JOHN SPENCER at the Museum of Television and Radio Annual Gala to honour Peter Chernin and John Wells, Los Angeles, California - 07.11.05

Producers insisted Spencer's death be written into the hit drama, which ends its long run next month (MAY06), as a tribute to the veteran actor who died following a heart attack in December (05).

But filming the painful episode, and then watching it, compounded the misery of the late actor's friends and colleagues on the show.

Former co-star EMILY PROCTER says, "It's so hard to talk about... It just makes me sad.

"I don't know anyone who showed up there that didn't have a truly stupendous relationship with John Spencer. He was just fabulous."