13 TV Shows That Survived Major Cast Member Exits

Most TV watchers could not imagine their favorite shows without their favorite stars in the cast. However, what happens when one of those stars gets fired or quits? Often, the show itself is just outright canceled, with there being no point of the series continuing on without them. However, that’s not always the case.

The TV business has a long history of shows surviving a major star’s firing. It certainly is easier for a crime procedural, where the actors are rotated in and out, but it can be tough for a sitcom or serialized drama. But some have pulled it off.

Here is a look at 13 shows that prove you can drop a star and survive.

‘Criminal Minds’

Three years after Dharma & Greg ended, Thomas Gibson quickly found another steady gig: playing Aaron Hotchner on CBS’ Criminal Minds. After 11 years and 12 seasons on the crime drama, he was fired due to an altercation with writer/producer Virgil Williams. Gibson was initially suspended for two weeks before CBS and the producers showed him the exit.

The show’s viewers, who were already used to a revolving door of actors, continued to tune in. The show went on to run through Season 15 on CBS before being revived on Paramount+ as Criminal Minds: Evolution. A second season of Evolution is on the way.

‘Two and a Half Men’

Charlie Sheen was the big star on Two and a Half Men. Sure, Jon Cryer is a beloved comic actor, too, but Sheen was why people tuned in.

It all came crashing down in 2011 when he was fired after he made a series of shocking comments on talk shows and social media. At the time he was fired, Two and a Half Men was the most-watched sitcom on TV. Sheen was replaced by Ashton Kutcher and the series ran until 2015.

‘The Office’

In 2011, Steve Carell decided against renewing his contract and left NBC’s The Office for greener pastures on the big screen. While fans may be divided over the show’s remaining seasons, it stayed alive until 2013. Carell made one unforgettable cameo in the finale though.

‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ and ‘Charmed’

Shannen Doherty had two notable departures from shows, and both stayed alive without her.

After Season 4, she was fired from Beverly Hills, 90210 because of a sudden decision to get a haircut producers did not approve of, notes Entertainment Weekly. The show continued without her, and Doherty later landed a job on Charmed. She stayed on the show until Season 3, after which she was fired for clashing with Alyssa Milano. Charmed went on for five more seasons without her.

It is worth noting that Doherty did go on to reprise her role on the CW’s 90210 and played herself in that odd meta-spinoff BH90210 in 2019.

‘Scandal’

Columbus Short provided Scandal with a real off-set scandal. Shonda Rhimes fired him in 2014 during the show’s third season because of accusations of domestic violence by his estranged wife and other run-ins with the law. Short later said he agreed with ABC’s decision to drop him.

‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Grey’s Anatomy, like many other medical dramas and soaps, has survived actors coming and going. Even the death of Dr. Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) was not enough to kill the show.

One of the show’s most notable departures was Isiah Washington, who was fired in 2007. He allegedly used a gay slur during an argument with actor T.R. Knight, who announced he is gay after the argument went public.

‘Lethal Weapon’

Clayne Crawford was fired after two seasons on Fox’s Lethal Weapon, in which he stars as the character Mel Gibson played in the movies. He had an on-set blow-up during an episode he directed and clashed with co-star Damon Wayans. Video footage and audio of Crawford and Wayans’ explicit spats were leaked to Variety.

After the season ended, show producer Warner Bros. fired  Crawford and replaced him with Seann William Scott. After the recasting, Fox agreed to renew it for Season 3, though that did end up being its last.

‘Transparent’

Amazon fired Transparent star Jeffrey Tambor after he was accused of sexual misconduct, allegations he denied. Creator Jill Soloway and Amazon agreed to keep the show going for a fifth season without him. That fifth season was changed into a one-off musical finale movie, Transparent: Musicale Finale.

Tambor had won a Golden Globe and two Emmys for playing the transgender professor Maura Pfefferman.

‘House of Cards’

After star Kevin Spacey was fired over mounting sexual harassment and assault allegations against him, including those by House of Cards staff, Netflix agreed to keep the show going for one more season, with Robin Wright staying on as Claire Underwood.

‘NYPD Blue’

One of the most controversial TV departures was David Caruso’s decision to leave NYPD Blue. After the show’s first season was a breakthrough hit, Caruso began making incredible demands that simply could not be met.

In his memoir, creator Steven Bochco called Caruso’s behavior “cancerous.” Caruso demanded he be allowed to walk out of his contract if his demands – which included Fridays off and a raise from $40,000 per episode to $100,000 – were not met. They weren’t. He walked out, Jimmy Smits walked in, and the rest was history. NYPD Blue ran until 2005.

‘Law & Order: SVU’

The Law & Order franchise is the poster child for shows that survive cast changes. Every entry in the series that lasted more than one season included a few casting swaps.

However, Law & Order: SVU was so closely tied to Detectives Benson and Stabler that some wondered if the series could continue without either one of them. Christopher Meloni suddenly left after wrapping Season 12, but the show has survived without him, proving that Mariska Hargitay was the show’s true heart.

Meloni and Hargitay remained close friends, over the years, and he eventually returned to the Law & Order universe to lead the the Organized Crime spinoff. With that new show, he also regularly pops up on SVU.

‘Shameless’

On Aug. 30, 2018, Emmy Rossum shocked fans of the U.S. version of Shameless fans by announcing she was leaving the long-running Showtime series after its ninth season. Shameless producers said at the time that they did not see Season 9 as the end, and they carried on through Season 11.

It’s also worth noting that Cameron Monaghan also left mid-way through Season 9, though the Shameless team was able to bring him back for Seasons 10 and 11.

‘Roseanne’ / ‘The Conners’

The Roseanne revival was technically canceled with the firing of Roseanne Barr after her 2018 tweet comparing Barack Obama’s advisor Valerie Jarrett, who is Black, to an “ape.” However, ABC soon greenlit a successor, The Conners, right after. The show is identical to the 2018 Roseanne revival, with the only changes being the title and the absence of Barr’s character.