# Can Ted Danson do it again? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 19, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396 "2006-08-19T23:46:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Key_Lime_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/1 "2006-08-19T23:46:45Z")
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… ---
**Author:** ![Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Key_Lime_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/2 "2006-08-19T23:50:43Z")
[QUOTE=Key Lime Guy] … I head it said … [/QUOTE] I **heard** it said Also, to clarify, I’m sure the assertion referred to lead actors and not supporting characters. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/3 "2006-08-19T23:56:33Z")
_Becker_ was a hit sitcom? Now I’m sad. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/4 "2006-08-19T23:58:09Z")
[QUOTE=Key Lime Guy] 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. [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/5 "2006-08-20T00:05:38Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![shamrock227](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shamrock227](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shamrock227)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/6 "2006-08-20T00:18:49Z")
[QUOTE=Sam Stone] 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. [/QUOTE] 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 ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/7 "2006-08-20T00:28:01Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] _Becker_ was a hit sitcom? Now I’m sad. [/QUOTE] Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/8 "2006-08-20T00:39:05Z")
Patricia Routledge was a clueless ditz in “Keeping Up Appearances”, but a shrewd detective in “Hetty Wainthropp Investigates”. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/9 "2006-08-20T01:17:53Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] _Becker_ was a hit sitcom? [/QUOTE] “Hit” might be a bit much, but _Becker_ was on the air for six seasons. The rest of the statement, I think, stands. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/10 "2006-08-20T01:18:15Z")
Ah, but the OP specifically says “sit-coms.” Switching genres doesn’t count. If we allowed that, there would be dozens who’d qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/11 "2006-08-20T01:27:34Z")
Man, I was going to point out Carroll O’Connor until I realized it had to be a sitcom. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/12 "2006-08-20T01:30:32Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/13 "2006-08-20T01:35:25Z")
[QUOTE=Sam Stone] 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? [/QUOTE] I’m not the OP, but that’s how I interpreted it. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/14 "2006-08-20T01:45:25Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Ah, but the OP specifically says “sit-coms.” [/QUOTE] 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”? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/15 "2006-08-20T01:47:51Z")
To me, that would count. Although she wasn’t the star of the MTM Show, which the OP implies. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/16 "2006-08-20T01:53:58Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/17 "2006-08-20T02:23:55Z")
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”? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/18 "2006-08-20T02:25:59Z")
I’ll nominate Bill Cosby. He had three actual sitcoms, plus numerous other projects. > **[Bill Cosby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby)** > > William Henry Cosby Jr. (/ˈkɒzbi/ KOZ-bee; born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian, actor, spokesman, and media personality. He has made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and gained a reputation as "America's Dad" for his portrayal of Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show (1984–1992). He has received numerous awards and honorary degrees throughout his career, many of which were revoked following sexual assault allegations made against him in 2014. > Cosby began... ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/19 "2006-08-20T02:32:47Z")
How bout Michael J Fox on Family Ties and Spin City? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396/20 "2006-08-20T02:34:03Z")
If we limit it to leads, and define “hit” to be one that runs at least 5 years, then Ted Danson still wins. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-ted-danson-do-it-again/369396.md?page=2)