TV Shake-Ups of the Year: Who’s Out and Why It’s a Big Deal

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Goodbyes are never easy — and for reasons that science can’t quite tell us, the goodbyes said to fictional TV characters are some of life’s toughest.

This year of television is barely halfway over, but there have been plenty of those difficult farewells already, thanks to the cast exits outlined in our list below.

Thus far, we’re not sure any departure hits harder than 9-1-1 star Peter Krause — whose beloved Capt. Bobby Nash was killed off in the show’s April 17 episode — but the year’s announced scripted-TV exits also come from Fire Country, Alert: Missing Persons Unit, Chicago Fire and other shows. (The industry’s unscripted side has had some surprises, too, which we’ve also included in our list.)

We’ll keep updating this list as more small-screen departures are announced and make headlines in 2025. In the meantime, keep scrolling to see who’s leaving what (so far) this year, and drop a comment with the stars you’re saddest to see go!

Just as Fire Country left us with quite the season-ending cliffhanger — Bode watched a burning building collapse with his parents and grandfather all still inside — it was reported that original cast member Billy Burke would not be back for Season 4, as Vince.

The CBS drama’s executive producers won’t confirm Burke’s exit, lest they spoil the outcome of said cliffhanger, but showrunner Tia Napolitano explained to Deadline that “leaning into the authenticity of the real-life heroes that our characters are playing, people die, they leave. That’s a reality, there’s danger in this sort of job, so we wanted to honor that and really up the stakes.”

Stephanie Arcila, another original cast member, also won’t return for Season 4 as a series regular, though co-creator Joan Rater said “our plan is to bring Gabriela back at some point in a really satisfying, beautiful way for the audience who I know cares as deeply about that [Bode/Gabriela] relationship as we do.”

Carra Patterson, Elsbeth

With NYPD Officer Kaya Blanke joining a law enforcement task force based out of Washington, D.C. (as revealed in the May 1 episode), original cast member Carra Patterson is stepping down as a series regular for Season 3.

Patterson reportedly will continue to appear on a guest-starring basis, however. “[Kaya is] not leaving the world of the show. She’s just not going to be with us every day,” showrunner Jonathan Tolins has said. Patterson herself similarly said in a statement to Deadline that “fans will find out what [Kaya has] been up to in her new role as ‘Detective’ next season when I come back to guest-star and play with Carrie [Preston] and Wendell [Pierce].”

Octavio Pisano and Juliana Aidén Martinez, Law & Order: SVU

Pisano (who has played Det. Joe Velasco since Season 23) and Martinez (who joined as Det. Kate Silva for Season 26) will not return as series regulars for Season 27. As first reported by Deadline, it’s unclear whether the actors’ exits are the results of creative or financial decisions.

Lester Holt, NBC Nightly News

Holt, who has served as anchor of NBC Nightly News since 2015, announced in February his decision to leave that role. He’ll step away in early summer, at which point he’ll be replaced by NBC News veteran Tom Llamas; Holt will focus more on NBC’s Dateline, which he has anchored since 2011.

“After 10 years, 17 if you include my years on the weekends, the time has come for me to step away from my role as anchor of Nightly News,” Holt said in a statement to staffers at the time. “It has truly been the honor of a lifetime to work with each of you every day, keeping journalism as our true north and our viewers at the center of everything we do… I am thrilled to be able to work more closely with my enormously talented friends at Dateline as the broadcast continues to grow and attract new viewers in new places.”

Ncuti Gatwa, Doctor Who

Gatwa’s Time Lord aka Fifteen fought off regeneration in the Season 15 finale, but eventually succumbed to the ritual — transforming into someone who looks a lot like Billie Piper’s Rose, and signifying Gatwa’s swan song after two Disney+ seasons.

“This journey has been one that I will never forget,” Gatwa said in a statement released with the finale, “and a role that will be part of me forever.”

Said showrunner Russell T Davies, “What a Doctor! Thank you, Ncuti! As his final words say, this has been an absolute joy, and … everyone who has worked on this show for the past few years are so lucky to have been part of Ncuti’s great adventure as he shoots off to stratospheric new heights.”

Toya Turner, Chicago P.D.

Not long after Toya Turner fondly reflected on Instagram about her successful, year-ago Chicago P.D. audition, news broke that she would not be returning for Season 13 of the NBC procedural.

“My time on Chicago P.D. has come to a close,” Kiana Cook’s portrayer confirmed on June 26. “This show challenged me, sharpened me, and revealed what I’m made of. I’ve evolved through this experience, both as an artist and in my craft, and I’m walking away with depth, clarity, and momentum for whatever comes next.”

A specific reason for Turner’s departure is not known. Deadline reported that casting is underway for a new female series regular to play a “loose cannon” ATF Task Force officer with a military background.

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