Yellowstone Replaces Kevin Costner: 10 Other TV Shows That Survived Losing Their Main Characters
Kevin Costner leaving Yellowstone isn't the end of the world. These classic TV shows prove that a series can survive the loss of a main character.
With Kevin Costner potentially not returning for the rest of Yellowstone season 5, television fans should be reminded that many TV shows survived losing a main character. Costner is one of the biggest stars on television and has undoubtedly been the main draw for Yellowstone since its debut in 2018. However, the series has already seen success without Costner in its spinoffs, including 1923, led by an arguably bigger star, Harrison Ford. And there is already a sequel series in the pipeline starring Matthew McConaughey. While Yellowstone season 5, part 2 could suffer a bit from his absence, the flagship series will still likely survive its final episodes without Costner.
When a TV show loses one of its main stars, for whatever reason, there are a number of possible outcomes and solutions to the problem. Some TV series recast the role, while others refocus the premise and might even introduce new protagonists. In many cases, the departed character at least returns for some guest appearances and/or shows up in the series finale. Unfortunately, the character’s initial exit often causes a significant decline in viewership and leads to the quick cancelation of the show. However, there are plenty of examples where enough interest remained for the continued success and survival of a TV show that lost one of its main characters.
10, The Office
Fans continue to debate whether The Office was right to continue after the exit of Michael Scott (Steve Carell). While he was part of an ensemble and not considered the protagonist of the sitcom, Michael was the face of The Office and could be considered its main character. Carell left The Office after season 7 when his contract expired. Though his job at Dunder Mifflin had to be refilled, Michael was irreplaceable as a character — a fact acknowledged by the revolving door of stand-in managers and new bosses introduced in his wake. While its ratings went down slightly, The Office remained popular and relevant for two more seasons.
9, The Vampire Diaries
When The Vampire Diaries made its debut on The CW in 2006, the supernatural teen drama was the network’s most-watched show ever. Based on the books by L.J. Smith, the series was popular enough to spin off related programs, not unlike Yellowstone, and the franchise as a whole continued through 2022. The Vampire Diaries was initially centered around Nina Dobrev’s protagonist, Elena Gilbert, as she winds up in a love triangle with a pair of undead brothers. Dobrev decided to leave The Vampire Diaries at the end of season 6, and the show managed to go on without her character for two seasons, the ratings for which actually slightly increased.
8, Spin City
After his movie career experienced a slump in the 1990s, Michael J. Fox returned to network television to star in the sitcom Spin City. Through four seasons, he led the political comedy series as its protagonist, Mike Flaherty, the Deputy Mayor of New York City. During season 3, Fox revealed that he had Parkinson’s disease, and he ultimately left the show due to the diagnosis and heightened symptoms, then he won an Emmy for his final year as a regular as the main character. Spin City subsequently cast Charlie Sheen as its new lead, as Flaherty’s replacement in the Deputy Mayor position, and survived two more seasons before being canceled.
7, Two And A Half Men
Soon after the end of Spin City, Charlie Sheen became the star of another sitcom, Two and a Half Men. He played the main character role of Charlie Harper, a jingle writer, who welcomes his brother, Alan, and nephew, Jake, into his home following Alan’s divorce. In the midst of season 8, Sheen was fired for saying some offensive things about the show’s creator, Chuck Lorre. The character was killed off, and Ashton Kutcher joined the cast as Alan’s friend Walden in order to continue the titular dynamic. Ratings then actually rose for a while, and Two and a Half Men lasted four more seasons after the loss of Charlie.
6, Charlie’s Angels
At the start of 1976, Farrah Fawcett was a relatively unknown actress, recognized more for being the wife of TV star Lee Majors than for her own work. Then, thanks to a fast-selling pin-up poster and being cast in a hit show as one of the titular trio of Charlie’s Angels
5, Happy Days
While not the most famous character on Happy Days, Richie Cunningham was the long-running central protagonist of the show. In 1980, after seven seasons playing the role, Ron Howard left the hit series to focus on his filmmaking career, at which time Richie was written off as joining the army and headed overseas. Fortunately for the show, Henry Winker’s initially just-recurring supporting character, Arthur Fonzarelli, a.k.a. “Fonzie”/”The Fonz,” had surpassed Richie in popularity and was already co-lead by this time. Happy Days was able to continue on and survive the loss quite well with Winkler as the main star for four more highly-rated seasons, even outlasting its most successful spinoffs.
4, Charmed
Another series with multiple main characters, Charmed is about three sisters, all witches. Prue Halliwell, played by Shannen Doherty, was the eldest and most powerful among them, but they all worked best as a trio, using their combined “Power of Three.” So, when Doherty quit Charmed after season 3 over some drama with co-star Alyssa Milano, the show seemed doomed. Instead of closing shop on the whole idea, though, producers killed off Prue and introduced a long-lost half-sister, Paige, played by Rose McGowan. The new character completed the trio and the “Power of Three” anew, and Charmed survived another five seasons — even longer without Prue than with her.
3, Cheers
The main character of Cheers was always Sam Malone, but for the first five seasons, the show was nothing without Diane Chambers as his sometimes romantic interest and foil. The names Sam and Diane became synonymous with the will-they-or-won’t-they trope. Even though Cheers had already lost one main character with the death of actor Nicholas Colasanto and survived with Woody Harrelson cast in a replacement role, in theory, the show wouldn’t work without Diane. Fortunately, the theory was proved wrong when actress Shelley Long exited Cheers and took Diane with her. Kirstie Alley’s Rebecca Howe fell into place the following season and helped drive the show for five more.
2, NYPD Blue
Nowadays, television is considered almost equal to the movies, drawing the likes of Yellowstone‘s Kevin Costner for long-running roles. But for decades, TV work was seen as a stepping stone for actors who really wanted to be on the big screen. However, there were many bad decisions made by actors hoping to be movie stars. Similar to Farrah Fawcett, David Caruso quickly quit his breakthrough TV gig. He played the lead role of Detective John Kelly on NYPD Blue for a little over one season, and while his film career didn’t take off as he’d hoped, the police procedural lasted 10 whole seasons and change without him after he left.
1, Roseanne
How does a show survive the loss of its title character? In the 1980s, viewers saw the result when Valerie became Valerie’s Family, then The Hogan Family. Three decades later, something similar happened when Roseanne was briefly revived for a 10th season 22 years after its original finale. When series lead Roseanne Barr was fired for her racist tweets, the show was canceled again. Yet it survived in a new form as The Conners, a spinoff that killed off the Roseanne character and followed the rest of her family without her. Like the Yellowstone franchise, The Conners is still going strong despite the loss of its original main character.
