Shows canceled by the star of the show

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by mstewart

Bonnie Franklin after the third episode of season 9 of One Day At A Time went in wanted to end it after that season

I think Valerie Bertinelli also announced her intentions to leave at the end of that season - and there would have been no point to keep going without the two of them, especially since Mackenzie Phillips was off the show again - for good this time. Despite having a backdoor pilot, a spinoff for Schneider just wasn't going to work. Pat Harrington was/is a terrific and talented actor/comedian, but Schneider wasn't a strong enough character to build a whole show around.

[Vahan]

I wonder if this is a good example:

Paul Reubens wanted to end Pee-Wee's Playhouse after 5 seasons and 45 episodes. He wasn't interested in doing 2 more seasons and 20 episodes, just so that he could sell them to back-end syndication. At the time, he only thought of his Pee-Wee character as just that, a character. He didn't want to make a long-term career out of it.

BTW, check out this interview with Steve Binder, who worked with Reubens on seasons 2 and 3 of the show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaYSTsBkK64

[megamanj2004]

Webster - Emmanuel Lewis felt that the time was right to end the series after 6 seasons, especially since by the time the series went into 1st-run syndication, Lewis was clearly outgrowing his role. Even Alex Karras and Susan Clark also felt the time was right to end the series after 6 seasons.

[Regulus]

I read somewhere that Chuck Norris wanted to spend more time with his family, CBS wanted to continue Walker, Texas Ranger for at least another two seasons.

[Nyan]

I think the loss of the original cast is what has driven the finale of House. The show has suddenly turned into Scooby Doo on Vicodin lately.

[EmoJoe]

Speaking of House, I'm pretty sure Hugh Laurie said he didn't want to do it to past this year, right?

It seems like these days, shows don't end after a major star leaves unless its absolutely unavoidable. There's a bunch of shows in the past few seasons that have gone on after losing a lead cast member.

[catlover79]

^ I agree. There's been the successful turnover from Mandy Patinkin to Joe Mantegna on Criminal Minds, CSI has soldiered on despite the departures of William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger and Laurence Fishburne, and of course Law & Order lasted 20 years where cast turnover was the rule and not the exception.

[noveel]

Originally Posted by Vahan

I wonder if this is a good example:

Paul Reubens wanted to end Pee-Wee's Playhouse after 5 seasons and 45 episodes. He wasn't interested in doing 2 more seasons and 20 episodes, just so that he could sell them to back-end syndication. At the time, he only thought of his Pee-Wee character as just that, a character. He didn't want to make a long-term career out of it.

BTW, check out this interview with Steve Binder, who worked with Reubens on seasons 2 and 3 of the show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaYSTsBkK64

Pee-wee's Big Mis-adventure killed the syndication value of the show

[GQ28]

Originally Posted by noveel

Pee-wee's Big Mis-adventure killed the syndication value of the show

lol.....

[loaferman]

Originally Posted by cocytus

Let's see:

1) The Rockford Files - James Garner
2) Everybody Loves Raymond - Ray Romano

I have read that Garner intended to return to "Rockford" after knee and back injuries and an ulcer, it may have been in his biography. He considered the crew family and did not want them to lose their jobs. My understanding is that the studio took it as a power play by Garner and took the set down as he was recovering with intention to return. I recall reading that Garner had doctor's orders to take a hiatus for his health. I know for sure that Garner did not make the call to cancel the show.