Who doesn't want to become a "Nygardian"?!
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00:00 Everyone is familiar with that old saying of "what you don't know can't hurt you"
00:04 and whilst that is mostly true, it's also true that things you don't know could mean
00:09 that you're missing out on something great, and that is also true when it comes to TV
00:13 shows.
00:14 Plenty of shows explore the trope of an unseen figure, who only appears in the show through
00:18 mention and sometimes off-screen vocal.
00:21 It's a unique way to play with humour and can fill a show with plenty of mystery.
00:25 There's so much potential in a mystery character, so we may as well take a look and appreciate
00:29 a few of them.
00:31 So I'm Amy from WhatCulture and here are the 8 best TV characters who you never actually
00:36 got to see.
00:37 8.
00:38 The Scranton Strangler in The Office US The US Office was filled from desk to desk
00:43 with some of the most likeable characters in sitcom history, but it was also filled
00:49 with some rather mysterious ones.
00:51 Lurking in the shadows of Scranton, there was a darker threat than Michael's obnoxiousness
00:55 or Dwight's obsessive nature.
00:57 This darkness was known as the Scranton Strangler.
01:01 This unseen character was referenced pretty consistently in the show.
01:04 They made their debut in a newspaper clipping brought by Andy stating "Scranton Strangler
01:08 strikes again" and even acted as the basis for Toby's jury duty.
01:12 The Strangler was a hilarious menace that gave the show a chance to play with darker
01:16 humour, such as The Office practising neck protection and Dwight dressing as the Strangler
01:21 for Halloween.
01:22 Now there actually is a chance that viewers caught a glimpse of the dreaded killer, as
01:25 a popular fan theory suggests it was none other than Toby Flenderson.
01:29 There are a few clues to support this theory, such as Toby's absence during the Strangler's
01:33 car chase, his refusal to enter church and, by his own admission, not being in work at
01:39 the time that the case was being heard.
01:41 Oh, he was on jury duty, was he?
01:43 Well, we never confirmed that.
01:45 As much as we do joke though, there's not really enough evidence to make this a solid
01:50 finding, but it would be funny, wouldn't it?
01:53 Maybe Michael hating him all those years was actually for a good reason.
01:57 7.
01:58 God in Good Omens
01:59 Now, how can you get any bigger than the big man himself?
02:03 Or in the case of this show, the big woman/person?
02:07 They always kept it very vague, very changing in terms of the voice, the visuals, the appearance,
02:13 but that kind of only adds to the effect.
02:15 The lack of clear definition makes them a delightful mystery and an alluring presence.
02:20 Good Omens, of course, depicts the unlikely friendship between an angel and a demon as
02:23 they attempt to stop the impending apocalypse, and acting as the narrator for the story is
02:28 none other than God.
02:29 Terry Pratchett's projects are pretty much known for their witty writing style, their
02:33 witty narration in this case, and the voice actor played the character perfectly in this,
02:38 with a dryness that adds plenty of humour whilst keeping the plot moving forward.
02:42 The casting of Frances McDormand in the voice role for this was pretty much perfect, because
02:46 she has this sort of ambivalence about her that really lends the character of God this
02:51 gravitas and charm.
02:52 We may not be about to see God's face any time soon, but just because of this, it doesn't
02:57 mean that the character is unfulfilling in any way.
03:00 6
03:01 Father Bigley in Father Ted
03:03 Father Ted is a blissful look into the type of comedy that doesn't get played around
03:07 with too much these days.
03:08 The goofiness of these Irish priests living on Craggy Island was a godsend, and one of
03:13 the funniest aspects was the references to other priests.
03:16 The show was dripping with fellow wearers of the cloth beside the beloved Ted, Dougal
03:20 and Jack.
03:21 Still, whilst plenty of them got a chance to show their faces on screen, the dreaded
03:24 Father Bigley did not.
03:26 Described as having a blotchy face with puffy fish lips, possibly due to a tea kettle explosion,
03:31 this priest is a somewhat recurring topic of discussion.
03:34 He's said to have been present and working at OJ Simpson's wedding, having had sent
03:38 arms to a rack, and he ended up in a home because of his slight obsession with starting
03:43 fires.
03:44 But, hey, he doesn't sound like a very good guy, so maybe it's for the best he stayed
03:48 away.
03:49 The idea of a debaucherous and slightly mad priest is utterly hilarious, and the fact
03:53 that he's described as something so monstrous without ever being seen makes it all the funnier.
03:59 5
04:00 Mrs Columbo in Columbo
04:02 Mrs Columbo is quite a unique and very strange, actually, character in TV, because despite
04:07 the fact that we never see her on screen, and we never actually even hear her from off
04:12 screen, she still felt like a pretty fleshed out, well-rounded character that we felt like
04:16 we knew.
04:17 She had a distinct personality and a full relationship with the titular character, and
04:21 she was also relevant to the plot.
04:23 Columbo would frequently reference his wife, talking about her life and their relationship.
04:28 She seemed to be an active, healthy woman, and often found herself involved in the story,
04:32 most notably in episodes like Rest in Peace, Mrs Columbo, where she became the target of
04:36 a deranged killer.
04:38 There is one interesting theory, however, that actually Mrs Columbo never existed, and
04:43 simply she was made up as a way for Columbo to help lower the defences of criminals, to
04:48 make him seem more personable, a family man that loves his wife, you can trust him, can't
04:53 you?
