Best 'one-and-done' characters

[Mwnger]

Specifically, characters that turn up in a comedy show for one scene and never appear again, but totally steal that scene

I don't mean one-off characters who star in a whole episode, or are the focus of the episode (e.g. Frank Grimes in The Simpsons) and are never seen again -  and celebrity cameos don't count either

A character that appears once in one scene/sequence, makes your laugh, and are never seen or referred to again

I think The Simpsons and Father Ted were the masters of these (and maybe Seinfeld as well) so I'll give my two favourite examples from those two

The box factory manager from Bart Gets Famous. Probably one of the best 'boring' characters in comedy (Father Ted has a few of them too)

Dan Castellaneta's voice work is amazing - particularly for the line  "No, that has never happened ... we just make boxes here" Love this character, still regularly quote him to this day

Second, is Father Stone's dad (Dermot Stone) in the Entertaining Father Stone episode of Father Ted.

He appears 2mins into the above clip. Absolutely stonking comedy performance: the vigorous hand-shaking betraying his secret delight when saying how "...terrible is too SMALL a word". He totally nails the impatient Dublin dad, with no sympathy for his own son "Gerrup outta dat, ya lazy little bastard!" - and then probably one of my favourite lines in all of Father Ted "God forgive me for saying this, but wouldn't it have been better if he'd a-bin killed?"

Also "For bringing him into the wur-eld" Perfect Dublinese. Then the jaunty exit to the pub "Fair enough then, see ya later right?"

Have at you!

[Jerden Cooke]

Frankie from the robot asylum in Futurama, though admittedly I mostly like him because he's the catalyst for one of the most perfectly circular jokes I've ever encountered:

[dead-ced-dead]

Another Simpsons one is the two Rex's.

This cunt:



And Rex Banner:

[Magnum Valentino]

You can't have Banner he's in a whole episode.

[dead-ced-dead]

Oh I'm sorry, well just schoolboy Rex then.

[badaids]

The TV Detector Man in The Young Ones?

Queeg?

Ace Rimmer?

Bill Gates look alike in Nathan for You?

[lankyguy95]

Obvious answer but Matthew Holness as the IT guy in The Office. Just the couple of scenes in one episode IIRC.

[RHX]

BIG SHIRTLESS RON

[Oosp]

Flashheart. Obviously.

[madhair60]

if any of them were funny they'd have brought them back

[Mobius]

Bill Gates look alike in Nathan for You?

he is in more than 1 episode and multiple scenes!!!!!!!!!!! READ THE THREAD RULES

[GolazoDan]

Martin Short as Uncle Jack in Arrested Development. Every line is a winner, especially that first scene. TO THE NUTS.

[Milo]

The TV Detector Man in The Young Ones?

The number of times I've said, "I know HOW to wait"

[Sebastian Cobb]

Another Simpsons one is the two Rex's.

This cunt:



And Rex Banner:

Khlav Kalash guy and Crazy Vaclav too.

I can think of another but posting it myself would be too gauche.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Oh and the 'I hear your book's getting pulped' guy in IAP.

[Milo]

Don Warrington in Red Dwarf reporting to the holoship about the inhabitants of Starbug, prompting Lister to eat a fag out of bravado.

[badaids]

he is in more than 1 episode and multiple scenes!!!!!!!!!!! READ THE THREAD RULES

I didn't realise.

[badaids]

Flashheart. Obviously.

Tom Baker's captain character.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Guy who punches Clinton Baptise for calling him a nonce.

[Bad Ambassador]

Bookman, the library detective.

[ASFTSN]

There's a shitload in Fifteen Storeys High.

"What're you doing with that plow you twat?"

"Ignore him, Erol."

[Golden E. Pump]

If sketch shows are allowed, Mark Heap's 'some kind of fackin' potato' line in that one sketch in Big Train has always lived rent free in my head.

[boki]

The aliens in Life Of Brian. More for the scene itself than the characters, I suppose, but I almost hit the roof the first time I saw it.

[idunnosomename]

The aliens in Life Of Brian. More for the scene itself than the characters, I suppose, but I almost hit the roof the first time I saw it.

what about the passerby who calls Brian a lucky bastard as he emerges from the smoking wreckage? Played by Charles Knode, costumer designer. sadly died this year!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Knode

BBC obit

Spoiler alert

Charles Knode sadly died in the hospital on Thursday, 16 February, aged 80.

He joined the BBC just when television went into colour, one of a stellar new intake of young theatre-trained stage and costume designers, among them Elizabeth Waller, John Bloomfield, Raymond Hughes and Robin Frazer-Paye.

Before this, costume designers were called costume supervisors and wore petal ½ hats, handbags, and white gloves to work!

I assisted Charles in 1970 on Sense and Sensibility, my first job after Art School and working in the theatre. What an enormous amount I learnt from the Master!

He charmed actors – they loved his attention to detail, vast historical knowledge and the artistry that went into his designs. He made them feel comfortable and look good, correct and characterful, so they could get on with their job of acting, having the confidence of knowing their costume was 100% right and a huge part of their performance.

Great fun to be with at work and after work, he became a lasting friend to me and a great many film, TV and theatre directors, makers, actors and designers. Generous, warm and thoughtful, at 6ft4 he was a gentle giant.

His War and Peace (1972-73, directed by John Davies) was a triumph (featured in Prospero recently).

Owen Wingrave, the Britten opera was memorable; his designs had a sell-out exhibition near Aldeburgh.

After leaving the BBC, Charles had a varied and remarkable career in film. He had little time for ridiculous Hollywood producers and accountants who had not properly budgeted the film's costume demands. Unafraid of sacking, he stood firm and faced them off on many occasions!

His film credits include:

Monty Python – Jabberwocky and Life of Brian

James Bond – Never say Never Again

Braveheart, for Mel Gibson (BAFTA and Oscar nomination)

Sir Ridley Scott – Blade Runner, Legend, and 1492: Conquest of Paradise

TV movies include The Odyssey, Alice in Wonderland and Don Quixote.

Judy Pepperdine, Costume Designer

[close]

[lazyhour]

Bookman, the library detective.

Came to post the same. Really good script elevated by a perfect performance, pushed even further by Jerry's silent bafflement.

[DrGreggles]

Returned for the finale.

[Twilkes]

Came to post the same. Really good script elevated by a perfect performance, pushed even further by Jerry's silent bafflement.

Jerry was barely holding in the laughter, never mind silent bafflement.

Thread is asking for single scene throwaways though, Bookman appeared throughout the episode. Otherwise there are TONS of single episode characters across all comedy.

[jobotic]

The mathmagician at Martin Prince's party.

[Old Nehamkin]

The guy who fires Kirk Van Houten from the cracker factory.

[lauraxsynthesis]

Always looking for reasons to bring up Stella Street - Joe Pesci's stepfather Billy Easy was briefly in 2 eps in Series 2

And the coach driver who got murdered by Joe Pesci in Series 3