Shows where a secondary character became the reason to watch

[BD Sullivan]

Cozi recently ran a 1949-50 episode of the Lone Ranger in which John Banner played the bad guy, a sinister European spy. He was good. He probably wasn't fully appreciated as an actor - especially by those who only saw him as the buffoonish Schultz.

It’s a shame that John Banner passed away so soon after ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ went off the air. He was a talent.

Banner is in that select group of notable people who died on their birthday.

 

[marioj]

These days, on "2 Broke Girls," Sophie (Jennifer Coolidge, aka Stiffler's mom) is starting to steal the title characters' thunder, considering the audience's reaction when she hits the stage.

 

[rnigma1]

John Banner had a cameo as Schultz in a "Lucy Show" episode where Lucy, as "Iron Man Carmichael," worked with Bob Crane on a World War I movie. Crane opens a door and there's Schultz, with his trademark "I see nothing" line. "Wrong war, Schultz!" says Bob as he shuts the door.

Before "Hogan's Heroes," John Banner worked with Werner Klemperer in the film "Operation Eichmann." He also overdubbed the actor playing Polonius in the made-for-German-TV "Hamlet" that starred Maximilian Schell (riffed on MST3K - and Mike and the bots made plenty of Schultz references).

 

[BobSacamano]

These days, on "2 Broke Girls," Sophie (Jennifer Coolidge, aka Stiffler's mom) is starting to steal the title characters' thunder, considering the audience's reaction when she hits the stage.

IMO she's ruining the show..

 

[deltas69]

James Best on Dukes of Hazzard as Sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane..had a couple of episodes on Andy Griffith as Jim Lindsey joining "Bobby Fleet and his band with a beat"..He has been in many tv shows can play comedy as well as drama and a bad guy..now we move on to Mills Watson on Sheriff Lobo...the deputy always referring to himself as the "Jungle Cat".He also was a great character actor in many tv shows....these two guys were the only reason I watched such silly shows...

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

...Mills Watson on Sheriff Lobo...the deputy always referring to himself as the "Jungle Cat". He also was a great character actor in many tv shows....

Almost always played a slimeball. Did a masterful job playing a biggot on a M*A*S*H
episode.

 

[SixtiesGuy]

David McCallum's character on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Ilya Kuryakin, was originally intended to be a background sidekick to Robert Vaughn's character Napoleon Solo. Once the show began, Ilya became such a hit that McCallum attained rock-star popularity, getting equal screen time and billing with Vaughn.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

David McCallum's character on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Ilya Kuryakin, was originally intended to be a background sidekick to Robert Vaughn's character Napoleon Solo. Once the show began, Ilya became such a hit that McCallum attained rock-star popularity, getting equal screen time and billing with Vaughn.

Didn't David don a guitar and perform some folk songs on Ed Sullivan?

 

[Ultimajock]

...Dr. Miguelito Quixote Loveless, as played by Michael Dunn on The Wild, Wild West. Only ten episodes, but was more memorable than even Ross Martin's portrayal of Artemus Gordon...

 

[BoscoGoldBear]

Cozi recently ran a 1949-50 episode of the Lone Ranger in which John Banner played the bad guy, a sinister European spy. He was good. He probably wasn't fully appreciated as an actor - especially by those who only saw him as the buffoonish Schultz.

It’s a shame that John Banner passed away so soon after ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ went off the air. He was a talent.

Banner is in that select group of notable people who died on their birthday.

One of Banner's last appearances was on "The Partridge Family" as a retired predictor turned baker who was failing at the latter and (almost) conned Keith and Danny (David Cassidy, Danny Bonaduce) out of money implying (falsely) that their family was in danger - until mom Shirley (Shirley Jones) caught them in the act.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

Quote from: SixtiesGuy on Today at 12:26:23 PM
David McCallum's character on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Ilya Kuryakin, was originally intended to be a background sidekick to Robert Vaughn's character Napoleon Solo. Once the show began, Ilya became such a hit that McCallum attained rock-star popularity, getting equal screen time and billing with Vaughn.


Didn't David don a guitar and perform some folk songs on Ed Sullivan?

Not sure about that...Wouldn't be surprised if NBC had him do a little cross-promotion on "Hullaballoo", though. He did release an album called "Music: A Part Of Me" that was mainly covers of then-current hits. I saw it in a cutout bin years ago...Wish I'd bought it.

 

[SixtiesGuy]

Not sure about that...Wouldn't be surprised if NBC had him do a little cross-promotion on "Hullaballoo", though. He did release an album called "Music: A Part Of Me" that was mainly covers of then-current hits. I saw it in a cutout bin years ago...Wish I'd bought it.

McCallum hosted an episode or two of either Hullabaloo or Shindig (considering his ties to NBC it was probably Hullabaloo) but I don't believe he performed anything. He does, however, have musical chops; his dad was a well-known conductor of classical music, and David played instruments on his decidedly-MOR albums, of which I believe there were three.

 

[cool_guy82]

Days of our Lives - Stefano Dimeria who was introduced in the 1980's and then been on and off for over 30 years

Dark Shadows - Barnabus Collins

The O.C. - Summer, who was Marissa's best friend was only a guest star in the first 13 episodes but then became a series regular.

STAR TREK : TNG / DEEP SPACE NINE - Miles O' Brien, not really a main charchter on TNG but was a series regular on DS9