I think I did a familiar topic thread but I can’t remember. Anyways on Sitcoms I don’t understand why a loveable Character has to pass away. Sitcoms especially. Especially when the actor/actress is still alive.

Edith Bunker- Archie Bunkers Place

Aunt Bee- The Return To Mayberry

Valerie Hogan - Valerie’s Family

Al Harris- Roseanne

Dan Conner- Roseanne

the middle.- Aunt Eddy

Roseanne Conner- The Conners

Ed Conner-The Conners

Molly Tilten-The Conners

Young Sheldon-George Cooper (Hasn’t Happed but Big Bang Theory said it will).


When the actor-actress really did pass away I understand doing a story line on it like..

Paul Hensey- 8 Simple Rules

Aunt Ginny- the middle.


Yet on Dennis the Menace when Joesph Kearns AKA (George Wilson) really did pass away. The audience was made to believe Mr.Wilson went back East.


I understand wanting to show the actors-actresses dramatic side .BUT I also feel having a lovesble character pass away on a sitcom when the actor-actress is fine is a slap in the face to those who were loyal loving that Character. I think storylines should say the character moved out east. So the character can come back with out a way out there storyline that doesn’t make any sense. Plus I believe audiences are looking for an escape to laugh not cry.Unless the actor-actress really did pass away.

Another example, although not exactly a sitcom, is Henry Blake on MASH. There was no need.

The New Leave It to Beaver falls into the category of the actor having passed away, in that case Hugh Beaumont/Ward Cleaver. It was handled tastefully, Hugh had died about a year before the new stories began airing.

Another example, although not exactly a sitcom, is Henry Blake on MASH. There was no need.

100% agree. None, whatsoever :(

One of the saddest death I felt was really sad was on Desperate Housewives. Actress Katherine Joslin played Mrs McCluskey. Katherine has cancer and the character had cancer. Katherine filmed her last scene of her character with Orson Beans character playing a record to Mrs McCluskey of Johnny Mathis' Wonderful as her last breaths were taken. A few weeks maybe a month after the show was aired Katherine passed away.

In the case of the beloved Bea Benederet/Kate Bradley on Petticoat Junction it might have been better to let us know she passed with a sentimental/funny episode of the Hooterville characters remembering her - than to just disappear out-of-town (and out-of-character). But that isn't the way things were done then.

One thing that Petticoat Junction did was to pay tribute to the Kate character by naming baby Kathy Jo after her. A way of memorializing.