# Shows Named After the Character not the Actor **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545 "2009-02-12T16:05:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/1 "2009-02-12T16:05:58Z")
You knew this was coming after [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=506103). I thought that character-named shows would be a lot less common than shows named famous actors, but a bit of research tells me that’s not true. Dennis the Menace Gidget Hogan’s Heroes The Munsters The Monkees Batman Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Mork and Mindy ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/2 "2009-02-12T16:10:43Z")
Leave it to Beaver ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/3 "2009-02-12T16:11:04Z")
Frasier Joey ---
**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:** [February 12, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/4 "2009-02-12T16:12:38Z")
The New Adventures of Old Christine Superman Lois & Clark Dharma & Greg Bridget Loves Bernie ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/5 "2009-02-12T16:19:57Z")
The Simpsons ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/6 "2009-02-12T16:21:16Z")
Mannix Hart to Hart McGyver Starsky & Hutch The Jeffersons Perry Mason McCloud Magnum, P.I. The Partridge Family Ironside Quincy, M.E. (I’m sure you’ll never guess when I grew up. ;)) Crossing Jordan Judging Amy ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/7 "2009-02-12T16:25:13Z")
Chuck Benson Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Punky Brewster Alf The Partridge Family The Brady Bunch Amos and Andy The Beverly Hillbillies Malcolm in the Middle The Life of Riley ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/8 "2009-02-12T16:28:26Z")
House Bones Buffy TVS Angel Monk Trapper John M.D. Quincy The Dukes of Hazzard Caroline in the City Archie Bunker’s Place Gomer Pyle Gilligan’s Island ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/9 "2009-02-12T16:32:32Z")
Roseanne Seinfeld Sanford & Son Simon & Simon Hart to Hart Magnum PI The Simpsons ---
**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 12, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/10 "2009-02-12T16:36:10Z")
Hank Arnie George and Leo Our Miss Brooks The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Rango Gilligan’s Island Dusty’s Trail Bronco Sugarfoot Cheyenne Maverick The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Bat Masterson The Virginian (AFAIK, he didn’t have another name) The Guns of Will Sonnett The Travels of Jaime McPheeters Alias Smith and Jones ---
**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:** [February 12, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/11 "2009-02-12T16:39:22Z")
Dr. Kildare Ben Casey ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/12 "2009-02-12T16:46:50Z")
Doogie Howser, M.D. Gray’s Anatomy Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Marcus Welby, M.D ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/13 "2009-02-12T17:04:25Z")
The Rockford Files. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/14 "2009-02-12T17:06:24Z")
Columbo Mrs. Columbo The Patridge Family ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/15 "2009-02-12T17:16:52Z")
Rhoda Phyllis Richard Diamond, Private Detective Kolchak: The Night Stalker Delvecchio Harry O ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/16 "2009-02-12T17:25:16Z")
Hec Ramsey Amy Prentiss Owen Marshall Chico and the Man Magruder and Loud Holmes and Yoyo Bat Masterson BJ and the Bear Sheriff Lobo Eischied Hope and Faith ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/17 "2009-02-12T17:28:15Z")
The OP mentioned Mork & Mindy, but not Laverne & Shirley? Since The Mary Tyler Moore Show was brought up in the previous thread, we need to recognize: Rhoda Phyllis Lou Grant Others I don’t think I saw upthread: Enos Matt Houston Lobo Archie Bunker’s Place and arguably Wild Wild West It seems from reading the thread that spin-offs are frequently named for the characters they spin off. That makes a lot of sense, since someone browsing the TV Guide might not know that Just the 10 of Us features the Coach from Growing Pains they always laughed at, but even if you hadn’t heard anything about Rhoda or Frasier getting their own show, when you see the listing it’s obvious what’s happened. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/18 "2009-02-12T17:30:34Z")
Jeeves & Wooster Poirot I, Claudius And a lot of other British shows they brought over for Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/19 "2009-02-12T17:38:27Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > The OP mentioned Mork & Mindy, but not Laverne & Shirley? I left that as an exercise for the reader. 🙂 Looking back, I find it interesting that in the earliest days almost every show was named either for the character or the actor. From 1949-50, the first season with long-running sitcoms I find: The Aldrich Family The Life of Riley Lum and Abner Wesley There was also Heavens to Betsy, a title they loved so much that they gave it to another unrelated show in 1952, Heaven for Betsy, starrring Jack Lemmon. And that was his second second lead role. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545/20 "2009-02-12T17:42:56Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > and arguably Wild Wild West Also [Best of The West](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_of_the_West) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-named-after-the-character-not-the-actor/485545.md?page=2)