# TV characters who later appeared on a different show **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 16, 2018, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062 "2018-10-16T22:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/21 "2018-10-17T00:50:11Z")
[Alan Brady on _Mad About You_.](http://www.tvworthwatching.com/post/THISDAYINTVHISTORY20180216.aspx) (ETA ninja’d between screen refreshes.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/22 "2018-10-17T01:01:15Z")
Harry Morgan (Col Potter-ret.), William Christopher (Father Mulcahy) and Jamie Farr (Klinger) all appeared in “AfterMASH”, a sequel to M_A_S_H_ that ran for a couple of seasons. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/23 "2018-10-17T01:01:18Z")
Alfre Woodard appeared in an episode of _Homicide: Life on the Streets_ as her _St. Elsewhere_ character, Dr. Roxanne Turner. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/24 "2018-10-17T01:03:08Z")
While checking to see if any of the characters from _Mary Tyler Moore_ showed up on _Lou Grant,_ (they didn’t), I found that Lou Grant was in an episode of _Roseanne._ Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/25 "2018-10-17T01:07:06Z")
Mr. Anderson on Beavis and Butthead was not only the inspiration for Elrond from Lord of the Rings, he was also clearly the inspiration for Hank Hill from King of the Hill. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/26 "2018-10-17T01:11:19Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > …I believe Sam, Norm, Cliff, and Lilith from _Cheers_ have all appeared on _Frasier_, but I’m not counting Frasier himself. Woody also appeared on Frasier. Ray Barone appeared on King of Queens, as did his mother (but I’m not sure if it was while ‘Raymond’ was in production). mmm ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/27 "2018-10-17T01:17:30Z")
Does sketch comedy count? Surely there have been SNL guests who have played their characters from other shows? The only specific example that comes to mind is when Lenny and Squiggy (from _Laverne and Shirley_) made an appearance in a sketch during the season when Michael McKean was a cast member. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/28 "2018-10-17T01:44:51Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Mr. Anderson on Beavis and Butthead was not only the inspiration for Elrond from Lord of the Rings, he was also clearly the inspiration for Hank Hill from King of the Hill. Huh? What? Huh? Is this a whoosh? How is Mr. Anderson like Elrond? Elrond was of course a character before Mike Judge was born. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/29 "2018-10-17T01:49:31Z")
This website is a list of all the crossover universes from American television. The largest of the universes is Group 2, which has over a hundred shows in it. The list of groups is at the bottom of the webpage: [http://www.poobala.com/crossoverlistb.html](http://www.poobala.com/crossoverlistb.html) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/30 "2018-10-17T02:18:00Z")
There was an episode of The Simpsons where Homer goes looking for a new bar, and wanders into Cheers. All the regulars except Frasier had one line each. An [episode of Amazing Stories](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0511113/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_44) had several TV characters come to life. Characters appearing from cancelled shows included June Cleaver, Aunt Esther Anderson and the Hulk. (Gary Coleman and Dirk Benedict’s shows were still current at the time) ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/31 "2018-10-17T02:39:17Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > He was even in an X-files episode in 1997. He exists in the X-files universe. …yeah, Munch pretty much is the exemplar of this topic. A wiki summary: > **[John Munch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Munch#Appearances_and_crossovers)** > > John Munch is a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on the American crime drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street on NBC. A regular through the entire run of the series from 1993 to 1999, Munch is a cynical detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide unit, and a firm believer in conspiracy theories. He is originally partnered with Detective Stanley Bolander (Ned Beatty). Munch is based on Jay Landsman, a central figure in David Simo Up... ABC’s “Civil Wars” lawyer Eli Levinson and his secretary Denise jumped from their show over to NBC’s LA Law after their show got cancelled. