Best Fonzies

[ccbaxter]

Without necessarily stealing the show, some of the bit-part players I consistently find among the most amusing are Mr and Mrs Carroll in The Royle Family (especially since the first outburst of song from Joe), PC Reg Deadman in the early series of Goodnight Sweetheart (before he became a little too broadbrush stooooopid), and Gunther in Friends who can deliver a line perfectly while simultaneously seeming (to me anyway) bravely, stoically failing to get anything approaching a decent mini-plot for all his time picking up coffee cups... ("Hi Gunther, have you seen Chandler?" "I thought you were Chandler"...)

Whenever I visit my folks, my mum always seems to be watching repeats of You Rang M'Lord, which is always silly but pleasantly watchable - and the bootboy Henry often gets the best laughs for his deadpan bolshiness...

After a quick bit of Googling, was surprised to find 'Genial' Harry Grout only featured in three episodes of Porridge. As well as the amusement, he helped develop in me a curiosity - and then fondness - for crystallised fruits, for which I'm suitable grateful...

[dan dirty ape]

Surely Quagmire is the general 'Fonzie' of Family Guy? Loads of people I know seemingly never tire of doing impressions of him.

Sid James in 'Hancock's Half Hour'? He was so popular the show became as good as a double act before Hancock gave him the tin tack. See also Kenneth Williams' 'Snide' character in the radio shows.

In terms of comedy I'm not really that fussed by, the 'Good Moaning' bloke in 'Allo 'Allo always seemed to get a 'Fonzie' like cheer from the studio audience when he appeared if I rememer right. Talking of which, those audience recognition cheers got ridiculous in 'Happy Days'. It started out being just for the Fonz, but by the end of its lifespan it was clearly queue-card led when even Tom Bosley got whoops and hollers when he walked in.

[dan dirty ape]

Did The Fonz appear in the very first episode of Mork and Mindy or did I dream that?
.

Yes, I definitely remember that too, although seeing as I don't recall 'Mork and Mindy' being set in the 50's I have no recollection of how they explained him being there. Mork began life in an episode of 'Happy Days' where he kept fucking about and freezing time, so his alien powers must have involved time travel. Did he bring the Fonz with him or something? I suppose I could always Google this.

[Melth]

Timothy Lumsden's mate, Frank Baker. An irritable, meat-faced chump and yet TImothy regards him as something of a man of the world.

[JPA]

Zapp Brannigan from Futurama surely?

Indeed. And Scruffy of course...

[Brutus Beefcake]

Zapp Brannigan from Futurama surely?

Yes!  Maybe Zoidberg too if he counts.

[DuncanC]

Arnold in Yes Minister.

All right, maybe it's just me on that one.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

No, I'm with you on Arnold. Those scenes where they sit eating stilton and nursing brandy balloons are among my favourites.

- Did this kind of thing ever happen when you were permanent secretary, Arnold?
- No.

[Godzilla Bankrolls]

The Geordie one from I'm Alan Partridge.

Chris Morris in The IT Crowd.

[The Boston Crab]

Many of these I'd say are just regular characters in the shows.

My personal favourite one-off (or two-off if you include the final show) is Mr. Bookman in Seinfeld.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Lakta "Thenkyouverymuch" Gravas in Taxi.

[Marvin]

Many of these I'd say are just regular characters in the show.

Yeah but so was The Fonz, he was a regular but not one of the central characters, so that's the idea.

[Craig Torso]

Gene Parmesan in Arrested Development.  He steals scenes so well that you don't even have to see his face before he grabs your attention.

[thewomb]

Many of these I'd say are just regular characters in the shows.

My personal favourite one-off (or two-off if you include the final show) is Mr. Bookman in Seinfeld.

I don't judge a man by the length of his hair or the kind of music he listens to. Rock was never my bag. But you put on a pair of shoes when you walk into the New York public library, felon.

[Abbatoir worker]

The original fonz himself, winkler, in his arrested development incarnation.

Thirded.  

I am just watching them all on DVD now and almost fell out of my chair at the scene where he literally 'jumped the shark'  - surely deserving its own thread 'most self-referential moment in television'?

Also -

Boomhauer in King of The Hill

[another Mr. Lizard]

those audience recognition cheers got ridiculous in 'Happy Days'. It started out being just for the Fonz, but by the end of its lifespan it was clearly queue-card led when even Tom Bosley got whoops and hollers when he walked in.

Some people seem to have strayed from the original point of this thread, by mentioning one-off characters and cameo appearances, but you seem to be on the ball, dda.

In terms of background regulars capable of inspiring (much-deserved) whooping and hollering, surely Fonzie has only one sitcom rival - Norm from 'Cheers', who received not only massive audience recognition but hearty back-slapping and acknowledgment from the rest of the cast whenever he slouched into the bar.

