Several TV shows have made a mistake in killing — or writing — a character off before ultimately walking that decision back.
Roseanne, which originally aired on ABC from 1988 to 1997, followed the Conner family as they dealt with trials and tribulations as a working-class family. Barr starred as Roseanne Conner while John Goodman played her onscreen husband, Dan Conner. Their family was expanded with Roseanne’s sister, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), and Roseanne and Dan’s kids: Darlene (Sara Gilbert), Becky (Sarah Chalke and Lecy Goranson) and D.J. (Michael Fishman).
After the Roseanne sitcom was briefly revived in 2018, certain story lines had to be altered. The original series ended with Dan’s death, which the show wrote off as just a dream.
“I thought it was a clever way to do it, to handle it and get it out of the way,” Goodman teased at a Television Critics Association press tour panel in 2018.
The ABC series was later canceled in the wake of Barr’s controversial social media posts and transformed into The Conners, which was a spinoff created without the actress’ involvement.
Meanwhile, over on AMC, Fear the Walking Dead killed off Kim Dickens in 2018 after she played a main character on the show.
“It was shocking. Obviously it was shocking to me and it was disappointing. It was heartbreaking,” she told Entertainment Weekly in 2018. “I also thought there was so many more stories to tell and so many more places to go, so I was initially shocked and disappointed and heartbroken. But you know, it’s in the hands of the writers and the producers, and that’s the fate that befalls so many of the characters in this genre.”
She continued: “Basically, the message is, no one’s safe. And these kinds of deaths will ultimately propel the story of the other characters into other places. It’s part of the genre, it’s part of the storytelling device, and I just have to wrap my head around it and go into production.”
Despite committing to the twist for four years, the writing choice was walked back when Dickens returned in 2022. Keep scrolling for other TV characters whose deaths — or exits — were walked back due to overwhelming offscreen reactions:
Gates McFadden (‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’)
After being introduced in season 1 as Dr. Beverly Crusher, Gates McFadden was written out and replaced with Diana Muldaur as Katherine Pulaski. Muldaur left after only one season and McFadden returned in season three due to popular demand.
Patrick Duffy (‘Dallas’)
The soap opera introduced Patrick Duffy as Bobby Ewing when the show premiered in 1978. Bobby was later killed off and Duffy left for one year. Offscreen backlash, however, led to Bobby returning and he explained his absence — and death — away as all being part of a dream.
John Goodman (‘Roseanne’)
In order to bring Roseanne back as a revival, the show walked back several story lines including Dan’s death. John Goodman’s character returned with the explanation that anything contradicting that narrative was a dream.
Tom Selleck (‘Magnum P.I.’)
The main character was nearly killed off at the end of season 7. Ultimately that story was scrapped and Tom Selleck’s character, Thomas, lived to see another day in the eight and final season.
Kim Dickens (‘Fear the Walking Dead’)
When The Walking Dead expanded with Fear the Walking Dead, Kim Dickens was part of the main cast. Her character Madison was killed off in the season 4 midseason finale but ultimately the show found a way to bring Dickens back four years later.
