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. There's
00:25so much potential in a mystery character so we may as well take a look and appreciate a few of them.
00:31So I'm Amy from WhatCulture and here are the 8 best TV characters who you never actually got to see.
00:378. 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 is a chance that
01:23viewers caught a glimpse of the dreaded killer as a popular fan theory suggests it was none other than
01:28Toby Flenderson. There are a few clues to support this theory such as Toby's absence during the
01:33Strangler's car chase, his refusal to enter church and, by his own admission, not being in work at the
01:39time that the case was being heard. Oh he was on jury duty was he? Well, we never confirmed that.
01:45As much as we do joke though, there's not really enough evidence to make this a solid finding but
01:52it would be funny, wouldn't it? Maybe Michael hating him all those years was actually for a good reason.
01:577. 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 and acting
02:26as the narrator for the story is none other than God. Terry Pratchett's projects are pretty much known
02:31for their witty writing style, their witty narration in this case and the voice actor played the character
02:37perfectly in this with a dryness that adds plenty of humour whilst keeping the plot moving forward.
02:42The casting of Frances McDormand in the voice role for this was pretty much perfect because she has
02:47this sort of ambivalence about her that really lends the character of God to this gravitas and charm.
02:52We 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.
03:006. 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
03:07much these days. The goofiness of these Irish priests living on Craggy Island was a godsend
03:12and one of the funniest aspects was the references to other priests. The show was dripping with fellow
03:17wearers of the cloth beside the beloved Ted, Dougal and Jack. Still, whilst plenty of them got a chance
03:22to show their faces on screen, the dreaded Father Bigley did not. Described as having a blotchy face with
03:28puffy fish lips, possibly due to a tea kettle explosion, this priest is a somewhat recurring
03:33topic of discussion. He's said to have been present and working at O.J. Simpson's wedding,
03:38having had sent alms to Iraq and he ended up in a home because of his slight obsession with
03:43starting fires. Yeah, he doesn't sound like a very good guy so maybe it's for the best he stayed away.
03:48The idea of a debaucherous and slightly mad priest is utterly hilarious and the fact that he's described
03:54as something so monstrous without ever being seen makes it all the funnier.
03:595. Mrs. Columbo in Columbo
04:02Mrs. Columbo is quite a unique and very strange, actually, character in TV because despite the fact
04:07that we never see her on screen and we never actually even hear her from off screen, she still
04:13felt like a pretty fleshed out, well-rounded character that we felt like we knew. She had a distinct
04:18personality and a full relationship with the titular character and she was also relevant to the plot.
04:23Columbo would frequently reference his wife, talking about her life and their relationship.
04:28She seemed to be an active, healthy woman and often found herself involved in the story,
04:32most notably in episodes like Rest in Peace Mrs. Columbo, where she became the target of a deranged
04:37killer. There is one interesting theory, however, that actually Mrs. Columbo never existed and simply
04:44she was made up as a way for Columbo to help lower the defences of criminals, to make him seem more
04:49personable, a family man that loves his wife. You can trust him, can't you? The beauty of her unseen
04:55presence was that you could decide this for yourself whether you believe that or not. It is true that
04:59at one point they tried to give her a face in this messy flop of a spin-off series but they later
05:05retconned that saying she was absolutely of no relation to the titular detective, never mind being
05:10the wife, so if we just forget about that, it never happened.
05:134. 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
05:21to de-stigmatise things, take the shame out of things, help people get better on their own terms,
05:26etc., we 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.
05:41He acted as the therapist for multiple characters including Shauna and Craig,
05:46but his most important patient of all was of course our beloved Chris Traeger.
05:50Chris was definitely one of the biggest advocates for therapy, I mean it helped him become
05:55more than he used to be. It took him out of this crippling anxiety, depression ball and made him
06:00into a mostly functional human being. He took almost every opportunity to accredit that process to
06:06his fantastic therapist, Dr. Nygaard. It became so that Dr. Nygaard was a character
06:11you felt truly familiar with. He really did become a bona fide character throughout the show despite
06:16never appearing on screen or even speaking. It seems that Chris in fact is so positive he can
06:21develop a character you've never even met.
06:24Three, Mrs. Wolowitz, The Big Bang Theory.
06:27The Big Bang Theory has thrived by basing its comedy on things that they think people will find
06:32relatable. And it seems not just in this sitcom but in a lot of them that one of the most relatable
06:37things is the overbearing mother or mother-in-law. An overbearing mother is a harsh reality for some
06:43but it's utterly hilarious in the case of this show. Seeing Howard at home with his mom often
06:48getting into silly screaming matches and joking about her various health and personality problems
06:53was a major reason why his character was entertaining. And adding to all of this was the fact that we
06:58never got to actually look at her. So we get to fill in the gaps in our heads, maybe some people even
07:03picturing their own mothers. The disembodied voice of Carol Ann Sousa yelling Howard is seared into
07:08the brains of many, giving this character a long-lasting legacy. It could be argued that
07:13actually seeing her would have spoiled the joke because there was no way that any mere actress
07:18could have lived up to the huge over-the-top persona that was built by that voice. So really,
07:23it's probably a good thing they kept her secret.
07:26Two, Bob Sacamano, Seinfeld.
07:29I think almost everybody can say that they've got one of those friends. You know, one of those oddball,
07:35off-the-wall friends that always seems to be doing stuff that gives you a great story to tell.
07:39Well, in the sitcom world, that kind of friend needs to go beyond even the antics of the leads,
07:44which probably explains the wackiness of Bob Sacamano. Throughout Seinfeld,
07:48Kramer would make references to a friend who seemed to have the weirdest life imaginable.
07:53These 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.
08:271. 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.
08:45As the founder of the Townsend Agency, this character is the basis for the kick-ass show.
08:50He was the one that founded the Angels, and thanks to that, this awesome girl power team
08:54was put on the map. He's been a consistent figure in the series since its inception,
08:58and throughout that time he's only allowed one person to see his real face,
09:02that being 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.
09:24If you've got any more that you would have included in the video,
09:26then let us know in the comments down below.
09:28And remember to check out whatculture.com for more lists and articles like this every single day.
09:34As always, I've been Amy from WhatCulture, and I'll catch you next time.