[Catalogue Trousers]

dan dirty ape wrote:

Mork began life in an episode of 'Happy Days' where he kept fucking about and freezing time, so his alien powers must have involved time travel. Did he bring the Fonz with him or something? I suppose I could always Google this.

Let me save some time!

The episode concerned Mork hassling Richie Cunningham, although the Fonz managed to save him - however, it was all explained by the old "it was just a dream" cop-out. Maybe we shouldn't be wondering so much about Mork's powers (although he could slow down Time in "Mork & Mindy", I seem to recall) as about Richie's clairvoyant psychic abilities...

Anyway...

My vote goes for "Burt Kwouk" on the Harry Hill Show. Okay, he's played by the man himself, but this clearly is a stage persona of the same name...

"HEY HARRY! Why don't you SHUT UP and GET ON WITH IT!"

[Utter Shit]

Many of these I'd say are just regular characters in the shows.

My personal favourite one-off (or two-off if you include the final show) is Mr. Bookman in Seinfeld.

If you want to talk about one-off cameos, then simon Pegg in the third series of Black Books is awesome. Omid Djalili's cameo is great, too.

[neveragain]

Howard and Hilda Hughes, as Lalla said, definitely.

'Let's go home and finish our one thousand piece jigsaw puzzle'
'It was Howard! He just wouldn't stop pretending to be an octopus!'
'Go on, punch me in the face old man, I deserve it.'

Those three quotes weren't successive by the way. Oh and this.

HOWARD: And now for the surprise. (Takes down a curtain and reveals Hilda sitting behind it, dressed as a clairvoyant)  Ta-da!
PAUL: Hilda, were you there since before I came in? ... My goodness.

[Alberon]

Dr Zoidberg from Futurama?

The more wretched he became the funnier he got.

[Orias]

After a quick bit of Googling, was surprised to find 'Genial' Harry Grout only featured in three episodes of Porridge. As well as the amusement, he helped develop in me a curiosity - and then fondness - for crystallised fruits, for which I'm suitable grateful...

Love the username, Buddyboy.

I'm sure I once read that Peter Vaughan felt that Grouty almost ruined his career.  He had a couple of scenes in three episodes of a sitcom 30 years ago, but every member of the public since then sees him as Harry Grout.  Testament to the strength of writing and performance, I suppose.

Agree also on Mr Bookman, Barry Zuckercorn and Franklin Bluth.  Scenestealers all.

[mwude]

The Major in Fawlty Towers

Major Gowan - absolutely agree with you on that one.  Virtually all of my favourite scenes involve him and he has most of the lines that I love - "No no!  I won't have that!  There's a place in Eastbourne." - "I must have been keen on her because I took her to see India! ... at the Oval!" and the entire conversation with the moose head.  I get the impression he's always teetering on the edge of drunkeness and probably has been for about the last 30 years.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Yet more Arrested Development characters. Kitty Sanchez and Larry the surrogate. They're pretty much polar opposites (Kitty being all manic energy while Larry is ultra deadpan) but both commit scene theft on a regular basis.

[rebel prince]

Richard Ayoade in The Mighty Boosh.




Ha ha.

[Glyn]

would geoff from coupling count ? in a 'he was far too good for that rather so-so show' type way ?

[Utter Shit]

Another few from Father Ted - the warring couple (forget their names?) and Tom the lunatic.

[JPA]

Another few from Father Ted - the warring couple (forget their names?)

John and Mary.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Dr. Terrible, in Dr. Terribles House Of Horrible. Easily the best thing about every episode, and the shows weren't anything to do with him.

"I was knew a man who could crush a small dog, in the palm of his hand. When I asked why he did it, he replied "Because I can....And i don't like small dogs.."

"That was truly diabolical. These days witches are hard to locate. Gone are their witches brooms and pointy hats of yester-year, to be replaced by mini skirts, boob-tubes and big shoes. And they don't cast spells any more. They just wait until you've fallen alseep and then steal your wallet. Then you end up paying twice. Good night."

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Chris Finch was truly a dominating character, until he was neutered in The Office Christmas Special.

[neveragain]

'I remember seeing my wife lying there in her ebony coffin with silk lining, looking sooo peaceful. I just wanted to climb in there with her. But there simply wasn't enough room for both of us. So I put her in a sack. It is as if it was yesterday, but it was in fact the day before. Love makes sentimental fools of us all...'

'Dreams are wonderful. Last night I was being beaten with a ucalyptus bush by my old headmaster whilst his wife pissed into a ming vase. Then I had a dream, though I can't recall what it was. I prefer nightmares myself...'

That's Chris Finch by the way, not Dr. Terrible.