# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Sloe\_Moe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sloe\_Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sloe_Moe)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/41 "2018-10-17T09:32:02Z")
Is this correct: Easy Reader first appeared as a guest on Sesame Street before becoming a regular character on The Electric Company? Somewhat related, Kermit, Ernie, and Bert went to The Muppet Show. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/42 "2018-10-17T12:38:43Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > The Seinfeld characters on Curb Your Enthusiasm. > [@Chronos](#): > > And Stephen Hawking has appeared on _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ and _The Big Bang Theory_. > [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Superman was on **I Love Lucy**. I think in all three cases, the actors (except for Stephen Hawking, who of course was not an actor) appeared as themselves on these shows. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/43 "2018-10-17T12:46:07Z")
One of the weirdest has to be Bernard Fox, who played Doctor Bombay on **Bewitched** up to 1972, returned to play him on the NBC Soap Opera **Passions** in 1999 (and sort-of played him on an episode of **Pee Wee’s Playhouse** in 1989. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/44 "2018-10-17T13:06:21Z")
> [@Sloe\_Moe](#): > > Is this correct: Easy Reader first appeared as a guest on Sesame Street before becoming a regular character on The Electric Company? Not that I know of. And I think I would know of it, if it were so. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/45 "2018-10-17T13:14:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Peter Morris** : > > An episode of Amazing Stories 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) Similarly, _American Gods_ (sort of) has Lucy Ricardo as a character: One of the New Gods is Media, who most often manifests as Lucy, though it’s debatable whether she’s Ball or Ricardo. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/46 "2018-10-17T13:36:18Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > 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? No, it was in the episode _Trials and Tribble-ations_, during which the Defiant travels back in time to Kirk’s era during the events of _The Trouble with Tribbles_. > [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > 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”. He also played a character on _St. Elsewhere_ called Elliot, who was an inmate of St. Elygius’ psych ward. He, too, claimed that he was ruined by “some quack in Chicago.” ---
**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, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/47 "2018-10-17T13:47:50Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Huh? What? Huh? Is this a whoosh? How is Mr. Anderson like Elrond? > > Elrond was of course a character before Mike Judge was born. Yes, this is a whoosh. “Mr Anderson” was not only the name of the character on Beavis and Butthead, “Mr Anderson” is also a famous phrase of Agent Smith in The Matrix, referring to a different Mr Anderson, and the same actor, Hugo Weaving, played Elrond in Lord of the Rings. People sometimes inserted “misssster anderson” into Elronds quotes as a joke because they couldn’t help but seeing Hugo as Agent Smith. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/48 "2018-10-17T13:50:59Z")
That is a _really_ obscure whoosh. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/49 "2018-10-17T14:17:12Z")
There was an obscure sitcom in the early '90s called [Hi Honey, I’m Home](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101116/?ref_=nv_sr_1) which featured a 1950s TV family transported to the present. Among the many television characters that managed to stop by were: Grandpa Munster, Lisa Douglas, Alice the housekeeper, Alice Kramden, Dobie Gillis, Gomer Pyle, June Cleaver, Sally Rogers and a few others, all played by their original actors. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/50 "2018-10-17T15:16:11Z")
Another Newhart one: He played Professor Proton on _The Big Bang Theory_. Getting an Emmy. He’s so good that he appeared on it even after he died in-show. He has appeared on TV in the prequel _Young Sheldon_. But there’s overlap, maybe violating the OP. ---
**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:** [October 17, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/51 "2018-10-17T15:33:55Z")
The Bob Newhart reunion show – a continuation of the original _Bob Newhart Show_ – had a cameo of Larry, Darryl, and Darryl at the end. The story involved Bob talking about the dream he had night before about running a country inn. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/52 "2018-10-17T16:01:06Z")
Johnny Carson appeared as himself on an episode of Newhart ---
**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, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/53 "2018-10-17T16:37:02Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > No, it was in the episode _Trials and Tribble-ations_, during which the Defiant travels back in time to Kirk’s era during the events of _The Trouble with Tribbles_. That I knew; I just couldn’t remember if the other three were in it as well. Terry Farrell in a Starfleet microskirt, OMG! :o ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/54 "2018-10-17T17:53:52Z")
Riker and Troi for Star Trek: The Next Generation both appeared in the much reviled finale of Star Trek: Enterprise long after Next Generation went off the air. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/55 "2018-10-17T18:17:06Z")
Robert Culp appeared on an episode of _The Cosby Show_ when Bill dreams he’s a secret agent. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/56 "2018-10-17T18:21:29Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Johnny Carson appeared as himself on an episode of Newhart He also appears in an episode of _Get Smart_. It’s been too long since I’ve watched the show to remember whether he played himself or not. The weirdest cameo ever has to be the episode of _Batman_ where Werner Von Kepler appears as Colonel Klink. ---
**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, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/57 "2018-10-17T18:28:49Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > He also appears in an episode of _Get Smart_. It’s been too long since I’ve watched the show to remember whether he played himself or not. > > The weirdest cameo ever has to be the episode of _Batman_ where Werner Von Kepler appears as Colonel Klink. Surely you mean Werner Klemperer? :dubious: I don’t think either counts, since all four shows were on concurrently. Is Johnny Carson playing himself the same as an actor playing a character? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/58 "2018-10-17T18:35:22Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > He also appears in an episode of _Get Smart_. It’s been too long since I’ve watched the show to remember whether he played himself or not. > > The weirdest cameo ever has to be the episode of _Batman_ where Werner Von Kepler appears as Colonel Klink. Johnny Carson played the conductor on a train going through Central Europe. Not himself, unless he had a past I was unaware of. I don’t think this falls into what the OP had in mind. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/59 "2018-10-17T18:37:10Z")
It’s possibly stretching things a bit, but George Lazenby appears as a British secret agent driving an Aston Martin with plates reading “JB” in the TV movie _The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E._ They don’t explicitly _say_ he’s James Bond, but it’s about as close as they could get. And, besides, it’s not a TV character, but a movie character. ---
**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, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062/60 "2018-10-17T18:38:22Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Johnny Carson played the conductor on a train going through Central Europe. Not himself, unless he had a past I was unaware of. > > I don’t think this falls into what the OP had in mind. I’m assuming it was also a part he played only once? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-later-appeared-on-a-different-show/823062.md?page=4)