DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - BART'S GEORGE AVOIDS BEAR DEATH

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES star ROGER BART is relieved his character was able to die in his sleep from a drug overdose, because he was originally billed to die at the hands of a grizzly bear.

Bart's character GEORGE was killed off last week (27NOV05) - when the show aired in America - after taking an overdose of sleeping pills.

But the actor admits his demise could have been much worse.

He explains, "Originally they had thought that it would be really cool if I were to be mauled to death by a bear at a zoo. That was gonna be the way I'd go.

"I got a really funny phone call from (creator) MARC CHERRY, who asked me if I had allergic reactions or problems working with large animals.

"I said, 'No,' but that was tossed because maybe the network bosses at ABC had other people being eaten by animals that week. I didn't like the bear idea anyway."