Ticket 2 Ride

Regular television chow characters appear and disappear for a variety of reasons. Contract disagreements, retooling, new opportunities, bad behavior, death, close encounters of the third kind.

More often than not, characters are written out and no explanation is given, or a brief mention and then never again. That used to be the way networks handled it, but viewers are are more sophisticated now and simply beaming someone out of the cast causes many social media inquiries.

Here are a few that stuck with me through the years.

My Three Sons – Mike Douglas

The older of the three sons, Mike was in high school and then college during his five years on the show. When his contract was up, Tim Considine wanted to change the direction of his career. He and the producers couldn’t come to an agreement, so older son Mike would he off the show. Orphan Ernie was adopted by the Douglas’s to keep three sons. Some of the best shows featured the Mike character. He and his bride moved away and were never seen again.

Bonanza – Adam Cartwright

Again, an older son leaves the show. Pernell Roberts wanted a movie career and left the show after six years. Upset with scripts and his character, he sought greener grass. Adam was a little mysterious as a character and I remember very little about him. He was gone and there was a brief explanation (he went to sea) and rare mention, but he never resurfaced again. His absence gave the other Cartwright more focus, although several secondary characters would join the show.

Happy Days – Chuck Cunningham

Another older brother. Chuck was the older brother of Richie Cunningham, who left in the first season to go off to college. Actually, actor Gavin O’Herlihy asked to be let out of his contract. He reportedly didn’t enjoy the experience. Chuck was never mentioned again. O’Herlihy moved to England where he has steady work as an actor.

ER – Dr. Doug Ross

This show gave struggling actor George Clooney a chance to go from actor to star. He left when contract was up to focus on a film career. His character left for an opportunity in another city. The early seasons of ER were definitely the best.

Petticoat Junction – Kate Bradley

The matriarch of the Bradley family, Bea Benaderet, battled lung cancer in real life and left the show while receiving medical treatment. She retuned for a short period as her health temporarily remission. Her character, Kate Bradley, was explained as away visiting family, however her later death was not explained. Petticoat Junction was created specifically for Benaderet, who had a long career in radio and television, and voiced many cartoon characters including Betty Rubble. June Lockhart joined the show as a doctor, working out of the Shady Rest Hotel, to give the show a mature female lead.

Mission Impossible – Daniel Briggs

Steven Hill was the lead member of the IM Force during the first season. According to IMDb.com, “Hill was not pleased with his role because he refused to abide by the production schedule that required working on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, being an Orthodox Jew. Hill was fired after 1 season, and was replaced in the series by Peter Graves.” Briggs absence was never mentioned. Other cast members would come and go during the show’s run, no explanation was given for them either.

MASH – Trapper John McIntyre and Col. Henry Blake

McLean Stevenson left MASH at the end of season three. He saw this as an opportunity to cash-in on his popularity and move on to star in his own TV show. His character, the befuddled but loved Henry Blake, was killed off, much to the surprise of the cast. Wayne Rogers also left at the end of season three to also find his own stardom. He didn’t get a sendoff like Henry did, he just disappeared as having gotten his orders to return stateside. He was disappointed that Trapper John became just Hawkeye’s sidekick. The seasons with both characters are the funniest and best of the series.

McMillan & Wife – Sally McMillan

Susan Saint James was a big part of the show, the wife of police commissioner Stuart McMillan who helped solve cases while usually ending up in trouble. At the end of season five, Saint James left in a salary dispute and character was killed off along with McMillan baby. Her departure, along with Nancy Walker, left the show a shell of itself. The humor and character banter made the show enjoyable; what was left, was not.

The Doris Day Show – Buck Webb and Grandsons

On the first season of the Day Show, she lived on a farm with her dad Buck (Denver Pyle) and her two sons. As the series progressed, they all moved to San Francisco where the Doris character got a job, and then Buck and the kids left to return to the farm, not to heard of again, while Doris led the swinging, single lifestyle and a great job promotion. Doris the swinger must have been fun for her to play, given all the films she played an adult virgin or the wife.

Hawaii Five-0 – Kono

Kono, played by Gilbert Francis Lani Damian Kauhi (stage name Zulu) was a member of Five-0 through the first four seasons. Then he disappeared with no mention. He was fired by the producers was getting into a verbal altercation with the network publicist. Zulu continued acting after leaving the show, but said he was tired of the limitations of his character. The show carried on for many more seasons, but the Kono character was missed.

Hogan’s Heroes – Sgt. Kinchloe

Ivan Dixon had a very distinguished acting career before playing Kinch on Hogan’s Heroes. Dixon was a fine dramatic actor, particularly on the New York stage. He was the only African-American on the series and one of the few on television at the time. He left after season five and became an in-demand television director. Kinch’s character was not recast, but a similar character took over his duties as the radio operator for Hogan’s operation. The show carried on for one more season after Dixon left.

