# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/81 "2010-10-03T17:41:02Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > William Shatner first appeared as The Big Giant Head at the end of the fourth season of “Third Rock from the Sun” He only got that job by kissing The Big Giant Butt. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/82 "2010-10-03T18:01:59Z")
What about Eddy’s son on _Absolutely Fabulous_? Did he ever appear? Did Sheridan of _Keeping Up Appearances_ ever appear? I know Hyacinth’s sister Violet was referenced to a lot but didn’t appear till the last season ---
**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 3, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/83 "2010-10-03T18:11:37Z")
Would the “[little red-haired girl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red-Haired_Girl)” from _Peanuts_ count? She was never seen in the strip, but did appear in a couple of animated TV specials. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/84 "2010-10-03T18:47:51Z")
Carlton, your Doorman from _Rhoda_. Voiced by Lorenzo Music, [his arm was seen and the back of his head was seen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhoda#Recurring_characters). The show he was on was a spin-off from the _Mary Tyler Moore_ show and they attempted a third spin-off, [as an animated series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlton_Your_Doorman). ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/85 "2010-10-03T19:12:47Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > _shooled_? As in the posh British pronounciation of “schedule.” ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/86 "2010-10-03T19:52:29Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Would the “[little red-haired girl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red-Haired_Girl)” from _Peanuts_ count? She was never seen in the strip, but did appear in a couple of animated TV specials. \ LA LA LA!! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!! That NEVER HAPPENED! And her name CERTAINLY isn’t Heather! ---
**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 3, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/87 "2010-10-03T21:02:08Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > > Would the “[little red-haired girl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red-Haired_Girl)” from _Peanuts_ count? She was never seen in the strip, but did appear in a couple of animated TV specials. > > \ LA LA LA!! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!! That NEVER HAPPENED! And her name CERTAINLY isn’t Heather! True enough. From the Wikipedia page I linked to: > [@](#): > > Schulz did not consider these animated appearances to be canonical (although he wrote the screenplay himself). Officially, she remains unseen and unnamed. And from the [page](http://www.fivecentsplease.org/dpb/peantfaq.txt) it cites as a reference: > [@](#): > > Schulz never had full control over what happened in the TV > specials, and he made it very clear that events therein should > not be regarded as “gospel” for his newspaper strip. Thus, while > it’s true the little red-haired girl popped up in the TV special “It’s > Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown” (and therefore in the picture-book > adapted from that show), Schulz did not regard her as > the actual little red-haired girl…just as Charlie Brown’s having > successfully place-kicked a football in another TV special > should not be regarded as a comparative truth in the strip. > > No, the “actual” little red-haired girl, like the Head Beagle, or > Linus’ Miss Othmar, is a character who never was drawn. > This way, we can all imagine her to be whatever we’d like…safe > in the knowledge that there is no visualization of the character > which is better, or different, than any other. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/88 "2010-10-03T21:18:28Z")
Though I CAN accept the holiday themed (notable exception: New Year’s Eve) specials as “canon”. ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/89 "2010-10-03T21:48:19Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Jenny Piccolo on Happy Days. And Chuck Cunningham.. ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/90 "2010-10-03T21:51:33Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Did we ever see Phyllis’ husband Lars on the Mary Tyler Moore show? There were references/phone calls to Mary’s parents…I believe they showed up for a visit sometime after the first couple of seasons. ---
**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 3, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/91 "2010-10-03T22:54:05Z")
I’ve heard that LRHG did appear in a canonical strip drawn by Schultz himself, albeit in silhouette, and non-speaking. ---
**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 3, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/92 "2010-10-03T22:55:28Z")
> [@descamisado](#): > > > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > > > _shooled_? > > As in the posh British pronounciation of “schedule.” I’m British, and I’ve never heard anyone pronounce schedule as shool. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/93 "2010-10-03T23:27:32Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > > > Have you ever seen Clarissa Flockhart? > > Extremely low weight was only one of Maris’s physical abnormalities though. She had multiple plastic surgeries, couldn’t produce saliva, etc. I always pictured Juliet Landau as Maris. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/94 "2010-10-04T01:13:31Z")
> [@2nd\_Law](#): > > On _Fringe_, William Bell isn’t revealed to be Leonard Nimoy until the end of the second season. 1st season. I’ve only seen the 1st season and he was in the last episode. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/95 "2010-10-04T01:46:48Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > What about Eddy’s son on _Absolutely Fabulous_? Did he ever appear? He appeared in a follow-up special to the series. ([5:40 in this.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aod_fZ4P3ME)) He was basically a gay male version of Saffron- very “straight” laced and serious and living in NYC. He and Edina reunite but can’t stand each other, but she absolutely adores his queeny partner and vice versa. I don’t think Sheridan was ever seen. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/96 "2010-10-04T13:22:16Z")
Friend’s [Ugly Naked Guy](http://friends.wikia.com/wiki/Ugly_Naked_Guy). Talked about him a lot, but he only made two appearances–once when they were poking him, and once talking to Ross. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/97 "2010-10-04T13:46:41Z")
Sir Roysten on Drop the Dead Donkey, very last ep IIRC. ---
**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 4, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/98 "2010-10-04T15:35:59Z")
Number One in **The Prisoner** , of course. Showed up (or did he?) in the very last episode. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/99 "2010-10-04T16:58:18Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Columbo often referred to his wife, but she was never seen until the spinoff [Mrs. Columbo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs._Columbo#Spin-off), where she was played by a post-Ryan’s Hope and pre-Voyager Kate Mulgrew. Pshaw, there is no Mrs Columbo. ---
**Author:** ![kaneharris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/76d3ee/32.png) [@kaneharris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaneharris)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596/100 "2011-01-27T23:08:02Z")
On the daytime series “Dark Shadows”, after the first season, virtually every main character had been mentioned for at least some time before they were seen. Sometimes for long periods of time before they were seen… Barnabus Collins, Quentin Collins, Angelique, etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-were-unseen-until-later-in-the-series/555596.md?page=6)