# What shows made a character addition that worked? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2005, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897 "2005-01-27T09:04:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897/41 "2005-01-27T20:42:03Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > And **D\_Odds** , AFAIK, Michael Madsen was never on SVU. He’s not listed as ever being on the cast on the imdb page, and his own entry confirms this. Are you thinknig of one of the other two male partners Munch has had? I’m 99% sure Madsen was on there, IMDB be damned. He had a fling with Hargitay’s character. It was well before Ice-T joined the cast. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897/42 "2005-01-27T20:45:08Z")
South Park has got to be the title-holder in this category. Not only did they add - with huge success - Timmyah, they added a ripoff of him (Jimmyuh) and that worked too! They’ve also brought minor characters to the forefront (Butters and Token) and added one of the funniest characters on the show (Mr. Slave) without any outcry. I’m not sure if Towlie would count or not, since he has only had bit parts since his big debut. I’m also not sure what they ever planned to do with that character, but all the fans (including me) seem to love him. I’m sure someone will mention Lemmiwinks but I don’t think he counts. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897/43 "2005-01-27T20:46:27Z")
The original Seinfeld had no Elaine Benes character. Just when that part was added though is something I’m unsure of. Mainly because I got only Season 3 of the DVDs as a Christmas present, not the first two! ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897/44 "2005-01-27T20:51:16Z")
How about “Scruffy” on Futurama? ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897/45 "2005-01-27T20:52:37Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > The original Seinfeld had no Elaine Benes character. Just when that part was added though is something I’m unsure of. Elaine Benes was not in the very first episode, titled “The Seinfeld Chronicles”. I forgot the exact reasoning why, but I think it was that they simply hadn’t hired her yet. She appeared in the second episode, “The Stake Out”. As for SVU, the actress playing Jefferies was fired (not sure why). Her character was written out by way of a psychiatrist conducting interviews of each member of Cragen’s department to see if they were sound enough to continue working in SVU. Jefferies let it slip that she once had sex with a suspect and she was re-assigned to desk duty (this is when Ice-T arrived). After much bitterness (which involved her almost suing Cragen), she quit. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897/46 "2005-01-27T20:56:44Z")
> [@Agrippina](#): > > Elaine Benes was not in the very first episode, titled “The Seinfeld Chronicles”. I forgot the exact reasoning why, but I think it was that they simply hadn’t hired her yet. She appeared in the second episode, “The Stake Out”. Correct. I got the seasons 1-3 DVD and I’m enjoying them immensely. In the pilot episode, there was no Elaine character. The only female character that Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld intended might become a regular or at least recurring character was a waitress in the Monk’s Cafe who had a rather laconic wit. When the network commissioned the ‘first season’ (actually just four shows), they asked David and Seinfeld to add a female lead character, which is when they introduced Elaine. The waitress character was forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897/47 "2005-01-27T20:57:22Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > I’m 99% sure Madsen was on there, IMDB be damned. He had a fling with Hargitay’s character. It was well before Ice-T joined the cast. Alright, after much digging, I am probably mistaken. I now have to watch a bunch of episodes to find out whom it was I saw. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897/48 "2005-01-27T21:04:08Z")
Kryten did not join the crew of _Red Dwarf_ until the first episode of series two. He quickly became a favorite character for many viewers. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897/49 "2005-01-27T21:05:38Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Alright, after much digging, I am probably mistaken. I now have to watch a bunch of episodes to find out whom it was I saw. I assume that you’re thinking of the actor who played Cassidy, who does look a bit like Madsen. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897/50 "2005-01-27T21:23:29Z")
How about Stefan on **Family Matters**? It was a character addition, if not necessarily an actor addition. Stefan first appeared in season five and became a recurring character in season eight, when Steve discovered cloning. Actually, Steve Urkel himself was only a recurring character during the first season – he didn’t appear at all until the twelfth episode…that might be the most successful character addition ever! ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897/51 "2005-01-27T23:37:04Z")
Will Sasso had a cuople guest shots on **Less Than Perfect** as Claude’s neighbor. Since he was so well liked, they added him to the cast, somehow getting him a job as the cafeteria manager so that he could be at the workplace of the rest of the cast. His introduction was contrived, but he’s a great character and really improved the dynamic of the show. They also added Jeb, a newscaster and Kip’s new boss. He’s a great character as well. I love how he can never remember Kip’s name and just calls him Secretary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-shows-made-a-character-addition-that-worked/286897.md?page=2)