# Name some actors who have starred in 3 successful TV series **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 31, 2001, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539 "2001-01-31T10:39:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/101 "2001-02-04T20:34:15Z")
If you’re going to include Kasem for his voice work, you open a whole can of worms. For instance: Frank Welker Scooby Doo, Where Are You (same as Kasem – he was the voice of Freddy) Smurfs (on it from 1981-1990) Muppet Babies (1984-1991) The Real Ghostbusters (1986-91) Animaniacs (1993-1998) Lorenzo Music: Rhoda Darkwing Duck (1991-95) Garfield and Friends (1988-94) “Tale Spin” (1990-94) ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/102 "2001-02-06T05:03:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lurkernomore \* > \*\*Dave, > Trek was cancelled during the 3rd season. It didn’t get 3 full ones. And The Cage wasn’t aired, it was the first pilot, which didn’t sell. \*\* First, thats just not true. From Leonard Nimoy’s book, _I Am Spock_, p. 128: > [@](#): > > The seventy-ninth and final episode of _Star Trek_, “Turnabout Intruder” was filmed in December 1968 and January 1969. During it’s filming, we were all aware that the show would be cancelled; although we haden’t received official notice from NBC, the time had already passed for the network to notify us that the series would continue for a fourth season. So that’s 3 full seasons. Second, I am well aware of the story of “The Cage”, and on further reflection, it should qualify _both_ Shatner and Nimoy. It is being sold by Paramount, marketed as an official Star Trek episode, and that brings the total to 80 on the dot. The qualifications as stated were “80 episodes”, not that the actor had to appear in all 80, tho clearly he or she had to appear in most of them. So that adds one good actor and one ham to the list. ---
**Author:** ![Alzarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@Alzarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alzarian)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/103 "2001-02-06T05:41:38Z")
While there were 79 official episodes, and this is not counting the Cage pilot, wasn’t one of the episodes “The Menagerie” which was actually a two-parter? Does this bring the total to 80, or was The Menagerie counted twice? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/104 "2001-02-06T06:29:22Z")
Both Don Knotts and Tom Poston are listed here, but neither is credited with cast listing each had on The Steve Allen Show. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/105 "2001-02-06T07:56:33Z")
Re: 80 episode limit. I feel this should hold. 1) It is not easy to tell from most of the evidence whether the seasons were full season, partial seasons, seasons with a long “hiatus”. Also, just surviving a season doesn’t indicate success. _B.J. and the Bear_ lasted four full seasons, and in that time made only 45 episodes. It was hanging by its teeth for its entire run. So, unless I hear lots of people who feel otherwise (and I don’t think anybody cares that much), I will continue to use 80 episodes as the threshhold for my list. **Robert Guillaume** : Does not qualify. _Soap_ and _Benson_ are the same character. _Sports Night_ does not qualify. Further, even if they were separate, Guillaume was only on _Soap_ for two seasons. **Alfonso Ribeiro** : Does not qualify. _In the House_ only had 75 episodes and the last six of those were played by NBC at 1:35am. **Leonard Nimoy** , redux: Does not qualify. As I said earlier, I am willing to combine TOS and TAS to give over 100 episodes of _Star Trek_. If you want I will count “The Cage” and give 80 episode of TOS. The problem is, that even with this, Nimoy does not qualify. He was on _Mission: Impossible_ for only two years, and I have been ignoring narration work on non-fiction programs so _In Search Of_ is out (but even if it isn’t there aren’t three shows to count). **William Shatner** , redux: Questionable. I will move Shatner to questionable as it all depends on the run of _Rescue 911_. **Frank Welker** : Qualifies. I have not been holding voicework against people (except for non-fiction narration). **Lorenzo Music** : Qualifies. Note that _Tail Spin_ does not count as it only had 65 episodes. _The Steve Allen Show_: I had been ignoring this as I thought it was a talk show (wasn’t it a precursor to _The Tonight Show_? And as such, a skit player would not count as a major role. If that is incorrect, then consider that show counted towards their qualification. ```auto THE LIST [Note: Starred names indicate they fulfilled the strict "U.S. primetime network television rule" set forth in the OP] Denise Alexander Richard Dean Anderson Rene Auberjonois *Barbara Babcock *Lucille Ball *Bea Benaderet Barbara Berjer Casey Casem *Tim Conway *Bill Cosby David Coulier Jane Curtin *Abby Dalton *William Daniels *Shelley Fabares *John Forsythe Peter Graves Phil Hartman David Hasselhoff *Bernie Kopell *Don Knotts *Michael Landon *Heather Locklear Judi Evans Luciano *Lee Majors Wendie Malick Howie Mandel *Gavin McCloud *Alvin Melvin *Martin Milner *Harry Morgan Lorenzo Music *Tom Poston Burt Reynolds Dolph Sweet Frank Welker Don Adams, Bill Bixby, Tom Bosley, Julie Kavner, William Shatner Dick Van Dyke, and Betty White are questionable. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/106 "2001-02-06T16:19:28Z")
