# TV series that featured most number of tv stars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 1, 2013, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063 "2013-08-01T09:10:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063/21 "2013-08-02T04:22:52Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > For an enormously popular anthology, The Love Boat, i remember it didn’t feature that many future big names. What it featured were existing ones; anything from John Ritter and Charo, to the children in “Eight is Enough,” to a couple member of the Short Circuits. > > One of my favorite episodes was with the kissing bandit (played by Billy Crystal.) He was matched with one of the Eight is Enough girls. Or Fantasy Island, which guest starred most of the same actors but they were au courant not unknown. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063/22 "2013-08-02T22:59:27Z")
**The Larry Sanders show** had a lot of TV stars playing themselves. **The X-Files** Had a lot of stars too, but not all from TV. I can’t remember some of their names. I think they had a few stars from **LOST**. Peter Boyle was Clyde Bruckman. It had Bud from **Married With Children**. James Pickens Jr. Giovanni Ribisi who’s doing a TV series in the fall for FOX. Jack Black… who I know isn’t a TV star. I’m sure I’m missing many up-and-comers. **Arrested Development** had/has a lot of stars. The new season had John Krasinski and Andy Buckley from **The Office**. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063/23 "2013-08-02T23:13:37Z")
The OP’s 9 isn’t even in the top 20 as far as shows with future stars go. As stated, the anthology shows out of NYC in the early days of TV have everybody beat. Shoews like The Tonight Show and Love Boat don’t make the cut because you pretty much have to “be” a star before you get on the show in the first place. Not “up and coming.” ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063/24 "2013-08-02T23:26:27Z")
For non-anthology shows, _Freaks and Geeks_ is a pretty good recent example, with most of the cast going on to more work: Seth Rogen James Franco Jason Segel Linda Cardellini Busy Phillips Martin Starr John Frances Daley Samm Levine Lizzy Caplan Rashida Jones (Not to mention Judd Apatow & Paul Feig) ---
**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:** [August 3, 2013, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063/25 "2013-08-03T01:05:03Z")
I’ve noticed a rather large number of startlingly-attractive actresses in their late 20’s and early 30’s who list an appearance on an episode or two of Baywatch early in their careers… Mila Kunis, for example. It’s also interesting looking back to the beginning of actress’s careers in the days of black & white TV (Perry Mason, for example) (the TV show, not the actress) and seeing that they played several different characters in one season, back before the days of VCRs… ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063/26 "2013-08-03T02:52:37Z")
Kunis was 14 when she auditioned for That 70s show that ran from 1998 to 2006. She appeared on Baywatch in 94 and 95. I don’t think “hotness” was a factor in those Baywatch gigs. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063/27 "2013-08-03T15:13:07Z")
> [@theoldman](#): > > it’s a little known faxt that John Ratzenberger is the 6th most successful actor of all time judging by box office totals of films in which he is credited… > > [http://ratzenberger.com/about-john.php](http://ratzenberger.com/about-john.php) Yeah, I was gonna mention the _Toy Story_ films. Didn’t realize he’d also been in all the other Pixar movies! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063/28 "2013-08-03T23:45:05Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > For non-anthology shows, _Freaks and Geeks_ is a pretty good recent example, with most of the cast going on to more work: > > Seth Rogen > James Franco > Jason Segel > Linda Cardellini > Busy Phillips > Martin Starr > John Frances Daley > Samm Levine > Lizzy Caplan > Rashida Jones > > (Not to mention Judd Apatow & Paul Feig) And Ben Foster. ---
**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:** [August 4, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063/29 "2013-08-04T03:46:00Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Yeah, I was gonna mention the _Toy Story_ films. Didn’t realize he’d also been in all the other Pixar movies! Neither did he [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GpXbCT61OlE/hqdefault.jpg "Cars Pixar Spoof") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpXbCT61OlE) ---
**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:** [August 4, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063/30 "2013-08-04T18:23:13Z")
Buffalo Bill, which ran on NBC from 1983 to 1984. Dabney Coleman, who was already an established star. Joanna Cassidy, who later appeared in several films such as Blade Runner, Under Fire, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? John Fiedler, who played Mr. Peterson on The Bob Newhart Show. Charles Robinson, Mac on Night Court. Max Wright, who would later star as Willie Tanner on ALF. Geena Davis, in one of her early roles. Meshach Taylor, probably best known for his roles in Mannequin and on Designing Women. P [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-series-that-featured-most-number-of-tv-stars/665063.md?page=1)