# TV characters who were unseen- until later in the series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596 "2010-09-30T13:38:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [September 30, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/41 "2010-09-30T17:41:55Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > Kathleen Turner as Chandler’s dad in Friends. And Morgan Fairchild as his mother. Their names were Charles and Nora. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/42 "2010-09-30T17:46:12Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > > [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > > > Kathleen Turner as Chandler’s dad in Friends. > > And Morgan Fairchild as his mother. Their names were Charles and Nora. She showed up fairly early though–the eleventh episode of the first season, according to IMDB. Before the midway point of the first season isn’t exactly later in the series; I’m not sure she was even mentioned before that. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/43 "2010-09-30T17:54:02Z")
_Airwolf’s_ first several seasons made reference to Stringfellow Hawke’s long-lost brother, St. John (pr. sin-jin). The latter finally showed up in the fourth season (exit Stringfellow, enter St. John). I could never decide whether I’d prefer the name Stringfellow or St. John. Probably neither. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/44 "2010-09-30T18:08:29Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > > [@Bakhesh](#): > > > > I’ve got a vague recollection of Vera Peterson eventually turning up in Cheers , but with a pie in her face. Or did I imagine that? > > You remember it correctly. Vera was played by George Wendt’s real-life wife, Bernadette Birkett. Her only full-face appearance on \*Cheers \*was as woman who fell for Cliff at a Halloween party. I thought they missed a good opportunity to have Vera show up for the last show and have her be drop-dead gorgeous. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/45 "2010-09-30T18:17:20Z")
This is kind of minor, but in the Wire season three we get to hear a lot about a certain Eunetta Perkins. It is the woman that Marla Daniels is campaigning against. However, it takes until the final episode of the season for her to actually appear on screen. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/46 "2010-09-30T18:22:21Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Allen Brady wasn’t seen for the first year or two on **The Dick Van Dyke Show**. After that, Carl Reiner played him perfectly normally. If I recall, Buddy Sorrell’s wife Pickles was mentioned quite often, but never seen until later on in the series. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/47 "2010-09-30T18:24:19Z")
> [@Seamack](#): > > Jacob from Lost. Wasn’t he mentioned very early in the first series, but never onscreen until the end of the 5th series? No, he was first seen at the end of season 5, but he was definitely not mentioned early in season 1. IIRC, first possible mention would be when “Henry” mentions something about the Others being led by a great man late in season 2, but the name Jacob wasn’t mentioned until some point in season 3, and even then at first it’s just seen flashing in the brainwashing movie being shown to Alex’s boyfriend (God loves you as he loved Jacob) at which point it could’ve easily been mistaken for a Biblical reference rather than as a reference to leader of the Others. OFF TOPIC NITPICK There is only one _series_ of Lost, and it lasted 6 _seasons_. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/48 "2010-09-30T18:31:56Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > > [@Seamack](#): > > > > Jacob from Lost. Wasn’t he mentioned very early in the first series, but never onscreen until the end of the 5th series? > > No, he was first seen at the end of season 5, but he was definitely not mentioned early in season 1. IIRC, first possible mention would be when “Henry” mentions something about the Others being led by a great man late in season 2, but the name Jacob wasn’t mentioned until some point in season 3, and even then at first it’s just seen flashing in the brainwashing movie being shown to Alex’s boyfriend (God loves you as he loved Jacob) at which point it could’ve easily been mistaken for a Biblical reference rather than as a reference to leader of the Others. > > OFF TOPIC NITPICK > There is only one _series_ of Lost, and it lasted 6 _seasons_. When speaking of television shows, the British use _series_ as we use _season_. They use _show_ as we use _series_ (and, um, _show_). Next you’ll be objecting to the words _lorry_ and _petrol_. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/49 "2010-09-30T18:41:22Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Interestingly, Maris from Fraiser actually was supposed to be a recurring character (they didn’t want to duplicate the bit with Vera from _Cheers_), but by the time they got around to considering how to introduce her, the various jokes had made her too bizarre a creature to cast with an actual human. Perhaps a feral sheep? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/50 "2010-09-30T18:49:42Z")
