Pajiba

How dare you mention Coy and Vance! They are the rednecks of which we do not speak!

*forks sign of the evil eye*

Shows these days are getting tighter in writing, so this kind of thing doesn't happen much, but some shows could really benefit from dropping needless characters, even if there is no story to it. (I'm looking at you, Heroes)

Mandy was the most obnoxious character of all time. I think TWOP even named the Chuck syndrome "Mandyville", as in "Ainsley seems to have departed into Mandyville." So that's how I know it.

I recently watched a Simpsons ep where they pan across a graveyard and you can see Marvin Monroe's gravestone. Can't remember what it was but...he be dead.

I don't think Ainsley should count. The West Wing was such an ensemble, multi-plot show that multiple departures and resolutions were left out, and that was often an effective case of storytelling by omission as opposed to some sort of dangling plot thread. Also, Ainsley returned at the end of season seven, so we knew something of her fate.

Wasn't Dr. Marvin Monroe's death definitively confirmed on the "138th Episode Spectacular"? I don't think he should count either. In my mind, a "brother Chuck" in purest form should have appeared in several consecutive episodes and receive no mention whatsoever upon disappearance. Monroe was a sporadic character; it's not as if The Simpsons were going to therapy in every episode.

For that matter, by your description Chrissy does not really qualify either, as we are given an explanation for her departure, hasty though it might be.

Julie, that was Jaimee Foxxworth, who made a nearly successful career in porn under the name Crave after her Family Matters stint ended. I think she just had a baby.

Eep, that was Janet Hubert Whitten (don't ask why I remember her name) and just came out with a tell-all book about how Will Smith was the one who had her axed her off the show; apparently they didn't get along. I hated her replacement, she was so boring.

Just full of random info today.

I remember that biker guy from Boy Meets World. He was cute; but after he was gone, they added too many new characters and the show really started to suck.

I always liked the first mom on Fresh Prince, although I guess she's not a true Brother Chuck since she was just replaced by another actress playing the same character.

Though there's probably a preceding instance of this, but can we call this a Sister (or Daughter) Becky in honor of the Sarah Chalke/"Roseanne" turnstyle?

OH, kelsey, I loved Dr. Goodman! I forgot how much I loved him until he was on some reruns on cable the other day. I hated Cam at first, too. Was there, in fact, any explanation for that, or did he just disappear?

kelsy, also Dean just moved from Chicago in the pilot yet he kept talking about Stars Hollow like he had always being there from season 2 and on, but hey Dean kinda became another character all together in season 2. maybe he was replaced by a whiny body snatcher.
also dawson's creek was a freaking family reunion of brother's chuck. man was that show bad!

I'm afraid the classic example of "daughter Becky" would be Darrin from Bewitched...

The Gilmore Girls Lane's dad thing doesn't really count as they made it into a running joke. They did mention it on dvd extras and stuff. I like to think if Amy whatserface had been in charge of the last season they'd have shown the dad in the last ep or something.

speaking of Gilmore Girls, remember when Digger went to the bathroom and just disappeared? He showed up and refused to leave until Loralie talked to him, but then just vanished. Sookie had some throwaway line about telling him his condo was on fire. There were huge unresolved issues there, his lawsuit with her dad, the family connection, poof gone because she finally hooked up with Luke.

The 60s were full of dropped and switched characters, on shows that I'm ashamed to remember:
- Oldest son Mike disappeared from My Three Sons, replaced in some way by a hastily adopted new third son. Don't know if they ever explained Mike never appearing again.
- Oldest son Adam disappeared from Bonanza. Don't remember if there was any explanation.
- It seems like there were numerous Billie Jos and Bobbie Jos (all cute though) on Petticoat Junction, but that is more of a "Darren switch".

Nicole, they were in France, but I never understood where the hell tori went they got back.

Dr. Monroe came back recently, but only for a line. Marge saw, explained that she thought we was dead, and he revealed to her that he's been very, very sick.

Does Paul McGann's Doctor Who count? One episode, no regen, no reference.

I must be the only one who found Mandy a bit meh rather than outright annoying. She had what could have been a key role (built on in later series by Mary Louise Parker) that was steadily written away as S1 wore on. It was almost like Sorkin had second thoughts about how the character was positioned and wanted a lobbyist that was outside the tent a bit more.

Brie, ...who made an early successful career in porn.

How does that work exactly? Does the chick go in and start sucking the guys dick, but when he faps off on her face the fap juice misses her face and lands on her shoulder and the director goes berzerk and screams at her, "You stupid bitch, you're supposed to take his fap juice on your face, not your fucking shoulder!! Get off my stage!! You'll never work in the porn biz again, I'll make sure of it!!!"

is no one going to mention celia's oldest daughter on WEEDS?

she was sent to military school between the pilot and second episode.
if only she'd had a hearing impairment...

Oh, and gp?

Celia's eldest daughter was recently (briefly) re-written into the show as an outlaw in South America.

There was a tennaged character in the early days of All My Children who went up stairs to wax his skis (now that's a euphemism if I ever heard one) and was never mentioned again.

Aww, I'd forgotten about Dr. Goodman! It took me ages to warm up to Cam.

Similarly, I'm finding myself disinclined to like any of the Zack replacements thus far. (That's not exactly on topic, his disappearance was well-chronicled. Sorry!) Grr, stupid Bones, you're making it hard for me to like you.

cheers Meander. I knew they counted it as a generation, but the references were so fleeting I must have missed them. I rewatched Human Nature last night and caught the blink-and-you'll-miss-it pic

Posted by: mj88 at August 4, 2009 7:30 PM

Hee!

meaux, I was so upset by that whole stupid storyline, but I've grown accustomed to the switching off between the different replacement candidates. I love that. I especially like depressed-goth-guy and random-trivia-British-guy. Annoying girl was annoying, but she grew on me. I had a bit of a huge crush on Zack, though, and nobody will ever replace him.

Oh, and sorry I spelled your name wrong, kelsy!

I had a bit of a huge crush on Zack

You too, AvB? *sigh* Yeah, nerdy trivia Brit's my favourite of the lot. But I'm holding out hope that they'll write Zack back in.

@Meander

Moira Kelly was on The West Wing for 22 episodes (1999-2000). It's weird that I never watched The West Wing as I have had a strange and unexplainable fixation with Moira Kelly since I was like six years old. In fact, I may watch old episodes now just so I can see her.

ashleigh - I think Meander may just be in denial...

@redfeathers and meander:

Apparently trying to read and comprehend with that little sleep is not my friend. Upon rereading the comment this morning, I noted the sarcasm. I'm going to have to stop using the Internet when insomnia strikes.