10 Best Times TV Characters Returned From The Dead

Death is an extremely flexible narrative concept in television. Everybody loves a comeback, and as such, it's never wise to write a TV character off as dead and buried until you see a body - perhaps not even then!

On many occasions, several landmark shows have gleefully displayed images of what appears to be a character's lifeless corpse, hammering home the message to the bereaved audience that their favourite's luck has well and truly ran out.

The devastating emotional impact of this loss is matched only by the uplifting feel-good factor on the occasions where the deceased pulls off their triumphant Lazarus act.

That said, resurrections are a lazy concept in storytelling - they're the easiest and least-inspired way to deal with a dead character. If executed poorly, they can often come across as cheesy, unbelievable, or lazily written, to the point that such a development takes away from the prestige of the show itself.

But not every resurrection is bad. Some are handled with great care and skill, and the results are as satisfying as anything you'll see in their respective shows.

Case in point...

Legendary neurosurgeon Drake Ramoray was taken from us too soon. In a tragically ironic twist of fate, the only doctor who could save the medical genius from his appalling injuries... was himself.

Anybody who has ever witnessed an episode of Friends will know that we're referring to the ridiculous return of one of Days of Our Lives' most famous alums. Ramoray originally departed the land of the living after Joey claimed credit for the character's lines - so the irritated writers proceeded to throw him down an elevator shaft to teach him some humility.

Armed with a new brain, Ramoray stages a triumphant comeback following a cerebral transplant, with his new brain "belonging" to departing cast member Jessica Lockhart's character. The seventh season of Friends sees Joey having to learn the actress' mannerisms in order to authentically bring this bizarre amalgamation of characters to life - with predictably hilarious results.

Joey's role as Drake was one of Friends' longest-running and most beloved gags. Accordingly, the reintroduction of the deceased doctor is one of the more chuckle-worthy moments of the show's latter seasons.