8 Popular TV Characters Who Originated On Different Shows

Even the most iconic characters need a little help with their launch into the stratosphere.

[gallantcavalier]

The fact that Frazier and Cheers was not mentioned is criminal.

[davefreier]

The Jeffersons originated on All in the Family.

[nopeninja]

How could you guys miss Daria?! Who first appeared on Bevis and Butthead that you guys had on here!

[asifkhan]

David Boreanaz Moody vampire Angel originated on Buffy The Vampire Slayer are tail end of Pilot and then again on the 7th episode then becoming a recurring guest character on show before going over to hid own spin off

[jb]

- Xena wasn't originally going to be a spinoff. She was going to die at the end of her _Hercules_ trilogy. Then the show Vanishing Son got cancelled and the producers needed a replacement, so they decided that Xena could carry a show on her own (give or take Gabrielle).
- Happy Days didn't "originate" on Love American Style. The show was its own thing, they shot a pilot, and execs decided not to make a series. So they burned off the already shot film on LAS. But then it got high ratings plus _American Graffiti_ had just come out to wild success.

[EvilTwin]

Phoebe Buffay is basically Ursula from Mad About You. They even became sisters in a crossover episode.

[theangryaccountant]

Richard Belzer has appeared as Detective Munch on 10 different TV shows, including The Beat (which was short lived), Sesame Street, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, The X-Files, 3 different Law & Order shows, The Wire and of course Homicide.

[JacklostYedmore]

Kevin’s character on Everybody Loves Raymond was called Kevin, he didn’t play Doug Heffernan until after King of Queens started (I double checked on IMDb just now)

[ltdrak]

I think Catherine Bell was a big reason for the popularity of JAG in our house.

[melindakinnaird]

His name was Richard Belzer, not David.

[Grimlock]

I want the story about the Executive that cancelled JAG after one season on NBC. CBS has been printing money for 30 years over that decision

[ShawnEnge]

Frasier originated from Cheers. The first one I thought of when I saw the title hah.

[TheLazarusFL]

The title character of the breakout hit Joey, first appeared in a little known show called Friends.

[MrEiniweini]

The Daredevil series spun off the Punisher. Realistically the entire MCU television universe is a result of Daredevil showing that it could be profitable.

[lisavee]

Florida Evans from Maude to Good Times

[WillisVision]

Constantine had has his own show on NBC, and then after it got cancelled he guest starred on the CW's Arrow, Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow before becoming a series regular on Legends of Tomorrow. Having the same character portrayed by the same actor on so many different shows and even different networks has to be a television record that no one else has ever even come close too.

[phillipjenkins]

I really thought this list would've included Angel. I'm kinda surprised by that.

[johnsmith-kcrk]

The Simpsons originated on Tracy Ulman and my grandmother’s favorite TV shows were Golden Girls and Murder, She Wrote

[JasonJones-ogft]

Frazier, The Winslows (Family Matters), Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy, Angel, Xena all immediately flooded into my mind at the title of the video

[Dirkus]

1:31 David Belzer, you say?

I spotted today's WhatCulture video deliberate mistake and I claim my prize.