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March 28, 2024, 10:50:46 PM

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Most famous name in most obscure British sitcom

Started by George White, June 17, 2022, 06:22:46 PM

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George White

As a split-off from the Outlaws thread, where because of Walken's participation, we discussed other Hollywood names' appearances in Britcoms
ANdie McDowell, Andy Samberg and Taylor Lautner in Cuckoo

The other big one is Anne Bancroft in Freddie and Max (90s Thames series, at the time the most expensive UK sitcom ever, but a rather vanilla chalk and cheese thing with Bancroft and Charlotte Coleman)

Lee Majors in Too Much Sun (BBC sitcom from 2000 with Mark Addy as a Brit writer and Alex Jennings as a posh actor in Hollywood, Majors their Rick Dalton-esque TV cowboy landlord, although Majors himself was Heath in the Big Valleyi)

Joan Collins, Michael Gambon, Rupert Everett and Dana Ivey in Ruby Wax BBC pilot Mama's  Back.

And I mean post-fame, rather than pre-fame ie Kate Winslet in Get Back or Christoph Waltz in The Gravy Train

Brundle-Fly

John Hamm in Toast Of London.
McKellen & Jacobi in Vicious was quite a coup.

Are these obscure though? Probably not.

George White

There's a few Comedy Playhouses which were prospective vehicles for stars who clearly couldn't commit to the series so they were axed (Peter Cushing, David Tomlinson, Wilfrid Hyde White).
Blandings Castle with Ralph Richardson and Stanley Holloway (Lewisohn counts it, so therefore I count it).

dissolute ocelot

Sir John Mills starred in a fairly forgotten Vince Powell sitcom, Young at Heart.

Also not really obscure but Last of the Summer Wine had some people who were once big names, like Norman Wisdom and 40s sex bomb Thora Hird.

Gurke and Hare


Bad Ambassador


McChesney Duntz

Lord Lawrence Olivier as "Mrs. Danglebuttocks" in Oi! There's a Bleeding Poof in My Sodding Flat! (1973 - 1973)

Martin Van Buren Stan

Wasn't John Lennon in one? I think if you're looking at a ratio of famous person to obscure sitcom that's hard to top as he was probably one of the most famous men on the planet at the time.  Even if he was in the most famous sitcom ever I think if you looked at a breakdown of % of humans who would recognise him Vs % of humans who've heard of that show it'd be unbeatable

the science eel


McChesney Duntz

Quote from: Martin Van Buren Stan on June 17, 2022, 07:48:15 PMWasn't John Lennon in one? I think if you're looking at a ratio of famous person to obscure sitcom that's hard to top as he was probably one of the most famous men on the planet at the time.

Did he show up in a sitcom? I know he made a couple of appearances in Not Only... But Also...


superthunderstingcar

Roger Moore in Brian Pern

Kate Bush in The Comic Strip Presents... Les Dogs

Paul McCartney in The Comic Strip Presents... Eat the Rich

Glebe


Glebe

Quote from: dissolute ocelot on June 17, 2022, 07:24:14 PMAlso not really obscure but Last of the Summer Wine had some people who were once big names, like Norman Wisdom and 40s sex bomb Thora Hird.

Also John Cleese and, apparently, John Chakiris from West Side Story.

Martin Van Buren Stan

Moore on Pern is the best suggestion so far I reckon. What % of Brits have heard of Roger Moore and what % have heard of Brian Pern

mtpromises

Kayne West on Top Buzzer.  Pimp My Ride USA's Xzibit was also on it.

Two of the Cheers cast have been on Britcoms.  Kelsey Grammer on the already mentioned Porters and George Wendt on The Green Green Grass.

George White

#16
Quote from: McChesney Duntz on June 17, 2022, 07:44:28 PMLord Lawrence Olivier as "Mrs. Danglebuttocks" in Oi! There's a Bleeding Poof in My Sodding Flat! (1973 - 1973)
The thing is he did a play by the Italian screen comic/playwright Eduardo de Filippo, Saturday, Saturday, Monday - which looks like a wacky sitcom about an Italian family.

Just thought of a forgotten 50s example.
Glencannon starring Thomas Mitchell - one of the Golden Age of Hollywood's most familiar faces (Uncle Billy in It's A Wonderful Life, Scarlett O'Hara's dad, the mayor in High Noon, Doc in Stagecoach) playing a Shakin' Para Handy sea captain in an ITV family comedy adventure sitcom (it's in Lewisohn's book, so it counts).
 

George White

Quote from: mtpromises on June 17, 2022, 09:13:51 PMKayne West on Top Buzzer.  Pimp My Ride USA's Xzibit was also on it.

Two of the Cheers cast have been on Britcoms.  Kelsey Grammer on the already mentioned Porters and George Wendt on The Green Green Grass.
3. John Ratzenberger did the Detectives (years after his stay in the UK)

George White

Quote from: Glebe on June 17, 2022, 08:10:49 PMDoes Peter Sellers on Sykes count?

Hmm like LOTSW and Macca in Bread, it was a hit show of the era and fondly remembered amongst those who watched it.
I'm thinking of stuff like say John Mills in Young at Heart.

George White

Quote from: Glebe on June 17, 2022, 08:13:27 PMAlso John Cleese and, apparently, John Chakiris from West Side Story.
GEORGE Chakiris was also in the 80s ITV sitcom Poor Little Rich Girls.
He was UK-based due to stage work here. Also did a Thriller for Brian Clemens and a period drama for the Beeb, NOtorious Woman.

Thought I had put Porters, but seems not.

Glebe

Not a sitcom, but David Soul 'contributing' to a cover of The Fall's 'Hit the North' on Frank Sidebottom's show is pretty surreal:


Moj


Matthew Dawkins Jub Jub

I remember being impressed when Michael Palin showed up in Home and Away, but I suppose it's not really a sitcom.

George White

Late 80s Channel 4 Elvis-obsessed teen adventure-comedy Neat and Tidy - Adventures Beyond Belief - a bunch of 50s/60s Hollywood faces appeared. John Astin, Stella Stevens, Elke Sommer, Larry Storch off F Troop (who being the best mate of Tony Curtis, had been in The Persuaders! too as Danny's old mate from the Bronx) and Edie Adams (wife and partner of Ernie Kovacs).


George White

Oh, ITC Shirley MacLaine vehicle Shirley's World

ajsmith2

Somewhat of a reverse case, but it was truly ducking bizzare when Dame Edna Everage became a regular in very late period Ally McBeal (alongside Jon Bon Jovi as McBeals love interest, no shit)


Virgo76

Ade Edmondson and David Mitchell in 2004's Doctors and Nurses.

Virgo76

Man Down isn't that obscure, but it's still a bit odd Steven Berkoff was in it for six episodes.

Harpo Speaks

Quote from: Virgo76 on June 19, 2022, 11:36:12 AMMan Down isn't that obscure, but it's still a bit odd Steven Berkoff was in it for six episodes.

Mark Hamill appears in Man Down too.

On a similar note, Carrie Fisher in Catastrophe.