TV stars who were leads in multiple hit series

gut

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 2:04 PM

Self-explanatory.  I think from time to time about how hard it is for actors to end-up on one hit, much less two.  But quite a few have (playing a bit fast and loose with "star" and "hit" on a few of these). 

Michael Weatherly - NCIS, Bull

Tom Selleck - Magnum P.I., Blue Bloods

Kelsey Grammar - Cheers, Frasier

Ted Danson - Cheers, The Good Place

Julia Louis Dreyfuss (she's the only one I can think of in more than 2) - SNL, Seinfeld, Veep, New Adventures of Old Christine

Tim Allen - Home Improvement, Last Man Standing

justincredible

Honorable Admin

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 2:10 PM

Ted Danson was in Becker, as well. Not necessarily a hit, but 6 seasons is nothing to sneeze at.

justincredible

Honorable Admin

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 2:12 PM

Bob Newhart - The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart

queencitybuckeye

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 2:23 PM

Andy Griffith - Andy Griffith Show, Matlock.

justincredible

Honorable Admin

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 2:25 PM
posted by queencitybuckeye

Andy Griffith

Good one.

John Ritter - Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules

gut

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 2:29 PM

Michael Emerson - Lost, Person of Interest

James Spader - Boston Legal, The Blacklist, and I won't count his season on The Office

 

jmog

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 3:07 PM
posted by gut

Self-explanatory.  I think from time to time about how hard it is for actors to end-up on one hit, much less two.  But quite a few have (playing a bit fast and loose with "star" and "hit" on a few of these). 

Michael Weatherly - NCIS, Bull

Tom Selleck - Magnum P.I., Blue Bloods

Kelsey Grammar - Cheers, Frasier

Ted Danson - Cheers, The Good Place

Julia Louis Dreyfuss (she's the only one I can think of in more than 2) - SNL, Seinfeld, Veep, New Adventures of Old Christine

Tim Allen - Home Improvement, Last Man Standing


To be fair, Grammar wasn't a lead on Cheers. Danson was. Frasier was a support character on Cheers and got a spin off show.

jmog

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 3:09 PM

Neil Patrick Harris-Doogie Houser MD, How I Met Your Mother (he was the star of that show).

 

Ed O'Neill-Married With Children, Modern Family

ptown_trojans_1

Moderator

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 3:12 PM

Bryan Cranston: Malcolm in the Middle, Breaking Bad 

Elizabeth Moss: Mad Men, Handmaid's Tale

Alison Brie: Glow, Community 

jmog

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 3:12 PM

Courtney Cox-Friends, Cougar Town

Matt LeBlanc-Friends, Man of the House, Joey

jmog

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 3:13 PM

Mila Kunis-That 70's Show, Family Guy (voice of Meg)

Laura Prepon-That 70's Show, Orange is the New Black

ptown_trojans_1

Moderator

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 3:17 PM

Timothy Olyphant: Deadwood, Justified 

Fab4Runner

Tits McGee

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 3:43 PM

Kyle Chandler - Early Edition, Friday Night Lights, Bloodline.

gut

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 3:45 PM

Walter Goggins - The Shield, Justified, could maybe count Vice Principals

Michael Chiklis - The Commish, The Shield

Kiefer Sutherland - 24, Designated Survivor

gut

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 3:51 PM
posted by jmog


To be fair, Grammar wasn't a lead on Cheers. Danson was. Frasier was a support character on Cheers and got a spin off show.

I guess I meant regular/main character, not necessarily the lead.  Seinfeld would be a good example - George and Jerry's parents would count, but probably not Uncle Leo.  Newman and maybe Peterman, but probably not Puddy or Steinbrenner.

bigorangebuck22

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 3:59 PM

Michael Landon - Little House on the Prairie,  Highway to Heaven

Ironman92

Administrator

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 4:56 PM

John Larriquette

Night Court 

The John Larriquette Show

Boston Legal

 

Vicki Lawerence/Carol Burnett ....Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family

Ironman92

Administrator

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 4:58 PM

Jim Nabors

Gomer Pyle/Andy Griffith Show

 

Ron Howard (Hapoy Days/Andy Griffith Show)

 

Kaley Cucuo....8 Simple Rules/BBT

justincredible

Honorable Admin

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 5:00 PM
posted by gut

I guess I meant regular/main character, not necessarily the lead.  Seinfeld would be a good example - George and Jerry's parents would count, but probably not Uncle Leo.  Newman and maybe Peterman, but probably not Puddy or Steinbrenner.

Outside of the main 4, and surprisingly, the cashier lady at Monk's, Newman was in the most episodes (45). Puddy was only in 10.

Heretic

Son of the Sun

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 5:07 PM

The Hoff -- Knight Rider, Baywatch

gut

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 5:22 PM
posted by justincredible

Outside of the main 4, and surprisingly, the cashier lady at Monk's, Newman was in the most episodes (45). Puddy was only in 10.

Puddy was only in 10?  Wow.  He had to have been mentioned in at least 10 others, though?

If you bet me Newman was only in 45 out of 173 shows, I would have definitely taken the over.

CenterBHSFan

333 - I'm only half evil

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 5:45 PM
posted by jmog

Neil Patrick Harris-Doogie Houser MD, How I Met Your Mother (he was the star of that show).

 

 

 He also had a starring role (not necessarily THE star) in American Horror Story: Freak Show

Gardens35

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 6:22 PM
posted by bigorangebuck22

Michael Landon - Little House on the Prairie,  Highway to Heaven

Bonanza.

Gardens35

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 6:22 PM

Lucille Ball.

 

BRF

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 6:24 PM
posted by Ironman92

Kaley Cucuo....8 Simple Rules/BBT

Somebody that good deserves to have her name spelled correctly. 

Cuoco

So speaking of BBT......Jim Parsons and Young Sheldon. 

FatHobbit

Senior Member

Mon, Jul 15, 2019 6:27 PM

Richard Dean Anderson - Macgyver and Stargate