Best ensemble cast?

[jr/shotglass]

I liked Evening Shade. That show could have lasted a few more seasons.

 

[murphyc]

It's weird that, arguably, the Seinfeld cast member with the most success post-Seinfeld has been Puddy. That guy is everywhere these days.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is too busy counting all her post-Seinfeld Emmys to even respond to this.

And if we're including Puddy, then I assume we're including Whatley as well so Bryan Cranston would like a word with Batman after Louis-Dreyfus is done.

I was talking about the regulars. Cranston was only in one or two episodes, right?
Also didn't realize Louis-Dreyfus had done that well. Maybe I need to go lay down for a while.

You should ask the 8-ball what to do next. ;D

 

[poindexter]

Puddy was in 10 episodes. Whatley was in five. Outside of the main four who were credited for all 172 episodes: Newman was in 45, Susan 28, George's mom 27, George's dad 26, Jerry's mom 21, Jerry's dad 20 and J. Peterman 20.

That is some great info. I would think the Costanzas would have been in a lot more episodes.

Jerry's dad was different in season 1 (pilot?)

 

[poindexter]

Except that Baio, Moran, Most, Williams and Molinaro positively sucked.

You shut your ***** mouth. Ralph Malph is an American treasure.

What started out as a great little show turned so annoying, a little after Fonzie started wearing the leather jacket. Most annoying, to me, was how everybody had to have a catch phrase... Of course there was Fonzie's "Ayyyyyyy"... then Ralph and Potsie had "Sit on it"... Chachie had "WaaWaaWaa", Richie singing about Blueberry Hill when he made out with a chick... I am sure there were more, but the catch phrases killed me.

And then the singing....

 

[Songbird]

Indeed, a fun list. Here's the complete list:

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Seinfeld-characters-and-culture

 

[poindexter]

The Simpsons

The two most amazing things about The Simpsons, to me, are that they've kept the same cast together for 25 years, and that none of them have really done much in the way of side projects. I think Yeardley Smith and Hank Azaria (and, of course, Phil Hartman early on) are the only regulars who have done anything in Hollywood outside of The Simpsons. I don't even think a lot of them have done voiceover work, or at least not enough to be noticed.

I didn't mean the actors who do the voices -- but the characters. There HAVE been many, many episodes in which side players are the main players for an episode. Marge's sisters. Skinner. Moe. Millhouse and/or Ralph. Etc etc.

The dog, Santa's Little Helper... Principal Skinner...even Milhouse's parents...

 

[poindexter]

Indeed, a fun list. Here's the complete list:

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Seinfeld-characters-and-culture

Most nothing Seinfeld character: The Drake.

There was no there there.

 

[Boom_70]

My 3 favorite limited appearance Seinfeld characters:

Alton Benes
Maestro
FDR

 

[poindexter]

My 3 favorite limited appearance Seinfeld characters:

Alton Benes
Maestro
FDR

Mine would be Brody, the guy who makes pirated movie copies; The Texan betting Kramer on flights at the airport; and Ned Isakoff, only because I laugh every single time I hear "They named names".

Also, I loved that George started dating Susan again, after she was a lesbian, because "it didn't take."

 

[Songbird]

That's difficult. For 1-time appearances:

The Doorman ("Are you the boyfriend, here for a quickie?")
Shaky the mohel
Bubble Boy

 

[Batman]

Puddy was in 10 episodes. Whatley was in five. Outside of the main four who were credited for all 172 episodes: Newman was in 45, Susan 28, George's mom 27, George's dad 26, Jerry's mom 21, Jerry's dad 20 and J. Peterman 20.

That is some great info. I would think the Costanzas would have been in a lot more episodes.

Jerry's dad was different in season 1 (pilot?)

I thought Puddy was in a lot more, too. Seemed like he was a regular for at least a few seasons. He packed a lot of classic moments into such a short time.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

That could be a spinoff thread, which guest stars or recurring actors made the most of their screen time.

 

[Boom_70]

Always thought that Alton Benes did more than one show.

If anything it does show how impactful some of the
one time performances were.

 

[Batman]

That could be a spinoff thread, which guest stars or recurring actors made the most of their screen time.

Kelsey Grammar, if he could be considered "recurring" and not "regular," has got to be at the top of that list.

 

[jr/shotglass]

If not Valerie Harper.

 

[Pete Wevurski]

For one-time Seinfeld guests, for me, Mr. Bookman the library cop tops the list by a mile or three.

As for 1-hour ensemble casts, I'll go with West Wing, St. Elsewhere, LA Law, NYPD Blue and maybe, just maybe, Lou Grant ... for half-hour shows it's M*A*S*H, Seinfeld, Taxi, Cheers and NewsRadio

 

[old_tony]

No way.
'Seinfeld' evolved into an ensemble show. The Jerry storylines we often the B or C plots in an episode.

But Jerry was still the selling point, still the anchor. It wasn't Kramer's standup in the intro (oh if it were, thought). You'd be hard-pressed to merely call him first among equals.

But the point is that it developed into an ensemble show. Note that they stopped opening and closing with Jerry's standup after the first two seasons.

 

[poindexter]

Kruger from Kruger Industrial Smoothing was just great.

 

[Buck]

No way.
'Seinfeld' evolved into an ensemble show. The Jerry storylines we often the B or C plots in an episode.

But Jerry was still the selling point, still the anchor. It wasn't Kramer's standup in the intro (oh if it were, thought). You'd be hard-pressed to merely call him first among equals.

But the point is that it developed into an ensemble show. Note that they stopped opening and closing with Jerry's standup after the first two seasons.

Plenty of shows develop into ensemble shows. My point is that doesn't preclude them from the discussion.
'Cheers' developed into an ensemble show.
The Alex character was intended to be the focus of 'Taxi' but it didn't stay that way.

'Seinfeld' very quickly became an ensemble show. By the end of the first full season, the four characters are of equal importance and prominence.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

I still contend that Seinfeld was the overwhelming draw and the glue that kept the show together. No, it wasn't a deal where every time he wasn't on screen, the other characters would ask "Where's Poochie? until he returned. But he's still the name. To me, an ensemble cast is one where you could throw everyone's names into a bingo ball cage and determine the order of credits randomly and it wouldn't seem off. I know having the name is a unfair leader, but you'd be hard pressed to call Seinfeld "that Julie Louis-Dreyfus show" or "that Jason Alexander show". But it's also not a point I'll die on my sword for.