04:54 The beauty of her unseen presence was that you could decide this for yourself whether
04:57 you believe that or not.
04:58 It is true that at one point they tried to give her a face in this messy flop of a spin-off
05:03 series, but they later retconned that, saying that she was absolutely of no relation to
05:07 the titular detective, never mind being the wife, so if we just forget about that, it
05:12 never happened.
05:13 4.
05:14 Dr Richard Nygaard in Parks and Recreation
05:17 Luckily as we've moved forward these days with our awareness of mental health issues
05:21 and trying to destigmatise things, take the shame out of things, help people get better
05:25 on their own terms, etc, we have started to realise that therapy isn't really a joke.
05:30 It's not the butt of the joke, it's not the punchline, it's actually incredibly
05:34 helpful for a lot of people.
05:36 And in Parks and Rec, it seems like Dr Richard Nygaard was one of the best therapists out
05:41 there.
05:42 He acted as the therapist for multiple characters, including Shauna and Craig, but his most important
05:47 patient of all was of course our beloved Chris Traeger.
05:50 Chris was definitely one of the biggest advocates for therapy, I mean it helped him become more
05:55 than he used to be, it took him out of this crippling anxiety-depression ball and made
06:00 him into a mostly functional human being.
06:03 He took almost every opportunity to accredit that process to his fantastic therapist, Dr
06:08 Nygaard.
06:09 It became so that Dr Nygaard was a character you felt truly familiar with, he really did
06:13 become a bona fide character throughout the show despite never appearing on screen or
06:17 even speaking.
06:18 It seems that Chris in fact is so positive he can develop a character you've never
06:22 even met.
06:24 3.
06:25 Mrs Wolowitz - The Big Bang Theory
06:27 The Big Bang Theory has thrived by basing its comedy on things that they think people
06:31 will find relatable, and it seems not just in this sitcom but in a lot of them that one
06:36 of the most relatable things is the overbearing mother or mother-in-law.
06:40 An overbearing mother is a harsh reality for some, but it's utterly hilarious in the
06:44 case of this show.
06:46 Seeing Howard at home with his mum, often getting into silly screaming matches and joking
06:50 about her various health and personality problems was a major reason why his character was entertaining.
06:56 And adding to all of this was the fact that we never got to actually look at her, so we
07:00 get to fill in the gaps in our heads, maybe some people even picturing their own mothers.
07:04 The disembodied voice of Carol Ann Susie yelling "Howard" is seared into the brains of many,
07:09 giving this character a long-lasting legacy.
07:12 It could be argued that actually seeing her would have spoiled the joke because there
07:15 was no way that any mere actress could have lived up to the huge over-the-top persona
07:21 that was built by that voice.
07:22 So really, it's probably a good thing they kept her secret.
07:26 2.
07:27 Bob Sacamano - Seinfeld I think almost everybody can say that they've
07:31 got one of those friends, you know, one of those oddball, off-the-wall friends that always
07:36 seems to be doing stuff that gives you a great story to tell.
07:39 Well, in the sitcom world, that kind of friend needs to go beyond even the antics of the
07:43 leads, which probably explains the wackiness of Bob Sacamano.
07:48 Throughout Seinfeld, Kramer would make references to a friend who seemed to have the weirdest
07:52 life imaginable.
07:53 These stories ran the gambit from him being in a mental institution, to contracting rabies,
07:57 to selling replica Russian hats.
07:59 Really, it seemed that Bob had a life well lived.
08:01 Again, the mystery behind this character made the joke even funnier.
08:04 You never once got the chance to see him, which led to a wild, erratic energy that left
08:09 him feeling like a phantom.
08:10 His grip on the show was hilarious, thanks to how much he seeped into the lives of the
08:14 other characters, and he managed to do all of this without ever showing his face.
08:18 Larry Charles eventually opened up about this character and admitted he was actually based
08:22 on a real life friend.
08:23 I would just be interested to see how many of those stories happened in real life too.
08:27 1.
08:28 Charlie Townsend - Charlie's Angels
08:31 It sort of feels like Charlie Townsend is one of those characters that transcends even
08:35 this list.
08:36 He's been around for decades, he's been the titular character of a number of films
08:40 and series, and yet we've never once seen him.
08:45 As the founder of the Townsend Agency, this character is the basis for the kickass show.
08:50 He was the one that founded the Angels, and thanks to that, this awesome girl power team
08:54 was put on the map.
08:55 He's been a consistent figure in the series since its inception, and throughout that time
08:59 he's only allowed one person to see his real face, that being the beloved recurring
09:03 character Bossly.
09:04 He's also appeared in subsequent reboots, such as the 2011 ABC remake and Charlie's
09:09 Angels 2019, albeit with far less significance.
09:12 Overall, it's the mystery behind this character that made him so iconic, and he really is
09:17 a masterclass in how to do unseen, unknown characters.
09:21 And on that note, actually, we've reached the end of this list.
09:24 If you've got any more that you would have included in the video, then let us know in
09:27 the comments down below.
09:29 And remember to check out whatculture.com for more lists and articles like this every
09:32 single day.
09:33 As always, I've been Amy from WhatCulture, and I'll catch you next time.