Shows that got better/worse after a character left?

[WillParkinson]

Though I was shocked when they killed off Tasha Yar I think Star Trek: The Next Generation got better as Michael (My voice can melt butter) Dorn got more screen time.

Hercules - The Legendary Journey got worse after they killed off Iolaus. Resurrecting him didn't help, though.

[LynneSin]

1. I preferred Cheers when Kirstie Alley was on the show. MASH went downhill after Maj Burns left

I thought Diane was a whining ninny.

And although it didn't happen immediately, it seems after Larry Linville left MASH (he didn't want to be typecasted as a sniviling jerk) the show just got progressively worst each season. By the time Radar left it took a dive off the deep end.

[deutsey]

5. Yeah, they had a couple good seasons after Linville left

but then MASH became insufferably more preachy with each passing season and contrived. I think the show could've gone off the air in '79 and it would've gone out on a high point.

[Bunny]

10. +1

M*A*S*H really started to suck after Linville left. Winchester was okay for his first season or two, but then after that? Pee-yew.
Preachy, contrived, and humorless, too. They should have pulled the plug several years earlier.

[KamaAina]

11. But in the early days, MASH upgraded from Trapper John to BJ

That's how an ensemble cast is supposed to work. See also Cheers. Early indications are that Two and a Half Men is WINNING! without You-Know-Who.

[LynneSin]

12. I wouldn't equate high ratings for that first episode as an indicator...

that Kushner will be better than Sheen.

Alot of curious people turned into the season opener of "Two and a Half Men" just to see how they would kill off Charlie Sheen's character. I give Sheen way more credit for their record turn out then Kuschner but that's just my 2 cents.

[LynneSin]

2. Also Beverly Hills, 90210 definately got better when Valerie Malone joined and worst when she left.

I think the best years of Beverly Hills 90210 was when Shannon Doherty (Brenda) left the end of the 4th year and Tiffani Amber Theissan (Valerie) joined the show. Valerie was a lying, conniving, maneater who really made the show spark. But after 4.5 years Theissan opted to leave the show and was replaced by Vanessa Marcil (Gina). They tried to make Gina into another Valerie and it just didn't work.

[Rambis]

3. Coupling UK died after Jeff Murdoch character left

"I've got the keys to the gates of paradise but I've got too many legs"

[HopeHoops]

4. SNL after the whole fucking original crew left.

[deutsey]

6. Taxi improved when the naive "John Burns" left after the first season

It allowed the Latka and Rev. Jim characters more space to grow in (although Latka got annoying after a while, too).

[geardaddy]

7. Weeds got worse after Conrad left.

[Brother Buzz]

8. My Three Sons jumped the skark after William Frawley left

[7wo7rees]

9. The Price Is Right got worse when Dian Parkinson left.

Even worse when Drew Carey showed up.

[Arugula Latte]

13. I don't know if The Office will be able to survive Michael Scott's departure.

The whole show kind of hung on his relationship with everyone else, and his need to be cool while in reality being a giant dork.

[gratuitous]

14. Happy Days after Richie's older brother Chuck went upstairs just before dinner

And never came back down . . . :hide:

[NightWatcher]

15. Whenever any sitcom introduces a baby or small child it goes to shit

Dift Strokes....when the redheaded kid came on
Brady Bunch...Cousin Oliver
Mad About You...the baby

[ohiosmith]

16. Alias Smith and Jones sucked after Pete Duel died.