Bored at work. List sitcom characters that you never actually see on screen.

Mainwaring's wife in Dad's Army.

And Nile's wife in Frasier? Oooh, a trend...

Maris

or is it Meris?

Was Godfrey's sister Dolly ever seen in Dad's Army? I believe that she may have been seen at a garden party once, but I could be wrong.

I'm sure we saw her in the garden once.

Alan Partridge's wife and children (his first wife presumably).

Bob Sacamano!

Ugly naked guy

Do we ever see Reggie Perrin's mother-in-law?

http://www.junglephotos.com/africa/afanimals/mammals/hippo.jpg

Mrs. Slocombe's pussy.

(Ned, I meant as an actual person)

Carlton the Doorman

Sam Malone's brother

xp...oohhh, but surely s/he's a character!
As heard about here

oh sorry, I'm getting confused. You're right of course we do never see Perrin's MIL.

tim taylor's neighbor wilson's face

the Yankee's boss in Seinfeld, well you only ever see the back of his head.

he has a name

yeah i can't remember it, Stein-something or other.

Steinbrenner. That's Larry David's voice, btw.

You only ever see Meena in Still Game from behind, although apparently this changes in the next series.

Stein-kowitz. xxpost

Wilson on Home Improvement, if you count someone whose face you can just barely see from behind a fence.

I think Bill Oddie is mentioned in every episode of "I'm Alan Partridge" series 1

not a sitcom but Robin Masters from Magnum. ha.

"B. Odie? That's Bill Odie! What's rude about a body?"
"Tits?"

I saw Mr Odie on Kentish Town Road yesterday, coincidentally enough.

kinda sitcom, but "Diane" in Twin Peaks

yeah, i guess we can start branching out to other tv series, and even soaps if anyone can think of any.

Berk's boss in Trap Door.

dr claw

ooh, Mad boss 'Doctor Claw' in Inspector Gadget cartoons.

hahaha xp

Orson on Mork & Mindy

The General in "Dastardly & Muttley" (aka "Catch That Pigeon")

Tom & Jerry - the loud woman with the mop.

Joe Maplin from Hi-de-Hi (tho we see his statue, described by alcoholic Ounch & Judy man Mr Partridge as a "graven image"). There is however, a reason for this: Perry & Croft thought Bob Monkhouse perfect to play Maplin, but Monkhouse turned the part down, so they decided the character wouldn't be in the show at all.

Also Hi-de-Hi: Peggy's boss Miss Cathcart.

Do we ever see Hyacinth's sister Violet and her cross dressing husband in Keeping Up Appearances? I don't think so, can someone confirm.

The animals in the Good Life eg Geraldine the goat, tho could be argued that the humour derives from the fact you don't see them and the audience has to imagine them as described by the characters.

Charlie!

Do we ever see Hyacinth's sister Violet and her cross dressing husband in Keeping Up Appearances? I don't think so, can someone confirm

Do you ever see the son? What's he called again... Sheridan?

The animals in the Good Life eg Geraldine the goat, tho could be argued that the humour derives from the fact you don't see them and the audience has to imagine them as described by the characters.

except, you did see them.

That bloke who owns the launderette in Eastenders - Mr Oppydoppy...whatshisname.

They have been making that joke for like 20 years.

oooh good one

(That might be the longest running gag on British TV actually).

Old Mr. Grace in "Are You Being Served?"

Oppadopolis

Audrey in "Fawlty Towers"

Old Mr Grace took over from Young MrGrace in latter series, sorry.

Audrey in "Fawlty Towers"

Remind me of that one again?

Sybil is always on the phone to her

Goes to stay with her when she falls out with Basil

Damn, Sparky shows up in one episode of MASH.

i remember they once had Mr Oppadopolous' son or nephew in Eastenders - he had taken over or was looking after the launderette and went there to meet Dot and inspect the premises.

There's a whole subset of characters who you only hear at the end of a phone - 'cept you don't even hear them

You never actually *see* Barbara in the League of Gentlemen, other than the occasional flash of skirt or hairy arm.

Good one! I'm sure there's another LoG character you never see, but I can't think of who it might be. Maybe I'm imagining things.

David?

Yes, well done.

You see normal metropolitan David in the first series but you never see monstrous thing upstairs David.

Drop The Dead Donkey's Sir Royston, altho apparently he did appear in the final episode.

Pete Gibbons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unseen_characters

Does Deal Or No Deal count as a sitcom?

On Seinfeld, Kramer's friend Bob Sacamato (or however the fuck it's spelled).

