Primetime American Television Superstars

Cafe Society
21

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.

22

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.

23

Come to think of it, Scott Bakula has a pretty healthy amount…

24

Det. Munch?

25

James Garner? Maverick and Rockford and I don’t know what else.

26

Mark Harmon has to be a contender for 435 episodes of NCIS alone. Makes his St Elsewhere and Chicago Hope appearances seem pathetic.

27

James Arness (535 episodes plus movies) has been mentioned, but other Gunsmoke stars included Amanda Blake (569 Episodes) and Milburn Stone (509).

28

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

29

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

30

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

31

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”

32

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?

33

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.

34

Jack Lord as “Steve McGarrett” in Hawaii Five-O—281 episodes, 1968–1980.

35

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.

36

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.

37

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.

38

Julia Louis-Dreyfus:

  • Seinfeld – 171 episodes

  • Veep – 65 episodes

  • The New Adventures of Old Christine – 88 episodes

39

Mary Tyler Moore also ranks as a TV Superstar, IMHO:

  • The Dick Van Dyke Show – 158 episodes

  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show – 168 episodes

40

June Lockhart

  • Lassie – 208 episodes

  • Lost in Space – 84 episodes

  • Petticoat Junction – 46 episodes

  • General Hospital – 40 episodes