# Name a TV character who doesn't belong in a series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, actor-characters\ **Created:** [February 3, 2023, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248 "2023-02-03T10:45:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/122 "2023-02-09T18:27:01Z")
I remember reading somewhere, maybe when the actor who played Gunther passed away, that he got the part because he was actually able to operate an espresso machine. So he wasn’t _completely_ useless, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/123 "2023-02-09T21:21:32Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > It wasn’t like he was always hopelessly flirting with Rachel. He would just pine for her from a distance. I’m not sure he ever even got any funny lines. Sometimes in a comedy, it’s the job of a supporting character not to be funny themselves, but to let the stars be funny around them. Margaret Dumont didn’t have a single funny line in any of her Marx Brothers films, and yet she was indispensable in her role. Gunther was there to allow Rachel to be a bad worker who’s oblivious of his feelings, and to let the gang to react when he insulted them. He did a decent job of it. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/124 "2023-02-10T04:30:17Z")
Something I thought was interesting. Star Trek Phase II was supposed to be a reboot of Star Trek and had most of the actors except Nimoy lined up. David Gerrold had written a book that made the obvious suggestion that it was kind of insane to keep sending the captain of the ship on missions, so they created a first mate for this purpose. The character was William Decker played by Stephen Collins. They also created a love interest with an alien, saying that he had been stationed on her planet prior to the series. This was Deltan Lieutenant Ilia, played by Persis Khambatta. When Star Wars was such a success, they retooled it into a feature film and disposed the characters. A few years later, when they developed Next Generation, they revived the characters as William Riker and Betazoid Lieutenant Deanna Troi. They even dusted off some scripts developed for Phase II for a few of the early episodes. Just slightly changing their names and picking a different Greek letter. At least with Troi, they gave her some characteristics as a Betazoid. I have no idea what a Deltan could do, other than pain relief. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/125 "2023-02-10T06:23:55Z")
Although I grew to like her, **Amy** on _Futurama_ seemed rather superfluous the first couple of seasons; just a normie working with a bunch of weirdos. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/126 "2023-02-10T07:11:45Z")
See @Alessan’s comments above regarding the role of a straight man. It’s important for the funny characters (or the weird ones) to have someone to play off of and thus highlight their quirks. Amy was, perhaps, just as important to _Futurama_ as Mary Albright was to _3rd Rock from the Sun_. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/127 "2023-02-10T12:37:04Z")
Cam’s sister, Pam, on **Modern Family.** Her _complete unpleasantness_ stuck out like a sore thumb. Sure, everyone is a little snarky but more often they’re pretty good folks; she doesn’t have one redeeming quality. The only thing her role provides is more opportunities for Cam to get needy / neurotic and there are already plenty without her. Perhaps actress Dana Powell deserves a lot of credit for making me dislike the character so much - she’s not supposed to be likable - but that kind of negativity just feels out of place on this show. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/128 "2023-02-10T14:46:39Z")
Although Leela was an alien, she was given the straight man role in _Futurama_. Amy was just…there. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/129 "2023-02-10T15:54:06Z")
Gunther got the occasional funny line, usually rather dry one-liners. One that I remember: When Joey finds keys to a Porsche, and asks Gunther if they’re his, he says, “Yeah, that’s what I drive. I make four bucks an hour. I saved up for 350 years.” ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/130 "2023-02-10T16:11:14Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > I’m not sure he ever even got any funny lines. “Hey! Put the mouse back in the house! This is a family place!” One of the women, I can’t remember which one, was dating a guy who liked to go commando in running shorts, which led to inadvertent package-flashing. Gunther was the only one who had the balls (heh) to call him on it. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/131 "2023-02-10T16:14:13Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Amy was just…there. Well, the Professor liked having her around, because they had the same blood type. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/132 "2023-02-10T16:18:53Z")
She also had one of the best lines: > [@Amy Wong](#): > > “Fool me seven times, shame on you. Fool me eight or more times, shame on me.” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/133 "2023-02-10T17:34:35Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Although Leela was an alien SD nitpick. She was a mutant. From the subterranean land o’mutants. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/134 "2023-02-10T17:38:41Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > Cam’s sister, Pam, on **Modern Family.** Her _complete unpleasantness_ stuck out like a sore thumb I tend to agree. Although we still laugh at some if the “farm strong” dialog, ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/135 "2023-02-10T20:13:10Z")
I thought Amy was supposed to be the spoiled Valley Girl stereotype. She wasn’t my favorite character, but she fell in love with Kif, who is one of my favorite characters. Plus her parents had a prosperous Buggalo Farm, which is amazing (see my user pic.) So even though her character was on the vanilla side, it led to so many cool things. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/136 "2023-02-10T20:28:27Z")
I think if you’re going to do _Futurama_ unneeded characters you’d have to go with Scruffy the Planet Express Janitor. However, I think the whole joke with Scruffy was that he was an unneeded character. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/137 "2023-02-10T20:39:38Z")
If we’re talking unneeded Futurama characters did the Professors 10 year old clone actually do ANYTHING of significance in the original run? Outside his debut episode they would just use him whenever they needed a child character for a cliche joke. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.E](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.e/32/8932_2.png) [@Mr.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.E)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/138 "2023-02-10T20:51:55Z")
A lot of this topic has been about characters from Star Trek TNG, so allow me to submit another candidate: Chief O’Brien. Why is he the only NCO we ever see on Star Trek? How did he get there? Where are all the other Petty Officers and junior enlisted? I admit he was better utilized than a lot of the the higher-billed characters, especially after he moved to Deep Space Nine, but seriously, why? He literally doesn’t belong in a show where Gene Roddenberry (and [Admiral Hyman Rickover](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover) before him) envisioned ships crewed exclusively by commissioned officers. ---
**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:** [February 10, 2023, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/139 "2023-02-10T20:57:42Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > She was a mutant. From the subterranean land o’mutants. True, though she grew up thinking she was an alien (and the audience believed this, too), until the series’ fourth season, when her mutant parents finally revealed themselves to her. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/140 "2023-02-10T21:13:30Z")
> [@Mr.E](#): > > Why is he the only NCO we ever see on Star Trek? What’s doubly conundrumy is that, before he got a name, he was a Lieutenant. He had also served s tactical OFFICER prior to the Enterprise. I guess in Starfleet’s “feelgood” way of doing business, you really can be anything you want. Even the only petty officer in the entire service. Doesn’t matter anyway - the pay’s the same. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248/141 "2023-02-10T22:18:31Z")
The two psychiatrists, Skoda and Olivet on **Law and Order** were really unnecessary. Here’s how pretty much episode they were in went: McCoy: “The defense is pleading insanity.” Skoda/Olivet: “Nope, they’re not crazy.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-tv-character-who-doesnt-belong-in-a-series/979248.md?page=8)