# Invisible Characters on TV Shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 18, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055 "2003-08-18T21:33:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/21 "2003-08-19T08:00:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\*Nah . . . they showed Ziggy when Sam returned to 1996 (or whenever). Good thought, though. \*\* Really? What’d he look like? ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/22 "2003-08-19T08:06:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny Bravo \* > \*\*The adults in Peanuts. > > “Waah woh waaahh…” \*\* Well, they _did_ show adults in the Peanuts “Celebrating America” miniseries back in the 80s…and in one special where Linus and Lucy briefly moved away from their unnamed town, you (briefly) see a few moving men in their driveway. The history special, though…that was cool. They even had a segment set onboard the never-built space station “Freedom.” (The station’s “Cupola” was, of course, prominently featured) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/23 "2003-08-19T10:04:48Z")
Mrs Columbo. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/24 "2003-08-19T10:16:48Z")
_''Er indoors"_ in **Minder** (Arthur’s wife). Don’t think she ever appeared. _“Ugly naked man”_ in \*\*Friends. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Catsmeow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Catsmeow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catsmeow)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/25 "2003-08-19T11:56:39Z")
nope nope…you DO see Ugly Naked Guy on Friends… When Ross wants to Sublet the apartment and goes over you see UNG open the door and slurping on a huge drink. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/26 "2003-08-19T12:33:53Z")
“Susan Richards” – What show was that? Uncle Ed – :smack: Ziggy – She looked like a computer, duh! 🙂 I don’t remember details, but I do recall Sam talking to her in person. Who played Binnie? **Earl of S:** Tell us more about “Spector” – I don’t recall that name. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/27 "2003-08-19T13:10:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\ ***Earl of S:** Tell us more about “Spector” – I don’t recall that name. \*\* He is a minimalist who dates fat women. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/28 "2003-08-19T13:21:24Z")
> [@](#): > > “Susan Richards” – What show was that? A reference perhaps to The Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four? There have been several TV incarnations of the Four and the character. Carlton the doorman had his own one-shot animated special. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/29 "2003-08-19T14:44:56Z")
> [@](#): > > From the Rhoda: Carlton the Doorman. We only heard his voice, but never saw him. From **Wang-Ka** : > [@](#): > > Actually, Carlton The Doorman was seen in one episode. > > Rhoda was having a costume party, and Carlton wound up showing up for it. He was wearing a doorman’s uniform… and an ape mask. We never did get to see his real face… That wasn’t the only time. In one episode Carlton came up to carry a door down. Again, you got to see his body, but not his face, which was hidden by the door. ---
**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:** [August 19, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/30 "2003-08-19T21:35:31Z")
The nanny in _Muppet Babies_. Usually, all we saw of her was her stockinged legs, and we heard he voice. The closest we come to seeing her is once when she’s on a motorcycle for some reason, but the helmet completely covers her head, so still no face. And I don’t think that we ever saw whatsisname Mork’s boss on _Mork and Mindy_… He was just a disembodied voice. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/31 "2003-08-19T21:39:33Z")
You mean Orson? ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/32 "2003-08-19T21:45:19Z")
You mean Orson? ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/33 "2003-08-19T21:57:21Z")
Fish’s wife, Bernice, in _Barney Miller_. Which brings up another point. One of the reasons that these “invisible” characters are so powerful is that we’re allowed to picture them ourselves. For instance, I remember a line in _Frasier_ where Niles talked about Maris running across the snow without leaving footprints. It cracked me up. To me, a sign of a show jumping the shark is when it brings in one of the invisible characters on screen. Darn, but I can’t think of an example right off the bat. I know, though, that the _Fish_ spin-off had Bernice as an on-screen character. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/34 "2003-08-19T22:23:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PoorYorick \* > \*\*I remember a line in _Frasier_ where Niles talked about Maris running across the snow without leaving footprints. It cracked me up. > > \*\* I thought only Legolas could do that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/35 "2003-08-19T22:29:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Earl Snake-Hips Tucker \* > \*\*And just in case anyone’s interested, an earlier thread on the subject: > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=56085](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=56085) \*\* And a similar earlier thread on the subject: [Sitcom gimmicks](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=132194). ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/36 "2003-08-19T23:53:26Z")
Nina’s friend Binny also appeared in the episode where Finch and Elliot think that Binny is just a made up friend of Nina’s, so they go to Nina’s apartment (where Binny is staying after plastic surgury) and they find her in a chair in a parody of **Psycho**. Most of her face is in bandages, but you do see her eyes and mouth, so that counts. And I do believe we see Duke, Martin’s friend on _Frasier_, in one episode but I cannot remember which one. It might have been the one where Duke’s bar is going to close down, but I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kevin\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevin_H)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/37 "2003-08-20T00:01:23Z")
Do characters, such as Wilson in Home Improvement and George Steinbrenner in Seinfeld, count? You see them, but never completely. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/38 "2003-08-20T05:08:33Z")
You see Orson in Mork and Mindy, but not his face. He has kind of a Darth Vaderesque mask and cloak. You only see him from behind. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/39 "2003-08-20T11:21:57Z")
**Dad’s Army** - Mrs Mainwaring ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055/40 "2003-08-20T15:43:10Z")
Before Craig Ferguson joined the cast as Mr. Wick on _The Drew Carey Show_, Drew’s first boss, Mr. Bell, was only heard on speakerphone, not seen. We did see him in his final appearance, when he was leaving the company. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-characters-on-tv-shows/196055.md?page=3)