Well, Danson went from bartender in Cheers to doctor in Becker, but now he is playing a shrink - which isn’t a huge stretch from doctor, so don’t know if it is fair to call this new character “different”. Will have to see the show, but previews seem to imply he is still the anti-social doctor he played on Becker.
And I believe Betty White still holds the record for actress with most television series.
I think I’ve seen every one! But I don’t know that it qualifies as “a hit” or not.
Fair enough. But yes, Suzanne Somers clearly qualifies as a lead character playing two very different roles on at least two hit series.
(Sit coms, that is, to follow the strictures of the OP.)
:smack: How could I forget him. Two of my favourite sit-coms.
Oh and OpalCat I would say that The Thin Blue Line was successful in British terms.
Huh?
Sorry, he hasn’t done it yet. Becker was a total dud.
“My future self just wants to sit around all day watching Becker, and that show’s so stupid!”
For the OP, I’d like to nominate Tony Shalhoub.
Jane Curtin was a supporting player on 3rd Rock? In whose universe?
I think Wayne Knight deserves a nod for Seinfeld & 3rd Rock.
Carroll O’Connor in All in the Family and In the Heat of the Night. Different characters, different types of shows (comedy and drama).
There are total duds that come on the air every year. Becker was on for 6 full seasons. Did pretty well in the ratings too. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t make it a dud.
Kirstie Alley had a major role in Cheers and was the lead in Veronica’s Closet (not a huge hit but it lasted three seasons).
Harry Anderson was the lead on Night Court (eight seasons) and Dave’s World (four seasons).
John Larroquette was virtually a co-lead on Night Court (eight seasons) and then did three seasons of The John Larroquette Show.
Dick Van Dyke was the lead on The Dick Van Dyke Show (five seasons), The New Dick Van Dyke Show (three seasons), and later on non-sitcom Diagnosis Murder (eight seasons).
And Bob Denver deserves some kind of special mention. He played the character of Willy Gilligan on seven different series; as a regular on Gilligan’s Island and the cartoon series The New Adventures of Gilligan and Gilligan’s Planet and as a guest star in episodes of ALF, Baywatch, Meego, and The New Gidget (plus he played Gilligan in four different movies) - this must be a record.
Denver also had a major role in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and was the lead in Dusty’s Trails, The Good Guys, Far Out Space Nuts. Admittedly of the seven series he was in, only three lasted more than a single season and none made it to the five year mark.
William Shatner
Star Trek
TJ Hooker
Boston Legal
Lee Majors
Six Million Dollar Man
The Fall Guy
Heather Locklear
TJ Hooker
Dynasty
Melrose Place
Spin City
Matlock
Barnaby Jones
In the Heat of the Night
Did the criteria change from two sitcoms to something else?
Okay, Jack Klugman in The Odd Couple and Quincy.
Bill Bixby in My Favorite Martian and The Incredible Hulk (of course he’s also got The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, so I guess he qualifies. We won’t mention The Magician).
The late, great Phil Hartman for Saturday Night Live, the Simpsons, and News Radio. And a special nod for his last appearance on 3rd Rock…oh, yeah!
[hijack]Richard Belzer has played Detective John Munch as a regular in Homocide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit plus guest shots in Law & Order, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, The X-Files, The Beat and Arrested Development. So seven shows stands, but apparently this is a record for prime-time.[/hijack]
Greg Evigan! crickets
Jason Alexander for Seinfeld and Duckman. Duckman, while not a ratings hit due to originating on cable, was still quite popular critically.
If we’re going to include drama and comedy, then Bill Cosby–I Spy to The Cosby Show.
Faith Ford went from wholesome, naive beauty queen Corky Sherwood in Murphy Brown to the sensible soccer mom in the utterly unwatchable Hope and Faith.
For that matter, Ted McGinley was the long-suffering husband in Hope and Faith after playing the empty-headed male gigolo in Married with Children.