# disappearing TV characters **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 21, 2000, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318 "2000-07-21T04:06:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/81 "2000-09-25T08:25:27Z")
I can’t believe nobody’s mentioned Roy on _The Simpsons_. That goofy slacker punk-kid houseguest that we all grew to love and who got mysteriously axed after one episode…just like Poochie. Hmmm. As the old folks in the back say: “We Like Roy!” ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/82 "2000-09-25T15:36:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Minxsmom \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by CnoteChris \* > > \*\*Just so you know, ‘Spearchucker Jones’ was an anesthesiologist. \*\* > > That’s weird. In the book and the movie he was a neurosurgeon. \*\* Yeah, Ugly John was the gas-passer (anesthesiologist) ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/83 "2000-11-28T15:15:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lumpy \* > \*\*On _Battlestar Galactica_ Commander Adama had a daughter (Apollo’s sister), who was a prominent character in the pilot episode. Then in the series she appears as a bridge officer a few times, then disappears. > \*\* Athena was on quite a bit. But being a bridge officer didn’t avail her to many action scenes. I think when they decided to use females as fighter pilots, she was seen more. The whole series only lasted on season, so it makes sense that only the major characters are most remembered: Apollo, Adama, and Starbuck. If “Star Trek” had only been one season, I’m sure Sulu, Uhura, Scotty, and Bones would’ve been forgotten. (DeForest Kelley wasn’t in the title credits until the second season, IIRC.) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/84 "2000-11-28T15:54:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Smeghead \* > Smithers - it’s been well-explained, but the more cynical of us may realize that making the **only black man** in Springfield (at the time) Mr. Burns’ “assistant” was not exactly the smartest political move. What about Carl?? EVERYBODY like Carl!! Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/85 "2000-11-28T17:18:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AWB \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Lumpy \* > > \*\*On _Battlestar Galactica_ Commander Adama had a daughter (Apollo’s sister), who was a prominent character in the pilot episode. Then in the series she appears as a bridge officer a few times, then disappears. > > \*\* > > Athena was on quite a bit. But being a bridge officer didn’t avail her to many action scenes. I think when they decided to use females as fighter pilots, she was seen more. > > The whole series only lasted on season, so it makes sense that only the major characters are most remembered: Apollo, Adama, and Starbuck. If “Star Trek” had only been one season, I’m sure Sulu, Uhura, Scotty, and Bones would’ve been forgotten. (DeForest Kelley wasn’t in the title credits until the second season, IIRC.) \*\* Not to mention Maren Jensen, while GORGEOUS, couldn’t act… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/86 "2000-11-28T17:36:54Z")
Back in the late 60s, the “Doris Day Show” kept switching formats (she was a widow back on the farm – no wait, she lived in the city, no wait, she was a blonde “That Girl”!) and every time they switched formats, characters simply disappeared. What made it exceptional was that her two sons disappeared and were never mentioned again. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/87 "2000-11-28T18:11:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > \*\*Title character change? Not happened before? > > Ever hear of Doctor Who? \*\* I’ve seen this show on the Sci-Fi Channel. IIRC, one of the Doctor’s powers was the ability to regenerate himself if he’s injured. Apparently, this changes his appearance. It seems that the Star Trek approach to science and continuity is older than I thought :). ---
**Author:** ![Ma\_Parrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dec6dc/32.png) [@Ma\_Parrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ma_Parrot)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/88 "2000-11-28T18:14:54Z")
Matlock changed daughters and women partners several times. The final partner he had was the killer from the pilot movie! ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/89 "2000-11-28T18:42:57Z")
I just remembered something that was discussed in another thread. On _The Golden Girls,_ the four main characters all had children and grandchildren that would appear for one episode and then seemingly disappear into the Bermuda Triange. They were never seen again, and were never mentioned in any other episode. ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/90 "2000-11-29T08:56:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lurkernomore \* > \*\*Not to mention Maren Jensen, while GORGEOUS, couldn’t act… \*\* Who cares? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2000, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/91 "2000-11-29T13:47:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DRY \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by lurkernomore \* > > \*\*Not to mention Maren Jensen, while GORGEOUS, couldn’t act… \*\* > > Who cares? 😕 \*\* Point taken. She gets the Yeoman Janice Rand award, for vanishing babes. (Rand disappeared after the first season of ST, amid rumors…) What does it say about me I remember both the characters and the actresses for series 20+ years dead? (Rand was Grace Lee Whitney) ---
