00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the worst ways that shows dealt with actor
00:12scandals.
00:31John Oliver said it best, if you cannot get all four Sex and the City cast members to
00:36return for the revival, then what is the point?
00:39Nevertheless, and just like that, pushed forward without Kim Cattrall, who had issues with
00:43Samantha's representation.
00:45It's all been suspected that reported tension between Cattrall and her co-stars, especially
00:49Sarah Jessica Parker, factored into this decision.
01:01According to Parker, Cattrall wasn't even invited to return.
01:04While Cattrall made a guest appearance in season two, the show tried filling the void that
01:08Samantha left behind with a revolving door of diverse characters who lack unique identities.
01:14Lasting only three seasons, the series did several characters dirty, including Samantha's, although
01:19she arguably walked away with the most dignity intact.
01:23Robert Downey Jr. breathed new life into this legal dramedy as Ali's love interest, Larry
01:40Paul, winning a Golden Globe.
01:42The fourth season was to culminate in Ali and Larry's getting married, with season five revolving
01:46around their lives as newlyweds.
01:49During season four's production, though, Downey was arrested multiple times on drug charges.
01:53Suddenly, greeter David E. Kelly had to re-envision the show without Downey.
02:02There are conflicting reports on whether Downey was fired, but it's not a coincidence that Larry
02:06left amid his legal troubles.
02:08Downey's departure spelled the show's doom, the fifth season being considered the weakest,
02:14not to mention the last.
02:15Downey might have been seen as uninsurable, but given his future rehabilitation and success,
02:20writing Larry out feels misguided in retrospect.
02:40Despite having already been picked up for a second season, Sam and Cat ultimately
02:44lasted just one.
02:45Several factors likely contributed to this, including claims of sexual harassment and bad
02:50press between the stars.
02:51Nickelodeon also suspiciously reconsidered its season two order around the same time that
02:56racy photos of Jeanette McCurdy were leaked.
03:02Although McCurdy's privacy had been invaded, Nickelodeon didn't seem to give her much support.
03:07McCurdy skipped that year's Kids' Choice Awards, tweeting, quote,
03:11"...it has to do with how Nickelodeon treated me."
03:14Whether or not she was referencing the photos, Nickelodeon clearly wanted to preserve its
03:17kid-friendly image.
03:19As McCurdy later detailed in her memoir, though, the network didn't always prioritize the well-being
03:24of its young actors.
03:31This sequel series brought back almost the entire Tanner family, including Lori Lachlan as Aunt Becky.
03:35While she only returned in a recurring capacity, Becky remained an important presence in the Tanner household, until the fifth and final season.
03:56Lachlan was among the most high-profile names in the 2019 Varsity Blues scandal, pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud.
04:03Given Lachlan's legal issues, it's understandable why Becky didn't come back.
04:08Yes, it is odd that Becky is barely mentioned outside of one comment about her being in Nebraska.
04:20The final episode sees not one, not two, but three main characters get married.
04:25Becky is completely MIA.
04:26Are you sure Becky was just visiting Nebraska, Jessie?
04:29Or did she straight-up abandon her family?
04:33Lisa Robin Kelly made her claim to fame as Eric's rebellious older sister, Lori.
04:51The character exited amid season three, as Kelly struggled with substance use and personal tragedy.
04:57Although it appeared that Kelly might make a comeback as the character in season five, her health continued to decline.
05:03With Kelly unable to carry on in the role, writing off the character seemed like the most practical solution.
05:08Instead, Lori was recast with Christina Moore for season six.
05:15Moore's stint on the show was short-lived, with Lori disappearing shortly after.
05:23Trying to replace Lori felt disrespectful to Kelly, who died six years after the series ended.
05:28With that 90s show, Lori's absence was tip-toed around, although she still got more shout-outs
05:34than Danny Masterson's hide.
05:37Jussie Smollett hit the big time as Jamal Lyon.
05:53It apparently wasn't enough to satisfy Smollett, who claimed to have been the victim of a hate crime in 2019.
05:59This turned out to be a staged hoax, with Smollett later being found guilty of disorderly conduct.
06:05Meanwhile, Jamal disappeared during the last few season five episodes, and was awkwardly banished to off-screen land in season six.
06:17The fifth season built up a mystery over the death of a character, ultimately revealing that Lucius' illegitimate son Kingsley is in the coffin.
06:25Given Smollett's dismissal, though, maybe Jamal should have taken Kingsley's place at the eleventh hour.
06:30They would have taken the show in a new direction, but Smollett's exit was going to bring change anyway.
06:39The Quikki Mart proprietor was among Springfield's most beloved residents until The Problem With Apu, which former Simpsons showrunner Mike Reese describes as, quote, a nasty little documentary.
06:59To be fair, sensitivities were changing, and even Hank Azaria acknowledged that a white actor like himself shouldn't voice Apu anymore.
07:06That doesn't mean Apu couldn't be recast with a South Asian actor, helping take the character in a more progressive direction.
07:21Instead, The Simpsons has pretty much ignored Apu's existence for several years.
07:26The show attempted to acknowledge the controversy in 2018, with Lisa and Marge breaking the fourth wall.
07:31Yet, many thought this fleeting, random joke failed to tackle the issue head-on.
07:36It also felt out of character, as Lisa would likely be joining the woke mob.
08:01The Cosby Show was considered the epitome of family-friendly.
08:04Thus, it was seen as controversial when Lisa Bonet, who played daughter Denise, started to
08:09pursue more mature projects.
08:11This included a revealing role in 1987's Angel Heart.
08:15Bill Cosby condemned the highly sexualised film, despite previously supporting Bonet's
08:20decision to star in it.
08:26It was around this time that Bonet exited The Cosby Show.
08:29Although, Denise soon took centre stage in a different world.
08:32After Bonet became pregnant with her daughter Zoe Kravitz, Crosby removed her from the spin-off.
08:37Bonet later returned to The Cosby Show, but left again over, quote, creative differences.
08:42Some suspected that Bill Cosby didn't want his wholesome, clean show associated with sex,
08:47which sounds pretty hypocritical in hindsight.
08:54This political drama was once Netflix's flagship show, putting the streamer on the map as an
09:12original content creator.
09:13The series' legacy was forever tarnished when Kevin Spacey's history of abuse allegations
09:18came to light, leading to him being fired.
09:21We understand that there was no easy solution.
09:23Spacey ignited a PR nightmare.
09:25He had to go, which meant Frank Underwood left too.
09:41That said, the show just didn't work without Frank, despite Robin Wright's best efforts to
09:46prevent this house of cards from collapsing.
09:48Collapse it did, however.
09:50Even before the final season, it already felt like the show had run its course, the actors
09:54being a saving grace.
09:56With one half of the leads gone, there was little hope of sticking the landing.
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10:27No offence to the other one-and-a-half men, but this was essentially The Charlie Sheen Show,
10:31during its peak.
10:32It made Sheen TV's highest-paid actor.
10:35Regardless, Sheen was eager to leave after season seven.
10:38Although he was persuaded back for an eighth, Sheen didn't just burn a bridge that season.
10:43Through substance use, bad-mouthing a creator, and an abrupt exit that cost those involved
10:48millions, Sheen destroyed the entire foundation so the bridge could never be rebuilt.
10:53Sheen was replaced with Ashton Kutcher, who, despite initially bringing in high ratings,
11:05couldn't compete with what Uncle Charlie brought to the table.
11:08As for Charlie, the show didn't just kill him off once, but twice, dropping a piano where
11:13the bridge once stood.
11:20So which TV show do you think mishandled an actor's scandal?
11:24Let us know in the comments.
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