The original post: /r/television by /u/SamCam9992 on 2026-05-09 01:11:03+00:00.
Has anyone else noticed that network television has become very obvious about cost cutting through cast reductions?
Seems like a pattern on many of the shows I’m watching lately. Major characters suddenly getting killed off, actors disappearing for multiple episodes, random side storylines clearly designed to reduce episode counts, or longtime cast members quietly leaving while producers insist it was a creative decision.
I am used to this on procedurals because the Dick Wolf shows have been doing it for years, but it feels way more common lately across all network TV. What actually prompted this post is that I’m binge watching the latest season of Chicago Fire and the way they write out some of their main characters for a few episodes is genuinely hilarious.
911 immediately comes to mind. Peter Krause was top billed alongside Angela Bassett and was probably making a fortune by this point. Will Trent also just killed off two characters back to back. One was probably always temporary, but the other felt completely out of nowhere, and neither exit appears to have been the actor’s choice. It’s getting especially distracting at this point.