# Iconic live-action TV nerds before TBBT **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 11, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780 "2015-05-11T15:42:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/61 "2015-05-12T21:23:37Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Sergeant Carter (Larry Hovis, later of “Laugh-In”), the radio wizard on “Hogan’s Heroes”, was as geeky as the show’s premise could let him be. There was one episode of _ **Hogan’s Heroes** _ in which William Christopher (Fr Mulcahey on _MAS_H\*\*\*) substituted for Larry Hovis (who must have been sick that week). They kind of kept him in the background, and he only had one or two lines; I guess they thought no one would notice (but my younger brother and I did). I can’t find a cite for this anywhere, but I know it happened. Maybe someone with the \*\*\*HH \*\*\*DVD collection can identify the episode? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/62 "2015-05-12T21:44:11Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > There was one episode of _ **Hogan’s Heroes** _ in which William Christopher (Fr Mulcahey on _MAS_H\*\*\*) substituted for Larry Hovis (who must have been sick that week). They kind of kept him in the background, and he only had one or two lines; I guess they thought no one would notice (but my younger brother and I did). > > I can’t find a cite for this anywhere, but I know it happened. Maybe someone with the \*\*\*HH \*\*\*DVD collection can identify the episode? According to IMDB, [Christopher](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0160639/?ref_=nv_sr_1) appeared in four different episodes of _Hogan’s Heroes_, in four different roles. I remember seeing at least one of those episodes, and I do seem to recall that he was playing a similar role to Carter. Of those four episodes, the one where his credits include a rank is [this one](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0602369/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_31) from the first season, where he’s credited as “Lieutenant Donner”, so I wonder if that’s the one you remember. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/63 "2015-05-12T21:55:48Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > According to IMDB, [Christopher](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0160639/?ref_=nv_sr_1) appeared in four different episodes of _Hogan’s Heroes_, in four different roles. I remember seeing at least one of those episodes, and I do seem to recall that he was playing a similar role to Carter. Of those four episodes, the one where his credits include a rank is [this one](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0602369/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_31) from the first season, where he’s credited as “Lieutenant Donner”, so I wonder if that’s the one you remember. I remembered (and looked up) all of those, but there was also one in which he definitely played TSgt Andrew Carter (and was apparently not credited for it). At the time, he was occasionally featured in _ **Gomer Pyle, USMC** _, which was also filmed on the Desilu lot. So he was well-known to the production people. In addition to Lt Donner, he was also the beer-drinking German private in the episode where Carter wants to escape, and a POW masquerading as a German officer in the one where Carter impersonates Adolf Hitler. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/64 "2015-05-12T22:00:39Z")
Never mind, I’ve found the episode: > **["Hogan's Heroes" War Takes a Holiday (TV Episode 1968) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0602451/)** > > War Takes a Holiday: Directed by Bruce Bilson. With Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, John Banner, Robert Clary. Hogan convinces Klink and the Gestapo that the war is over so that they will release some prisoners. He was indeed featured, but apparently credited as another character (Thomas). All of his lines were Carter’s. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/65 "2015-05-12T22:19:20Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Just so it’s clear: You guys are talking about _ **Barney Collier** _, the electronics/mechanical/engineering genius played by Greg Morris (the black guy)? :dubious: Genius, yes. Black guy, yes. Nerd, not seeing it. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/66 "2015-05-13T00:25:59Z")
Head of the Class was more than just Arvid. It literally had one of every species of Nerd: The Fat Nerd, The Preppy Nerd, The Type A Nerd, The Mousy, Quiet Nerd, The Drama Geek, The Foreign Exchange Student and so on and so on. More trivia, the School name (Millard Fillmore High was a shout out to Welcome Back Kotter’s school name, James Buchanan High) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/67 "2015-05-13T13:12:13Z")
Come to think of it, Father Mulcahey of M_A_S\*H had many nerd qualities. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/68 "2015-05-13T14:12:43Z")
