I don’t know…Didn’t soap operas solve this issue 50 years ago?

I mean what are all of these games but RPG soap operas.

What happens on a soap when an actor leaves, or a actress gets unexpectedly pregnant, or someone takes a leave of absence to film a movie or for health reasons.

The story just churns on week after week anyway right?

How do they do it and how can those techniques be adapted to the RPG table?