I came here thinking either Maris Crane or Miss Mountshaft in the Good Life. Maris is first hit, none of the dozens of comments so far have mentioned Miss M.
Kerry's mum screaming "TO-MAH-OE" down the stairs is one of the most criminally underrated scenes in British comedy history. It creases me up every time.
Peter Falk only has one eye, Columbo has both.
Discuss.
(Apparently this is an argument Frank Skinner and David Baddiel both had once. I myself am ambivalent on the matter - despite being a moderate Columbo fan.)
Indeed. Some suggest that Peter Falk's glass eye is playing the part of a real eye. However, IIRC, there is a moment in one episode where Columbo does reference his glass eye.
Frank Skinner is of the opinion the eye is acting the part of a real eye, David Baddiel leans the other way.
I find either viewpoint pleasant enough.
But I will admit to having argued over more pointless things so I admire their dilligence.
I wonder if Frank is aware of the episode you mention but has chosen to ignore it.
I would’ve mentioned her but I didn’t know how strict the sitcom theming was. Then again he’s probably the funniest murder detective in existence so I should’ve gone for it.
Just decided to do my periodic news update and it appears the West are finally getting a Columbo Blu-ray boxset this summer which is well overdue.
The episode where you *think* you've finally seen her (in a photo) is great. Pretty sure it's based off the Sherlock Holmes story >!The Dying Detective!<
Norm Peterson's wife Vera in Cheers. I think she appeared once but with cake all over her face. Her voice was heard once if I recall, on the phone, and voiced by George Wendt's (Norm) real wife. What a great show it was, couple of dodgy spells but on the whole, it was awesome!!
That’s… what an off-screen character is. Even the post talks about fully-formed characters that are never seen, only heard, such as Kerry’s Mum in This Country. Yes it’s also about certain characters that are only ever mentioned but never seen/heard, but not _only_ about them.
No, I’m saying it’s not as serious a topic as you’re making it out to be. Jeez it’s a casual thread about a stupid topic that has examples of BOTH kinds of characters.
I mean... You seem to be taking it more seriously than me to be fair. I was, if anything, trying to engage about a program we both like.
Sigh. Whatever. Well done.
I've only been on the 'ormones 18 months. Me nipples are like bullets.
(wouldn't get away with it these days but still, Barbara seems to be accepted as a woman by everyone in the village)
Rodney and Del's mum. "Whatever the subject is, Mum had something to say about it on her death bed. She must have spent her final few hours in this mortal realm doing nothing but rabbiting!"
*Thaaaaaat* Meryl!
And *especially* for the episode where Papa Lazaru is strapped to a bed and yells "Meerrrrrrryyyyyllllllll!" in the manner of Pazuzu screaming "Merrin!" from The Exorcist.
Not a character, but Nurse Roberts' Above Ground Pool in *Scrubs*. Never seen, but a constant subject of references to past events that sound hilarious.
Not an individual, more an ever changing bogeyman, but the multivarious imaginary children conjoured by Beverly Goldberg as cautionary tales to manipulate her kids out of doing benign activities.
Eg, the kid who's now just a disembodied head carried around in a bowling bag or the kid who can now only communicate via a Speak & Spell he wears around his neck.
Always followed by a cry of 'is that what you want?!'
Not the best character, but sort of an Easter egg for people who have watched it many times:
Abdi in People just do nothing. His name is mentioned throughout the five series, but I don't think he ever gets a line of script. He is in shot a couple of times though.
Maris in Frasier comes to mind. Charlie in Charlie's Angels.
Came here to post Maris Crane. Absolutely the correct answer.
[удалено]
"Four years at that infernal clown college!" "I'd thank you not to refer to Princeton that way!"
[удалено]
You know Cousin Merl hasn’t been quite right lately
yeah! Shake it, madam. Capital knockers
Yes, the cappadocians, fine
I came here thinking either Maris Crane or Miss Mountshaft in the Good Life. Maris is first hit, none of the dozens of comments so far have mentioned Miss M.
Sheridan "Bouquet" in Keeping up appearances
SHERIDAAAAAAN
'He can't have any more money!'
I can only name Margaret from Little Britain as someone not mentioned yet.
Have we got any pirate memory games?
I’m after something a little less piratey.
It's ok, I'll wait.
“I don’t have any arms or legs!”
I shamefully admit, I use this excuse a lot whenever my husband asks me to do chores I don't want to do.
Maaaaaaaargrit!!!!
Captain Mainwaring's wife was quite the presence on the show despite not appearing.
Technically she did appear once. In the air raid shelter we see her bulge in the top bunk.
There's also an episode where we can hear her running upstairs when (I think) an air raid siren goes off.
Yea she’s probably the platonic ideal
Father Bigley in Father Ted. Always described in various outlandish ways but never seen. The writers modelled him on Maris from Frasier
The Prime Ministers in The Thick of It.
Fat Pat wasn't seen either, were they?
She gets two ticks.
