8 Hilarious Sitcom Characters I Wished To Have Seen More Of

Summary

• Memorable and underutilized supporting characters in television history.
• Examples include Gail the Snail in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Mona Lisa Saperstein in Parks and Recreation.
• Some characters had potential for further development, while others were important to main characters’ storylines but disappeared.

I’ve always felt some of the best sitcom characters were often the most underutilized, and there were plenty of hilarious characters I’d love to have seen more of. While I agree, there’s some merit to the idea that less can be more when it came to beloved sitcom characters, and by keeping their appearances brief, the excitement whenever they appeared onscreen was be maintained. However, I cannot help feeling that some characters’ potential has been wasted through their limited use, and these sitcoms could have benefited from giving some of these secondary characters more time in the spotlight.

I’m sure everybody has a different answer regarding who they thought were the most wasted sitcom characters, but these were some who I believe could have benefited from further appearances. While some of these characters only showed up for a couple of episodes, others were more prominent yet still could have had more development, storylines, and a larger character arc associated with them. While it’s impossible to go back and change the past, I would have loved to have seen more of these hilarious sitcom characters.

8 Gail The Snail

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005 – Present)

While the gang from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has always shocked and enthralled me, I think one of the show’s best aspects was how creative Always Sunny’s supporting characters were. From the slow decline of Rickety Cricket to the creepy milk-drinking presence of the McPoyles, the wayward band of oddballs who found their way into Paddy’s Pub have never failed to make me laugh. However, one character I think Always Sunny could have used a little bit more of was Dennis and Dee’s unnerving cousin, Gail the Snail.

Gail the Snail got her name because Dennis and Dee would throw salt at her to keep her away, and having just appeared in four episodes, I believe she was painfully underutilized. Gail was first introduced in Season 5 and, in her few appearances, has shone through as one of the most memorable and disconcerting characters in the series, especially considering her uncomfortable relationship with her uncle Frank. As Always Sunny continues as the longest-running live-action American sitcom, there’s surely room for more Gail-centric stories.

7 Creed Bratton

The Office (2005 – 2013)

While some viewers love The Office because of the poignant romance between Jim and Pam or the outrageous antics of Michael Scott, one of my favorite aspects was Creed Bratton. To me, Creed felt like an anomaly in the series, a mystery waiting to be uncovered whose every action and utterance hinted at a fascinating life outside of the Dunder Mifflin paper distributor. While audiences were given hints about Creed’s personal life, I’d love to have seen a lot more of it in the show.

Everything about Creed fascinates me, from the fact that he’s playing a fictionalized version of himself and is actually named Creed Bratton to his backstory as a rock star, drug user, and former homeless person. While Creed was given more storylines as The Office progressed, I was sad he never truly got his time in the spotlight, and I’d love to have seen more Creed-based episodes. Although it may not be official canon, one of my favorite Creed moments came when he met Jesse from Breaking Bad during a skit at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards.

6 Mona Lisa Saperstein

Parks and Recreation (2009 – 2015)

One of my favorite things about Parks and Recreation was how absurd the residents of Pawnee, Indiana, were and the incredible interactions they would have with the Parks Department. Some of the best moments came in Town Hall meetings or when the public would be invited into the offices, although another recurring resident who I always wanted to see more of came through Tom Haverford’s hilarious business partner Jean-Ralphio. While I love Jean-Ralphio, it was his sister, Mona Lisa Saperstein, who I always wanted to see more of.

Jenny Slate expertly portrayed Mona Lisa, who was described by her brother as “the worst person in the world” and a “total klepto, nympho, and pyro.” While Mona Lisa left a lasting impression in every episode she was in, I was shocked to learn that she turned up in just nine episodes of Parks and Rec. For such a hilarious character with so much untapped potential, I thought Mona Lisa was painfully underutilized throughout the series and could have contributed further to the misadventures of Tom, Jean-Ralphio, and the rest of the Parks Department.

5 Kirk Van Houten

The Simpsons (1989 – Present)

As The Simpsons progressed over the years, I thought it was fascinating to witness how the show grew from focusing on the antics of the family to a true ensemble encompassing the entire spectrum of Springfield. I loved the way the series fleshed out not just the circumstances surrounding the family’s life but went even further to give the secondary characters, like Bart’s best friend Milhouse, their own fully formed family. Out of this attention to detail came one of my favorite characters, Milhouse’s father, Kirk Van Houten.

