# Same (regular) actor in two different series running concurrently **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 22, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-regular-actor-in-two-different-series-running-concurrently/345660 "2006-02-22T18:33:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-regular-actor-in-two-different-series-running-concurrently/345660/21 "2006-02-23T02:09:03Z")
> [@Sir Rhosis](#): > > ^^^If memory serves, Bionic Woman started on ABC, then went to NBC for seasons two and three, or was it the other way 'round. > > Sir Rhosis Yep, that’s what happened. It got canned by ABC and NBC picked it up. Probably had something to do with the bionic dog. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-regular-actor-in-two-different-series-running-concurrently/345660/22 "2006-02-23T02:16:03Z")
If we’re counting animated shows, Mila Kunis currently has the Family Guy and That 70s Show. Seth Green is on Four Kings and Family Guy. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-regular-actor-in-two-different-series-running-concurrently/345660/23 "2006-02-23T02:51:17Z")
Add Robot Chicken to Seth Green’s resume. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-regular-actor-in-two-different-series-running-concurrently/345660/24 "2006-02-23T15:39:41Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > But I wonder if there’s some legal or industry definition for it. There is indeed. In the industry, a regular is an actor who is in the opening credits and who gets paid for every episode, whether he appears or not. As you can imagine, that means that they’re going to appear in almost every episode, since they’re already paid for, although for story reasons there may be the occasional episode where they just don’t get in. For instance, Nic Brendon doesn’t appear in one of the 7th season Buffy episodes, but he still got paid for it. If you don’t appear in the opening credits, you’re a guest star, although you could be a frequently recurring guest star. Again taking Buffy as an example, Amber Benson was in every or almost every episode of the 5th season, but it was nonetheless only a recurring guest role because she was paid to play – if a script came down that didn’t have either Tara or Willow in it, Benson wouldn’t get a check that week, but Alyson Hannigan would. Currie Graham and Wayne Knight both count as recurring guests, even though for a couple years there Knight may have been in more episodes than he wasn’t of both shows. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-regular-actor-in-two-different-series-running-concurrently/345660/25 "2006-02-23T15:44:22Z")
Oh, this one hardly counts, but Matthew Perry had a recurring guest role on The West Wing while a regular on Friends. But he appeared on only three episodes of WW. I assume he was going to be given a larger part but then his schedule ended up tighter than anticipated. It was kind of funny because, while Chandler was the loser of the group who consistently failed to land any girlfriends, in his appearnces on WW all the women in the Oval Office drooled over what a hunk he was. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-regular-actor-in-two-different-series-running-concurrently/345660/26 "2006-02-23T16:10:09Z")
Bob Saget was on Full House and America’s Funniest Home Videos at the same time. In that same vein, Dave Coulier was on Full House and America’s Funniest People. ---
**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 23, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-regular-actor-in-two-different-series-running-concurrently/345660/27 "2006-02-23T17:07:47Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > Currie Graham and Wayne Knight both count as recurring guests, even though for a couple years there Knight may have been in more episodes than he wasn’t of both shows. Though he doesn’t count in this, Martin Landau was listed as a guest star on **Mission Impossible** for the entire time he was there. Arthur Godfrey was host of two prime-time shows simultaneously during the 50s: \*\*Arthur Godfrey and his Friends \*\* and **Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts**. For a short period in 1950, he was also on a third: **Arthur Godfrey and his Ukelele**. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-regular-actor-in-two-different-series-running-concurrently/345660/28 "2006-02-23T21:01:25Z")
Bill Cosby The New Bill Cosby Show Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids The Electric Company [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-regular-actor-in-two-different-series-running-concurrently/345660.md?page=1)