Were these lead actors in every single episode of their shows?

Their name is in the credits, but was their character in every episode?

 CBS Television Distribution

Certain actors embody their entire show. It would be impossible to have Happy Days without Fonzie and Gunsmoke wouldn’t be Gunsmoke without Marshal Matt Dillon. Same goes for the lead characters in so many other classic series like Perry Mason, Rawhide and Gilligan’s Island.

It would seem obvious that the main characters in these programs and more are in every single episode, but that’s not always the case! Here are some of the best characters on TV from the 1950s to the 1980s. Can you guess which ones were in every single episode of their own show and which ones missed a few?

  1. Is Leonard Nimoy in all 80 Star Trek episodes, including the original pilot?
  2. Is Ralph Waite in all 212 episodes of The Waltons?
  3. Is Henry Winkler in all 255 episodes of Happy Days?
  4. Is June Lockhart in all 84 Lost in Space episodes?
  5. Is Loretta Swit in all 251 episodes of M*A*S*H?
  6. Are all seven castaways on Gilligan's Island in each of the 98 episodes?
  7. Is Clint Eastwood in all 217 episodes of Rawhide?
  8. Are Eva Gabor and Eddie Albert in all 170 Green Acres episodes?
  9. Is Carolyn Jones in all 64 episodes of The Addams Family?
  10. Is Raymond Burr in all 271 episodes of Perry Mason?
  11. Is Ted Lange in all 250 episodes of The Love Boat?
  12. Is Johnny Crawford in all 168 episodes of The Rifleman?
  13. Is Maureen McCormick in all 217 Brady Bunch episodes?
  14. Is James Arness in all 635 Gunsmoke episodes?
  15. Is Lorne Greene in all 430 Bonanza episodes?

Were these lead actors in every single episode of their shows?

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135 Comments

41 months ago
Oy yoy yoyshka! Shouldda done better!
jokerfan1 42 months ago
The character of JILL HIGGINS
played by CHARLENE TILTON
Was a great character on Happy Days.
JILL HIGGINS and her brother BUBBA
(Gary EPP??) Were in the Dance
MARATHON with Fonzie and Joanie.
The title of the episode was They
Shoot Fonzie's Don't They.
Even though Charlene Tilton appeared in that one episode she
Gave a great performance.
Jill HIGGINS was just as great a
Character as Jenny Piccalo (Cathy
Silvers). Jill HIGGINS (Charlene Tilton)
Was a great adversary to Joanie.
It was very funny when Jill HIGGINS
Said this to Fonzie: " Hey Fonz . I know a barber who gives great
Crewcuts. TRUDY played by Tita
Bell was another excellent character on Happy Days . The first appearance of Trudy was in The Lemon episode
From season one and the last appearance of Trudy was the episode
Where Richie Cunningham Ron Howard became a disc jockey at
WOW Radio and Richie called himself
Richie the C and the name of the episode was Richie's Flip Side.
It's too bad that TRUDY (TITA BELL)
Disappeared from Happy Days
After the second season episode
Richie's Flip Side and it's too bad
That Jill HIGGINS Charlene Tilton
Appeared in one episode only.
I believe that Jill's brother BUBBA
(Gary EPP) also played BULLFROG
In a different Happy Days episode
Where he put some weird stuff
In Richie's drink and then Richie
Smashed Chachis drums..
In the Happy Days episode with
Jill HIGGINS Charlene Tilton
Was the first appearance of the
New drummer DAPHNE played by
HILLARY HORAN.
Hillary Horan as Daphne replaced
Sticks Downey Jr (John Anthony Bailey) who replaced Bag ZOMBROSKI
Played by Neil J Schwartz.
Later on Chachi Arcola (Scott Baio)
Replaced Daphne (Hillary Horan) as
The new drummer.