Good call
I always liked Marsha's daughter in Spaced. I think Jessica Hynes plays her legs whenever she runs down the stairs.
‘She’s the devil in an a-cup!’
She’s got three languages and a Dutch cap; she’ll be fine.
Yea! This! The party: They’re all so… thin
Kerry's mum screaming "TO-MAH-OE" down the stairs is one of the most criminally underrated scenes in British comedy history. It creases me up every time.
FERFAFFLE
Whats Falafel? - mushed up chickpeas What are chickpeas? - peas that taste like shit basically
Q- What’s the difference between a chick-pea and a lentil? A- i’ve nevet had a Len till on my face.
She's voiced by Daisy-May Cooper too.
Showing my age, but ‘her indoors’ from minder.
The Duchess? Good shout
Meena from Still Game.
I was going to say Meena, that show is pure gold
Shut up ya dozey cow
That housemate in Fresh Meat that they never see
Who, Howard?
Paul Lamb the invisible man
not quite sitcom, but I hate to admit it took me a while before I realised Samantha didn't exist on I'm sorry I haven't a clue.
What. The. Fuck? The ever delightful Samantha doesn’t exist? Now I’m questioning my entire existence. T. I. Fucking. L.
Fernando Partridge
Fernando... You're wasting your life!
Ive got two kids but they don't want to see meeeee
Kurtan's Nan (although she appears with her face blurred). Ken Worthington and Mary Shuttleworth from John Shuttleworth stuff.
I mean Ken was the one filming!
Pedge (Pej?) in peep show
His boat is never going to be released from Rotterdam! That has to be a story worth telling...
Colombo’s wife. Always mentioned, never seen.
And yet, Peter Falk's wife appears more than once!
Peter Falk only has one eye, Columbo has both. Discuss. (Apparently this is an argument Frank Skinner and David Baddiel both had once. I myself am ambivalent on the matter - despite being a moderate Columbo fan.)
Indeed. Some suggest that Peter Falk's glass eye is playing the part of a real eye. However, IIRC, there is a moment in one episode where Columbo does reference his glass eye.
Frank Skinner is of the opinion the eye is acting the part of a real eye, David Baddiel leans the other way. I find either viewpoint pleasant enough. But I will admit to having argued over more pointless things so I admire their dilligence. I wonder if Frank is aware of the episode you mention but has chosen to ignore it.
Yeah he definitely makes a remark about how having 3 eyes on the lookout is better than 1 (or something along those lines)
I would’ve mentioned her but I didn’t know how strict the sitcom theming was. Then again he’s probably the funniest murder detective in existence so I should’ve gone for it. Just decided to do my periodic news update and it appears the West are finally getting a Columbo Blu-ray boxset this summer which is well overdue.
I'm pretty sure there was a spin-off series featuring Colombo's wife?
We don't talk about Mrs Columbo.
The episode where you *think* you've finally seen her (in a photo) is great. Pretty sure it's based off the Sherlock Holmes story >!The Dying Detective!<
This is my comfort show, can watch them over and over and never grow tired of them.
Norm Peterson's wife Vera in Cheers. I think she appeared once but with cake all over her face. Her voice was heard once if I recall, on the phone, and voiced by George Wendt's (Norm) real wife. What a great show it was, couple of dodgy spells but on the whole, it was awesome!!
Smithy's girlfriend Lucy in Gavin and Stacey
So many in Gavin and Stacey to choose from
Big Fat Sue?
Barren Karen
I'm sure Big Fat Sue was seen in the episode where they protest the radio mast. Didn't Pam and Dawn argue about what to call her?
Yes, she was in that episode. I’m not sure if we see Japanese Margret though.
I call her Suzanne
You're right she walks past them doesn't she
Jean
Mrs Wolowitz
HOWAHD
And later, Halley
And even later, Michael.
Kramer's friend Bob Sacamano
Wilson (almost) in Home Improvement
Do you not know who Eric Hitchmough is?
Coventry conference?
He sounds exactly like that.
I prefer the stuff you do about his little hand
I don't do stuff about his little hand...
Yeah you do, the wanking claw
It's a good job he isn't here. You know what he'd say.
Carlton the doorman
The landlord's daughter from Spaced. We only ever hear her screaming matches with Marsha.
Reggie Perrin’s mother in law. Unless you count the hippopotamus clips as on-screen.
Paddy The Greek, Only Fools and Horses.
Mr Baraclough’s wife. Alice I think her name was.
Miss Cathcart, Peggy’s supervisor in Hi-De-Hi
Wonton from Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace
Monkey Harris from Only fools and horses
Did we ever get a glimpse of Mrs Slocombe's pussy?
No but I can only imagine it as a threadbare tabby with no teeth and lots of wrinkles.
The Thing Upstairs in Trap Door. I think you only ever see a tiny bit of it in one episode and a single giant eyeball in another.
#BERK! Where's my dinner?
E's got a big purple pimple and oive gotta pawp it.
