10 TV Shows You Didn’t Know Had Episodes Without Their Main Character - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 12-12-2013, 05:54 PM

http://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-show...-character.php

Quote:

Many shows have had absentees during their run. Hell, some shows pretty much have it in the cast members’ contracts that they will only feature in half the episodes of a given season. But there are few shows which ditch their main characters altogether. Once in a blue moon in television, there will be moments where the cast are given the day off, they can’t make it to filming, or they walk out of the show altogether. This list compiles 10 shows wherein their mainest of main characters didn’t take part in at least one episode. I’m also providing a few exceptions wherein the character appeared VERY briefly or made an appearance as themselves at some point. If the main actor has left a show and the show continues, it doesn’t count, however. For example, Charlie Sheen in Two And A Half Men? Doesn’t count. Zach Braff in Scrubs Season 9? Doesn’t count. One decent example would be Wiseguy. In this show, no one character appears in every episode. Jonathan Banks’ Frank McPike is absent in one episode during the entirety of the show’s history, but he isn’t the central character of the show, as that honour goes to Ken Wahl’s Vinnie Terranova, who is replaced in Season 4 by Steven Bauer’s Michael Santana. Neither of these characters were supposed to be anywhere else, Vinnie was in Seasons 1-3 and Santana was in Season 4, so they weren’t absent when they weren’t supposed to be.

Read more at http://whatculture.com/tv/10-tv-show...8uHSBBoPoaX.99

70s show watcher · 12-12-2013, 08:02 PM

there was also 1 ep of cheers without ted danson/sam malone sam was seen olny for about 45 seconds in the opening but for the bulk of the show he was not there and imho it just was not cheers without sam

MacLeaper · 12-13-2013, 01:30 PM

One episode of MacGyver hardly featured Mac at all, except in the prologue and epilogue- that episode is "The Coltons". (Of course, that one probably doesn't quite count for this list since MacGyver does still make an appearance in the episode and since that episode was meant as a back door pilot for a possible spinoff series that never happened.)
Nice list. But I kind of wonder if ensemble shows can really be said to have a main character. For example, wouldn't LOST count as having multiple main characters?

comedyfreak · 12-13-2013, 06:24 PM

All In The Family was missing The Archie Bunker lead character during a 4 part episode when he's off to a convention and never made it there. In actuality he was out due to a contract dispute. Sanford And Son's Redd Foxx did the same after Season 2.

jehobden · 12-13-2013, 07:38 PM

Bob Newhart also missed a few episodes of the last season of The Bob Newhart Show.

James28 · 03-06-2014, 03:22 PM

To all members: Would you refuse to watch a particular episode of a TV show just because a certain main character is absent from that episode?

bmasters9 · 03-06-2014, 05:58 PM

I recall also that due to Raymond Burr's health problems, he had to miss out on a few outings of Perry Mason.

MrCleveland · 03-06-2014, 09:53 PM

There were two ATHF Cartoon Episodes that didn't have the Aqua Teens Meatwad, Frylock, and Master Shake...but it did have Carl in it....

dougiezerts · 03-15-2014, 02:32 PM

A friend of mine told me that there was an episode of Dr Who--without the Doctor! I believe it involved the daleks.

MacLeaper · 03-17-2014, 12:24 PM

There was the 1981 "K-9 and Company" spinoff special from Doctor Who that didn't feature The Doctor.

12-13-2013, 01:30 PM	#3
MacLeaper Child of the 80s Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 20, 2001 Posts: 3,359	One episode of MacGyver hardly featured Mac at all, except in the prologue and epilogue- that episode is "The Coltons". (Of course, that one probably doesn't quite count for this list since MacGyver does still make an appearance in the episode and since that episode was meant as a back door pilot for a possible spinoff series that never happened.) Nice list. But I kind of wonder if ensemble shows can really be said to have a main character. For example, wouldn't LOST count as having multiple main characters?
	__________________ "Oh boy!" - Dr. Sam Beckett "You can do anything you wanna do if you put your mind to it." - MacGyver "Have mercy!" - Uncle Jesse "Ha, I kill me!" - ALF "I am The Way, The Truth and The Life. No man comes to The Father but by Me."- Jesus Christ (John 14:6)

12-13-2013, 06:24 PM	#4
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,058	All In The Family was missing The Archie Bunker lead character during a 4 part episode when he's off to a convention and never made it there. In actuality he was out due to a contract dispute. Sanford And Son's Redd Foxx did the same after Season 2.
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03-06-2014, 03:22 PM	#6
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,976	To all members: Would you refuse to watch a particular episode of a TV show just because a certain main character is absent from that episode?
	__________________ "When the run of a network TV show has ended, some go out with a bang, some with a whimper, but all are...Future Endeavored." "Stay Safe"? More like "Stay Sad". #2020Hurts

03-06-2014, 05:58 PM	#7
bmasters9 Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 06, 2007 Posts: 2,550	I recall also that due to Raymond Burr's health problems, he had to miss out on a few outings of Perry Mason.
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03-06-2014, 09:53 PM	#8
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,222	There were two ATHF Cartoon Episodes that didn't have the Aqua Teens Meatwad, Frylock, and Master Shake...but it did have Carl in it....
	__________________ Thank God for kids that love Obscure Things. Lee Hazlewood (1929-2007) You ARE Special to God! Rev. Ernest Angely (August 1921-May 2021)

12-12-2013, 08:02 PM	#2
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,548	there was also 1 ep of cheers without ted danson/sam malone sam was seen olny for about 45 seconds in the opening but for the bulk of the show he was not there and imho it just was not cheers without sam

12-13-2013, 07:38 PM	#5
jehobden Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 06, 2002 Location: DFW Area, TX Posts: 2,004	Bob Newhart also missed a few episodes of the last season of The Bob Newhart Show.

03-15-2014, 02:32 PM	#9
dougiezerts Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 20, 2012 Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 204	A friend of mine told me that there was an episode of Dr Who--without the Doctor! I believe it involved the daleks.

03-17-2014, 12:24 PM	#10
MacLeaper Child of the 80s Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 20, 2001 Posts: 3,359	There was the 1981 "K-9 and Company" spinoff special from Doctor Who that didn't feature The Doctor.