RedSamRackham jokerfan1 22 months ago
* Gary Epp was also Bullfrog, the fraternity prankster who spiked Richie's ginger ale with a hallucigenetic drug!
Wiseguy 42 months ago
There are 255 episodes of M*A*S*H (plus the finale). Each half-hour of M*A*S*H has its own production number including those shown as hour broadcasts (not hour episodes). Hour broadcasts consist of two episodes and should be counted as such. Otherwise episode counts will not be correct. This occurs in every series where the network arbitrarily shows multi-part episodes edited together. A simple fact.
Mark091 42 months ago
CHUCK CUNNINGHAM SYNDROME
Is an excellent name for TV characters who dissapear from their
TV shows with no explanation.
Perhaps the Chuck Cunningham
Syndrome should be changed to The
ED SAWYER and Chuck Cunningham
Syndrome because Ed Sawyer (William LANTEAU) vanished from
The Andy Griffith Show in 1960
15 years before Chuck Cunningham vanished from Happy Days in 1975
Ed Sawyer Appeared in the TAGS
Episode called Stranger in Town.
Ed Sawyer Appeared in that one
Episode ONLY and dissapeared from
TAGS with no explanation .
Since Ed Sawyer William LANTEAU
Supposedly moved to Mayberry to
Make Mayberry his home town then
Why did he appear in one Episode only and if Ed Sawyer moved to Mayberry then where in Mayberry
Was he hiding for 8 years??

