There have been a number of sitcom characters that you never actually see for the entire run of the show. These are people where the character's voice is heard, or maybe the charater's name is often mentioned, but we never get to actually see the person.

I'll start it off with the following example:

"Carlton the Doorman" from "Rhoda".

What other examples can you think of that fit this category?

Vera (Cheers)
Maris (Frasier)

Originally posted by Jimbo
There have been a number of sitcom characters that you never actually see for the entire run of the show. These are people where the character's voice is heard, or maybe the charater's name is often mentioned, but we never get to actually see the person.

I'll start it off with the following example:

"Carlton the Doorman" from "Rhoda".

What other examples can you think of that fit this category?

Fran's dad on The Nanny. I think once or twice we saw the back of his head but he was mostly a name, not a face

Chrissy's sick mother (Three's Company)

Originally posted by Jimbo
There have been a number of sitcom characters that you never actually see for the entire run of the show. These are people where the character's voice is heard, or maybe the charater's name is often mentioned, but we never get to actually see the person.

I'll start it off with the following example:

"Carlton the Doorman" from "Rhoda".

What other examples can you think of that fit this category?

Lars Lindstrom on The Mary Tyler Moore Show

That's all I can think of now...I'm sure there are more!

Stan from Will and Grace.

Originally posted by SomersCompany3
Chrissy's sick mother (Three's Company)

Yeah, they never did show her after she was sick, but Chrissy's mom was on the show once.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The neighbor on "Home Improvement"--I stopped watching the show all together after the first couple of seasons--did his face ever get fully revealed, like maybe on the last episode?

I can think of another example but it's not a sitcom. No need mentioning that. I don't think I'd want to anyhow. It's a dreadful show. Lol.

Originally posted by Cashodeen
I can think of another example but it's not a sitcom. No need mentioning that. I don't think I'd want to anyhow. It's a dreadful show. Lol.
Nice try. Let's hear it, lol. Seriously, share it with us. :)

Sarah - the telephone operator from The Andy Griffith Show. Everytime anyone picks up a phone to place a call, they always start off by saying, "Sarah, get me......." But we never saw her.
:)

Originally posted by Nanny Fine
Fran's dad on The Nanny. I think once or twice we saw the back of his head but he was mostly a name, not a face
Actually, there was one episode where Morty does appear. I forgot who was the actor that played him, but the episode involved Sylvia believing that Morty didn't love her anymore. BTW, it was not Fran Drescher's real father. The real Morty Drescher did appear in a couple episodes of The Nanny, but he played her uncle... Uncle Stanley I believe his name was.

Originally posted by Sterling Holobyte
Sarah - the telephone operator from The Andy Griffith Show. Everytime anyone picks up a phone to place a call, they always start off by saying, "Sarah, get me......." But we never saw her.
:)
This reminds me of the receptionist on The Dick Van Dyke Show. They refer to her, but we never see her. I can't remember her name offhand....Madge, Marge or something?
Anyone?

Originally posted by Sterling Holobyte
Sarah - the telephone operator from The Andy Griffith Show. Everytime anyone picks up a phone to place a call, they always start off by saying, "Sarah, get me......." But we never saw her.
:)

We also didn't get to see Juanita, which Barney talked to on the phone sometimes.

Another I can think of is Peg's mother in Married with Children. The character was originally supposed to be played by Divine but he died from Sleep Apnea and so they decided out of respect to have the character heard but never seen.

Originally posted by Janice
Nice try. Let's hear it, lol. Seriously, share it with us. :)
But it's not a sitcom! LOL, what was with me shooting off at the mouth like that anyways? I hate it when people mentioned something but purposely won't give the details, and here I do it! :crazy:

It's a character (don't know his name) on a day time soap--and not just any day time soap, but probably the hokiest and most ridiculous of them all--Passions. Ugh. Aren't you sorry I told? I know I am. Lol.

Irma Mooney from The Lucy Show.

Originally posted by Fran Fan

Actually, there was one episode where Morty does appear. I forgot who was the actor that played him, but the episode involved Sylvia believing that Morty didn't love her anymore. BTW, it was not Fran Drescher's real father. The real Morty Drescher did appear in a couple episodes of The Nanny, but he played her uncle... Uncle Stanley I believe his name was.

I must not have caught that episode yet - there are about 10 that I dont have.

And I know that it wasn't Fran's "real" dad and that her real dad did appear in the show.

Iola's parents - Mama's Family

Roselle Huplander(sp?)- Mama's Family

Pete Porter's wife Gladys- December Bride

Epstein's Mother(of the infamous written excuses)- Welcome Back Kotter

Sam's brother Derek in Cheers

Originally posted by Penny Lane
Iola's parents - Mama's Family

Roselle Huplander(sp?)- Mama's Family

Pete Porter's wife Gladys- December Bride

Epstein's Mother(of the infamous written excuses)- Welcome Back Kotter

Actually I think we do see Roselle. Wasn't she the one who didn't know how to read?

