#4: SPIN CITY| 1996 – 2002
After four seasons as Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty, Michael J. Fox left the show due to his worsening Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. To keep the show going, Charlie Sheen was cast as the new lead to replace Fox in 2000. During that time the show also moved production from New York to Los Angeles and left behind even more of the cast in the process. Despite big dips in the ratings, the show stuck around for two more seasons, and Sheen even won a Golden Globe for his performance.
#3: A DIFFERENT WORLD | 1987 – 1993
What do you do when you create a spin-off for a character from one of the most popular shows in television history … only to have the actress who plays that character quit? In the case of this Cosby Show spin-off, you throw up your hands and hope the goofy one-dimensional supporting characters, previously there for comic relief, can carry the show. And that’s exactly what they did after original star Lisa Bonet fled after season two — the show lasted four more years.
