The Show Must Go On: How the Deaths of Lead Actors Have Affected Television Series - Paperback

by Douglas Snauffer (Author)

A powerful, behind-the-scenes look at some of America's all-time favorite television programs during their darkest hours, this study examines how various hit series have absorbed the death of a lead actor during production. Although each television program eventually resumed production, the lead actor's death in each case had a profound impact on the surviving cast and crew and the future of the show itself.

Individual chapters explore the events surrounding the deaths of Freddie Prinze (Chico and the Man), John Ritter (8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter), Redd Foxx (The Royal Family), Nicholas Colasanto (Cheers), Phil Hartman (NewsRadio), and many others. Their stories are told through first-hand accounts by those who knew them best, including many of the most talented actors, producers, writers, and directors in television over the past forty years.

Author Biography

Douglas Snauffer is an Ohio-based freelance writer. He has contributed regularly to The Akron Beacon Journal and Starlog magazine, and is author of the book Crime Television. Snauffer is also a scriptwriter whose work has aired on The Sci-Fi Channel.