tragic death (especially when she was roughly the same age on The Royal Family as her son), as a young and precocious with a bright future, just makes it too depressing to take in.

Even though Jack Soo passed on in 1979, I still watched the remaining three seasons of Barney Miller from Shout!'s full-series release. It was still a good show, but it didn't have that special something that it had when Jack was in there.

If an actor is visibly or noticeably showing signs of illness like Jack Soo in his last few episodes of Barney Miller, then it would be easier to avoid. It's kind of like how it's hard to watch the fourth season of Gimme a Break! knowing how sick and frail Dolph Sweet was with cancer. Or Nicholas Colasanto towards the end of his stint on Cheers.

The COVID-19 Nightmare-Virus Pandemic over the past year has made me want to re-ignite this conversation.

Knowing that Dawn Wells died of that virus, I will NEVER want to watch another rerun of Gilligan's Island again for as long as I live, no matter how common the reruns are.:crying:

As for Cloris Leachman, I know that even ONE main-castmember of The Mary Tyler Moore Show dying from that virus will tarnish its excellent legacy. And I won't feel comfortable watching seasons 8 and 9 of The Facts of Life anymore, either, knowing COVID-19 just HAD to be the cause of Ms. Leachman's death.:crying:

Why? Did someone in your family die of Covid? Other than that I can't imagine any reason to single out Covid. Alan Hale Jr. died of cancer. That's OK?

Why? Did someone in your family die of Covid? Other than that I can't imagine any reason to single out Covid. Alan Hale Jr. died of cancer. That's OK?

COVID-19 WILL be singled-out as having not existed during a celebrity's heyday, or long after it. It probably didn't even exist when it was revealed that Dawn Wells was suffering from dementia. Plus, COVID-19 kills FAR quicker than cancer. You saw a Facebook video of Dawn Wells looking like there's nothing wrong with her, and a short while later, it's announced that she drops dead from COVID-19 without any explanation as to how/why she contracted it in the first place. That is exactly what I am upset over.

I wouldn't even be as angry if Dawn Wells died from a different cause, like cancer. What makes you think you're going to change my mind regarding me not wanting to watch Gilligan's Island again, or even looking at a photo of Dawn Wells? Just don't expect me to EVER get over Dawn Wells's death.

Yes sometimes knowing how they died can be something to think about. I see Columbo with Peter Falk and I read his last few years he had dementia and for his family it was hard to see him fall apart. I see him on Columbo so peppy and lively and think his last days were awful. I guess you should just think of the character. Mary Ann on Gilligans Island was a cheerful peppy gal. Dawn Wells shared my birthday. So another person who shared my day is gone.

No, if anything I want to watch it more. And I didnt know any of those actors personally so why would it be hard for me to watch?:confused:

It depends on the circumstances. I can still watch Three's Company and not feel upset over John Ritter's death. But I'm not entirely comfortable revisiting the show that he was working on at the time of his passing, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. It's a lot different seeing John still in his prime than seeing him middle age and literally close to death.

I can also still watch Sanford & Son despite Redd Foxx's own death 30 years ago, this coming October. I maybe just out of morbid curiosity, would've still been able to watch his final project, The Royal Family it it weren't for the presence of Naya Rivera, who played his youngest grandchild. The thought seeing her in light of her own tragic death (especially when she was roughly the same age on The Royal Family as her son), as a young and precocious with a bright future, just makes it too depressing to take in.


It seem like it would be easier for me to watch TC than 8SR because that was the show he became ill on and later died. Like redd foxx and royal family

But not redd foxx on sanford and son

What about if you get into an argument regarding something about an actor's personal life, or a project involving that actor, which gets so nasty that a moderator or administrator threatens you with a suspension or ban? That's perfect justification for avoidance of any projects featuring a recently-deceased personality.

If I get involved in such disputes, I'm not going to want tributes to fallen stars. I'm going to want unpersoning and complete avoidance of that fallen star and ALL projects featuring him/her, especially if I'm too upset over that actor's death if it's under tragic circumstances like an accident or a plane crash.

I’ll still watch Hot In Cleveland despite what happened New Years Eve. And Golden Girls. And Mary Tyler Moore Show. And pretty much every celeb panel game show ever made….

I haven't stopped watching TV shows after the passing of an actor, as I still watch The Golden Girls, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Bewitched where all or a majority of the actors have passed. This might be a little OT, but I haven't been able to watch films starring Robin Williams since his passing, and Jumanji and Mrs. Doubtfire are two of my all-time favorite movies! :( I also avoided watching the films Dirty Dancing and Ghost for a long while after the passing of Patrick Swayze.

I think it would only be hard if you are watching a show that is currently on live tv. When it comes to syndication it shouldnt matter. I could see how it would be hard for anyone to continue watching chico and the man back in the 70's after he died

I didn't watch Jeopardy for several months because I didn't want to watch Alex Trebek getting sicker. I couldn't enjoy the show thinking he might be in pain and suffering.

I love watching the show again now with Ken Jennings.

GAC Family has recently picked up the cable rights (the first time that it has aired on linear television instead of on a streaming service) to Fuller House. It's extremely weird to see Bob Saget pop in from time to time not too long after his death. And it was originally speculated that he may have had a heart attack (instead suffering a mysterious blow to the head) considering that he physically, looked heavier on Fuller House when compared to on Full House. So it did make you wonder how healthy he was at the time Fuller House was made (it only ended less than a year and a half before his death).

istopped watching the dallas reboot after larry hagman passed away because imho dallas without jr ewing is simply not dallas at all

I believe the only show I quit watching was 8 Simple Rules after John Ritter died. His character died as well and I really only watched for him. I still watch Three's Company but I can't watch any episodes of 8 Simple Rules after John/Paul's death. It's just not the same.

Chadwick Boseman died in late August 2020 of colon cancer. He had kept his condition private since his diagnosis. And then Kevin Feige confirmed that the character Mr. Boseman in the Black Panther film, T'Challa, will not be recast for the upcoming sequel. Just depressing all around. This makes me want to be angry at an actor simply for dying if he had future projects lined up, especially a sequel.

Knowing that he wanted to shock and upset his fans upon his death by keeping his cancer private, and whether it was his choice or not, that is enough to avoid watching any and all films and TV shows that featured Chadwick Boseman. And if I was a fan of Black Panther, I would also avoid watching the sequel once it is released.