TV shows that, like ‘Happyish,’ were rocked by death of a star

“Happyish” had a sad beginning.

The new Showtime comedy will get a special “sneak peak” airing Saturday on CTV before it begins streaming on CraveTV. It stars British comedian Steve Coogan (“Alan Partridge”) as Thom Payne, a depressed, middle-aged ad man confronted with a pushy young boss. If he can’t be happy, Payne figures, he’ll settle for happy-ish. Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”) and Kathryn Hahn co-star.

Over a year ago, TV critics gathered in Los Angeles responded enthusiastically when shown a short clip of the pilot episode. It was built around the prodigious talents of its then star, Philip Seymour Hoffman.

When Hoffman died suddenly in February 2014 at age 46, it seemed as if “Happyish” died with him. Showtime president David Nevins praised the “scathing wit and deep humanity” found in Shalom Auslander’s scripts, but offered “no guarantees” the project would move forward without Hoffman.

Coogan, who began his comedy career as a puppeteer on “Spitting Image,” has taken a more dramatic turn of late, distinguishing himself opposite Judi Dench in “Philomena.” He also proved he could mix comedy with pathos in a series of British film and TV appearances as awkward, egocentric media personality Alan Partridge.

In the past, shows have struggled after the death of a principle cast member. The hit western “Bonanza,” for example, lasted just a half season longer after the death of Dan Blocker (“Hoss”) in 1972. Here are some other famous examples:

— In 1991, about a month after the premiere of “The Royal Family,” Redd Foxx died of a massive heart attack. Foxx’s death was more than a little ironic. The comedian was always clutching his heart and claiming “This is the big one, Elizabeth,” on his ’70s hit, “Sanford & Son.” The working title for “The Royal Family” was “Chest Pains.” Jackee Harry was added but the series flopped without Foxx.

— Cory Monteith was just one member of “Glee” but the Calgary-native’s death at 31 rocked the series. Creator Ryan Murphy later revealed Monteith’s character, Finn Hudson, would have been central to the show’s happy ending. Instead, it petered out two seasons after Monteith’s death.

— On Oct. 12, 1984, on the set of the spy drama “Cover Up,” a bored Jon-Erik Hexum put a prop gun to his temple and — convinced the gun was harmless — pulled the trigger. The 26-year-old actor died of his injuries. The tragedy led to stricter guidelines for firearms on sound stages.

— On Sept. 11, 2003, John Ritter suddenly became ill during rehearsals for his comedy “8 Simple Rules.” Ritter died the same day of a ruptured aorta. After a brief hiatus, the series resumed with James Garner and David Spade and plenty of sympathy, but the series was cancelled after three seasons.

— In January 1977, three years into his hit series “Chico and the Man,” 22-year-old Freddie Prinze shot himself. New characters were brought in, but ratings declined after Prinze’s death and the show was cancelled a year later. Shot hours before his death, Prinze’s final episode was titled, “Ed Talks to God.”

— As Sgt. Phil Esterhaus, Michael Conrad warned officers, “Let’s be careful out there,” on “Hill Street Blues.” The 58-year-old actor died of cancer early in season 4. The producers paid Conrad the ultimate tribute, having the character “die in the saddle” in his final episode, entitled, “Grace Under Pressure.”

— Bill Brioux is a freelance TV columnist based in Brampton, Ont.