Drugs on TV have had a strange history. There have been after-school movies, very special sitcom episodes and even entire dramas based around illegal substances.

Sometimes, drug abuse on TV is used to teach the audience a lesson, while other times writers have characters develop an addiction as a way of making them more human in a flawed sense.

One of the most recent drug abusers comes to us in the form of Edie Falco's title character on 'Nurse Jackie.' The medical drama is back with a vengeance (Mon., March 22 10PM on Showtime), and to celebrate the return of our favorite no-nonsense RN, we're taking a look at TV's other famous pill-popping characters we've come to love (despite their issues) over the years.

We're not endorsing drug abuse of any kind, but it's a fact of life for some people, including these TV characters.

Find out who made our list after the jump.

. . . twelve killed-off characters

Nothing says Christmas like the mention of a dozen (or so) characters that met their maker this past year. Here they are, in no particular order.

• Ellen Tigh, Battlestar Galactica -- Ellen meant well, of course . . . sleeping with one of the Cylons occupying New Caprica to ensure the safety of her husband Saul. But, she went too far to keep her husband safe and paid for it with her life. To make it even worse, Saul was the one who killed her by having her drink a beverage filled with poison.