Mark091 Mark091 42 months ago
Up above this comment I suggested that The Chuck Cunningham Syndrome could be
Renamed The Ed Sawyer and
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome
Because Ed Sawyer (William LANTEAU) vanished from The Andy Griffith show in 1960 15 years before Chuck Cunningham (Gavan O Herlihy and Randolph Roberts) dissapeared from Happy Days in 1975 with no explanation.
Why not have a new name for
Women characters who diaaapear from their TV shows
With no explanation.
For women and girls who dissapear from their TV shows
With no explanation I would like to suggest The Angela Brown and Chris Carmichael Syndrome
And for men and boys who dissapear from their TV shows
Would still be called either The
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome
Or The Ed Sawyer and Chuck Cunningham Syndrome.
Ann Marshall played Angela Brown on My Favorite Martian
For 3 Episodes only before
Angela Brown dissapeared from
My Favorite Martian with no explanation. Angela Brown (Ann
Marshall) was the daughter of
Mrs Brown on My Favorite Martian. Chris Carmichael was
Played by Candy Moore on The Lucy Show and Chris Carmichael was the daughter of
Lucy Carmichael. Chris Carmichael dissapeared from The Lucy Show in 1965 with no explanation.
Wiseguy Mark091 42 months ago
It was said Chris Carmichael left for college.
Mark091 Mark091 42 months ago
Since the writers of The LUCY
SHOW might have said that
CHRIS CARMICHAEL (CANDY MOORE) went away to college
That means that Chris Carmichael doesn't qualify to
Have a Syndrome For Vanishing
TV Characters named after her.
I thought that Chris Carmichael
Dissapeared from the Lucy Show with no explanation but
Maybe I was wrong.
However Angela Brown played
By Ann Marshall and Ginger
Salerno played by Charlene
Salerno both dissapeared from
My Favorite Martian and The Adventures of OZZIE and Harriet with no explanation.
So a Syndrome For Vanishing
Female characters could be
Called The Angela Brown and
Ginger Salerno Syndrome.
Also for male characters who
Dissapear from their TV shows
Could be renamed The BAG Zombroski and CHUCK CUNNINGHAM Syndrome.
Characters like Ed Sawyer and
Alice Harper who moved to
Mayberry and dissapeared from
Their TV shows after ONE
EPISODE ONLY should and
Could be called The Ed Sawyer
And Alice Harper Syndrome.
Characters who are seen on
TV shows and Never Talk could
Be called The MOOSE and Mr.
Schwamp Syndrome.
Bag Zombroski was played by
Neil J Schwartz on Happy Days
And Moose was played by
Barry Greenberg.
Who played Alice Harper for
One Episode only on The Andy Griffith show and who played
Mr. Schwamp on The Andy Griffith Show?
I do know that William LANTEAU
Played Ed Sawyer on The Andy Griffith Show and Marlene Willis
Played Lucy Mathews who Ed
Sawyer liked on The Andy Griffith Show.
Mark091 Mark091 42 months ago
I read on the internet that TV
Characters like EUGENE BELVIN (Denis Mandel)and MELVIN BELVIN (Scott Bernstein) on
Happy Days are considered
Nerds.Since Eugene Belvin dissapeared from Happy Days in
1982 and Melvin Belvin dissapeared from Happy Days in
1983 I would like to suggest
The Eugene Belvin and Melvin
Belvin Syndrome.
Mark091 Mark091 42 months ago
THE SPIKE SYNDROME is a good
Name for cousins who dissapear
From TV shows with no explanation. Danny Butch played
Spike on Happy Days for 4 Episodes Only and then Spike
Dissapeared from Happy Days
With no explanation.
RedSamRackham Mark091 22 months ago
* And Dobie Gillis' brother Davey (Darryl Hickman) disappeared long before Chuck Cunningham! I believe Chris Carmichael (Lucy Show) went away to college but why did her kid brother Jerry disappear? BTW William Lanteau was a regular as Chester Wanamaker on Newhart!
Mark091 42 months ago
TRIVIA QUESTIONS:
There were 2 different sitcoms with
A character with the name of
PENNY WOODS.
Can anyone out there name the 2
Sitcoms with characters with the
Name PENNY WOODS and the names
Of the 2 different actresses who played characters named Penny Woods?
2 different sitcoms had characters
With the name of THEODORE MOONEY. Can anyone name the 2
Different sitcoms with characters
Named Theodore Mooney and the
Names of the 2 different actors
Who played Theodore Mooney??
vinman63 Mark091 41 months ago
Karen Sue Trent: Penny Woods on LITB and Janet Jackson: Penny Woods on Good Times.
Mark091 vinman63 41 months ago
You are right about Penny Woods being played by
Karen Sue Trent on Leave It to
Beaver and by Janet Jackson on
Good Times.
The character of Theodore Mooney was used on Dennis the menace and The Lucy Show.
George Cisar played a police officer named Theodore Mooney
On Dennis the Menace and Gale
Gordon played bank president
Theodore Mooney on The Lucy
Show. Gale Gordon also played
John Wilson on Dennis the Menace.
Mark091 42 months ago
I found out that Reruns of ALICE
Are carried on Antenna TV and
Reruns of The Adventures of OZZIE and Harriet are seen on RETRO TV
Unfortunately I don't receive Retro
TV or Antenna TV. I hope that
METV will decide to carry The Adventures of OZZIE and Harriet and
Alice .I would also like to see Reruns
Of DOBIE GILLIS on Metv and also
Three's Company and Get Smart.
I would also like to see Eddie Cantor
Movies Pee Wee Herman movies
Joe PENNER movies Shirley Temple
Movies Ernest P Worrell movies
James Bond movies Laurel and
Hardy shorts little Rascals shorts
Elvis Presley movies secret agent
Matt Helms (Dean Martin)! Movies
Dagwood and Blondie movies and Maw and Paw Kettle movies on
Metv all great movie series.
Tuesday Weld (Thaila MennigerI on
The Many Loves of DOBIE GILLIS)
Was one of the most beautiful
Actresses of all time.
Dawn Wells Mary Ann Summers on
Gilligan's Island was also one of the
Most beautiful actresses of all time.
Dawn Wells is gone but not forgotten.
Dawn Wells Mary Ann Summers will
Live forever on film and in our hearts
Until all of her fans join Dawn Wells in Heaven . RIP Dawn Wells Mary Ann.

