There are a variety of reasons a character might leave a television show. Sometimes, it's an intentional decision to write out a character because their story no longer suits the show. However, a lot of times, a character departs due to issues behind the scenes, whether because the actor leaves amicably to pursue other opportunities, or the actor leaves due to internal conflicts with the cast and crew.
This list has some of the most famous examples of each of these departures, some of which you may or may not be familiar with. In addition to New Girl's Coach, here are some huge characters who left their sitcoms.
Happy Days: Richie
One of television's most formative sitcoms, the 1970s series Happy Days followed Richie Cunningham (played by a then-young actor Ron Howard) and his friends and family in the "simpler time" of a retrospective 1950s.
Though he was the star and main character (though perhaps the second most popular to Henry Winkler's The Fonz), Howard left the show at the end of its seventh season to pursue his true passion, directing. The choice paid dividends for Howard who would direct one of the most popular romantic comedies of the 1980s, Splash, within four years of his exit.
New Girl: Coach
Damon Wayans Jr. appeared as Coach in New Girl's pilot, believing his other show, Happy Endings, would not be picked up. When it was ordered to series, Wayans, Jr. left New Girl to begin production on the ABC series.
New Girl wrote him off rather than recast the character, allowing for his eventual return in season three after Happy Endings' unfortunate cancellation. While the writers of New Girl likely didn't foresee Wayans' return, writing him off rather than recasting him was a wise choice that allowed for a delightful reinvigoration for the comedy.
Community's Multiple Departures
While arguably one of the most brilliant sitcoms ever, Community was plagued with production issues from the beginning. It isn't surprising, then, that a series of exits occurred throughout the show's history. Though never officially written off the show, John Oliver simply stopped appearing in order to begin work on his series Last Week Tonight. Oliver later returned for occasional guest appearances.
Additionally, Chevy Chase was released from his contract before the end of the fourth season due to on-set turmoil and was killed off at the beginning of season five. Yvette Nicole Brown also left after season five to have more time to take care of her ailing father.
Superstore: Amy
The main characters of Superstore, Amy (America Ferrera) and Jonah (Ben Feldman) are their show's Jim and Pam, having only been fully a couple during the show's most recent season. This is part of why fans were so surprised when Ferrera announced she'd be leaving the series ahead of Superstore's fifth season finale.
To complicate matters, the two-part finale was cut in half due to coronavirus restrictions halting production. Whether Ferrera will be able to return to film the second part of the finale and give Amy a proper goodbye, is yet unclear.
Community: Troy
Community's most notable and high-profile exit may very well be that of Donald Glover's Troy Barnes. Announcing his exit through a series of quickly-deleted Instagram posts, Glover's fans were heartbroken and conflicted.
But the exit (like many others on the list) proved to be a good decision for Glover, who's made a name for himself as Grammy-winning rapper Childish Gambino and pivoted into a full-blown media mogul with starring roles in Solo and The Lion King in addition to his creating, writing, and producing his own acclaimed television series, Atlanta.
The Office: Michael Scott
Probably the most popular workplace comedy of all time, The Office followed cringeworthy yet loveable boss, Michael Scott (Steve Carell), and his desire to be friends with his employees while working as little as possible. Carell's talent couldn't be hidden throughout the show's run as his film career burgeoned.
When Carell decided to leave at the end of the show's seventh season, it seemed unfathomable that it could continue without him, but The Office aired two more meandering seasons with Carell returning for the finale. Carell has since been nominated for an Oscar and three Golden Globes.
The Cosby Show: Denise
Despite the horrific legacy of its creator, The Cosby Show remains a legendary part of television history, due in large part to the surrounding cast members, including the iconic Lisa Bonet (Denise Huxtable). Denise had been "spun off" with her own series, A Different World, focused on Denise's college experience.
However, when Bonet became pregnant with daughter Zoë (by then-husband Lenny Kravitz), Cosby demoted her from A Different World, refusing to incorporate the pregnancy. Denise reappeared on The Cosby Show a year after the birth of Zoë but was later fired to due ongoing differences with Cosby.
Spin City: Mike
One of the most popular actors of his generation, Michael J. Fox is as well known for Back to the Future as he is living with Parkinson's Disease. But that wasn't always the case. Though he had been living with it for a few years already, Fox had not disclosed his diagnosis publicly due to fear it would impact his career.
However, Fox left Spin City at the end of its fourth season in order to launch a charitable foundation dedicated to Parkinson's research. Spin City continued for two more seasons, with Fox returning for a few guest episodes.
Two And A Half Men: Charlie
Perhaps the messiest entry on this list, Two and a Half Men was a hugely popular sitcom starring Charlie Sheen as Charlie, an alcoholic, womanizing songwriter. Behind the scenes, Sheen's life was a little too similar to his character's.
In the midst of production on the show's eighth season, Sheen entered rehab for substance abuse and was soon fired for public comments and misconduct in connection to Two and a Half Men's creator, Chuck Lorre. The season ended abruptly but later continued on for four more seasons with Ashton Kutcher replacing Sheen as the lead.