Behind the scenes, some TV shows suffered the terrible loss of cast members off-screen. When the show has to say goodbye to the character, it's double the heartbreak. Everyone is not just saying goodbye to the actor, but also the role they played.

Unlike movies, most TV shows run for years, so everyone on set is likely very tight-knit. The episode that says goodbye to the characters that passed is often hard for the producers and actors. Along with the fans, it leaves them with the question: "What comes next for the show?"

So how do they do it? Here are five times TV shows gave us touching episodes to honor cast members who passed away:

Carol Ann Susi - The Big Bang Theory

Photo from IMDB

Carol Ann Susi's character Debbie Wolowitz was never seen on-screen until Susi's death due to cancer. Mrs. Wolowitz was drawn as a constant yeller, nothing like Susi, showrunner Steve Molaro said in a Hollywood Reporter article.

During the episode "The Comic Book Store Regeneration," Mrs. Wolowitz died peacefully in her sleep as she was away on vacation. In the episode's last scene, the main cast was gathered in the iconic living room and telling stories about her.

The last line in the episode was: "To Mrs. Wolowitz, a loving mother to all of us. We miss you."

In a blink and you miss it a moment, the show put a small photo of Susi on the fridge, so that from that day on, fans can finally see what Mrs. Wolowitz looked like.

Three episodes later, the show also added an episode where her son, Howard (Simon Helberg), and his friends got to enjoy the last dinner she prepared.

Will Lee - Sesame Street

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In a kid's show, such as Sesame Street, you barely see the likes of Big Bird down in the dumps. But that is precisely how the show presented its tribute to Will Lee, who played the beloved Mr. Hooper.The usually jolly street was gloomy after Lee died following a heart attack.In the tribute episode, "Farewell, Mr. Hooper," the producers took the opportunity to teach its young audience about death. They did not go the simple road of saying Mr. Hooper moved away.It was something only a few shows did to a very touching yet compelling fashion.

Debbie Reynolds - Will & Grace 

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Hollywood royalty Debbie Reynolds gave 'Will & Grace' soul. It was no surprise that the show's tribute to her is the most moving one.

In the tribute episode, Debra Messing, her on-screen daughter, played alongside Eric McCormack, Martin, Robert Klein, Sara Rue, and Mary McCormack as they celebrated the late character's birthday.

Grace's sisters said maybe it was time to put their house on the market, but Grace (Messing) rejected the idea because of the house's memories.

John Ritter - 8 Simple Rules

Photo from Amazon

John Ritter surprised everyone with his sudden passing at the age of 54. He was on a new TV sitcom set when he began to feel week, passing away later due to a tear in the aorta.

To commemorate his life, his main show 8 Simple Rules aired an hour-long tribute to him two months after his passing in the episode titled "Goodbye."

"I still feel like he's going to walk through that door," Katey Sagal's Cate said in the series.

In an appearance in Entertainment Tonight, Kaley Cuoco talked about her final moments with Ritter.

In those moments, Ritter and Cuoco exchanged 'I love you's. Cuoco continued, saying, "He goes, 'That's it,' and he gave me a hug, and that's the last time I saw him."

Cory Monteith - Glee

Photo from IMDB

This death was one nobody on Glee saw coming. It gave the cast and crew a dilemma after Cory Monteith passed due to drug overdose in 2013.

They aired the episode "The Quarterback" that honored his life and, in true Glee spirit, featured the powerful voices of the actors.In that episode, the beloved Naya Rivera sang "If I Die Young," a song she never finished as her character broke down.

Seven years later, Rivera was found dead in Lake Piru on the same day as Monteith's seventh death anniversary.

We want to think that, until the end, the co-stars are finally finishing the song together. 

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