Wiseguy Mark091 42 months ago
I've been saying Alice is on Antenna TV for some time every time someone says MeTV should show it. Antenna also owns Three's Company. Decades has Get Smart weeknights and probably still owns the rights to Dobie Gillis. MeTV generally doesn't show movies, you should know that. And it's Ma and Pa Kettle. Cats and dogs have paws.
Mark091 42 months ago
There was one person in the TV Universe that was the only person
To defeat Fonzie Henry Winkler in
The all important Neilsen Ratings
And because of this wild person (character) The ratings for season
11 of Happy Days were a diaster
And because of this person causing
TV trouble in the ratings Happy Days
Was cancelled at the end of season
eleven and not renewed for season 12
Which never happened.
Does anyone want to take a guess
The name of the person in the TV Universe who was the only person
To defeat Fonzie??
This person on the TV Universe who
Defeated Fonzie that as a wild guy.
Mark091 Mark091 42 months ago
I guess I stumped everyone with
My question about Who was the
Only person (or character) who
Defeated Fonzie Henry Winkler
In the all important Neilson
Ratings in 1983 and 1984 and
Because of this Mystery Person
Defeating Fonzie the ratings for
Season 11 were low numbers and Happy Days in was cancelled at the end of season
Eleven
Mark091 Mark091 41 months ago
The answer is Mr T from the
TV show The A Team as the only
Person who defeated FONZIE
In the Neilsen ratings.
Shatner1 42 months ago
11/15--starteded out great and then........
Jon 42 months ago
Maureen McCormick was left out of one Season 2 BRADY BUNCH episode, as were all the Brady kid actors except for Barry Williams. Robert Reed missed one Season 4 episode and the final series episode of Season 5.
Mark091 42 months ago
On my onsreen DIRECT TV there was
A description of the GOMER PYLE USMC episode where guest star
Carol Burnett wanted to date GOMER
PYLE and Cpl Carol Barnes (Carol
Burnett managed to foul up GPs
Relationship with Lou Ann Poovie
(Elizabeth MacRae). Anyway on the
Dish satellite listing of the Carol Burnett Episode not GP USMC Actor
ROY STUART is listed as playing
Corporal Boyle but Boyle (Roy Stuart)
Was NOT in that Episode unless
Corporal Boyle (Roy Stuart) turned into The Invisible Man.
Also in the second season Episode
Supply Sergeants never die the
Role of CPL Boyle was played by
Richard Sinatra for one episode
Only and after that GP Episode
Roy Stuart played Cpl Boyle.
Richard Sinatra was the nephew
Of Frank Sinatra.
jokerfan1 42 months ago
On HAPPY DAYS on the episode called
BIG MONEY from season 2 where Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard )was
a contestant on a game show GLORIA
(Linda Purl )is listed in the credits at
The end of the episode Big Money
But she is not in that episode.
Gavan O Herlihy (Chuck Cunningham)
Is listed in the credits at the end of the episodes The Lemon and Guess
Who's Coming to Visit but Gavan O
Herlihy is not in those 2 episodes of Happy Days .Also on the Happy Days
Episode called AKA The Fonz Officer
Kirk announces that he wants to run
FONZIE (Henry Winkler) out of town.
In the episode called AKA The Fonz Officer Kirk was played by Ed Peck
But what was the name of the actor
Who played Officer Evans ??
Officer Evans was the police officer
Who walked into Arnold's Drive with
Officer Kirk was played by Ed Peck.
Wiseguy jokerfan1 42 months ago
An actor's credit can be left off an episode by mistake (spelling errors are also common). You may be seeing an edited episode where an actor's part may be cut out (of course, the credits won't be edited). Otherwise, credits are not really there for your information, it's there for legal reasons. It has to do with contracts. An actor can be credited usually for an entire season whether he appears in every episode or not. Some parts are contracted NOT to be included in the credits. In addition an actor can request to not be credited. An actor can be hired and paid for an episode and then have the part cut out before it even airs. He will still be credited because it was in the contracts. There may be other reasons for credits not to match the appearances. It's not a conspiracy. Don't lose sleep over it.
Dajj 42 months ago
9/15 I was surprised that some of the main characters werent in all of them!
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