Creating a successful TV show is no small feat. It takes years of preparation to get the cameras rolling, and it’s impossible to know whether things will go wrong after that. However, once a show starts airing and drops banger episode after banger episode, there’s little that can stop its momentum. Water cooler conversations are dominated by what happened the night before on TV’s biggest shows, and now social media platforms are a factor, allowing like-minded individuals to share theories and opinions about their favorite programs. Having support is a double-edged sword, though, because it means more people can turn around and stab a show in the back when its main character leaves.
Actors leave shows all the time for various reasons, such as wanting to take on new challenges and growing tired of the same routine. While it’s not a big deal when a side character departs, shows can struggle to recover when the first name on the call sheet is gone. In fact, there are at least 10 shows that completely fell apart after losing the main character.
1) The Office
Steve Carell’s Michael Scott spends the first seven seasons of The Office tormenting his coworkers at Dunder Mifflin. He doesn’t mean to be a pain in the butt, but he is one, and his antics almost always cause trouble around the office. However, Michael’s heart keeps the show together, and once he departs at the end of Season 7, things are different. The Office tries and fails to have Andy Bernard become the new boss while also trying out more dramatic storylines that fall on their face.
2) Two and a Half Men
The appeal of the early seasons of Two and a Half Men is the mooching that Alan Harper does off his brother, Charlie Harper, played by Charlie Sheen. Alan always finds himself in wacky situations that Charlie has to clean up, which opens the door for the elder brother to do plenty of ribbing. That aspect of the show disappears when Sheen exits in Season 9, with Ashton Kutcher’s Walden Schmidt taking his place. Two and a Half Men keeps the same style of humor, but without Sheen’s comedic timing, it doesn’t work.
3) That ’70s Show
Eric Forman’s relationship with Donna Pinciotti carries almost all of That ’70s Show‘s emotional weight. They never seem to be on the same page, but that’s part of the charm, as it’s obvious that they’re going to end up together at the end of the day. Eric puts his happy ending in jeopardy when he leaves the show in Season 8, which replaces him with a new character, Randy. Donna and Randy don’t work on any level, so Eric has to return in That ’70s Show‘s final episode to save the show from going too far off the rails.
4) Scrubs
Scrubs is unlike most medical sitcoms because it balances comedy with drama. J.D. and his friends always have fun, but they never lose sight of how important their work is, as well as the impact it can have on them. They try to pass on what they’ve learned in the show’s controversial ninth season, which allows a new group of characters to take the reins. Without J.D., the show loses its charm as it crawls its way over the finish line.
5) The Vampire Diaries
Elena Gilbert, like Twilight‘s Bella Swan, discovers that her world is full of vampires and other magical beings in The Vampire Diaries. Her relationships with Stefan Salvatore and his brother, Damon, are the focus of the series until the end of Season 6, when Elena is put in a deep sleep because of her connection with her friend, Bonnie. Stefan and Damon get more time to shine without Elena in the picture, but they don’t do much with their opportunity.
6) Shameless
Fiona Gallagher always gets the short end of the stick in Shameless. Her deadbeat dad’s bad behavior forces her to raise all of her siblings, which puts a lot of pressure on her. Eventually, after years of putting her own feelings on the back burner, Fiona leaves home in Season 9 and doesn’t look back. While Fiona’s siblings have interesting stories of their own after she leaves, Shameless is a worse show without her.
7) Batwoman
Kate Kane makes her grand entrance in the Arrowverse in the “Elseworlds” crossover. She gets to star in her solo show after that, and Batwoman Season 1 shows a lot of promise. Kate’s battle with her sister, Beth, is incredibly compelling and sets the stage for an epic Arrowverse rivalry. Unfortunately, Kate leaves the show after one season, and while Ryan Wilder does her best to fill her predecessor’s shoes, her hard work isn’t enough to keep the show afloat.
8) Superstore
Supestore is an incredibly funny series about what it’s like to work in retail in the United States. Amy Sosa keeps her coworkers on track for the better part of six seasons before taking a corporate job across the country, leaving her friends to hold down the fort. They don’t do a great job, though, as the episodes after Amy’s departure leave a lot to be desired.
9) Suits
It’s easy to forget that Suits‘ main character is Mike Ross, not Harvey Specter. Mike’s ruse is what kicks the series’ events into motion, and the main focus of the early seasons is everyone at Pearson Specter Litt trying to keep a lid on their new colleague’s secret. However, Mike grows tired of the rat race at the end of Season 7 and leaves town. Harvey is not the same without his best friend by his side, which is why he joins him in Seattle at the end of the show.
10) Mom
Anna Faris is a comedy legend, so it’s no surprise that her show Mom is wildly successful. It features her playing a down-on-her-luck woman, Christy, who is trying to work things out with her mother, Bonnie, who has her fair share of issues. They are in each other’s corners until Season 8, when Christy leaves to pursue a degree. Bonnie is left to her own devices, which doesn’t do Mom any favors.
Which of these shows suffered the worst after their main character left? Are there any other shows that deserve a spot on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
