# Primetime American Television Superstars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2023, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725 "2023-04-15T21:04:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [April 16, 2023, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/21 "2023-04-16T00:32:01Z")
Raymond Burr: 271 (_ **Perry Mason** _) + 195 (_ **Ironside** _) episodes over 9 + 8 seasons, respectively. Plus 26 + 2 made-for-TV movies based on the two series. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/22 "2023-04-16T00:41:02Z")
William Shatner is up there: William Shatner War Chronicles: 16 episodes Sh\*t my dad says: 18 episodes Boston Legal: 118 episodes A Twist in the Tale: 15 episodes Tekwar: 18 episodes TJ Hooker: 90 episodes Barbary Coast: 14 episodes Star Trek animated series: 22 episodes Star Trek: 79 episodes Dr. Kildare: 6 episodes For the People: 13 episodes Plus lots and lots of guest roles. ---
**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:** [April 16, 2023, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/23 "2023-04-16T00:44:27Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > William Shatner is up there Come to think of it, Scott Bakula has a pretty healthy amount… ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/24 "2023-04-16T01:10:37Z")
Det. Munch? ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/25 "2023-04-16T01:12:33Z")
James Garner? Maverick and Rockford and I don’t know what else. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/26 "2023-04-16T01:40:29Z")
**Mark Harmon** has to be a contender for 435 episodes of **NCIS** alone. Makes his _St Elsewhere_ and _Chicago Hope_ appearances seem pathetic. ---
**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:** [April 16, 2023, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/27 "2023-04-16T02:05:44Z")
James Arness (535 episodes plus movies) has been mentioned, but other _Gunsmoke_ stars included Amanda Blake (569 Episodes) and Milburn Stone (509). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/28 "2023-04-16T02:07:03Z")
We discussed this years ago and **Bill Bixby** came up. My Favorite Martian - 107 episodes Courtship of Eddie’s Father - 73 episodes The Incredible Hulk - 80 episodes and 5 TV movies ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/29 "2023-04-16T02:36:40Z")
Nathan Fillion is in the conversation. 60’episodes of _Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place_ Only 14 episodes of _Firefly_ but it made him more famous 8 seasons and 173 episodes of _Castle_ 5 seasons and counting of _The Rookie_ ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/30 "2023-04-16T02:42:38Z")
Tom Selleck: 158 episodes of _Magnum P.I._ 9 different Jesse Stone TV movies 275 episodes and counting of _Blue Bloods_ That’s not counting multi-episode guest roles on shows like _Friends_ ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/31 "2023-04-16T02:54:20Z")
I don’t think some of these counts qualify under the OP since it’s not just characters in the series; it’s being a “main character” > [@Andy\_L](#): > > for the purposes of this discussion, a _main_ character is one one appearing in 90% or more of episodes in a television season (since main character status is usually contracted on a seasonal basis, I won’t worry about people who have been demoted from “main” or achieved “main” midway through a season). ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/32 "2023-04-16T02:59:56Z")
If Nathan Fillion rates, then Stana Katic probably does, too, between _Castle_ and _Absentia_ (3 seasons, 30 episodes, I think). Or are we not counting streaming series? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/33 "2023-04-16T03:03:31Z")
To a lesser extent and not just because I’ve never heard of _Absentia._ Fillion has a much longer career with many other roles I haven’t listed and _The Rookie_ already has 96 episodes and is still going. ---
**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:** [April 16, 2023, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/34 "2023-04-16T04:10:42Z")
Jack Lord as “Steve McGarrett” in _ **Hawaii Five-O** _—281 episodes, 1968–1980. ---
**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:** [April 16, 2023, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/35 "2023-04-16T04:28:12Z")
Kam Fong (“Chin Ho Kelly”) and James MacArthur (“Danny Williams”) were also in every episode of _ **Hawaii Five-O** _ from 1968 to 1979. Gilbert Francis Lani Damian Kauhi, aka “Zulu,” was in every episode as “Kono” from 1968 to 1972. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/36 "2023-04-16T05:19:16Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > 60’episodes of _Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place_ Man that was the most popular, forgotten show ever. I remember everyone talking about it, probably because of its long name (which they then shortened) and how it kept getting renewed to everyone’s surprise then finally it died and I’ve never heard anyone mention it since. Not even, like, people discovering Ryan Reynold’s body of work. It probably woulda been a cult favorite if it wasn’t on broadcast tv. I never watched it myself. I was in college at the time, way too cool for prime time broadcast tv. Anyway sorry to hijack. Just one of those show names that hits you in the “whatever happened to that thing??” button. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/37 "2023-04-16T06:55:26Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Tom Selleck: > … > That’s not counting multi-episode guest roles on shows like _Friends_ He was on two episodes of _The Rockford Files_ as a rival private investigator and was totally brilliant. From what I’ve read, that role brought him that attention that led to him being cast as Magnum. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/38 "2023-04-16T08:12:09Z")
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: - Seinfeld – 171 episodes - Veep – 65 episodes - The New Adventures of Old Christine – 88 episodes ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/39 "2023-04-16T08:39:39Z")
Mary Tyler Moore also ranks as a TV Superstar, IMHO: - The Dick Van Dyke Show – 158 episodes - The Mary Tyler Moore Show – 168 episodes ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2023, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725/40 "2023-04-16T08:53:27Z")
June Lockhart - Lassie – 208 episodes - Lost in Space – 84 episodes - Petticoat Junction – 46 episodes - General Hospital – 40 episodes [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/primetime-american-television-superstars/982725.md?page=3)