Several of TV’s funniest characters were never actually shown on screen. We didn’t get to see them, but we knew them. We hear about these characters, they play a big role in many sitcom episodes, but we never get to see their faces. These are the most famous TV characters we never see:
The Big Bang Theory: Howard’s Mom
We’ve heard her grating voice, and laughed at her odd comments, but we’ve never actually seen Mrs. Wolowitz. We can imagine she’s a large woman with a strong will, and maybe some outdated old-lady clothing. She cooks a fine brisket, though! We may never get to see her on the Big Bang Theory, but we love Mrs. W. and her antics.
Seinfeld: Bob Sacamento
Kramer’s friend, Bob Sacamento, has done a great many things, but we never got to see him on the Seinfeld show. He improved the paddle ball game, gave Elaine tips on where to buy fake fur, and told Jerry how to buy a cheap Wizard calculator. He’s an amazing guy, and a good friend to Kramer, but invisible to us.
Will & Grace: Karen’s Husband
Stan Walker, the wealthy man Karen married, was never shown. We only heard about him, and saw the effects of his money.
Just Shoot Me: Binnie
Remember David Spade’s sitcom from 1997 to 2003? Nina Van Horn had a lady friend named Binnie (or Binny), but we never got to see her. Binnie was a flapper, a fun alcoholic, she knew all the best clubs and hit the circuit with Nina in the 70s. The two of them were ahead of their time, and knew (or did) more pop stars than anyone else. “My friend Binnie insisted we go to a pagan fertility ritual. Talk about a night of debauchery. I can’t imagine how anyone could go to the pagan 10K this morning.” We never saw her, but after she died we did see the back of her ghost head. Elliott: “I need you to distract him. Just don’t talk about Binnie or anything that happened in the seventies”
M.A.S.H: Sparky
Radar and Klinger talked to Staff Sgt. “Sparky” Pryor on the phone, but we never saw Sparky. He was the army phone operator who put the calls through to HQ or the 8063 He was a cool guy, we can imagine. Once he helped Radar trade spam for other things, and he always put the calls right through (after a friend catch-up chat). He was a good friend to Radar, and later to Klinger, even if he never got any face time on screen.
Frasier: Maris
Niles Crane’s wife Maris was discussed, despised and ridiculed by the characters on Frasier, but we never saw her. She was thin, demanding, and a good candidate for the B word. Maris was Freddy’s mom, but otherwise not a great gal. We never saw her in person, but she was hilarious in hearsay.
Cheers: Norm’s Wife
Vera Peterson called Norm many times at Cheers, and he often talked about her, but we never got to see the bride of the famous barfly.
The Munsters: Spot
We never actually saw Eddie Munster’s pet dragon. We only saw the tail. But he seemed like a nice pet. There were other family members, like Uncle Boris, we also only heard about… but never saw.
Charlie’s Angels: Charlie Townsend
The girls solved crime in the 70’s, but their boss stayed distant. We only heard his voice on that large outdated speaker connected to the phone.
Partial Appearances:
Wilson, the neighbor on “Home Improvement” was only seen from the eyes up.
George Steinbrenner on Seinfeld was only seen from behind.
You see, some of the funniest characters on TV don’t even have to show up for work. They can literally just phone it in.
See Also: Best High School TV Sitcoms
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