Tony Soprano’s older sister Janice was seen only in childhood flashbacks (like his younger sister Barbara) until she became a major character in the second season. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/51 "2010-09-30T19:07:01Z")
> [@milquetoast](#): > > > [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > > > Detective Fish was always talking on the phone to his wife, Bernice, in _Barney Miller_, but she wasn’t actually seen until he got his own show as a spinoff. > > Not correct. > > [Florence Stanley](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0822476/) played Bernice Fish in six episodes of “Barney Miller”. Her first appearance was in the sixth episode of the first season: “[Stakeout](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0519092/)”. Nice catch! I had no idea. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/52 "2010-09-30T19:31:59Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Did we ever see Phyllis’ husband Lars on the Mary Tyler Moore show? No, Lars was killed off before he was ever seen. On _Empty Nest_, there was a third youngest daughter named Emily, that was away at college and wasn’t seen. After Kristy McNichol left the show, they brought her in temporarily to fill the gap. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/53 "2010-09-30T19:35:53Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] Next you’ll be objecting to the words _lorry_ and _petrol_. [/QUOTE] IIRC lorry is what they call an elevator and petrol are the mineral droppings that drip from the top of the queen downward. [QUOTE=Markxxx] On _Empty Nest_, there was a third youngest daughter named Emily, that was away at college and wasn’t seen. After Kristy McNichol left the show, they brought her in temporarily to fill the gap. [/QUOTE] Laverne’s husband, a minor league ballplayer whose description was that of a Hee-Haw character, was often referred to but unseen until he became a recurring character in later scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/54 "2010-09-30T19:53:49Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > [QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] > Next you’ll be objecting to the words _lorry_ and _petrol_. IIRC lorry is what they call an elevator and petrol are the mineral droppings that drip from the top of the queen downward. [/QUOTE] I’m going to have to release the lemmings on you for this. It’s not personal. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/55 "2010-09-30T20:03:52Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Dr. Claw fro the 80s cartoon Inspector Gadget. You only ever saw his hand. Years later a toy line was released that shows his face. No matter what it was, it would be disappointing by default. Google at your own risk. Wow… that’s… not what I expected. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/56 "2010-09-30T21:37:40Z")
Speaking of Cheers, there were references to Mrs. Clavin in the early years, but she doesn’t appear on screen (played by Frances Sternhagen) until the fifth season. We did hear his mother’s voice before that, but I don’t know if Sternhagen played her then. ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/57 "2010-10-01T04:07:17Z")
On _The Drew Carey Show_, Drew’s original boss, Mr. Bell, was only heard via intercom but never seen for ages. Then he got fired and came out of his office for the first time carrying his stuff in a box (in the person of Kevin Pollack) and snarled something like “What’s your problem, Carey? You’re acting like you never saw me before!” ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/58 "2010-10-01T04:39:45Z")
> [@Eutychus](#): > > > [@CalMeacham](#): > > > > Allen Brady wasn’t seen for the first year or two on **The Dick Van Dyke Show**. After that, Carl Reiner played him perfectly normally. > > If I recall, Buddy Sorrell’s wife Pickles was mentioned quite often, but never seen until later on in the series. To elaborate: Pickles didn’t appear until Season 1, Episode 13, and after Season 2 was not seen again. She was played by 2 different actresses. Pickles had 5 appearances altogether. ---
**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 1, 2010, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/59 "2010-10-01T05:20:51Z")
I seem to recall that Cockroach didn’t appear on _The Cosby Show_ until quite late in the game, after numerous mentions of him by Theo. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/60 "2010-10-01T06:48:33Z")
> [@gonzoron](#): > > Wow… that’s… not what I expected. Yeah me either. I thought we had seen him from behind and he had been wearing a helmet or something. Or that he looked like Rupert Everett. I think Jacob is fair for Lost. By the time he showed up, the show had us convinced he was a con of Ben’s… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596.md?page=4)