I thought the best way the show can continue its success is for the producers to bring in the kids grandfather to take the place of John Ritter on the show.

One suggestion was to hire former MASH star, Alan Alda, to be the grandfather on the show. They could write him in the script as coming back home to the father's funeral and end up staying. Alda could bring the comedy that he did as his role as Hawkeye Pierce on the MASH series while at the same time have a seriousness to him that Ritter brought to the show when it came time for straight talk.

Opinions?

As mentioned, MASH, Cheers, NYPD Blue and ER have maintained their success by losing main characters and able to replace them.

The key to Simple Rules is not to replace the father but to bring in another family member (preferably grandfather) who can make the audience laugh but deal with the frustrations of granddaughters just as much as Ritter did with his TV daughters.

If they take that approach, I think the show can still be successful.

It would depend on who it was. It would have to be someone as loved as John.

Originally posted by Krusty
I thought the best way the show can continue its success is for the producers to bring in the kids grandfather to take the place of John Ritter on the show.




NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No one can replace John. You are being really rude. John died and all you can talk about is replacing him. :rolleyes:

And Johnny Cash died today. Does that mean I don't listen to his songs anymore?

This is a time for mourning. But the time will come for the producers to decide what to do with the show. If I was a producer, I would ask if Ritter would want the show to die. I would make an attempt to make it work and let the fans decide its fate.

Originally posted by Krusty
would make an attempt to make it work and let the fans decide its fate.






That's just it. Some fans wont watch this show anymore. Some will be like me and find it rude that they continued the show after John died. It isn't right imo.

Originally posted by Christopher
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No one can replace John. You are being really rude. John died and all you can talk about is replacing him. :rolleyes:

i know. 8sr will not be the same without john. i think it should end.

I agree with this. It would have to be soemone who is funny. And for all those who think its rude thats okay thats your opinion. John Ritter would want HIS show to becoem a huge success especially for those kids who ended up lucky on such a great show.

What about Jerry Van Dyke? I loved him as "Luther" on Coach, or perhaps Tim Conway, who I believe was in some Married With Children episodes with Katey Segal.

I know John can't be replaced, but this is just adding a new character, not substituting "Paul Hennesy"

I have a mixed opinion this particular situation...
One the one hand it would be in bad taste and disrespect to just replace "Paul", but time heals all wounds and these actors have a job that they are doing, I feel that you could bring another person in as another character like Henry Winkler who was to guest star or someone good as another person in the cast to bring the humor
You must remember that life continues for the living and the best way to memorialize John Ritter is to show his work, remember his talent, and continue on with what he started. You can add another person without actually replacing him.
His job was as an entertainer, as well as the rest of the cast and crew they are in the entertainment industry, so ask yourself this if your boss or co-worker passed away would the company just close down for good and everyone find work elsewhere or would you take a hiatis (SIC) and return when the time has passed and you were able to function...what makes a celebrity and their co-workers any different?
All comedies deserve the respect of having a little drama or a lot of drama and having "Paul" die does not mean that you cannot find some comedy later down the road and still find a way to honor his memory in the following episodes. You can add another character without writing the same comedy for that person that you would for John Ritter. I am sad that he died at such an untimely death but that does not mean that we stop living, and their are plenty of comediens that have talent and I am sure that one of them can fulfill the duty of adding their own twist to the show and bring thier own style of comedy with them.
Those closest to John Ritter are the only ones that truley know the man and what he would have wanted, also those are the ones that will have to make the decision, you have to let his loved ones speak for him and stop debating each other when you truely are not sure of what is feelings and desires were