new characters that made a TV show better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Woody Strode, the coroner, on "Psych." The show was and would still have been great without Woody's addition, but he was such a breath of weird fresh air whenever he appeared with his freaky quirks. And "Psych" very wisely did not overuse him; it gave us enough Woody to love him but never let him overstay his welcome. The show was good at that -- using extremely quirky characters just enough to leave us wanting more, but not overdoing them.

Hope we'll see Woody again in the fourth Psych movie that's supposed to happen (fingers crossed).

He's played by the terrific, prolific character actor Kurt Fuller, whom everyone has seen in something over the years.

My fellow Psych-o!! I do love Woody, too. And forgot he didn't come on until the show had been on for a while.

I'll add Pierre Despereaux, too. I loved every episode he was in.

I think we've crossed paths here before, Psych-O. Despereaux is indeed a wonder, though I'd call him more of repeat guest character than a recurring one, like Woody. And I think my theory that the show always knew not to overuse characters applies to Despereaux, too. We got great episodes centered around him and were left with a fun mystery. I never want to know for sure whether he was a government agent pretending to be a thief, or a thief/con pretending to be an agent, or a bit of both....

NEVER! Though I would not be upset in the least if he features in a Psych movie, one of these years.

The script for Psych 4 has been finished for a while, and they were going to film in 2022, but schedules got in the way according to James Roday Rodriguez (probably meaning his and Dule Hill's work at that time in ongoing TV series). Both of their series have ended, and then the strike hit, but now that the strike's over, I'm hoping Peacock will greenlight the movie again publicly and they'll film soon.

And a Despereaux cameo would be delicious. But I agree! Let him remain a handsome, charming mystery wrapped in an enigma!

[Anonymous]

Meghan on Mad Men was a great add to me.

When they switched Darrins on Bewitched.

Tiger on TBB until the dog got run over at the studio.

[Anonymous]

Ziva on NCIS

[Anonymous]

Michonne on TWD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woody Boyd on Cheers.

YES I know we’re supposed to love Coach and it’s sad that he died but Woody was a great shot in the arm for that show. Also Rebecca was better than Diane.

Yes, based on a critics list of classic comedy TV episodes (like MTM Chuckles the Clown), I recently re-watched a 1983 episode of Cheers with Harry Anderson guest starring as con-man Harry the Hat. I was actually surprised how good Coach was, but I was really struck by how totally annoying Diane was! I hadn’t remembered that from the original viewing years. Rebecca really was a relief after the uptight, talk-talk-talk Diane.

[Anonymous]

Andy on “The Office”

[Anonymous]

Andy on “The Office”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amanda on Melrose Place
Jimmy Smits on SOA mainly b/c I just love Jim Smits and he is eye candy to me

Jimmy Smits on "The West Wing." But that show was great at adding characters. Smits as Matt Santos was terrific, complex, ambitious and genuinely idealistic at the same time.

Yes! And Alan Alda too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woody Boyd on Cheers.

YES I know we’re supposed to love Coach and it’s sad that he died but Woody was a great shot in the arm for that show. Also Rebecca was better than Diane.

Yes, based on a critics list of classic comedy TV episodes (like MTM Chuckles the Clown), I recently re-watched a 1983 episode of Cheers with Harry Anderson guest starring as con-man Harry the Hat. I was actually surprised how good Coach was, but I was really struck by how totally annoying Diane was! I hadn’t remembered that from the original viewing years. Rebecca really was a relief after the uptight, talk-talk-talk Diane.

Since you mention MTM, we’d be remiss not to acknowledge Sue Ann Nivens as a **great** addition to the ensemble. (Though I hate how Phyllis showed up less and less frequently as the seasons went along—I assume Cloris Leachman had other engagements? She was so amazingly funny.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amanda on Melrose Place
Jimmy Smits on SOA mainly b/c I just love Jim Smits and he is eye candy to me

Jimmy Smits on "The West Wing." But that show was great at adding characters. Smits as Matt Santos was terrific, complex, ambitious and genuinely idealistic at the same time.

Yes! And Alan Alda too.

Agree. The live debate with Vinick (Alda) and Santos (Smits) was brilliantly risky TV in its time. And so was the series' ending, with Vinick and Santos...well, I don't want to say, since it would be a spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen the series, and it's a good ending worth keeping a surprise. Interesting to note that at the series' end, it was characters introduced long after the series' start who had shifted into the lead. (Though "The West Wing" will always be "The Education of Josh Lyman" on many levels.)

[Anonymous]

Tiffani-Amber Thiessen for Shannen Doherty, Beverly Hills, 90210

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woody Boyd on Cheers.

YES I know we’re supposed to love Coach and it’s sad that he died but Woody was a great shot in the arm for that show. Also Rebecca was better than Diane.

Yes, based on a critics list of classic comedy TV episodes (like MTM Chuckles the Clown), I recently re-watched a 1983 episode of Cheers with Harry Anderson guest starring as con-man Harry the Hat. I was actually surprised how good Coach was, but I was really struck by how totally annoying Diane was! I hadn’t remembered that from the original viewing years. Rebecca really was a relief after the uptight, talk-talk-talk Diane.

Since you mention MTM, we’d be remiss not to acknowledge Sue Ann Nivens as a **great** addition to the ensemble. (Though I hate how Phyllis showed up less and less frequently as the seasons went along—I assume Cloris Leachman had other engagements? She was so amazingly funny.)

Leachman had her own spin-off - “Phyllis” - in the mid-70s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woody Boyd on Cheers.

YES I know we’re supposed to love Coach and it’s sad that he died but Woody was a great shot in the arm for that show. Also Rebecca was better than Diane.

Yes, based on a critics list of classic comedy TV episodes (like MTM Chuckles the Clown), I recently re-watched a 1983 episode of Cheers with Harry Anderson guest starring as con-man Harry the Hat. I was actually surprised how good Coach was, but I was really struck by how totally annoying Diane was! I hadn’t remembered that from the original viewing years. Rebecca really was a relief after the uptight, talk-talk-talk Diane.

Since you mention MTM, we’d be remiss not to acknowledge Sue Ann Nivens as a **great** addition to the ensemble. (Though I hate how Phyllis showed up less and less frequently as the seasons went along—I assume Cloris Leachman had other engagements? She was so amazingly funny.)

Leachman had her own spin-off - “Phyllis” - in the mid-70s.

I was thinking that Phyllis and Rhoda both came after MTM ended its run, but it looked like Rhoda started in 1974, Phyllis in 1975, and then MTM ended in 1977. I wonder if the spin-offs would have been more successful if they’d waited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amanda on Melrose Place
Jimmy Smits on SOA mainly b/c I just love Jim Smits and he is eye candy to me

Jimmy Smits on "The West Wing." But that show was great at adding characters. Smits as Matt Santos was terrific, complex, ambitious and genuinely idealistic at the same time.

Yes! And Alan Alda too.

Agree. The live debate with Vinick (Alda) and Santos (Smits) was brilliantly risky TV in its time. And so was the series' ending, with Vinick and Santos...well, I don't want to say, since it would be a spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen the series, and it's a good ending worth keeping a surprise. Interesting to note that at the series' end, it was characters introduced long after the series' start who had shifted into the lead. (Though "The West Wing" will always be "The Education of Josh Lyman" on many levels.)

It is way past spoiler time.

Jimmy Smits won!

They telegraphed the ending on the first episode when they all showed up at the Bartlett Library dedication.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I loved Clark on the Office. I wish he had been there all along.

Ew no.