'Glee' and 17 Other TV Shows That Lost a Star

Cory Monteith, 'Glee'

Glee's Cory Monteith was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room July 13. A cause of death has not been determined. Foul play is not suspected. Representatives for Fox and producers 20th Century Fox Television say it's too soon to know how his passing will impact the production. Season five is slated to premiere in September, but it's unclear if the show will make that date.

Diana Hyland, 'Eight Is Enough'

Eight Is Enough's Diana Hyland, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1977, became ill after only appearing in four episodes. Hyland was written out of the rest of the first season, dying less than two weeks after Eight Is Enough premiered on TV in March 1977.

Freddie Prinze Sr., 'Chico and the Man'

After star Freddie Prinze died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Chico and the Man forged on without its Chico. The show resumed with characters saying that Chico had gone to Mexico to visit his father.

George Reeves, 'Adventures of Superman'

Struggling for some time, The Adventures of Superman called it a day when George Reeves died of an alleged suicide -- though producers did pitch several unsuccessful attempts at a spinoff.

Jim Davis, 'Dallas'

Well-known character actor Davis played family patriarch Jock Ewing from the show's 1978 debut until his death from cancer on April 26, 1981, during the show's fourth season. Producers flirted with the idea of replacing him with another actor, but realized the audience would not accept anyone else in the role. Instead, they kept his character alive but off-screen for the first 13 episodes of season five before having him perish in a South American plane crash. 

John Ritter, '8 Simple Rules'

John Ritter had filmed three episodes of ABC comedy 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter's second season before suffering an undiagnosed aortic dissection after experiencing discomfort during rehearsals. He died that evening at 54 in 2003. After a hiatus, ABC resumed production on the show, with the new title 8 Simple Rules, adding David Spade and James Garner to the cast and incorporating Ritter's death into the story line. 8 Simple Rules paid tribute to Ritter's character, Paul, with a one-hour episode, "Goodbye."

John Spencer, 'The West Wing'

John Spencer, who starred on NBC's The West Wing in an Emmy-winning role as White House chief of staff Leo McGarry, died of sudden heart attack in December 2005, midway through the show's sixth season. Consequently, his death was written into the seventh and final season, with McGarry revealed to have also died from a heart attack ­-- on Election Night.

Larry Hagman, 'Dallas' (TNT)

Dallas veteran Larry Hagman reprised his role as J.R. Ewing in TNT's Dallas update, dying at 81 in November 2012 from complications from acute myeloid leukemia in the middle of production on the second season. J.R. was killed in the show, with Dallas airing an episode centered on J.R.'s funeral in March 2013.

Mark Frankel, 'Kindred the Embraced'

Kindred -- a 1996 Fox show that remixed the vampire mythos with mafia tropes -- had already aired its first and only season when the U.K.-born actor, then just 34, died in a motorcycle crash in West London. Fox had canceled the show; Showtime was in negotiations to revive Kindred, but in the wake of Frankel’s death they called it off.

Michael Conrad, 'Hill Street Blues'

When Conrad, who played the Hill's beloved Sgt. Estherhaus, died of cancer in November 1983 during the show's fourth season, the writers memorably had his character die off-screen while having sex. Actor Robert Prosky, who replaced him as Sgt. Stan Jablonski, retired Esterhaus' signature end-of-roll call catchphrase, "Hey, let's be careful out there." 

Will Lee, 'Sesame Street'

True to form, Sesame Street used the death of Will Lee, who played store proprietor Harold Hooper, to explore the subject matter with its young viewers and open a dialogue about the natural order of life and the grieving process. The 1983 episode "Farewell, Mr. Hooper" earned the series much critical acclaim.

Nancy Marchand, 'The Sopranos'

Nancy Marchand, who played The Sopranos matriarch Livia (mother to Tony), died at 71 from lung cancer and emphysema June 18, 2000. As a result, Marchand's character's death was written into the HBO drama in its third season.

Nicholas Colasanto, 'Cheers'

A well-regarded actor (Raging Bull) and TV director (Columbo), Colasanto was diagnosed with heart disease in the mid-1970s. He was going to retire before getting the role of Coach Ernie Pantusso. By 1984, the show's third season, his illness had gotten much worse and his doctors recommended he stop working. He filmed his last episode in November 1984 and he died of a heart attack on Feb. 12, 1985. The  character's unexplained death was revealed during the fourth season opener, which also introduced new barman Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson). 

Phil Hartman, 'NewsRadio'

On May 28, 1998, Phil Hartman's wife, Brynn, shot and killed the Saturday Night Live veteran while he slept in their Encino, Calif., home, committing suicide hours later. In the wake of the tragedy, the team behind NBC's NewsRadio, on which Hartman starred as egomaniacal WNYX anchor Bill McNeal, addressed his death in the first episode of season five, writing in that McNeal had succumbed to fatal heart attack. Hartman left behind a legacy of memorable roles, including voicing the characters Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz on Fox's animated hit The Simpsons. The series retired both McClure, a washed-up Hollywood actor, and Hutz, an incompetent lawyer, following Hartman's death.

Redd Foxx, 'The Royal Family'

Comedian Redd Foxx became a TV star on Sanford and Son and returned to the small screen decades later in CBS' 1991-92 comedy The Royal Family. Foxx, who played Alexander Alfonso Royal, collapsed in the middle of rehearsals on a Paramount Studios sound stage. He died four hours later at 68 in October 1991. Producers briefly considered ending the series in a tribute to Foxx and instead opted to retool the series. The Royal Family returned in April 1992 but was quickly canceled with only two episodes remaining. 

Andy Whitfield, 'Spartacus'

In 2010, Spartacus star Andy Whitfield was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and his treatment delayed the start of production on season two of the Starz drama. After publicly saying he was cancer-free months later, Whitfield's cancer returned in September forcing Whitfield to leave the series for good. Whitfield died a year later in 2011. Starz recast the role with Liam McIntyre and brought the series to an end not long after.

Will Greer, 'The Waltons'

When Greer passed away on hiatus, The Waltons returned for its seventh season with news that Grandpa Zebulon "Zeb" Tyler Walton had died of a heart attack.

Jerry Orbach, 'Law & Order'

Jerry Orbach oozed warmth, intelligence and gravitas as Law & Order's detective Lennie Briscoe, whom he portrayed for 12 years up until his death on Dec. 28, 2004, from prostate cancer at age 69. The next day, NBC paid tribute to Orbach's memory by airing the last episode he starred in, circa season 14. Orbach was also signed on for the spinoff Trial by Jury, which debuted in spring 2005, but only appeared in the first two episodes. Two separate episodes from Trial by Jury and sibling series Criminal Intent were later dedicated to Orbach.