Ritter's TV Character Laid To Rest

Katey Sagal says fans of "8 Simple Rules ... For Dating My Teenage Daughter" wouldn't have gone for "the 'Bewitched' thing" where all of a sudden a new Darrin appears.

So, John Ritter is not being replaced. Instead, the storyline has him dying and the family mourning his loss.

That first new episode since Ritter's death airs Tuesday night on ABC.

"We all miss John. And we're all scared. But that doesn't mean you don't do things. There are lots of things in life that are very scary," Sagal says.

Ritter gained fame in the 1970s as the bumbling but lovable Jack Tripper on the madcap comedy series "Three's Company" and staged a return as a television series regular last year as loving dad Paul Hennessy on "8 Simple Rules." The sitcom has been seen as a key part of ABC's ratings comeback effort.

Ritter died on Sept. 11 of an undetected heart problem. He was 54.