It’s always difficult to see a central character leave a TV show. In The Office, Michael Scott prioritizes his relationship and moves to Colorado to be with Holly Flax. While his exit felt appropriate then, the show struggled to regain its momentum after Season 7. Andy Bernard attempted to fill Michael’s role, but he ultimately faltered and became the target of jokes instead of the comedian. However, some series take even more drastic measures than The Office, choosing to kill off their main characters instead of simply writing them out.
Usually, a show only makes a big change like killing off a main character when it’s nearing its end, as seen with Sons of Anarchy and Jax Teller’s fate in the final episode. However, there are instances where this happens much earlier in the series. Here are seven TV shows that continued even after the death of their lead character.
7) Game of Thrones
Ned Stark is the central figure in HBO’s Game of Thrones, right from the beginning. The whole first season revolves around his decision to travel to King’s Landing to assist his longtime friend, Robert Baratheon. However, Ned quickly becomes entangled in a dangerous plot, leaving him trapped and eventually leading to his execution. Even after losing its main source of morality, Game of Thrones continues for seven more seasons, and many of them are excellent.
6) 8 Simple Rules
Similar to many sitcoms, 8 Simple Rules centers around Paul, who faces the difficult task of raising his three children – including a teenage daughter – while his wife is away. Unfortunately, the actor who played Paul, John Ritter, passed away after the first season, deeply affecting everyone involved and changing the direction of the show. Although 8 Simple Rules went on for a couple more seasons, it never quite reached the same level of success as it did during Season 1.
5) Two and a Half Men
Only a handful of sitcoms have achieved the same level of success as Two and a Half Men. The series began by showing the life of Charlie Harper when his brother, Alan, and nephew, Jake, moved in with him. However, problems during production led to the departure of Charlie Sheen, the show’s star, and his character was written out with an accidental death. Ashton Kutcher was brought in to replace Sheen, but the show didn’t perform as well for a few seasons before ultimately ending.
4) Homeland
It’s common for characters to die when a show deals with conspiracies and political schemes. Homeland went against this pattern by focusing on Damian Lewis’ character, Brody, for three seasons before he died while on a mission in Iran. But this sad event actually improved the show, allowing it to explore the consequences of his death and other significant storylines.
3) Charmed
In Charmed Season 1, three sisters discover they possess powers that make them extraordinary. At first, they enjoy exploring their newfound magic and battling evil, but their adventures take a tragic turn in Season 3 with the death of the oldest sister, Prue. Instead of ending the show, Charmed continues for five more seasons by introducing Paige as a new member of the magical trio.
2) Taggart
It’s unusual for long-running detective series, like Law & Order: SVU, to recast their lead roles – they generally prefer not to upset viewers. However, the Scottish crime drama Taggart faced a difficult situation when its main actor, Mark McManus, died in 1994. The show decided to continue, writing his character off the air, but they kept the show’s original title.
1) This Is Us
NBC’s This Is Us features a remarkably talented cast, and each character has a compelling storyline that develops over the course of the series. It’s genuinely hard to pick a single main character. But if one person deserves the title, it’s Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson – he’s the heart of the show. Though he passes away in a flashback during the second season, he still appears whenever the story requires it.
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2025-10-05 19:42