Worst cast member’s decision to leave a series?

[TMC]

Besides the most "obvious ones" at this point like McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers leaving MASH, Shelley Long leaving Cheers, Denise Crosby leaving Star Trek: TNG, Suzanne Somers leaving/being fired from Three's Company, and David Caruso leaving NYPD Blue.

[icecream]

Originally Posted by TMC

Besides the most "obvious ones" at this point like Denise Crosby leaving Star Trek: TNG

I don't think it was Denise Crosby's decision to leave. From what I have heard, Gene Roddenberry didn't like her much.

[icecream]

David Caruso gets flack for leaving NYPD Blue but his career didn't suffer. CSI: Miami with him as the main star lasted a whole decade (10 seasons) and 232 episodes. Yes it was a spin-off of a hit, but several spin-offs fail, and Miami had one more season than the other long running CSI spin-off CSI: NY. As for McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, I am glad they left M*A*S*H. Nothing against their characters but Harry Morgan and Mike Farrell were excellent replacements, and M*A*S*H might not have had its longevity or record breaking series finale numbers if the original cast hadn't left.

[Buffyboy323]

Originally Posted by catsrule

I don't think it was Denise Crosby's decision to leave. From what I have heard, Gene Roddenberry didn't like her much.

Denise Crosby famously walked away from TNG not only because of how bad the show was in the beginning and her character underutilized, but also because Denise (and her management) thought she had potential for an acting career beyond the series, and she quickly discovered she did not. She aspired for bigger things. She was killed off towards the end of the first season and returned for her first guest appearance in season three.


“I was miserable. I couldn’t wait to get off that show. I was dying. This was not an overnight decision. I was grateful to have made that many episodes, but I didn’t want to spend the next six years going “Aye, aye, captain,” and standing there, in the same uniform, in the same position on the bridge. It just scared the hell out of me that this was what I was going to be doing for the next X-amount of years. I think you have to take your chances. I was really young. I didn’t have to make house payments or put kids through private school or support people. I was free to make those kinds of decisions. I’d been in acting school really dreaming of playing all kinds of different things. Whether it’ll happen or not, you don’t know, but you’ve got to give yourself a chance. God forbid you go through your life thinking, “What if?”

[Buffyboy323]

Originally Posted by catsrule

David Caruso gets flack for leaving NYPD Blue but his career didn't suffer. CSI: Miami with him as the main star lasted a whole decade (10 seasons) and 232 episodes. Yes it was a spin-off of a hit, but several spin-offs fail, and Miami had one more season than the other long running CSI spin-off CSI: NY. As for McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, I am glad they left M*A*S*H. Nothing against their characters but Harry Morgan and Mike Farrell were excellent replacements, and M*A*S*H might not have had its longevity or record breaking series finale numbers if the original cast hadn't left.

It was an infamously bad decision for David Caruso to leave NYPD Blue. It led to a failed movie and TV career for almost a decade before landing CSI: Miami. His decision to leave the series would later be listed in a 2010 issue of TV Guide as #6 on a list of TV's 10 biggest "blunders").

[Steve_uk]

Farrah Fawcett, Charlie's Angels, Barbara Bel Geddes, Patrick Duffy, Victoria Principal, Dallas, Michael Learned, The Waltons. Catherine Oxenberg, Dynasty.

[Zoneboy]

Don Knotts - The Andy Griffith Show
Pernell Roberts - Bonanza

[mandyrenee]

Originally Posted by Buffyboy323

Denise Crosby famously walked away from TNG not only because of how bad the show was in the beginning and her character underutilized, but also because Denise (and her management) thought she had potential for an acting career beyond the series, and she quickly discovered she did not. She aspired for bigger things. She was killed off towards the end of the first season and returned for her first guest appearance in season three.

I guess I'm in the minority when I say this however, I have to admit that I loved Season 1 of STNG. Season 2 was my least favorite season.

