# Best guest or recurring characters ever on TV series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guest-or-recurring-characters-ever-on-tv-series/335827 "2005-12-15T23:48:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guest-or-recurring-characters-ever-on-tv-series/335827/81 "2005-12-19T20:42:39Z")
**Tom Hanks** in the role of _Mister Short Term Memory_ (or something like that) on Saturday Night Live. > [@](#): > > HEEE-EEEY! You’re Tony Randall! ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guest-or-recurring-characters-ever-on-tv-series/335827/82 "2005-12-19T20:58:46Z")
Has anyone mentioned Batgirl from the original Batman series? I was just a little kid at the time but man, when they’d start her theme music and show her speeding along on her batcycle, I’d just about wet myself from excitement. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guest-or-recurring-characters-ever-on-tv-series/335827/83 "2005-12-19T21:30:57Z")
Tammi Faye Bakker as Mimi’s mother on **Drew Carey**. And for historical purposes: Don Cheadle on **Night Court**. Jerry Seinfeld on **Benson**. Farrah Fawcett and Jodie Foster on **The Partridge Family**. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guest-or-recurring-characters-ever-on-tv-series/335827/84 "2005-12-19T21:35:50Z")
**Khigh Dhiegh** as **Wo Fat** on **Hawaii Five-O** \*\*Hume Cronyn \*\* as **Lewis Avery Filer** , also on **Hawaii Five-O**. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guest-or-recurring-characters-ever-on-tv-series/335827/85 "2005-12-20T00:21:59Z")
Tom Selleck was a hoot as “Lance White” in **The Rockford Files**. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guest-or-recurring-characters-ever-on-tv-series/335827/86 "2005-12-20T01:51:53Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > I agree with many already mentioned, and I’ll add: Eddie LeBec from Cheers. I preferred Nick Tortelli, played by the always entertaining [Dan Hedaya](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000445/). ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guest-or-recurring-characters-ever-on-tv-series/335827/87 "2005-12-20T02:55:58Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Tom Selleck was a hoot as “Lance White” in **The Rockford Files**. Oh yeah! One of the best guest characters ever… Jim Rockford: A senator and a bus driver? What’s the connection? Lance White: This is just a hunch but I’d say the bus driver had something on the senator. Like maybe the senator was having an affair with the bus driver’s wife. Jim Rockford: Lance, where did that come from? Lance White: It didn’t come from anywhere Jim it’s just a hunch. I get a hunch, it turns out to be right and the case is solved. I don’t know how you make a living as a private eye Jim. You don’t seem to know any of this stuff. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-guest-or-recurring-characters-ever-on-tv-series/335827.md?page=4)