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/32 "2018-10-17T02:40:00Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Richard Belzer played John Munch on Homicide and then Law and Order SVU . First show was set in Baltimore and SVU was in NYC > [@JeffB](#): > > John Munch also made an appearance in an episode of _The Wire_. > [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I’m pretty sure that Munch is responsible for the majority of the Tommy Westphall universe. > [@Wolf333](#): > > He was also mentioned on Luther. > [@Mahaloth](#): > > He was even in an X-files episode in 1997. He exists in the X-files universe. From [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Munch): > [@](#): > > Munch has become the only fictional character, played by a single actor, to physically appear on 10 different television series. These shows were on five different networks: NBC (Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, and 30 Rock); Fox (The X-Files and Arrested Development); UPN (The Beat); HBO (The Wire) and ABC (Jimmy Kimmel Live!). Munch has been one of the few television characters to cross genres, appearing not only in crime drama series, but sitcom (Arrested Development), late night comedy (Jimmy Kimmel Live!) and horror and science fiction (The X-Files). ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/33 "2018-10-17T03:01:55Z")
Better Call Saul is a spinoff prequel to Breaking Bad. Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill is the titular character and Mike is also a focus character who’s been in the whole series, so don’t count by your rule although they were in both. There are a ton of characters other than those two who have appeared in both series - Gus Fring, Lydia, Gale, Tyrus, Hector Salamanca, Tuco Salamanca, the Salamanca cousins, Don Eladio, Juan Bolsa, Crazy 8, the gun dealer, Huell, Vanamos Pest guy, Francesca, and Vacuum repair guy just to name the ones I can think of. This page seems to have a more comprehensive list: [http://www.vulture.com/2018/09/breaking-bad-better-call-saul-crossover-characters.html](http://www.vulture.com/2018/09/breaking-bad-better-call-saul-crossover-characters.html) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/34 "2018-10-17T03:17:56Z")
Munch and Fin showed up on an episode of **30 Rock**. Batman and Robin were on some version of **Scooby Doo** , as were the Addams Family. Superman was on **I Love Lucy**. Sheriff Andy Taylor cameoed in the first episode of **Gomer Pyle, USMC**. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/35 "2018-10-17T03:19:39Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > An [episode of Amazing Stories](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0511113/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_44) had several TV characters come to life. Characters appearing from cancelled shows included June Cleaver, Aunt Esther Anderson and the Hulk. (Gary Coleman and Dirk Benedict’s shows were still current at the time) Your mention of Dirk Benedict reminded me: there was an episode of The A-Team in which Face (Dirk Benedict, who had played Starbuck on Battlestar Galactica) [ran across a Cylon](http://www.bradycarlson.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ateamsteel042310-01.jpg) while at a theme park. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/36 "2018-10-17T03:35:14Z")
Carol Kester (Marcia Wallace) and Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) appeared on an episode of _Murphy Brown_ sixteen years after _The Bob Newhart Show_ had ended. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/37 "2018-10-17T03:50:26Z")
Three (or four?) Klingons from TOS showed up for an episode of DS:9. One was Kang, another was the one from Trouble with Tribbles, and I think the third was the one where Kirk supplied guns to the American rebels after the Klingons started giving the Chinese guns? ---
**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:** [October 17, 2018, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/38 "2018-10-17T05:50:13Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Three (or four?) Klingons from TOS showed up for an episode of DS:9. One was Kang, another was the one from Trouble with Tribbles, and I think the third was the one where Kirk supplied guns to the American rebels after the Klingons started giving the Chinese guns? No. It was Kang (Michael Ansara) from “Day of the Dove,” Kor (John Colicos) from “Errand of Mercy,” and Koloth (William Campbell) from “The Trouble with Tribbles.” The spy “Arne Darvin” (Charlie Brill) from “The Trouble with Tribbles” was in an episode as well. Was it the same one? ---
**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:** [October 17, 2018, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/39 "2018-10-17T08:14:54Z")
This is suspect, all things considered\*, but Reginald Veljohnson appeared in an episode of _Chuck_ as his character from _Die Hard_, Sgt Al Powell. \*_in other episodes of Chuck, Die Hard is clearly referenced as a fictional movie_ ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/40 "2018-10-17T08:37:28Z")
Jack Riley played Mr. Carlin, the misanthropic real estate tycoon, on _The Bob Newhart Show_. Riley later did a cameo on _Newhart_, presumably as Carlin. He was described to Dick Loudon (Bob Newhart’s character) as having been “messed up” by “some quack in Chicago”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062.md?page=3)