A few years ago I head it said that Ted Danson was the only actor in the history of television to have two hit sitcoms (Cheers and Becker) playing substantially different characters.
Soon he’ll be back in Help Me Help You, and his character looks substantially different again.
Can he do thrice that which no one else has done twice?
Disputes of the premise also welcome…
I heard it said
Also, to clarify, I’m sure the assertion referred to lead actors and not supporting characters.
Becker was a hit sitcom?
Now I’m sad.
David Jason in the UK had two hit (sitcom) shows with Open all Hours and Only Fools and Horses. Both long running and popular, and the characters totally different. Can’t think off-hand about anyone with a succesful trifecta.
Mary Tyler Moore might qualify, with the Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. I guess you could argue that she was only a supporting character in the first one, but it was a pretty big part.
Bob Newhart had two back to back hit comedy shows playing different characters, even if they did tie them together in the last episode.
Hasn’t Tony Danza done that as well?
I have to disagree with both of these.
The only difference between Laura Petrie and Mary Richards is that Laura was married and Mary was not. Both were pretty, sweet, kind, overly helpful, spunky young women.
Bob Newhart plays Bob Newhart - always. Regardless of what his character’s profession is.
Just MHO - YMMV
Ditto.
Patricia Routledge was a clueless ditz in “Keeping Up Appearances”, but a shrewd detective in “Hetty Wainthropp Investigates”.
“Hit” might be a bit much, but Becker was on the air for six seasons.
The rest of the statement, I think, stands.
Ah, but the OP specifically says “sit-coms.” Switching genres doesn’t count. If we allowed that, there would be dozens who’d qualify.
Man, I was going to point out Carroll O’Connor until I realized it had to be a sitcom.
Oh, so by ‘different character’ we’re not talking about just different people? You mean different as in completely different personalities? Or different as in not being a spin-off character from a previous show?
I’m not the OP, but that’s how I interpreted it.
Okay, how about Betty White switching from the conniving maneater Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” to the naive homebody Rose Nyland on “The Golden Girls”?
To me, that would count. Although she wasn’t the star of the MTM Show, which the OP implies.
Yeah, I’d say Betty White trumps Ted Danson.
But…
Alfonso Riberio was Ricky Schoeder’s cutesy kid buddy in Silver Spoons, then ultra-anal conservative Carlton in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Kim Fields played poor-but-bright black academic Tootie in The Facts Of Life then went to play Golddigger Supreme Regine on In Living Single.
Courtney Cox as Alex’s girlfriend in “Family Ties,” and as Monica Geller in “Friends”? Although I guess maybe she was more of a supporting character in the first show…
Ron Howard in “Mayberry RFD” and “Happy Days”? Or do you think he was playing essentially the same character in each, although older in the second?
John Ritter in “Three’s Company” and “Eight Simple Rules”?
I’ll nominate Bill Cosby. He had three actual sitcoms, plus numerous other projects.
How bout Michael J Fox on Family Ties and Spin City?
If we limit it to leads, and define “hit” to be one that runs at least 5 years, then Ted Danson still wins.