How about Carol Brady's friend Martha or aunt Mary from The Brady Bunch?

Originally posted by Fran Fan

Actually, there was one episode where Morty does appear. I forgot who was the actor that played him, but the episode involved Sylvia believing that Morty didn't love her anymore. BTW, it was not Fran Drescher's real father. The real Morty Drescher did appear in a couple episodes of The Nanny, but he played her uncle... Uncle Stanley I believe his name was.

Singer / Actor Steve Lawrence played Morty Fine.

I really hate to mention this sit-com, because it was really bad (in my opinion, at least.) "Out of This World", was a show about a girl named Evie, who was half-alien, half-human. Her dad (the alien), was only heard on the show, via an advanced communication device that he gave Evie. The voice of Evie's father was supplied by actor Burt Reynolds.

On Magnum, P.I. - Magnum's boss, Robin Masters - was never seen, just heard. Actor / Director Orson Welles was the voice of Masters.

Another character that was only heard was Orson - on "Mork and Mindy." Mork used to communicate with him via telepathy. Actor Ralph James supplied his voice.

Originally posted by Sean12


Actually I think we do see Roselle. Wasn't she the one who didn't know how to read?
No, that was Lollie Perdue. Remember she was elected president of the CLL(In a different episode) because, in Vinton's words, "She was the only one big enough to separate you two(Mama and Iola- during their debate)!" But then they wanted to impeach her(In the episode you're referring to) because she was always making mistakes, which they later found out it was because she couldn't read.

Originally posted by Sean12


Actually I think we do see Roselle. Wasn't she the one who didn't know how to read?

No, that was Lollie Perdue(sp)

I cannot recall ever seeing George's friend Dutch on Newhart or the principal on Welcome Back Kotter.

One more:

Mr. Shotz, the owner of the brewery on "LaVerne and Shirley". Although they did have his picture on the wall inside the brewery, he never appeared in person. Whenever he spoke to LaVerne and Shirley, he did so over the loudspeaker in the break room.

Can't believe I forgot this one:
But how about the guy who announces "Incoming wounded" on MASH, and does some other funny announcements! I know that's Radar's job, and he did make some of the announcements, but this other guy didn't even sound like Radar, and he made them when Radar wasn't even on the show anymore. So, who was that guy?

I just thought of another one...

Peg Bundy's mother (Al's mother-in-law). We never saw her but we knew she was really, really fat and really, really ugly and really mean. We did see her shadow and as you can guess it wasn't pretty looking!

Originally posted by Sterling Holobyte
Can't believe I forgot this one:
But how about the guy who announces "Incoming wounded" on MASH, and does some other funny announcements! I know that's Radar's job, and he did make some of the announcements, but this other guy didn't even sound like Radar, and he made them when Radar wasn't even on the show anymore. So, who was that guy? that's one of the most-assked questions about MASH. There were actually 2 anouncers, one was Todd Sussmann, and the other one was Sal something (I forget his last name). They were both also on the show a couple times, in small roles. Todd Susssman played a soldier once who told Fr. Mulcahey where to find some pennicilan, and the other one played a soldier once who asked Hawkeye & Trapper to give him a nose job.

He also played a poliece cheif on "Newhart", and he was the tooth fairy in commercials for Crest Toothpaste. And Todd Susmann played a priest on "Soap".

Originally posted by Sterling Holobyte
Can't believe I forgot this one:
But how about the guy who announces "Incoming wounded" on MASH, and does some other funny announcements! I know that's Radar's job, and he did make some of the announcements, but this other guy didn't even sound like Radar, and he made them when Radar wasn't even on the show anymore. So, who was that guy?

While we're on the subject of M*A*S*H, there's also "Sparky", the other supply clerk that Radar is always calling when he's trying to make a deal to get medicine and supplies.

Originally posted by Jimbo


While we're on the subject of M*A*S*H, there's also "Sparky", the other supply clerk that Radar is always calling when he's trying to make a deal to get medicine and supplies.
Actually, Sparky was seen in one episode. I forgot the name of it, but it is the one where Hawkeye and Trapper make up the fictional Capt. Tuttle, remember that one?! We see Sparky when Major Houlihan wants to call General Clayton to check up on Tuttle, and Radar secretly asks Sparky to reroute the call back to them so Hawkeye can impersonate General Clayton. Sparky was eating a sandwich and he thanks Radar for sending him a Captain Marvel comic book.