Who doesn't want to become a "Nygardian"?!
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00:00Everyone is familiar with that old saying of what you don't know can't hurt you and whilst that is
00:05mostly true, it's also true that things you don't know could mean that you're missing out on
00:10something great and that is also true when it comes to TV shows. Plenty of shows explore the
00:15trope of an unseen figure who only appears in the show through mention and sometimes off-screen
00:20vocal. It's a unique way to play with humour and can fill a show with plenty of mystery.
00:25There's so much potential in a mystery character so we may as well take a look and appreciate a few
00:30of them. So I'm Amy from WhatCulture and here are the 8 best TV characters who you never actually
00:36got to see. 8. The Scranton Strangler in The Office US
00:41The US office was filled from desk to desk with some of the most likeable characters in sitcom
00:47history but it was also filled with some rather mysterious ones. Lurking in the shadows of Scranton
00:53there was a darker threat than Michael's obnoxiousness or Dwight's obsessive nature.
00:57This darkness was known as The Scranton Strangler. This unseen character was referenced pretty
01:03consistently in the show. They made their debut in a newspaper clipping brought by Andy stating
01:07Scranton Strangler strikes again and even acted as the basis for Toby's jury duty. The Strangler was
01:13a hilarious menace that gave the show a chance to play with darker humour such as The Office practicing
01:18neck protection and Dwight dressing as the Strangler for Halloween. Now there actually
01:22is a chance that viewers caught a glimpse of the dreaded killer as a popular fan theory suggests it
01:27was none other than Toby Flenderson. There are a few clues to support this theory such as Toby's
01:32absence during the Strangler's car chase, his refusal to enter church and, by his own admission,
01:38not being in work at the time that the case was being heard. Oh, he was on jury duty was he? Well,
01:44we never confirmed that. As much as we do joke though, there's not really enough evidence to
01:49make this a solid finding, but it would be funny, wouldn't it? Maybe Michael hating him all those
01:55years was actually for a good reason. 7. God in good omens
01:59Now, how can you get any bigger than the big man himself? Or in the case of this show, the big woman
02:06slash person? They always kept it very vague, very changing in terms of the voice, the visuals,
02:12the appearance, but that kind of only adds to the effect. The lack of clear definition makes
02:17them a delightful mystery and an alluring presence. Good Omens, of course, depicts the unlikely
02:22friendship between an angel and a demon as they attempt to stop the impending apocalypse,
02:26and acting as the narrator for the story is none other than God. Terry Pratchett's projects are
02:30pretty much known for their witty writing style, their witty narration in this case, and the voice actor
02:36played the character perfectly in this, with a dryness that adds plenty of humour whilst keeping the plot
02:41moving forward. The casting of Frances McDormand in the voice role for this was pretty much perfect,
02:46because she has this sort of ambivalence about her that really lends the character of God to this
02:51gravitas and charm. We may not be about to see God's face any time soon, but just because of this,
02:57it doesn't mean that the character is unfulfilling in any way. 6. Father Bigley in Father Ted
03:03Father Ted is a blissful look into the type of comedy that doesn't get played around with too much these
03:08days. The goofiness of these Irish priests living on Craggy Island was a godsend, and one of the
03:13funniest aspects was the references to other priests. The show was dripping with fellow wearers
03:18of the cloth beside the beloved Ted, Dougal and Jack. Still, whilst plenty of them got a chance to show
03:22their faces on screen, the dreaded Father Bigley did not. Described as having a blotchy face with puffy
03:29fish lips, possibly due to a tea kettle explosion, this priest is a somewhat recurring topic of discussion.
03:34He's said to have been present and working at OJ Simpson's wedding, having had sent arms to Iraq,
03:40and he ended up in a home because of his slight obsession with starting fires. Yeah, he doesn't
03:45sound like a very good guy, so maybe it's for the best he stayed away. The idea of a debaucherous
03:50and slightly mad priest is utterly hilarious, and the fact that he's described as something
03:55so monstrous without ever being seen makes it all the funnier. 5. Mrs. Columbo in Columbo
04:02Mrs. Columbo is quite a unique and very strange, actually, character in TV because
04:07despite the fact that we never see her on screen, and we never actually even hear her from off screen,
04:12she still felt like a pretty fleshed out, well-rounded character that we felt like we knew.
04:17She had a distinct personality and a full relationship with the titular character,
04:21and she was also relevant to the plot. Columbo would frequently reference his wife,
04:25talking about her life and their relationship. She seemed to be an active, healthy woman and often
04:30found herself involved in the story, most notably in episodes like Rest in Peace Mrs. Columbo,
04:35where she became the target of a deranged killer. There is one interesting theory, however, that
04:40actually Mrs. Columbo never existed, and simply she was made up as a way for Columbo to help lower
04:46the defences of criminals, to make him seem more personable, a family man that loves his wife.
