TV Movies K-Drama Netflix Prime Video Bridgerton

Moment Of Grief: 5 TV Shows Cancelled Because Their Stars Died

written by Monica Morrison

March 28, 2024 9:30 am

Moment Of Grief: 5 TV Shows Cancelled Because Their Stars Died — Image credit: BBC, Channel 4

List for a melancholic mood.

It is always sad when people we admire leave us. If it's an actor, their legacy lives on in their movies and shows. But what happens to the ongoing series or franchise when someone in the cast suddenly dies?

In most cases, the projects go on. But there are situations where continuing is not an option. Here are five notable cases in which a show ended specifically because a key cast member passed away. Let's allow ourselves a little mourning.

Lynne Thigpen 1948-2003 ('Luna' the Moon)

Bear in the Big Blue House (1997-2006)

Those who grew up in the late 1990s-early 2000s must remember the songs from Bear in the Big Blue House, especially the goodbye song performed by Noel MacNeal as Bear and Lynne Thigpen as 'Luna' the Moon.

Sadly, Lynne Thigpen passed away in 2003 and production of the show was put on hiatus, never to be revived. The cast said their hearts just weren't in it anymore. The show aired its final produced episodes in 2006 and concluded.

Alan Rickman 1946-2016 (Alexander Dane)

Moment Of Grief: 5 TV Shows Cancelled Because Their Stars Died - image 1

Galaxy Quest TV Series

The Galaxy Quest series is definitely one of the best shows we'll never get to see. It was supposed to be based on the iconic 1999 movie that satirized the sci-fi genre in general and Star Trek and its fandom in particular.

The show, with a returning cast, was in pre-production when Alan Rickman, one of the stars, sadly died. Without him, the cast and crew felt the project could not continue, so it was abandoned altogether.

John Hamilton 1887-1958 (Perry White) & George Reeves 1914-1959 (Clark Kent/Superman)

Moment Of Grief: 5 TV Shows Cancelled Because Their Stars Died - image 2

Adventures of Superman (1952-1958)

The very first Superman series had a grim fate. The show ran for six seasons (two in black and white and four in color), and had already been greenlit for two more. But the deaths of two of its stars threw the plan into disarray.

If the character of John Hamilton could be replaced, the same proved difficult for George Reeves. The producers proposed the idea that Jack Larson's Jimmy Olsen would become the central character, with Superman's presence provided by a composite of stock footage of Reeves and stunt doubles. But Larson rejected the eerie idea and quit the show, leading to its cancellation.

Elisabeth Sladen 1946-2011 (Sarah Jane Smith)

Moment Of Grief: 5 TV Shows Cancelled Because Their Stars Died - image 3

The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007-2011)

The Doctor Who spinoff was canceled after five seasons due to the death of its star, Elisabeth Sladen, in 2011. Sarah Jane was one of the beloved veterans of Doctor Who. She accompanied the third and fourth incarnations before getting her own series. Her death hit fans hard.

In 2020, a special webcast mini-episode called 'Farewell, Sarah Jane' aired on Doctor Who's social media accounts. It paid tribute to Elisabeth Sladen, explaining that her character died as a hero, preventing an alien invasion.

Paul Ritter 1966-2021 (Martin Goodman)

Moment Of Grief: 5 TV Shows Cancelled Because Their Stars Died - image 4

Friday Night Dinner (2011-2020)

Channel 4's single-camera sitcom revolves around the middle-class Jewish Goodman family and their many attempts to have a quiet Friday night dinner, usually disrupted by the eccentricities of the family members and their guests. Paul Ritter played the head of the household, and after his death in 2021, the show never returned.

Seven weeks after Ritter's death, Channel 4 aired a lovely tribute, a special 90-minute documentary dedicated to the show's 10th anniversary and the actor's involvement with it.