Another One Bites the Dust

John Ritter, television comedian and star of ABC's "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter," died last week from an undetected heart ailment that caused a massive tear in his aorta. [ABCNews.com]. Also star of the 1970s-era "Three's Company" a generation ago, Ritter had a talent for delivering hilarious lines with absolutely no affect and specialized in gender-related comedy. And his comeback last year was massive. More than 25 million people tuned in to the 2002 debut of 8 Simple Rules to see Ritter's return to TV comedy. It was ABC's largest audience in the time slot with a sitcom since the debut of Roseanne in Fall '88. The network, of course, cynically says that the current show -- the top sitcom in ABC's line-up -- may not be cancelled. Well, maybe "the show must go on," but Tuesday nights will not be the same, that's for sure.

 Posted by glenn