# Unseen TV characters
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 18, 2001, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646 "2001-01-18T05:47:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/1 "2001-01-18T05:47:14Z")
How many TV characters can you think of who were heard or discussed, but never actually seen? I can think of…
1. Carlton the doorman on “Rhoda”
2. Robin Masters on “Magnum PI”
3. John Beresford Tipton on “The Millionaire”
4. Charles Townsend on “Charlie’s Angels”
5. Wilson, on “Home Improvement”
ANy others come to mind?
---
### Author:  [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/2 "2001-01-18T05:48:33Z")
Norm’s wife on Cheers.
---
### Author:  [@AxeElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AxeElf)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/3 "2001-01-18T05:48:54Z")
God, on countless televangelists’ programs every Sunday morning.
---
### Author:  [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/4 "2001-01-18T05:57:34Z")
Orson, from “Mork & Mindy”
Wilson on Home Improvement is a special case, since only his face wasn’t seen.
---
### Author:  [@King\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Rat)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/5 "2001-01-18T06:00:58Z")
Maris from Frasier
---
### Author:  [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/6 "2001-01-18T06:28:54Z")
Mary Tyler Moore played a pair of legs on _Richard Diamond, Private Detective_ (1959). Her character, Sam the answering service girl, was only seen from the waist down.
---
### Author:  [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/7 "2001-01-18T07:17:05Z")
There was a surgeon on “St. Elsewhere” who has only heard, but never seen and was widely disliked by the other characters.
---
### Author:  [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/8 "2001-01-18T08:00:38Z")
Don’t forget the greatest of them all!
**The Gooch** , Arnold’s ever-present yet elusive tormentor from _“Diff’rent Strokes”_.
Although, IIRC he actually – and unfortunately – did make an appearance in an episode in a later season.
---
### Author:  [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/9 "2001-01-18T08:19:39Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by peepthis \*
> \*\*Although, IIRC he actually – and unfortunately – did make an appearance in an episode in a later season. \*\*
It seems the [best fan site](http://www.sitcomsonline.com/diffrentstrokes.html) confirms my first suspicion, that **The Gooch** was never seen in all 8 seasons.
---
### Author:  [@kawliga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kawliga)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/10 "2001-01-18T08:29:10Z")
Sheridan, son of Hyacinth, on “Keeping Up Appearances.”
---
### Author:  [@barstow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barstow)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/11 "2001-01-18T09:07:40Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by chique \*
> \*\*Norm’s wife on Cheers. \*\*
Norm’s wife actually appeared on the Thanksgiving feast at Carla’s house. She was only shown from the rear until she got a faceful of mashed potatoes in the food fight.
---
### Author:  [@barstow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barstow)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/12 "2001-01-18T09:10:15Z")
There’s **Vinnie** on **Just Shoot Me** , who’s Nina Van Horn’s drinking buddy.
---
### Author:  [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/13 "2001-01-18T12:34:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by barstow \*
>
> * * *
Norm’s wife actually appeared on the Thanksgiving feast at Carla’s house.\*\*
[/QUOTE]
You might also be interested to know that the woman who played his wife in that episode was also his wife in real life.
---
### Author:  [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/14 "2001-01-18T12:35:34Z")
Ouch! That hurt.
---
### Author:  [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/15 "2001-01-18T13:11:49Z")
Corrections
[ul]
[li] **B** innie, Nina’s drinking buddy, on “Just Shoot Me”, has appeared once, in episode [The Mask](http://epguides.com/JustShootMe/guide.shtml#ep034)[/li][li]Robin Masters was played by Orson Welles on “Magnum, P.I.” from 1981 to 1985.[/li][li]One I thought of, but dismissed: Dr. Selar on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. She was played by Suzie Plakson in one episode, “The Schizoid Man”.[/li][/ul]
.
---
### Author:  [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/16 "2001-01-18T13:15:15Z")
Oops…
I thought Welles had appeared on-screen as Robin Masters. But according to an episode guide, he was only the voice. However, Magnum once mentioned that Masters _looked_ like Orson Welles.
---
### Author:  [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/17 "2001-01-18T13:49:34Z")
George Steinbrenner on “Seinfeld” (you only saw the back of his head).
Mammy Two-Shoes from the old “Tom and Jerry” cartoons. You only saw her feet. Okay, so it’s not a TV show, but I saw it on TV.
Sparky, the radio operator friend of Radar, on “M_A_S\*H.”
---
### Author:  [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/18 "2001-01-18T14:11:33Z")
Guy Propski:
For some reason, Sparky did appear briefly in one episode. IIRC, he was a slim guy (w/ glasses), with a ‘farm-country’ accent. He was reading a comic book when Radar called him (perhaps Radar had sent him the comic book, I don’t remember).
---
### Author:  [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/19 "2001-01-18T14:44:46Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by AWB \*
> \*\*Corrections
> [ul]
> [li] **B** innie, Nina’s drinking buddy, on “Just Shoot Me”, has appeared once, in episode [The Mask](http://epguides.com/JustShootMe/guide.shtml#ep034)[/li][/ul]
> \*\*
IIRC, wasn’t she in bandages, having had a face lift? Or we only saw her from the back? I don’t think we’ve ever actually seen her face.
---
### Author:  [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2001, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646/20 "2001-01-18T14:51:59Z")
But there was another character on M_A_S\*H you never saw… the guy on the P.A. system who announced incoming wounded.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unseen-tv-characters/50646.md?page=2)