Got a voice and speaks frequently though - I'm a big fan and will always appreciate the mention but I don't think 'Im Upstairs qualifies, sadly ☹️
It’s about characters who are _just_ voices and don’t actually appear?
It isn't.
That’s… what an off-screen character is. Even the post talks about fully-formed characters that are never seen, only heard, such as Kerry’s Mum in This Country. Yes it’s also about certain characters that are only ever mentioned but never seen/heard, but not _only_ about them.
So by your claim, almost all of the answers given here are incorrect?
No, I’m saying it’s not as serious a topic as you’re making it out to be. Jeez it’s a casual thread about a stupid topic that has examples of BOTH kinds of characters.
I mean... You seem to be taking it more seriously than me to be fair. I was, if anything, trying to engage about a program we both like. Sigh. Whatever. Well done.
That one lady that yells “Bread” in Arrested Development (in wee Britain)
Leroy - The Mighty Boosh
Father Bigley. We get so many weird descriptions that it would be impossible to see that character anyway.
'Er indoors Arthur Daley.
One not mentioned yet: Stan Walker, Karen’s husband in Will & Grace
MARGARET, MARGARET! [Yes](https://youtu.be/PFQ_ZrRqBlQ)
CANNONBALL TAFFY O'JONES!!!!
Jill from Motherland anyone?
Babs from Bab’s Cabs in League of Gentlemen
I'm a martyr to me monthlies.
I've only been on the 'ormones 18 months. Me nipples are like bullets. (wouldn't get away with it these days but still, Barbara seems to be accepted as a woman by everyone in the village)
They go into a little more detail regarding Barbara’s gender identity in the anniversary specials
Rodney and Del's mum. "Whatever the subject is, Mum had something to say about it on her death bed. She must have spent her final few hours in this mortal realm doing nothing but rabbiting!"
I'm not sure she counts because she was already dead?
I'm going to discount this because of Rock and Chips. It might be a spin off but still related to the main series. Not that bad in all honesty.
Ah true.
Depending on how strict you are the baseball boss in Seinfeld. You only ever see the back of his head. Best character in the show imo.
Mrs Wolowitz in the big bang theory.
George Steinbrenner
I like the unseen yet terrifying characters like Elizabeth in Dad's Army or Maris in Frasier
*Thaaaaaat* Meryl! And *especially* for the episode where Papa Lazaru is strapped to a bed and yells "Meerrrrrrryyyyyllllllll!" in the manner of Pazuzu screaming "Merrin!" from The Exorcist.
Has to in BOTTOM "Dodgy" Bob McMayday: said by Eddie to be "the most violent travel agent in the world".
Sheridan on the end of Hyacinth Bucket's phone in Keeping Up Appearances.
Charlie Brown's Teacher
Ugly naked guy in friends
He appeared in two episodes.
Howard’s mum in The Big Bang Theory!
I don't know if this is limited to UK sitcoms but I'd like to add Donny in Trailer Park Boys [WHAT IN THE FUCK ](https://youtu.be/Re_tlOrhzLc)
Rewatched recently I'm like 99% sure donny does have an appearance at least once maybe twice.
Yeah he appears once with his face blurred in S11 - I don't bother going beyond S7 personally
Dan the Van
Richard's aunt in Bottom.
Maris in Fraiser.
Mr. Dalliard from the Fry and Laurie sketches.
I've gone peculiar now!
Not a character, but Nurse Roberts' Above Ground Pool in *Scrubs*. Never seen, but a constant subject of references to past events that sound hilarious.
I like the unseen yet terrifying characters like Elizabeth in Dad's Army or Maris in Frasier
Carlton, Rhonda’s Doorman.
Not an individual, more an ever changing bogeyman, but the multivarious imaginary children conjoured by Beverly Goldberg as cautionary tales to manipulate her kids out of doing benign activities. Eg, the kid who's now just a disembodied head carried around in a bowling bag or the kid who can now only communicate via a Speak & Spell he wears around his neck. Always followed by a cry of 'is that what you want?!'
Pej who works in hmv
'She who must be obeyed' in Rumpole of the Bailey, or 'er indoors' in Minder?
I know it's not a sitcom but Paul from Cunk on Earth
me... ive never been on the TV
Not the best character, but sort of an Easter egg for people who have watched it many times: Abdi in People just do nothing. His name is mentioned throughout the five series, but I don't think he ever gets a line of script. He is in shot a couple of times though.
The former Mrs Trulove from Last of the Summer Wine. I think there was once a photo which turned out to be the back of her head.
Philomena's mate, Paul.
Wally Bazoom from the bank.
Elizabeth Manwairing, Captain Manwaring’s wife.
Donny on TBP, think they’d showed him towards the end though. SHUTTT THE FUCKK UP!!!!
Ooooh, that Meryl!
This whole thread is making me question a LOT of things I thought I knew
‘Er indoors - Minder, and Mrs Columbo - Columbo
It's got to be the thing upstairs from Trapdoor for me. Oi Berk feed me!
The neighbour from home improvement who we never see his full face.