Brits and Aussies, can you tell me why so many terrific TV shows kill off, or otherwise disappear, their actors?

Asked by Kardamom (33296) September 7th, 2017 from iPhone

This phenomenon, although it does happen with American shows, it doesn’t happen nearly as often.

Some of my least favorite moments, on some of my favorite shows happened when a character I had grown to know, and love, and appreciate, either disappears into thin air, without a trace, nor mention, is killed off, when it didn’t seem necessary to the story arc.

I am trying to avoid spoilers, so I’ll just mention some of the shows: Downton Abbey, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Father Brown, Doc Martin, and Dance Academy.

I get that actors often want to do movies, but over here in the states, it’s more likely that a TV actor on a show (The Big Bang Theory for example, which is extremely popular) will make a movie during the summer break from the TV shooting schedule, but then return to the show.

What’s going on? Are the British and Australian producers trying to kill me? Maybe I’m inadvertently starring in my own show: The Kardamom Mysteries! :0