**Author:** ![poohpah\_chalupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/92 "2000-11-30T03:20:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ivar \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Minxsmom \* > > \*\* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by CnoteChris \* > > > \*\*Just so you know, ‘Spearchucker Jones’ was an anesthesiologist. \*\* > > > > That’s weird. In the book and the movie he was a neurosurgeon. \*\* > > Yeah, Ugly John was the gas-passer (anesthesiologist) \*\* I seem to remember an anesthesiologist in the book being the “Painless Pole” Same guy with a different nickname? In the pilot “Where No Man Has Gone Before” of ST:TOS, Kirk had a yeoman named Jones or Smith who was a hottie…the course of destiny may have been changed if _she_ stayed on the show. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_A\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Just\_A\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_A_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/93 "2000-11-30T03:59:59Z")
I can’t believe no one’s mentioned “Saved by the Bell.” For one thing, in the early seasons, they lived somewhere like Iowa or Illinois (I can’t remember exactly where…some midwest state.) When they hit high school, Mr. Belding, Zack, Lisa, and Screech all ended up at Bayside in California. After a few more seasons, Kelly drops off the face of the Earth (it may have had something to do with the modeling contract she landed but again, I’m not sure) and Tori magically appears. Of course she and Zack dated, which made no sense because wasn’t he assumed to still be with Kelly either way? Anybody remember?? ``` Man....that's sad that I know all that.. :o ``` ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/94 "2000-11-30T05:42:40Z")
FTR, _Golden Girls_ kids did return regularly. Sophia’s, rich Gloria and tranvestite Phil, were the most high profile since they were also Dorothy’s siblings. Dorothy’s son Michael wandered in and out from time to time, sleeping with Rose’s daughter Bridget, marrying a woman twice his age and leaving the band he worked for every so often. Blanche’s daughter Rebecca gained weight and loutish boyfriend Jow Regalbuto, dropped both and got artificially inseminated, and returned later to have the baby. The Girls did have a gay housekeeper in the pilot who vanished without a trace. Likewise a very different family next door when they were preparing the _Empty Nest_ spinoff. Most of _Grace Under Fire_’s cast abandoned ship as Brett Butler’s behavior grew more erratic. The younger boy was yanked by his parents after Butler flashed her tits on set. _Barney Miller_ regularly dropped detectives without a word of explanation. Only Fish (Abe Vigoda) got an episodic spinoff. Chano (Gregory Sierra) and Wentworth (Linda Lavin) were the most visible MIA’s. I can’t even remember if any comment was made about the death of Yemana (Jack Soo). ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/95 "2000-11-30T10:53:21Z")
don Jaime writes: \> I can’t even remember if any comment was made about the \> death of Yemana (Jack Soo). Yes, there was an episode where they talked about the death of his character. In some sense, it was very much like the sudden death in real life of someone about his age (clearly middle-aged, but not old). Everybody talked about how much they were going to miss someone who they had never sufficiently appreciated when he was alive. Then they got on with their lives. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/96 "2000-11-30T13:14:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by poohpah chalupa \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Ivar \* > > \*\* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by Minxsmom \* > > > \*\* > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > \*Originally posted by CnoteChris \* > > > > \*\*Just so you know, ‘Spearchucker Jones’ was an anesthesiologist. \*\* > > > > > > That’s weird. In the book and the movie he was a neurosurgeon. \*\* > > > > Yeah, Ugly John was the gas-passer (anesthesiologist) \*\* > > I seem to remember an anesthesiologist in the book being the “Painless Pole” > Same guy with a different nickname? > > \*\* No, the Painless Pole was the dentist who was going to commit suicide in the movie (Remember, the theme is “Suicide is Painless”?) Had some Polish name I don’t recall. (Walter Krakowski or something) John Schuck played him in the movie. Ugly John’s name was Black. ---
**Author:** ![poohpah\_chalupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/97 "2000-11-30T15:43:26Z")
You’re right, of course. My bad. Thanks, **lurkernomore** 🙂 …must be getting ridiculously old… ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/98 "2000-11-30T16:11:01Z")
> [@](#): > > FTR, Golden Girls kids did return regularly… Whoops :o. In the thread about unrealistic TV characters a while back, someone stated that the Golden Girl’s kids only appeared once each, and noone disputed that statement, so… My bad. ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/99 "2000-11-30T18:17:58Z")
Diceman - Ay, that’s alright. Wendell - Thanks. I’m trying to remember from about twenty years ago, when I was seven. The Soo memoriam I remember was not an episode as such, just clips and commentary from the actors. I taped most of the last weekend’s marathon and am still sifting through it. ---
**Author:** ![ben901](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@ben901](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ben901)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318/100 "2000-11-30T19:01:16Z")
**Other instances of same character, different actors:** [ul][li]John Boy Walton, _The Waltons_[_]Marilyn, The Munsters[_]Stephen Carrington, _Dynasty_[_]Fallon, Dynasty[_]Laura Palmer, _Twin Peaks_[_]Mr. Wilson, Dennis the Menace[_]Miss Ellie, _Dallas_[_]Pamela, Dallsas[_]Quentin, _Grace Under Fire_[_]Catwoman, Batman[_]The Riddler, _Batman_[\*]Mr. Freeze, _Batman_[/ul]\*\*Excluding shows such as _Martin_ or _Saturday Night Live_, where numerous roles are played by the same actor for comedic effect, and shows such as _Friends_ or _The X-Files_, where the same actor is used to play a twin, clone, or double, the only instance of same actor, different characters I could find ocurred in _Dallas_ (Kim Foster and Barbara Stock). Any others come to mind???[/li] 😃 ben901 😃 \*\* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-tv-characters/26318.md?page=6)