Barney Miller – Det. Sgt. Chano Amengual

Gregory Sierra portrayed Det. Sgt. Chano Amengual in the first two seasons of the show. He suddenly was no longer part of the cast and his absence is only mentioned once. Chano brought diversity to a diverse cast, providing a Latin perspective to the squad room. Chano was also featured in one the most dramatic episodes, where he had to shoot and kill two bank robbers. That was a gut wrenching episode. With Chano’s departure, the show carried on, with one less detective, and there would be more cast departures through the eight year run. This was a truly great show with wonderfully creative scripts and fine acting.

Taxi – John Burns

Randall Carver portrayed John Burns, in season one of Taxi. His character is a college student who happens into driving a cab. Burns is rather naive and lightweight compared to the other characters, and never really found his footing on the show. He was not back for season two, when Christopher Lloyd joined the cast. I found this very show acerbic and the characters difficult to like. The early seasons were the best. Lloyd added a very strange ingredient to the mix; his portrayal was over the top, but it was difficult not to laugh. Carver’s character was bland by comparison and maybe that’s what the producers felt was the wrong ingredient.

St. Elsewhere – Dr. Ben Samuels

In the first season of the medical drama/satire St. Elsewhere, David Birney played Dr. Ben Samuels. Birney’s character was a bridge between the young resident doctors and the older, hospital leadership. Birney was a doctor with problems, he was no Dr. Kildare, which was the point of the show – a hospital’s underbelly. Birney left after the first season, no explanation given. Over the course of six seasons, many staff came and went. St. Elsewhere was perhaps the quirkiest TV show ever. Combining drama with dark humor kept the viewer on his/her toes to figure out what was reality and what was fantasy. The writers put in many hidden references and twists that made the show must viewing.

Newhart – Kirk Devane

Steven Kampmann was always a better writer than actor, and his role on Newhart proved it. As Kirk Devane, owner of the Minuteman Cafe, next door to Dick London’s inn, gave him plenty of opportunity to interact with Dick and the other characters. Unfortunately, the Devane character was obnoxious and rarely funny. After season two, his character was written out and a new character joined the show. Peter Scolari played Bob’s TV producer and boyfriend of Stephanie, the maid at the inn. Devane was not mentioned going forward.

Perry Mason – Hamilton Burger and Lt. Tragg

William Talman played District Attorney Hamilton Burger on Perry Mason. In 1960, Talman and others were arrested for lewd behavior and possession of marijuana. Talman was fired by the network. No explanation was given for his character’s absence. After charges were dropped and under pressure from the show’s executive producer and from star Raymond Burr, Talman returned to the show. Ray Collins portrayed police lieutenant Arthur Tragg, usually the arresting officer on cases Mason will defend. In 1960, Collins notice his memory and overall health in decline. He left the show in late 1963, but his name remained in the opening titles until after his death in 1965. No explanation was given as other police detectives were used in Collins’ absence. Richard Anderson would become the permanent police official in the series.

Mork & Mindy – Fred & Cora

Mork & Mindy should prove as the ultimate example of a network totally screwing up a successful television show. The show’s first season was a huge hit, but leave it to network executives wanting to make it by destroying what made it successful. Mindy’s father Fred (Conrad Janis) and grandmother (Elizabeth Kerr) gave the show an intergenerational charm. They were dropped season one with explanation that they were traveling. When the ratings began to slide, and some of the obnoxious and loud characters failing, Fred and Cora returned, but the bloom was off the rose. The show limped through season four when it was cancelled.

Daniel Boone – Jemima Boone

Veronica Cartwright was a busy actress. She portrayed Daniel Boone’s daughter for two seasons, before being let go by the producers. Ironically, it was their view their view that Jenima should act more grownup and future scripts would reflect that. Co-Star Patricia Blair, who played Jemima’s mother, would have none of an older on the show and threatened to quit. Jemima was dropped from the show and not mentioned again.

Laverne & Shirley – Shirley Fenney

Cindy Williams (Shirley Feeney) left the show just after the start of season eight. She was embroiled in a tough contract battle with the producers and network. Williams said it wasn’t money, rather accommodations on the set for Williams new baby. She walked and the show was canceled at the end of the season. The sudden departure of Fenney was explained that her husband took a job overseas and Feeney went with him. At that point, the show’s premise was thoroughly worn out.

12 O’Clock High – Gen. Frank Savage

First it was a WWII movie, then a television show about a B-17 bomber group flying missions over Germany. Robert Lansing was Gen. Frank Savage, a tough, no-nonsense commanding officer. After the first season, the producers decided Lansing was the wrong fit, they wanted a “younger, more charismatic” lead character, so Lansing would be killed off in the first episode of the second season. Paul Burke, who twice appeared on the show already would assume command. Burke, a good-looking guy, who was actually older than Lansing, got the job. Lansing declined to appear in his own death. Ratings fell off for the show and cancellation arrived during season three. 12 O’Clock High was a high quality show about the rigors and strain of combat.

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