Being a part of a sitcom, notably within the days when the key networks nonetheless dominated the day, required a fairly demanding schedule. There was a desk learn, rehearsals and a taping with a dwell studio viewers. And in contrast to most cable and streaming exhibits at the moment, episode orders often exceeded 20 per season. It was loads to maintain up with, and sometimes, life received in the best way.
Generally individuals received pregnant or had another health-related situation, and typically they received into contract disputes with the community. But the present nonetheless rolled alongside with out them — even when it was the star who had gone lacking.
Listed here are 5 occasions a major character disappeared from a basic sitcom, and what precisely brought about their disappearance…
Alyson Hannigan, ‘How I Met Your Mom’
How I Met Your Mom used a hilariously skinny motive to put in writing Hannigan’s character Lily out of the present for 4 episodes. Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney tells her a unclean joke that she is so offended by that she will get up from the desk and decides to not be mates with him anymore. Finally, she got here round to the joke, admitting it was humorous. In actual life, Hannigan was on maternity go away.
Tracy Morgan, ‘30 Rock’
Morgan wanted an emergency kidney transplant throughout the fifth season of 30 Rock, so Tina Fey and the remainder of the writers needed to get artistic about what to do together with his character, Tracy Jordan. They determined that Tracy was in Africa, till it was revealed, 4 episodes later, that he was in New York Metropolis the entire time.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards and Jason Alexander, ‘Seinfeld’
Except for Jerry Seinfeld, every of Seinfeld’s major solid members have been lacking from at the least one episode. Richards’ Kramer missed out twice. The primary time was “The Chinese language Restaurant” in Season Two as a result of, at that time within the collection, Kramer was a shut-in, confined to scenes within the condo constructing. Then, Season Three’s “The Pen,” didn’t function Kramer or Alexander’s George, because it targeted on Jerry and Elaine visiting Jerry’s mother and father in Florida. Alexander was so offended by not being included that he instructed Seinfeld he’d go away the present if it occurred once more. After that, no character was overlooked of an episode save for when Louis-Dreyus went on maternity go away for 2 episodes originally of Season 4 (Elaine was mentioned to be away in Europe). For the file, Elaine additionally wasn’t within the present’s pilot, however that’s as a result of she didn’t exist but.
Zooey Deschanel, ‘New Lady’
There have been six episodes of New Lady that ought to have been known as No Lady. Throughout the present’s fourth season, Deschanel received pregnant. To plan round her being pregnant, manufacturing of Season 5 started instantly after Season 4 wrapped and a narrative was conceived the place Deschanel’s character, Jess, would have prolonged jury obligation. After starring within the first three episodes of the season, Jess was sequestered and Deschanel went on maternity go away. Deschanel then returned in what was billed because the a hundredth episode, however what was truly the 104th (shut sufficient, I assume).
Redd Foxx, ‘Sanford and Son’
Midway by way of the third season of Sanford and Son, Foxx walked off his personal present demanding a greater contract. Maybe making an attempt to name his bluff, NBC stored on taping with Demond Wilson, who performed Foxx’s son, and Whitman Mayo, who performed Foxx’s good friend Grady.
Throughout the context of the present, Fred Sanford was away at a funeral, however behind the scenes, Foxx stood his floor till he acquired 25 p.c of the earnings from the present and the identical wage as All within the Household star, Carroll O’Connor ($25,000 per episode). Foxx lastly received what he wished and returned 4 episodes into Season 4. Absurdly, no person realized their lesson from the incident as a result of Foxx could be lured away by ABC a few years later to host a short-lived selection present, whereas a disastrous Foxx-less Sanford and Son spin-off, Sanford Arms, lasted simply eight episodes on NBC.