04:52You can trust him, can't you? The beauty of her unseen presence was that you could decide this for
04:57yourself, whether you believe that or not. It is true that at one point they tried to give her a
05:01face in this messy flop of a spin-off series, but they later retconned that, saying she was
05:06absolutely of no relation to the titular detective, never mind being the wife, so if we just forget
05:11about that, it never happened. 4. Dr. Richard Nygaard in Parks and Recreation
05:17Luckily, as we've moved forward these days with our awareness of mental health issues and trying to
05:21destigmatise things, take the shame out of things, help people get better on their own terms, etc.,
05:27we have started to realise that therapy isn't really a joke. It's not the butt of the joke,
05:32it's not the punchline, it's actually incredibly helpful for a lot of people. And in Parks and Rec,
05:37it seems like Dr. Richard Nygaard was one of the best therapists out there. He acted as the therapist
05:43for multiple characters, including Shauna and Craig, but his most important patient of all was of course
05:48our beloved Chris Traeger. Chris was definitely one of the biggest advocates for therapy. I mean,
05:53it helped him become more than he used to be. It took him out of this crippling anxiety,
05:59depression, ball and made him into a mostly functional human being. He took almost every
06:04opportunity to accredit that process to his fantastic therapist, Dr. Nygaard. It became so
06:09that Dr. Nygaard was a character you felt truly familiar with. He really did become a bonafide character
06:15throughout the show despite never appearing on screen or even speaking. It seems that Chris,
06:19in fact, is so positive he can develop a character you've never even met.
06:24Three, Mrs. Wolowitz, The Big Bang Theory. The Big Bang Theory has thrived by basing its comedy on
06:30things that they think people will find relatable. And it seems, not just in this sitcom, but in a lot of
06:35them, that one of the most relatable things is the overbearing mother or mother-in-law. An overbearing
06:41mother is a harsh reality for some, but it's utterly hilarious in the case of this show.
06:46Seeing Howard at home with his mum, often getting into silly screaming matches and joking about her
06:51various health and personality problems, was a major reason why his character was entertaining.
06:56And adding to all of this was the fact that we never got to actually look at her, so we get to
07:01fill in the gaps in our heads, maybe some people even picturing their own mothers. The disembodied voice
07:05of Carol Ann Sousa yelling Howard is seared into the brains of many, giving this character
07:10a long-lasting legacy. It could be argued that actually seeing her would have spoiled the joke,
07:15because there was no way that any mere actress could have lived up to the huge,
07:20over-the-top persona that was built by that voice. So really, it's probably a good thing they kept her
07:25secret. Two, Bob Sacamano, Seinfeld. I think almost everybody can say that they've got one of
07:32those friends. You know, one of those oddball, off-the-wall friends that always seems to be
07:37doing stuff that gives you a great story to tell. Well, in the sitcom world, that kind of friend
07:41needs to go beyond even the antics of the leads, which probably explains the wackiness of Bob
07:47Sacamano. Throughout Seinfeld, Kramer would make references to a friend who seemed to have the
07:51weirdest life imaginable. These stories ran the gambit from him being in a mental institution,
07:56to contracting rabies, to selling replica Russian hats. Really, it seemed that Bob had a life well-lived.
08:01Again, the mystery behind this character made the joke even funnier. You never once got the
08:05chance to see him, which led to a wild, erratic energy that left him feeling like a phantom.
08:10His grip on the show was hilarious, thanks to how much he seeped into the lives of the other
08:14characters, and he managed to do all of this without ever showing his face. Larry Charles
08:18eventually opened up about this character and admitted he was actually based on a real-life friend.
08:23I would just be interested to see how many of those stories happened in real life too.
08:27One, Charlie Townsend in Charlie's Angels.
08:31It sort of feels like Charlie Townsend is one of those characters that transcends even this list.
08:36He's been around for decades, he's been the titular character of a number of films and series,
08:41and yet we've never once seen him. As the founder of the Townsend agency, this character is the
08:48basis for the kick-ass show. He was the one that founded the Angels, and thanks to that,
08:53this awesome girl power team was put on the map. He's been a consistent figure in the series since its
08:57inception, and throughout that time he's only allowed one person to see his real face, that
09:02being the beloved recurring character, Boss Lee. He's also appeared in subsequent reboots,
09:07such as the 2011 ABC remake and Charlie's Angels 2019, albeit with far less significance.
09:13Overall, it's the mystery behind this character that made him so iconic,
09:17and he really is a masterclass in how to do unseen unknown characters.
09:21And on that note, actually, we've reached the end of this list. If you've got any more that you would
09:25have included in the video, then let us know in the comments down below. And remember to check out
09:29whatculture.com for more lists and articles like this every single day.
09:33As always, I've been Amy from WhatCulture, and I'll catch you next time!