# Poor (additional) cast choices of good TV shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 3, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802 "2016-05-03T19:34:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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 4, 2016, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/21 "2016-05-04T14:35:38Z")
Barry Kripke on The Big Bang Theory. He is NO Leslie Winkle. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/22 "2016-05-04T15:44:53Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Disagree. Frank was one of the best characters on Seinfeld. > > [https://youtu.be/KHC1EJHljjc](https://youtu.be/KHC1EJHljjc) I also thought Frank was a great character: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-MCtC_U4e2o/hqdefault.jpg "Seinfeld - Frank and Estelle Costanza at dinner party") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MCtC_U4e2o) ---
**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:** [May 4, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/23 "2016-05-04T16:17:38Z")
Linda Purl as Ashley Fister in\* Happy Days\*. Like a lot of added characters, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Ron Howard had quit, Scott Baio was being pushed as the next teen heartthrob and the producers were making Fonzie more mature. Linda Purl was beautiful and a good actress. Why not give Fonz a serious girlfriend (with a little girl to bring out the dad in him?) It fell flat. Ashley and her daughter disappeared and Fonzie was unattached again for the final season. Also [Batgirl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(TV_series)#Season_3), but the show was on fumes when she showed up. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/24 "2016-05-04T19:37:29Z")
Shirley MacLaine on **Downton Abbey**. Mercifully for all of us, she was only on briefly before the producers realized what a jarring presence she was. The woman is a grade ‘A’ smoked ham. ---
**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 4, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/25 "2016-05-04T20:03:21Z")
Emily on _ **Big Bang Theory** _. Cute actress, but she contributes NOTHING to the show. ---
**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 4, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/26 "2016-05-04T20:06:50Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Q was in TNG from the very first episode. … And _ **TNG** _ **sucked** from the very first episode! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/27 "2016-05-04T20:14:20Z")
The whole deli crew on Mork & Mindy: Nelson Flavor the politician, and Remo and Jean the deli owners. None of them had an ounce of charisma and the show started going downhill when they appeared. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/28 "2016-05-04T20:47:49Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > . . . all of Seinfeld’s and George Costanza’s parents. I didn’t care for Jerry’s parents either. But George’s parents were EXACTLY the kind of obnoxious people who would have raised the likes of George Costanza. > [@Omega\_Glory](#): > > Kirby and Lana on Frasier. Oh God, yes. And Becky II on “Roseanne.” ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/29 "2016-05-04T20:49:20Z")
I’ve been rewatching _Lou Grant_, which fell apart completely with the addition of Lance Guest as a cub reporter. But I have to stand up for Ron Levitt and James Gregory on _Barney Miller_. I though they were essential to the show, and brought brilliant comedy with just the right touch of poignancy. I also loved Shirley MacLaine on Downton, but I can see why she’s an acquired taste. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/30 "2016-05-04T21:00:01Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > The whole deli crew on Mork & Mindy: Nelson Flavor the politician, and Remo and Jean the deli owners. None of them had an ounce of charisma and the show started going downhill when they appeared. Yup. I liked Tom Poston as Mr. Bickley, though, and Foster Brooks made some pretty hilarious appearances as Mindy’s boss, Mr. Sternhagen. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/31 "2016-05-04T21:27:59Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > But I have to stand up for Ron Levitt and James Gregory on _Barney Miller_. I though they were essential to the show, and brought brilliant comedy with just the right touch of poignancy. I like Inspector Luger as well. I also like Carl Levitt (Ron Carey) when he was a regular cop; once he became detective, he was grating. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/32 "2016-05-04T21:33:34Z")
Jon Voight on **Ray Donovan**. He makes it unwatchable. ---
**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 4, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/33 "2016-05-04T21:38:17Z")
Sunday’s episode of Veep had Martin Mull as a guest star. That’s usually a death knell for a series. I don’t mind Patrick Warburton too much in most shows but I couldn’t stand him on Seinfeld. Don’t really know why either. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/34 "2016-05-04T22:39:15Z")
I loved the TV show “Delocated”, but I thought the Korean girlfriend and Chinese gangsters they added in the third season were not funny at all. ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/35 "2016-05-04T23:03:32Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Chandler’s screechy sometime-girlfriend on _Friends_. Nails on a chalkboard, I tells ya. Wasn’t that kinda the point? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/36 "2016-05-04T23:07:01Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Yup. I liked Tom Poston as Mr. Bickley, though, and Foster Brooks made some pretty hilarious appearances as Mindy’s boss, Mr. Sternhagen. Yeah, I liked Mr. Bickley, and even Morgan Fairchild as Mindy’s friend. But the three I mentioned seemed to form a big black hole sucking all the charisma out of the air around them. Jean wasn’t completely horrible, but the two guys were hopeless. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/37 "2016-05-04T23:29:30Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Sunday’s episode of Veep had Martin Mull as a guest star. That’s usually a death knell for a series. > > I don’t mind Patrick Warburton too much in most shows but I couldn’t stand him on Seinfeld. Don’t really know why either. Loved the David Puddy character! ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/38 "2016-05-04T23:45:42Z")
> [@JeffB](#): > > I like Inspector Luger as well. I also like Carl Levitt (Ron Carey) when he was a regular cop; once he became detective, he was grating. Levitt became a detective?!? :eek: I had no idea (I guess I’d stopped watching by then). Yes, he was great, but that is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/39 "2016-05-05T00:20:48Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Emily on _ **Big Bang Theory** _. Cute actress, but she contributes NOTHING to the show. Except a sense of normalcy. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802/40 "2016-05-05T01:09:50Z")
> [@MovieMogul](#): > > Levitt became a detective?!? :eek: I had no idea (I guess I’d stopped watching by then). Yes, he was great, but that is wrong. In the very last episode. Before that, he was only occasionally an “acting” detective. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-additional-cast-choices-of-good-tv-shows/753802.md?page=3)