ISTM Major Winchester was even more so - a medicine nerd with awkward social skills. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/69 "2015-05-13T14:43:18Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > ISTM Major Winchester was even more so - a medicine nerd with awkward social skills. Not at all. He was a social elite, far above the hoi polloi. That’s almost the direct opposite of nerd. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/70 "2015-05-13T16:02:18Z")
> [@RiCu](#): > > Good call. But I’d have said Langly and Byers but not Frohicke. Byers was the clean-cut conservative corporate-looking guy. Frohike may have dressed non-nerd (but then again, Booger was a Nerd in RotN) but he and Langly were the computer geeks… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/71 "2015-05-13T16:09:37Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Not at all. He was a social elite, far above the hoi polloi. That’s almost the direct opposite of nerd. That would describe Niles Crane also. There’s some overlap with nerdism, but it’s not quite the same. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/72 "2015-05-13T17:43:02Z")
The most obvious recent one is Malcolm in _Malcolm in the Middle_. From IMDB: > [@](#): > > Malcolm often has a hard time coping with his family life, but he has more troubles to contend with when he starts receiving special treatment at school after being diagnosed as an intellectually advanced genius. He was a nerd who tried desperately to not be seen as a nerd. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/73 "2015-05-13T18:03:19Z")
Harold Green from the Red Green Show and maybe Carlton from Fresh Prince, but maybe he was more preppy…? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/74 "2015-05-13T21:32:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Quimby** : > > More trivia, the School name (Millard Fillmore High was a shout out to Welcome Back Kotter’s school name, James Buchanan High) How is that a call-out? High schools named after presidents are quite common. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/75 "2015-05-13T22:39:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How is that a call-out? High schools named after presidents are quite common. My mother attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, which could have been where the name for the school in \*Kotter \*came from. But I could see the school in _Head of the Class_ being a small homage to that. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/76 "2015-05-14T00:02:30Z")
Why couldn’t both of them be from any of the thousands of president-named schools in the country? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/77 "2015-05-14T00:14:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How is that a call-out? High schools named after presidents are quite common. Because the creators of the show specifically picked another President as an homage to the other show. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/78 "2015-05-14T01:27:22Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Never mind, I’ve found the episode: > > ["Hogan's Heroes" War Takes a Holiday (TV Episode 1968) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0602451/) > > He was indeed featured, but apparently credited as another character (Thomas). All of his lines were Carter’s. Speaking of Carter, she and Daniel Jackson were rather nerdy on SG-1. It was nice having nerds in two different fields, instead of just one “smart guy.” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/79 "2015-05-14T12:40:08Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Sergeant Carter (Larry Hovis, later of “Laugh-In”), the radio wizard on “Hogan’s Heroes”, was as geeky as the show’s premise could let him be. Damn, my memory is failing me. \*Kincheloe \*was the radio wizard, wasn’t he? Carter was the \*explosives \*geek. Which makes him the spiritual ancestor of H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock, although he was far more of a loon than a nerd. > [@Quimby](#): > > More trivia, the School name (Millard Fillmore High was a shout out to Welcome Back Kotter’s school name, James Buchanan High) And the school in “Boy Meets World” was John Adams HS, named for William “Mr. Feeny” Daniels’ character in _1776_. This fall’s sequel, “Girl Meets World” with Cory and Topanga as the parents, will be set in John Quincy Adams HS. Just so you know. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780/80 "2015-05-14T13:34:47Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Damn, my memory is failing me. \*Kincheloe \*was the radio wizard, wasn’t he? Carter was the \*explosives \*geek. Which makes him the spiritual ancestor of H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock, although he was far more of a loon than a nerd. I was trying dig up that memory also, I haven’t seen the show since it was first on. I recall both of them being radio experts, but mostly Kinch doing that. Carter was on more episodes so perhaps he filled in that position at some point. One recollection is an episode where they had to put up an X shaped radio antenna that wouldn’t be noticed so Hogan bent each of the prongs 90 degrees to make it the shape of a swastika and then I think it was Carter who had to climb up on a building to mount it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iconic-live-action-tv-nerds-before-tbbt/719780.md?page=5)