Kevin Costner played the family patriarch John Dutton for five seasons.
Image: KEYSTONE
Kevin Costner will no longer be there for the big season finale.
Steve Carell was the most important part of "The Office" as Michael Scott, but left after six seasons.
Image: NBC
After three seasons, the dream team of Adrian Monk and Sharona disbanded. The role of the assistant was taken over by Traylor Howard.
Image: Mandeville Films, ABC Signature, Moratim Produktions
The hit series "Baywatch" also had to make do without its star Pamela Anderson.
Image: imago/Cinema Publishers Collection
Sean Bean was the star of the cast, but was sacrificed in the first season.
Image: IMAGO/Mary Evans
Kevin Spacey's character Francis Underwood was suddenly killed off after several successful seasons.
Image: Netflix
Kevin Costner played the family patriarch John Dutton for five seasons.
Image: KEYSTONE
Kevin Costner will no longer be there for the big season finale.
Steve Carell was the most important part of "The Office" as Michael Scott, but left after six seasons.
Image: NBC
After three seasons, the dream team of Adrian Monk and Sharona disbanded. The role of the assistant was taken over by Traylor Howard.
Image: Mandeville Films, ABC Signature, Moratim Produktions
The hit series "Baywatch" also had to make do without its star Pamela Anderson.
Image: imago/Cinema Publishers Collection
Sean Bean was the star of the cast, but was sacrificed in the first season.
Image: IMAGO/Mary Evans
Kevin Spacey's character Francis Underwood was suddenly killed off after several successful seasons.
Image: Netflix
Fans of the hit neo-western series "Yellowstone" can rejoice. The successful saga continues, but without star Kevin Costner. Can that work?
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The big season finale of the hit series "Yellowstone" is coming up, but without Kevin Costner.
- Many series lose popularity over time. Will "Yellowstone" remain a crowd-puller even without the star cast in the lead role?
- blue News shows examples of successful series that were successfully continued even after the departure of central stars.
- The second part of the fifth season is available on blue Premium from today.
The bloody cowboy family saga is about to reach its grand season finale. But the second part of the fifth season will have to do without Kevin Costner, who as family patriarch John Dutton has shaped the series in recent years and played a major role in shaping it.
The Oscar winner explained in an interview that the decision was not difficult for him. "I've dedicated five seasons to this," says Costner. No drama is needed now.
The success of the series on Sky Show is undisputed. Many series lose momentum and fans over time - not so "Yellowstone". The premiere of the fifth season was watched by over 12 million people in the USA. Can the series still inspire series fans without Kevin Costner?
blue News gives you examples of how the series continued to be successful even after the departure of the star cast.
Fabian Tschamper, example 1
The Office
Many a sitcom fan would probably describe "The Office" as one of the best series of all time. But there is no denying that Steve Carell as Michael Scott left a hole after his departure in the seventh season that could no longer be filled.
Michael Scott was the head of the office at paper wholesaler Dunder Mifflin and the linchpin of the entire series. He grossly overestimates his qualities as a leader - or entertainer. In the last two seasons, 8 and 9, this strong character is missing and the series has to be carried by the existing supporting cast.
This still works better than in some other series, but Michael Scott is still missed. Carell said when he left that he wanted to give the other characters more space - but that wasn't necessary. "The Office" could well have ended with the seventh season, because the only reason to watch the series was Steve Carell.
Fabienne Kipfer, example 2
Monk
As a child of the 90s, I practically grew up with "Monk", but usually only watched individual episodes. It wasn't until this year that I watched the whole series from start to finish, rediscovering many details and learning to really love the show.
After three seasons, Bitty Schram left the show. As Sharona Fleming, she was not only Monk's assistant, but also a kind of antithesis who helped him deal with his neurotic fears in a direct way. Her departure was a real turning point.
It took me a while to get used to her successor Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard). Natalie brings a new tone to the series: she supports Monk less confrontationally, but more patiently and with more empathy. At first I was skeptical about whether "Monk" would work at all with a different assistant, but with each episode I grew more fond of the new dynamic. The two developed into a new dream team.
Frank Richter, example 3
Baywatch
"Baywatch" without Pamela Anderson? Hard to imagine, because as C.J. Parker she embodied the symbol of the legendary lifeguard era and became the figurehead of the series.
After her departure, the series changed noticeably, but Baywatch continued to run successfully - new faces and exciting missions ensured that the series retained its cult status.
Even without Anderson's presence, the mix of action, beach dramas and iconic slow-motion runs remained a worldwide TV phenomenon.
Adrian Kammer, example 4
Game of Thrones
That the roles played by Sean Bean will die is almost as certain as the Amen in church. But the timing of this on-screen death came as a surprise even to the actor himself.
Bean was the star of the cast, and his character Eddard "Ned" Stark was probably the most important and most popular character in the first season of "Game of Thrones". And then, out of the blue, the series makers killed him off in the ninth episode. The sudden death of important characters was to become a trademark of the series.
On the contrary: while 9.3 million people watched the first season, this figure rose to 46 million by season eight.
Fabienne Berner, example 5
House of Cards
A political drama without Kevin Spacey initially seemed unthinkable. But after the scandal surrounding the lead actor, Robin Wright took over the lead role as Claire Underwood.
With a changed dynamic and a stronger focus on the First Lady's power struggle, "House of Cards" succeeded in continuing the story in an exciting way.
The change of perspective offers new drama and ensures that the series remains relevant even without its original star. Unfortunately, the series didn't get much better, as the viewing figures show.
