10 TV Shows That Killed Off Unhappy Actors

For the first five seasons of Desperate Housewives, Nicollette Sheridan played Edie Britt, one of the many residents of Wisteria Lane. Her character was widely adored by fans and critics alike, and Sheridan's performance was often considered one of the strongest on the show. Her sudden and shocking death (pun intended) was a blow to long-time fans who loved watching her antics on the show.

Although Edie's death was well received by Sheridan herself, who liked the fact that she died as she lived - "the centre of attention" - the behind the scenes friction between Sheridan and creator Marc Sherry went from heated to vicious very fast. Sheridan said Cherry ignored her on set and didn't care about her character. Cherry said her death had to happen to save money.

After Edie was killed, Sheridan sued Cherry for wrongful dismissal and battery, claiming that he had hit her. It became clear that their feud was more bitter than was ever made out to the public. Unfortunately, this friction has gone away. Sheridan refused to cameo in the finale and in interviews since has remained adamant that the show let her down and killed off the wrong person.

Since the show continued through to Season Eight, it would have been interesting to see where else she would have ended up had she been allowed to stick around. It was a tragic and shocking loss, but not as sad as the behind the scenes drama that preceded and followed it.