The death of an actor on a TV show understandably elicits feelings of sadness, as is the case with Luke Perry of “Riverdale.”
The CW drama shut down production for the day after Monday’s news of Perry’s death less than a week after he suffered a stroke.
Perry’s family, friends and his many fans need time to absorb and mourn the loss, but eventually his “Riverdale” colleagues will have to figure out how to go on without the actor and his character, Fred Andrews, father of central character Archie (K.J. Apa).
Understandably, neither CW nor producing studio Warner Bros. has announced production plans going forward. Here’s a quick update of where “Riverdale” stands: Thirteen of 22 Season 3 episodes have been broadcast, with the 14th scheduled for Wednesday (8 EST/PST). Others have been filmed, although it’s not clear how many are left to shoot before “Riverdale” goes on summer hiatus. Unless producers make a change, Fred would appear in any episodes Perry shot before the stroke.
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The drama, a reimagining of the Archie Comics characters that has performed well for CW, has already been renewed for a fourth season.
Although Perry’s Fred is not a main character in “Riverdale,” his absence creates a big problem for the show to resolve. The drama series revolves around Archie and his high-school contemporaries, but wise Fred serves as a grounded presence amid the tempest of “Riverdale” teen drama.
A look at how past shows have dealt with actor deaths provides an idea of what options “Riverdale” might consider. In most cases, the accompanying character also dies. (That also has happened in cases that don't involve an actor's death, most recently with the off-screen death of matriarch Roseanne Conner on ABC's "The Conners," a spinoff that arose after the firing of Roseanne Barr and cancellation of "Roseanne.")
In some cases, the show can’t (or won’t) go on, to contradict an entertainment bromide, as the actor is too integral or the program is not established enough to survive.
Bill Paxton of 'Training Day'
That happened in 2017 with CBS’ “Training Day,” after Paxton, who played one of the two main characters and was by far the show’s biggest star, died as first-season shows were airing. CBS broadcast all 13 episodes, which finished shooting before Paxton’s death, and then canceled the series, which may have happened anyway due to poor ratings.
In recent years, programs have more readily acknowledged an actor's death, either through the accompanying character's demise or some type of dedication, than in the past, when the mention of real-life death might have seemed too sensitive and viewers were less likely to be as knowledgeable about behind-the-scenes happenings.
Cory Monteith of 'Glee'
Monteith was a major “Glee” character when he died at the age of 31 in 2013. The fifth-season Fox musical dramedy took a production break before eventually presenting a Season 5 tribute episode that dealt with the death of his character, quarterback Finn. Later, executive producer Ryan Murphy revealed his hoped-for final series scene, which was precluded by Monteith's death. "Glee," which already had begun major cast changes before Monteith's death, ended after its sixth season.
John Ritter of '8 Simple Rules'
A decade earlier, “8 Simple Rules” went on after the death of central star Ritter, who died in 2003 during the ABC comedy’s second season. After a break, “Rules” returned, acknowledging the death of Ritter’s family patriarch, Paul, while bringing in James Garner and David Spade as new cast members. The show ran for three seasons, with ratings falling significantly after Ritter’s death.
John Spencer of 'The West Wing'
In the case of actors in supporting roles on established programs, the situation closest to Perry and “Riverdale,” the show historically has moved on, with the character’s death usually written into the story, as was the case with Leo McGarry of "The West Wing" after Spencer's 2005 death. Often, the actor is honored with some form of on-screen dedication.
Miguel Ferrer of 'NCIS: Los Angeles' and Glenne Headly of 'Future Man'
Besides Paxton, other 2017 actor deaths included Ferrer, whose character's demise and a tribute were part of a posthumous episode of CBS’ “NCIS: Los Angeles,” and Headly, who played the main character's mother on Hulu’s “Future Man.” The talented actors made significant contributions to their shows, but each played a supporting character whose departure didn’t affect the program’s continuation.
Carol Ann Susi of 'The Big Bang Theory'
Voice actors not seen on screen are theoretically easier to replace in the event of death, but some shows have chosen to honor valued cast members by retiring the characters. CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” commemorated the 2014 loss of Susi, the unforgettably loud, raspy and hilarious voice of Howard’s mother, with a story based around the character dying in her sleep.
Marcia Wallace of 'The Simpsons'
“The Simpsons” retired teacher Edna Krabappel after the 2013 death of Marcia Wallace, who voiced the beloved character. The show later offered a tribute to Wallace via another character, Ned Flanders, who voiced his love for Edna in an epilogue. In the 1990s, the long-running animated classic made a similar move, ending popular characters Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz after the death of Phil Hartman.
Nicholas Colasanto of 'Cheers'
In cases where a character doesn’t have a specific family relationship, as Perry’s Fred does as Archie’s father, replacement can succeed, especially when the newcomer has a different personality. Woody Harrelson became a star as Woody, the sweetly dim-witted bartender who joined “Cheers” after the 1985 death of Colasanto, who played gruff, lovable Coach.
Christopher Evan Welch of 'Silicon Valley'
When Welch died in 2013 after having finished five episodes of HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” his character, venture capitalist Peter Gregory, was mentioned in the remaining Season 1 episodes. Season 2 introduced venture capitalist Laurie Bream (Suzanne Cryer), who was as socially awkward as Peter but less empathetic. The fact that both "Cheers" and "Silicon Valley" were fairly new at the time of the actors' deaths might have made it easier to make replacements.
“Riverdale” will do the best it can to adjust and continue after the loss of an important family member. As other shows have found, that’s a difficult hole to fill professionally, much the same as it is personally.
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