For my money, Kirk had some of the greatest Simpsons moments, including “I sleep in a race car, do you?” to “can I borrow a feeling?” and there was something so compelling and pathetic about the character. While I agree Kirk had several episodes that shed light on his hilarious character, I have always wanted to see more of him. As Kirk traversed the challenges of his separation from Lunane, getting fired from the cracker factory, and trying to forge a relationship with his son post-divorce, there were plenty more opportunities for Kirk episodes.

4 Pierce Hawthorne

The towelette tycoon turned college student, Pierce Hawthorne, was an integral part of the Greendale study group for the first four seasons of Community. Although Pierce was boorish, offensive, and downright obnoxious most of the time, he was also among my favorite members of the cast and contributed to some of Community’s funniest moments through his complete lack of social decorum. I always thought Pierce was a great character with lots of potential, and that’s why I was so saddened that he was written off the show due to behind-the-scenes problems with his actor, Chevy Chase.

I’m well aware that Chase has always been notably difficult to work with and that these problems continued on the set of Community as he found himself in conflict with showrunner Dan Harmon and co-stars like Donald Glover. Despite this, I believe Pierce’s absence was significantly felt in later seasons of Community, and I would have loved to have seen more of him. While I know it’s unlikely that Chase will appear in the upcoming Community movie, I’m still holding out hope they find a way to pay tribute to his character in some way.

3 Bo Derek Thompson

Superstore (2015 – 2021)

I always enjoyed the workplace sitcom Superstore and tuned in every week to witness the trials and tribulations of the employees of Cloud 9. With an incredible array of talented performers, Cheyenne Thompson (Nichole Sakura) stood out as my favorite as I not only found her hilarious, but the way she built herself up from a pregnant high school student to a savvy supervisor was truly inspiring. Adding to this, one Superstore character I would have loved to see more of was Cheyenne’s partner, Bo Derek Thompson.

Bo was a wannabe rapper who got engaged to and married Cheyenne over the course of Superstore. Although Bo’s appearances were brief, he always left a big impression, as his cluelessness, unfounded self-belief, and love for Cheyenne meant that, despite his faults, I was always rooting for him. I was excited at the idea of seeing more of Bo when the Superstore spin-off Bo & Cheyenne was announced in 2020; however, this dream was crushed when it was revealed NBC was not moving forward with the project.

2 Newman

Seinfeld (1989 – 1998)

One of my favorite things about Seinfeld was that the series didn’t need to spell everything out to us viewers and was comfortable leaving certain aspects of a mystery. This was especially the case when it came to the reasoning behind Jerry’s hatred of Newman, his arch-nemesis and sworn rival. This hilariously acrimonious relationship meant that Newman acted as a constant thorn in Jerry’s side and while he was hilarious in all of his appearances, I would have loved to have seen more of Newman throughout Seinfeld.

While it’s true that Newman’s character got more screen time as Seinfeld progressed, his job with the Postal Service and frequent involvement with Kramer’s bizarre schemes meant there were plenty more opportunities to include him. Wayne Knight did an incredible job playing Newman, and he appeared in 44 out of the 180 episodes. While I always wished to see more of Newman, I was pleased to see him reprise his role in an ad for the US Postal Service in 2020 titled “A Message from Your Friendly Local Mail Carrier.”

1 Carol Willick

Friends (1994 – 2004)

While Friends revolved around the core six characters who made up its ensemble, part of the reason the series was such a success was because it had such an incredible roster of supporting characters. I have always enjoyed the absurdity of Ugly Naked Guy and thought Janice was the funniest of all the members’ partners, but one character who should have played a larger role in the series was Carol Willick. As Ross Geller’s ex-wife and the mother of their child, Ben, I always found it strange how little we saw of Carol throughout the ten seasons of Friends.

While Friends often used Carol’s brief appearances to joke about her same-sex relationship with Susan Bunch, I think the show missed out on an opportunity to explore more storylines about the trials of traversing divorce and parenthood. Carol’s role was reduced as Friends progressed, but I believe as Ben grew older, the series could have leaned more heavily into how this affected her and Ross’s relationship and communication. Carol was in just 15 episodes and did not even appear in the final three seasons, which I think was a disservice to her character’s importance.

Sources: 63rd Emmy Awards, A Message from Your Friendly Local Mail Carrier