I have to say, it had strangely never occurred to me that Mrs Doyle might have a husband.

I assumed she was a widow.

doubt it, she lived in the house with Ted didn't she?

Do we ever see Hyacinth's sister Violet and her cross dressing husband in Keeping Up Appearances? I don't think so, can someone confirm.

Both Violet and her husband appeared in a handful of later episodes. Sheriden appeared once, but it was from behind as he got into a cab. BTW, did they ever show Elizabeth's husband or Emmit's ex-wife?

Minder - 'er indoors

Maris is the best of these in that she's actually a very well-drawn character you just never see. Most of the others are just names.

From the U.S. Office-Toby's ex-wife

Do we ever see Hyacinth's sister Violet and her cross dressing husband in Keeping Up Appearances? I don't think so, can someone confirm

I seem to remember one where Hyacinth throws a tea in Violet's "room for a pony" garden, which is spoiled by a fight about cross-dressing. Both parties are seen, although husband spends most of the time locked in a room upstairs throwing lingerie out the window, or something.

Sheridan is not seen, I don't think.

WTF you guys got Keeping Up Appearances over there and even more WTF actually watched it?!

Weird!

It's on PBS (public television), which has been syndicating that and Are You Being Served? since I was ... since I was a small child, I'm pretty sure. I think it's just traditional, at this point. And I suppose they're good shows for American to find quaint and/or curiously British. Watching Are You Being Served when you're a ten-year-old in the late 80s is a fascinating introduction to British people, especially if you're not entirely sure when it was made.

I don't have cable = I watch public television

My dad is a rabid fanboy for Keeping Up Appearances. I don't get it.

Sam Malone's brother

-- Ste, Thursday, January 10, 2008 9:14 AM (Thursday, January 10, 2008 9:14 AM) Bookmark Link

sorry but he was played by former nfl defensive end fred dryer.

I'm pretty sure Bruce in keeping up appearances appears dressed in a jockey outfit in one episode.

Dirty Gertie from Number 30

sorry but he was played by former nfl defensive end fred dryer HUNTER

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/enicar/HunterSeason1front400x286pixcels.jpg

YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WOULD GIVE FOR A LAW & ORDER: HUNTER

also for the U.S. Office, Kevin's fiancee ... right?

mrs. columbo

From the U.S. Office-Toby's ex-wife

-- C. Grisso/McCain, Thursday, January 10, 2008 5:09 PM (35 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

that's not really a "thing."

i didn't know fred dryer was in the college football hall of fame!

yeah s1ocki -- ancillary off-screen characters who have no impact on the show don't really count.

- "god" on the sitcom seventh heaven

sorry but he was played by former nfl defensive end fred dryer.

that was a different character, one of sam's old drinking/baseball buddies. sam's brother, who sweeps diana off her feet, is never seen.

juanita from andy griffith show

Margaret - the shop owner's wife in Little Britain.

yeah s1ocki -- ancillary off-screen characters who have no impact on the show don't really count.

-- remy bean, Thursday, January 10, 2008 5:48 PM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

ya, it's gotta be a device that they're not seen, not just a couple mentions here and there.

Godot.

Dolores Delvecchio (Vinnie's much-discussed girlfriend) on "Welcome Back, Kotter"; her body was the inspiration for Epstein's famous naked mural with Julie Kotter's head on top.

it amuses me greatly that nabisco's introduction to british culture is john inman breathing on his tape measure while captain peacock's moustache twitches accordingly.

It taught me everything I needed to know to eventually post to ILX

can't argue that

sorry but he was played by former nfl defensive end fred dryer.

that was a different character, one of sam's old drinking/baseball buddies. sam's brother, who sweeps diana off her feet, is never seen.

-- stevie, Thursday, January 10, 2008 11:54 AM (Thursday, January 10, 2008 11:54 AM) Bookmark Link

yeah, you're totally right. fred dryer played the sportscaster who gets sam a tv gig leading to rapping sammy, one of the all time low moments of broadcast television.

mrs. columbo

Never seen on Columbo itself, but you know she had her own show, right? (Played by Kate Mulgrew.)

roffle, it never occurred to me that the sportscaster was the guy who played Hunter.

roffle, it never occurred to me that the sportscaster was the guy who played Hunter.

Office US - have we ever actually seen BOB VANCE of VANCE REFRIGERATION?

yes

we went to his wedding

remember, we bought them that salad spinner?

god, it's like you don't take an interest in any of my friends at ALL