I think the requirement “prime-time network TV series” is a good one. And in addition to leaving out soaps, talk shows and Saturday morning cartoon voicework, it also filters out first-run syndication shows like “Charles In Charge,” “Jack of All Trades” and even “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (which, IIRC, never aired earlier than 11 p.m. here in Atlanta). That said, I may have found three actors overlooked thus far: Kristy McNichol (Family, The Love Boat, Empty Nest) …except I’m not sure how long she was on Love Boat) Richard Mulligan (Soap, Empty Nest, several other series, one or more of which may have reached 80 eps) Max Wright (ALF, of course, Norm, which will probably reach 80 eps, and several other series, one or more of which may have reached 80 eps) These are all iffy because IMDB doesn’t list episode counts. Not where I could find them anyway; **obfusciatrist** , where are you finding these? ---
**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:** [February 6, 2001, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/107 "2001-02-06T17:41:41Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by obfusciatrist \* > [B_The Steve Allen Show\*: I had been ignoring this as I thought it was a talk show (wasn’t it a precursor to _The Tonight Show_? And as such, a skit player would not count as a major role. If that is incorrect, then consider that show counted towards their qualification. > > ```auto > > ** > > ``` Not to re-open another can of worms here, but if you count Saturday Night Live, then you really should count talk/variety shows with “regular” sketch segments and a continuing company of players, such as Carol Burnett, Tracey Ullman, and yes, Steve Allen. However, I’d disqualify any actor whose only contribution to the variety show was the character he/she later spun into a series. For example, Ken Berry wouldn’t get credit for both Mama’s Family and Carol Burnett (where his major contribution was the Vint character) but Vicki Lawrence would, as would Julie Kavner for Tracey Ullman. Heck, I’d even give Carol Wayne and Chris Elliott credit (if either of them was under discussion) for their continuing characters on Johnny Carson and David Letterman. The 80 episode stumbling block is going to continue to be a problem, though. In the early days of TV, a “standard” season was 39 episodes. Today, it’s only 22 episodes, so 3 full seasons (or even 3 1/2) still doesn’t automatically count. Also, some animated series produce batches of 13 episodes over several seasons, and mix new and reruns together. A modest proposal: could we make it three seasons in prime time OR a minimum of 80 episodes of voice work? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/108 "2001-02-06T21:10:35Z")
I was away for almost a week and much to my surprise this thread is still going strong. At least I’m not the only one who cares about bad TV. I had another thought, but I will let **obfusciatrist** (the official keeper of the records here) to decide if she qualies: Ann Morgan Guilbert: _The Dick Van Dyke Show_ (Millie), _Picket Fences_ (Mrs. Wambaugh), and _The Nanny_ (Grandma Yetta) ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/109 "2001-02-06T23:01:48Z")
**Five** : I think the asterisks in my list take care of the preference for primetime network television. This way we get it both ways. **Kunilou** : The way I have been handling talk shows and variety shows has been by trying to make an arbitrary evaluation of whether that person played a “major” role. I would not say that Chris Elliott played a _major_ role on Letterman. I assumed that _The Steve Allen Show_ was a talk show in the _Tonight Show_ model where skits are only a minor portion of the show, and therefore any one actor in those skits is going to be even less major. That said, I’ve never seen _The Steve Allen Show_ so if anybody wasts to correct me that would be great. As for the 80 episode rule. Again, I am going to defend it. Yes, fewer episodes are made in a season now, but I would argue that, though it is arbitrary, it provides a better measurement than seasons. _B.J. and the Bear_ lasted four seasons, but was not a successful show in any sense of the word. Also, in the OP, **bibliophage** says he already loosened the standard from 100 episodes (a standard which would knock out half of the list so far). So, I think I will stick with that (though if anybody wants to create their own list I would encourage them). As far as animated stuff goes, I have done my best to find sources that separate reused stuff from new stuff (all the Scooby Doo series, for example, recycled heavily; I think I took that into account). **Bibliophage** : Sorry for somehow taking over your list. Just ask **baglady** , I became strangely obsessed with the number episodes of obscure 1950s sitcoms. **Vicki Lawrence** : Questionable. Giving her _The Carol Burnett Show_ and _Mama’s Family_ as separate entities, we have to look toward’s _Laverne & Shirley_ for a third series. IMDb indicates that she was on the show for four seasons, but other sources indicate that it may have just been the one season in which Laverne and Shirley join the army. I didn’t even know there was a season in which Laverne and Shirley joined the army so I will have to rely on other to judge this one. **Kristy McNichol** : Does not qualify. _Family_ and _Empty Nest_ are good, but she was only guest-starred on _The Love Boat_ (and starred in _The Love Boat II_ a made for TV movie). **Richard Mulligan** : Does not qualify. None of his other series made it past the first season. **Max Wright** : Does not qualify. _Alf_ is fine and _The Norm Show_/_Norm_ may someday. However, no third series even comes close. **Ann Morgan Guilbert** : Qualifies. Three seasons on _Picket Fences_ is good enough. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/110 "2001-02-06T23:53:40Z")
Alas, Guilbert shouldn’t qualify. Her appearances on “Picket Fences” were more of the guest star variety. I doubt she appeared in ten episodes of the series, and she definitely did not appear in any episodes in the first season. (It’s interesting, since there seems to be a mistake about this in the IMDB that’s propagating throughout the net.) However, she is not listed as a regular on the Rome Pages ([http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/9182/](http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/9182/)), and only appears in their cast list twice. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/111 "2001-02-07T14:20:30Z")
Another one: Don Hastings “Captain Video and His Video Rangers” (1949-1955) “Edge of Night” (1956-1960) “As the World Turns” (1960 – present) (His character in ATWT has a different name from that in EON. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/112 "2001-02-07T14:25:35Z")
You know, with that track record, it’s possible he appeared in more TV episodes than anyone else: Over 50 years as a cast member of shows being broadcast 5 days a week. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/113 "2001-02-07T14:27:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by obfusciatrist \* > **Bibliophage** : Sorry for somehow taking over your list. Don’t be sorry. I really appreciate it. You’ve put a lot more work into it that I would have. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/114 "2001-02-07T15:09:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*You know, with that track record, it’s possible he appeared in more TV episodes than anyone else: Over 50 years as a cast member of shows being broadcast 5 days a week. \*\* If I recall correctly, the Guiness Book awarded that distinction to Hugh Downs (although I can’t recall if it was for most episodes or most hours.) In addition to two decades on 20/20, he also hosted the Today Show for about 10 years, hosted the game show Concentration, was the announcer on the Home show, did some work on PBS and did a bunch of other stuff. Longest run in prime time – I think it was Raymond Burr, as noted earlier. And I think we all owe Ob a big round of applause for keeping this thing going and vigilantly double-checking the IMDB ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/115 "2001-02-07T15:29:31Z")
You know, while he probably doesn’t meet most of the requirements set out in the OP or later refined by **obfusciatrist** , we still shouldn’t let this thread pass without a mention of **Dick Clark**. American Bandstand lasted for thirty years. Then there’s all those game shows, the blooper shows, the New Year’s Eve shows. His face has been broadcast so much more than just about anyone else’s, all our TVs could probably draw him from memory. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/116 "2001-02-07T15:37:23Z")
I’ve only read the first page of this thread so far, but i wanted to say now that Bill Bixby also was the title character on “The Magician” although I don’t think it lasted long enough. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/117 "2001-02-07T18:39:54Z")
Hugh Downs or someone like that probably has the most hours total on TV. But I suspect Hastings has the most time playing a character in a dramatic show, especially if you count it by episodes. I mean 50 years of 5 days a week really adds up. Assuming he’s in 100 episode a year (less than half of the total of 260), that’s 5000 episodes. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2001, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/118 "2001-02-08T15:02:59Z")
Gale Gordon. In addition to being Lucille Ball’s favorite straight man (The Lucy Show and Here’s Lucy) he did all four seasons as the principal on Our Miss Brooks. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539/119 "2001-02-08T15:28:56Z")
But, **RealityChuck** , are we going by hours or episodes? Weren’t most of Hastings’ shows only a half-hour long? Not that that matters much; as you said, 5 times 52 times 50 is a lot, even if you divide by two. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-some-actors-who-have-starred-in-3-successful-tv-series/52539.md?page=5)