[icecream]

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

Don Knotts - The Andy Griffith Show
Pernell Roberts - Bonanza

While the color years of Andy Griffith would have obviously been better if Don Knotts had remained on the show, leaving was not his choice since that movie studio refused to release him from his contract.

[MA]

Jonathan Taylor Thomas leaving Home Improvement.

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by catsrule

While the color years of Andy Griffith would have obviously been better if Don Knotts had remained on the show, leaving was not his choice since that movie studio refused to release him from his contract.

I hate using a Wiki as a reference, but this is what they have to say...


Link

Knotts believed remarks by Griffith that The Andy Griffith Show would end after five seasons, and he began to look for other work, signing a five-film contract with Universal Studios. He was caught off guard when Griffith announced that he would continue the show after all, but Knotts's hands were tied. In his autobiography, Knotts admitted that he had not yet signed a contract when Griffith announced his decision; but he had made up his mind to move on, believing he would not get the chance again.

As stated above, he had made up his mind to move on which tells me it was his decision to leave. He may not have been able to return full time due to his contract, but it was his choice.

[Sal]

Valerie Harper leaving "The Hogan Family". It doesn't get any worse than wanting to leave your own show.

Warren Beatty and Tuesday Weld leaving "Dobie Gillis" because they didn't like the series and didn't get along with the cast. Big mistake.

Jeremy Gelbwaks ("The Partridge Family") left his role as the original Chris Partridge because the cast kept complaining about his behavior on the set. After Season 1, his family moved East and he gave up acting for good.

[Merry24]

The original Wilson’s Of Dennis the Menace
(Mary) leaving The Donna Reed Show
Original (Darren) Bewitched
Cindy Williams & most of the original cast leaving Laverne & Shirley
Ron Howard leaving Happy Days
Beau Arthur leaving The Golden Girls/The Golden Palace
(Barbra & Emily) leaving Empty Nest
Sisters Tv Drama from 90’s (Frankie)
Most of the Original cast of Family Matters
Most of the Original cast of Gimmie A Break
(Sandra Clark) leaving 227
(One Of the Sisters) left Amen
(Kirk & Leslie) leaving Newhart
(The Ropers) leaving Three’s Company
Original (Becky) Leaving Roseanne
Original (Jackie) Adams girlfriend on The Goldbergs

[mikey0581]

Originally Posted by Merry24

The original Wilson’s Of Dennis the Menace
(Mary) leaving The Donna Reed Show
Original (Darren) Bewitched
Cindy Williams & most of the original cast leaving Laverne & Shirley
Ron Howard leaving Happy Days
Beau Arthur leaving The Golden Girls/The Golden Palace
(Barbra & Emily) leaving Empty Nest
Sisters Tv Drama from 90’s (Frankie)
Most of the Original cast of Family Matters
Most of the Original cast of Gimmie A Break
(Sandra Clark) leaving 227
(One Of the Sisters) left Amen
(Kirk & Leslie) leaving Newhart
(The Ropers) leaving Three’s Company
Original (Becky) Leaving Roseanne
Original (Jackie) Adams girlfriend on The Goldbergs

I think the original wilson died during the series or as i recall. Original Darren Dick York was dealing with back issues from a horseback injury from a western he did and had problems walking, I personally think the show lost a lot when they recast with Dick Sargent, and there was no romance left in the Stevens.

Also The Ropers got screwed with their show, They had an agreement that if it didnt last more than a year their they were allowed back to Threes Company but I guess it lasted like 2 months after the deadline, so They weren't allowed back and I personally like the Ropers more than Don Knotts on there but he was good.

[Buffyboy323]

Sherry Stringfield leaving ER just as they were closing in on new contracts and a huge syndication deal. It’s been said that she essentially “walked away from a fortune”. She was nominated for the lead actress Emmy every year she was on the show.

Sherry would return to ER as Dr. Susan Lewis years later.