Though the line between TV and movies is starting to blur in recent years, the biggest difference between them remains length. Movies can run anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours, while it’s hard to find a TV episode that’s longer than an hour, unless it’s on a streaming service. Despite episodes being short in comparison to movies, TV seasons have the benefit of running for years without many breaks, telling a lot of stories and developing countless characters during that time. There is one major consequence of being on the air for a long time, though, and it’s usually an issue movies don’t have, forgetting important characters.
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When a show has a lot of storylines and characters to juggle, it must make some tough choices. Dreams are forgotten, plotlines are dropped, and the status quo can change at the drop of a hat. Sometimes, a show can’t even take the time to explain why an important character is no longer around.
1) Ben Geller (Friends)
The early seasons of the sitcom Friends find Ross Geller struggling with being a single father after divorcing his wife, Carol Willick. He eventually rises to the occasion, raising his son, Ben (Cole Sprouse in later seasons), and taking him on all kinds of adventures. However, Ben disappears in the show’s last couple of seasons as Ross figures out his love life with Rachel Green.
2) Cathy Simms (The Office)
To keep things interesting after Michael Scott’s departure, The Office introduces Cathy Simms (Lindsey Broad), Pam Halpert’s temporary replacement when she’s on maternity leave. Cathy starts making passes at Pam’s husband, Jim Halpert, during a trip to Florida, making the paper salesman uncomfortable. Her plan blows up in her face, and she’s never seen again after the Florida trip.
3) Robin Sylvester (Glee)
Sue Sylvester is always causing trouble for Will Schuester’s Glee Club in Glee, but she tries to turn over a new leaf in Season 4. She has a baby, Robin, and while the child’s father is a mystery at first, everything’s going great. Robin doesn’t come around after Season 4, with Sue mentioning her on occasion, but never taking care of her on-screen.
4) Santiago Herrera (Friday Night Lights)
Coach Eric Taylor takes anyone under his wing who’s willing to learn in Friday Night Lights. Santiago Herrera (Benjamin Ciaramello) joins Taylor’s team in Season 2 on the recommendation of Buddy Garrity. The booster cares about the young man so much that he invites him to live in his home, but he doesn’t do a great job of keeping an eye on the young man because he stops coming to school and practice.
5) Tina Pinciotti (That ’70s Show)
Annoying younger siblings are a staple of the sitcom genre, but Tina Pinciotti (Amanda Fuller) from That ’70s Show doesn’t get a fair shake. Donna Pinciotti’s sister appears in a single episode of the show and hits on Fez despite being several years his junior. The only other reference to her in That ’70s Show comes via a soap opera narrator on TV who asks about what happened to Tina.
6) Buzz Hickey (Community)
Chevy Chase’s exit from Community left a void in the cast, and it was filled by Breaking Bad alum Jonathan Banks. He plays Buzz Hickey, a Criminology professor who gets wrapped up in the study group’s hijinks, in Season 5 of the comedy series. Buzz is nowhere to be found in Season 6, with the show even teasing via an email that he may be dead.
7) Josh Wolowitz (The Big Bang Theory)
Howard Wolowitz’s complicated relationship with his father is one of the more tragic elements of The Big Bang Theory. He can’t get over the fact that his old man abandoned him and his mom, but things start looking up when he meets his half-brother, Josh (Matt Bennett). The two hit it off in a Season 8 episode, but Josh never returns after his initial appearance.
8) Ted Grant (Arrow)
Arrow‘s Laurel Lance can’t get over the fact that all of her friends are out fighting crime while she stands on the sidelines, so she reaches out to Ted Grant (J.R. Ramirez), a boxing coach and former vigilante. Ted teaches Laurel the ropes and even dons his Wildcat suit again to protect Star City. He takes a nasty beating from Season 3 villain Brick, though, and never shows his face again.
9) Mark Brendanawicz (Parks and Recreation)
The early seasons of Parks and Recreation are a bit of a blur, but one character that’s hard to forget is Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider). He’s the city planner whom Leslie Knope has a massive crush on. However, Mark barely gives Leslie the time of day before entering into a relationship with her best friend, Ann Perkins. The two go their separate ways at the end of Season 2, and Mark seemingly leaves Pawnee behind.
10) Nebula Lawrence (Boy Meets World)
Like That ’70 Show‘s Donna, Topanga Lawrence has a sister in the first season of Boy Meets World. Nebula Lawrence (Krystee Clark) shows up at the Matthews house to take her younger sister home, and that’s it for her. The show later refers to Topanga as an only child, making it out like she had a friend named Nebula who pretended to be her sister for some reason.
How many of these TV characters do you remember? What other characters deserve a spot on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
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