History PlayingWith / PutOnABus

** LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters move away over the course of the series, and others are introduced. Once written off, most characters are [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse never mentioned again]]. By the series finale, the only original characters left are Alice, Bob, and Charles.

* '''Justified''':
** This trope ''requires'' an InUniverse explanation; if a character is dropped without a justification, it's ChuckCunninghamSyndrome.

'''Basic Trope''': A character leaves in such a way that he or she can return.

'''Basic Trope''': Character leaves, but can come back later.
* '''Straight''': In a season premiere of ''The Troperville Show'', Diane tells her friends Alice, Bob, and Charles that she will be moving away. At the end of the season, she leaves Troperville. In later seasons, [[LongBusTrip she is only mentioned in passing.]]

* '''Exaggerated''': LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters move away over the course of the series, and others are introduced. Once written off, most characters are [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse never mentioned again]]. By the series finale, the only original characters left are Alice, Bob, and Charles.

** This trope ''requires'' an InUniverse explanation; if a character is dropped without a Justification, it's ChuckCunninghamSyndrome.

* '''Subverted''': Diane decides not to move away after all.

** [[CommutingOnABus Everyone comes and goes,]] enough so that it seems as if none of the main characters live in Troperville.

* '''Unparodied''': It's a time-traveling bus.

** Diane is an old friend of the gang who moved away before the {{pilot}} episode. She is ''introduced'' when she moves back to Troperville in the fourth season.

* '''Zig Zagged''': Eight characters are retired over the course of the series, seven of whom were put on buses; Diane [[TheBusCameBack returns once]] in the next season, Nicole moves back to Troperville three seasons after her departure (possibly [[TheOtherDarrin with a new actress]]), Larry [[CommutingOnABus visits his friends in Troperville in later seasons]], Quentin [[BackForTheFinale moves back in the final episode]], Paul [[BusCrash dies two seasons after leaving]] due to [[TheCharacterDiedWithHim his actor's death]], Sam [[LongBusTrip stays alive but never returns]], and Ida [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse isn't even mentioned]] again. The eighth character, Helen, simply [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome vanishes.]]

** Every time anyone boards a bus, everyone else wonders if he/she will ever return. Bonus points if said bus appears in a setting where it doesn't make friggin' sense! (like the middle ages, for example.)

* '''Justified''': This trope ''requires'' an InUniverse explanation; if a character is dropped without a Justification, it's ChuckCunninghamSyndrome.

** Every time anyone boards a bus, everyone else wonders if he/she will ever return.

* '''Played For Laughs''': Diane's house is frequently destroyed as a RunningGag. After Diane moves away, Charles demolishes the house as a prank, and then remembers that Diane moved away. [[WhatTheHellHero Alice and Bob react badly]], e.g. "You fool! Now no one can move into Diane's house!"

Back to PutOnABus

* '''Zig Zagged''': Eight characters are retired over the course of the series, seven of whom were put on buses; Diane [[TheBusCameBack returns once]] in the next season, Nicole moves back to Troperville three seasons after her departure (possibly [[TheOtherDarrin with a new actress]]), Larry [[CommutingOnABus visits his friends in Troperville in later seasons]], Quentin [[BackForTheFinale moves back in the final episode]], Paul [[BusCrash dies two seasons after leaving]] due to [[TheCharacterDiedWithHim his actor's death]], Sam [[LongBusTrip never returns]], and Ida [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse isn't even mentioned]] again. The eighth character, Helen, simply [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome vanishes.]]