TV Shows That Couldn’t Survive Major Cast Controversies
Roseanne (2018 Revival) - Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Barr ended up posting a highly controversial and racial tweet against Obama's advisor, Valerie Jarrett. As a result, even after her successful comeback with the 2018 revival, the studio pulled the plug on her show. They stated the comment was "abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values," ending the popular reboot in less than 24 hours. The show was then retooled into the spin-off, The Conners, without Barr.
The Ranch - Danny Masterson
Danny Masterson, who was a lead actor and a major element of the comedy's success, faced multiple sexual assault allegations. Netflix fired him midway and decided to continue the show by completely writing off his character. The show continued for a short period without him, but the decision to sever ties ultimately led the show to wrap up prematurely in 2020.
House of Cards - Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey was drowned in multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and as a result, House of Cards went down. Netflix immediately severed all ties, forcing the show to be entirely restructured. The final season was significantly shortened, rewritten without Spacey's character (Frank Underwood), and served as a premature conclusion to what had been one of the platform's flagship original series.
Two and a Half Men - Charlie Sheen
In 2011, star Charlie Sheen entered a period of highly publicized erratic behavior, including numerous drug-fueled rants and public attacks against the show's producer, Chuck Lorre. Warner Bros. Television fired Sheen, effectively ending the most successful version of the series. The show was kept alive by bringing in Ashton Kutcher for four more seasons, but the original formula was permanently broken.
The O'Reilly Factor - Bill O'Reilly
In 2017, a detailed New York Times report revealed that Bill O'Reilly and Fox News had paid out millions of dollars to settle multiple sexual harassment claims made against the host. The revelation caused advertisers to pull their spots en masse, leading to an immediate public outcry and the eventual firing of O'Reilly by Fox News. This abruptly ended his long-running, massively successful prime-time cable news program.
Rangers of the New Republic - Gina Carano
The Star Wars spin-off was announced as a major project before its star, Gina Carano, posted controversial political and social commentary on her social media platforms. Lucasfilm fired Carano, and the highly anticipated series, which was meant to be a direct spin-off of The Mandalorian, was immediately scrapped and put on indefinite hold, effectively canceling the show before it ever filmed a single episode.
Louis C.K.'s FX Deal - Louis C.K.
In 2017, multiple women came forward with detailed allegations of sexual misconduct against Louis C.K. The fallout was immediate. FX severed all business ties, canceling his major deal with the network and immediately shelving all of his planned and in-development television projects, including Better Things (which he produced) and The Cops.
The Cosby Show Legacy - Bill Cosby
Following dozens of accusations of sexual assault, the once-unimpeachable reputation of Bill Cosby was severely damaged. While the original series ended in 1992, its legacy—and revenue—was tied to its reruns. Major networks and streaming services, including Hulu and TV Land, pulled The Cosby Show from their schedules, essentially canceling the show's lucrative syndication and completely ending any possibility of future projects tied to the star.
Top Gear (BBC Version) - Jeremy Clarkson
The long-running, globally popular automotive show was essentially forced into cancellation in 2015 after lead host Jeremy Clarkson was fired following a physical and verbal altercation with a producer over the provision of a meal. This led to co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May also leaving, thus ending the iconic, highly successful version of the show. The BBC tried to relaunch the program with new hosts, but it never recaptured the previous format’s global success.
The Talk (Daytime Talk Show) - Sharon Osbourne
In March 2021, co-host Sharon Osbourne defended Piers Morgan's controversial comments about Meghan Markle on air, leading to a tense, argumentative confrontation with her co-hosts that was seen as racially insensitive. Following the on-air incident and subsequent internal investigation, CBS placed the show on hiatus and eventually forced Osbourne to leave the show. As she was the lead host and face of the show, her controversial departure led to a major, permanent restructuring of the show's cast and format.
