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Thread: "Phantom" Role Players and other Mysteries in TV Series (or Movies)

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    Member TheH's Avatar
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    "Phantom" Role Players and other Mysteries in TV Series (or Movies)

    Don't known if there is a specific term for this, but I'm looking for further excamples like this:

    "Role Players" that do not really appear (or not in full) in TV series (or Movies) but are somehow there
    in most episodes.

    Like:

    Inspector Columbo's wife (or totally other aspect: his first name)
    Howard Wolowitz's mum
    "Mr. Masters" in Magnum
    Tim's neighbor in "Home Improvement"
    Charlie in Charlie's Angels

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    Carlton The Doorman on "Rhoda"

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gravedigger View Post
    Carlton The Doorman on "Rhoda"
    "Who Is It ?" "Who Is It ?"

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    Nanny Fine's father Morty (who appears in full only rather late in the show for one or two episodes)

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    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    Did they ever show Niles Crane's wife on Frazier?

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    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gravedigger View Post
    Carlton The Doorman on "Rhoda"
    Also wrote the theme to The Bob Newhart Show

    Was the long-time voice of Garfield

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    Quote Originally Posted by 3LockBox View Post
    Did they ever show Niles Crane's wife on Frazier?
    No, you are right, Maris Crane never really appeared.

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Donald Penobscot

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    Member Dave the Brave's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    Donald Penobscot
    Actually he did appear in 2 episode's of Mash.

    http://mash.wikia.com/wiki/Lt._Colon...ald_Penobscott

    DtB

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    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 3LockBox View Post
    Did they ever show Niles Crane's wife on Frazier?
    Quote Originally Posted by TheH View Post
    No, you are right, Maris Crane never really appeared.
    An idea which was "borrowed" from Norm's wife, Vera, on Cheers.
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave the Brave View Post
    Actually he did appear in 2 episode's of Mash.

    http://mash.wikia.com/wiki/Lt._Colon...ald_Penobscott

    DtB
    Yes, but he was a Phantom for almost a whole season of the series so he counts.

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    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    Buddy Sorrel's wife "Pickles" from the Dick Van Dyke Show.

    Carl Reiner voiced the part of Alan Brady on the Dick Van Dyke Show but was never shown on camera for the first few seasons.

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    Cousin Jeffery on Seinfeld.

  14. #14
    Karen's husband on Will & Grace
    Currently attempting to catch up on all of the chaos in the Market Square.

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    Howard's mother on the Big Bang Theory. Heard but never seen on camera. When the actress supplying the voice died so did the character.
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    How about all the adults in all the Peanuts shows/movies? You never see them or hear a legible word from any of them.

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    ALL ACCESS Gruno's Avatar
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    Orson on Mork & Mindy

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    Pendulumswingingdoomsday Rune Blackwings's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheH View Post
    Don't known if there is a specific term for this, but I'm looking for further excamples like this:

    "Role Players" that do not really appear (or not in full) in TV series (or Movies) but are somehow there
    in most episodes.

    Like:

    Inspector Columbo's wife (or totally other aspect: his first name)
    Howard Wolowitz's mum
    "Mr. Masters" in Magnum
    Tim's neighbor in "Home Improvement"
    Charlie in Charlie's Angels
    Throughout the series, Columbo's first name is thought to be either Phil or Frank, depending on the episode and, according to people who obsess over this, you can see his name in several episodes when he flashes a badge that has his ID....I will take their word for it.

    Mrs. Columbo sort of appears....but not in her husband's show. Kate Mulgrew played in a show that went through several incarnations because the first concept had people figuring out that Columbo was a closet pedophile when they actually did the math on their ages. They eventually worked it away from being Columbo related at all before canning it. Columbo never appears in the show in any incarnation, but his car and basset hound do.

    Murder She wrote has a recurring legend character, Joshua Peabody, whose existence is questioned.
    "Alienated-so alien I go!"

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    Member TheH's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rune Blackwings View Post
    Throughout the series, Columbo's first name is thought to be either Phil or Frank, depending on the episode and, according to people who obsess over this, you can see his name in several episodes when he flashes a badge that has his ID....I will take their word for it.
    My favourite dialogue about this topic is:

    Woman: What's your name?
    Columbo: Inspector Columbo.
    Woman: what's your first name?
    Columbo: Inspector!

  20. #20
    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    I always thought it was Frank

  21. #21
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheH View Post

    Inspector Columbo's wife (or totally other aspect: his first name)
    Was he actually known as "Inspector" Columbo in your country?

  22. #22
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rune Blackwings View Post
    Mrs. Columbo sort of appears....but not in her husband's show. Kate Mulgrew played in a show that went through several incarnations because the first concept had people figuring out that Columbo was a closet pedophile when they actually did the math on their ages.
    She was 24 when she was in her own show. Several years after "Columbo".

  23. #23
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    The Big Giant Head on 3rd Rock from the Sun was a phantom character for several seasons until they brought William Shatner in as that character, and to make a Twilight Zone inside joke.

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    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rune Blackwings View Post

    Mrs. Columbo sort of appears....but not in her husband's show. Kate Mulgrew played in a show that went through several incarnations because the first concept had people figuring out that Columbo was a closet pedophile when they actually did the math on their ages. They eventually worked it away from being Columbo related at all before canning it. Columbo never appears in the show in any incarnation, but his car and basset hound do.
    Yeah. I remember that show. Me mum watched it. I was a fan of Columbo as a kid and thought was a dumb idea. Peter Faulk hated it. I remember him on a TV interview regarding some movie he was in and the subject came up and he didn't want to make any comments but wore his opinion on his sleave. The show was repackaged as Kate Loves A Mystery after one year but died a quick and deserved death. I didn't know that they tried to ditch the Columbo connection but never really paid much attention. Never warmed up to Mulgrew's attempt at channeling Katherine Hepburn then or later.

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    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheH View Post
    Tim's neighbor in "Home Improvement"
    He was frequently shown, but you could never see his whole face.


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