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Unseen character

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Television shows and stage plays sometimes include continuing characters who are never seen or heard by the audience, but only described by other characters. Radio shows and plays also feature characters who never speak, and books feature characters who are merely referred to.

Television shows: examples

Heard but not seen

  • Andy Capp's Mother-in-Law
  • Carlton, the doorman on Rhoda (although he was seen in a cartoon spinoff of the show)
  • Robin Masters, the novelist, on Magnum P.I.
  • Peg's mother in Married... With Children. Knowing Al's criticism of her, we know she is THAT fat. Twice viewers have heard her shake herself dry (creating an impromptu earthquake) & nearly crumbled the foundation of the house for trying to turn(pieces of the ceiling fell for clues) .
  • Captain Mainwaring's wife Elizabeth, in Dad's Army (only her footsteps were heard. A pronounced, downward 'bulge' is seen in the mattress above Cpt. Mainwaring, in a sleeping compartment on a train, suggesting she is a 'heavy' woman.)
  • All adults on Charlie Brown animated cartoons (they speak unintelligibly, their voices emulated by a muted trumpet). In some of the earliest drawn cartoons, however, they could be heard speaking intelligibly, although they were never seen.
  • John Beresford Tipton in The Millionaire
  • White Fang and Black Tooth in The Soupy Sales Show
  • The regular PA announcer in M*A*S*H
  • The Village PA announcer in The Prisoner (voiced by Fenella Fielding)
  • The radio announcer on Gilligan's Island
  • Management on Carnivàle
  • Magic Voice on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (presumably a computer)
  • The Master (or 'him upstairs') on Trapdoor
  • Orson, Mork's boss who he reported to at the end of every episode in Mork and Mindy.
  • Curtis's cousins in the comic strip Curtis. (We hear of his vague details of them, though, during Thanksgiving week.)
  • Al, the cook at "Al's Wait & Eat" in ReBoot.

Neither seen nor heard

(may be partially seen on rare occasions)

Heard but never completely seen

  • Charlie Townsend, the head of the detective agency on Charlie's Angels (In fact, Charlie is frequently seen from behind, except in the series finale where he appears in Surgeons mask and outfit.)
  • Mom and Dad in Cow and Chicken. They are only ever seen from the waist down. In fact, Cow and Chicken makes a big joke of the idea of the Unseen Character, as it repeatedly implies that Mom and Dad genuinely have no upper body (in an episode after Cow woke up from nightmare that had Weasel & Babboon in I am Weasel as well as the common generic character Red Heiny) .
  • J. P. Pembrook in Fox Trot (only hands visible resting on desk)
  • Big Al in Police Squad and The Naked Gun (he is so tall his face is always cut off by the top of the screen)
  • "Nanny" in Muppet Babies (like Big Al, her face is always cut off by the top of the screen, since the series is presented from a child's-eye view)
  • Miss Sara Bellum in The Powerpuff Girls (her face is either above the screen like Big Al's or otherwise obscured)
  • Dr. Claw in the Inspector Gadget cartoon series, who is always seated in a high-backed chair, facing away from the camera; only his fore arms and hands are ever seen. This is a deliberate spoof of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the villain in the early James Bond films, whose face was not seen until the fifth movie in that series, You Only Live Twice.
  • Victor Lewis-Smith in Inside Victor Lewis-Smith (possibly the only series whose star is never seen clearly; he or a body double appears wreathed in bandages after a car crash in the opening scene; he is also seen in highly distorted close-ups while making crank phone calls)
  • "Troy", the extra-terrestrial father in Out of This World. Voiced by Burt Reynolds.
  • Alistair Crane on the NBC soap Passions
  • David Tatsyrup on The League of Gentlemen (while he is seen as a normal human character at the end of the first series, he has become some kind of unseen beast in the attic of the local shop come series two)
  • George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, speaks to his employee George Costanza on Seinfeld, but only the back of his unmoving head is ever seen. Voiced by Larry David.
  • Amber Klein, Marsha's daughter in Spaced
  • Mammy Two-Shoes in Tom and Jerry cartoons.
  • Roy Mallard, played by Chris Langham: presenter of the spoof documentary People Like Us. Sometimes seen from the back.
  • R.L., Kell's boss in Kevin and Kell. Only his drooling muzzle is ever seen.
  • Wilson, the wise neighbor in Home Improvement, who is always seen with half of his face obscured, usually by a fence.

Unseen characters who were spoken of for a long time and then eventually seen

  • Mary Jane Watson in the Spider Man comic book series
  • Frasier's mother, on Frasier (she appeared in Cheers anyway)
  • Number One on The Prisoner (debated)
  • Fran's father, Morty on The Nanny who was unseen or heard from until the final season, when he suddenly appeared during the final season of the show, played by Steve Lawrence. Previously, all you saw was the toupee on the back of his head.
  • Emily, the "other sister" on Empty Nest, who was often spoken of, but never seen or heard during all the early years the show was on the air. Then several seasons later, Kristy McNicholl's character left the show, and Emily suddenly appeared and became a regular on the show.
  • The Big Giant Head on 3rd Rock from the Sun was unseen for several seasons but finally appeared, played by William Shatner.
  • "Daddy" from Keeping Up Appearances .
  • Clive from Men Behaving Badly. An old friend of Gary's, he was mentioned several times, and finally appeared at Gary and Dorothy's wedding, albeit behind a camcorder.
  • Sir Royston Merchant from Drop the Dead Donkey. As the tycoon owner of Globelink, he was mentioned in practically every episode, but never seen. Phone conversations with him sometimes took place, but could only be heard from the side of one of the characters. He was finally seen in the very last episode of the series, when Gus Hedges broke into his house to confront him. He was played by Roger Hammond.
  • Field Marshal Haig, being a prominent figure of the First World War, was mentioned several times in the series Blackadder Goes Forth, and was actually seen in the final episode, played by Geoffrey Palmer.
  • Wilson, the Taylors' neighbor, in Home Improvement. His face is seen only in the last episode, having previously been always obscured (from the nose down) by picket fence or various other props. Played by Earl Hindman.
  • The Ugly Naked Guy, a fat and ugly nudist living opposite Monica and Rachel's apartment in Friends. The gang always commented on what they saw him do through the apartment's window. He was finally seen when he moved out and Ross visited him to persuade him into giving him his apartment. Even then, we only saw his (naked) back and he did not speak.
  • Mr Bell on The Drew Carey Show (Seen only in his final appearance)
  • Paloma Lopez-Fitzgerald, on the soap opera Passions. She was seen after five years of references.
  • Jenny Piccalo on Happy Days was only talked about before she became a series regular.

Stage plays: examples

Movies

  • The hunter in Bambi
  • Oscar -- The entire movie revolves around the title character, a chauffeur. But he makes his appearance only in the last scene.
  • Bill in Kill Bill vol. 1 -- only his arms or legs are shown. He is later seen full-bodied in Kill Bill vol. 2.

Comic Strips and Graphic Novels

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