What Glee Can Learn From Past TV Deaths

When Cory Monteith suddenly passed away last month, the entertainment industry and audiences alike were understandably shocked. When a young person, or any person in the public eye dies in such a shocking way, the last thing on our minds is what will happen to a television show. But, inevitably, the show must go on. Glee creator Ryan Murphy recently announced that Monteith's death will be addressed early on in the next season of the program, with his character's death reflecting the real-life circumstances of drug abuse. But Glee is certainly not the first show to face this enormous challenge. When an actor dies, the creative team is forced to act swiftly, and whatever path they choose, it takes a herculean effort on the part of the staff to reasonably incorporate (or ignore) the actor's passing. While wondering about the post-Monteith Glee episodes to come, we looked back at some remarkable examples in recent television history.