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Extended family members always seem to figure more prominently in TV-land than in real life; in this first part of an occasional series, we take a look at some of the more memorable uncles who have graced our airwaves.
1. Uncle Joe
Prolific character actor Edgar Buchanan is probably best remembered as the gravelly-voiced Uncle Joe, who was always movin’ kinda slow on Petticoat Junction. Uncle Joe Carson was one of a handful of Hooterville residents who also made semi-regular appearances on Green Acres. Buchanan was born in Missouri but moved to Oregon at the age of seven. He graduated from the North Pacific Dental College and ran a successful oral surgery practice in Altadena, California, until (at age 36) he finally gave up his spit sink and succumbed to the acting bug that had first bitten him back in college.
2. Uncle Bobby
If you were a kid in Canada during the 1960s and 70s, chances are you watched The Uncle Bobby Show (most likely you were home for lunch and just waiting for The Flintstones to come on). Uncle Bobby was Bobby Ash, who was born in Staffordshire, England, in 1924 and began acting on stage at the tender age of five. He emigrated to Canada after reading an ad for a new TV station starting up in Toronto that was looking for talent. The Uncle Bobby Show aired from 1962 to 1979 on CFTO and was also syndicated across Canada. Sadly, Uncle Bobby always remained something of a second-string children’s TV host in a market that included the Friendly Giant and Mr. Dressup, and he had to moonlight as a school bus driver in order to make ends meet.
3. Uncle Bill
Family Affair’s Uncle Bill (portrayed by Brian Keith) was almost more of an indulgent grandpa than the bewildered uncle who was unexpectedly made the guardian of his nieces and nephew when their parents were killed in a car accident. Of course, as a successful consulting civil engineer living in a luxurious penthouse apartment on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, swinging bachelor Bill Davis could afford to be benevolent. Basic care and feeding (as well as discipline) of Cissy, Buffy and Jody were all left to his gentleman’s gentleman, Mr. French, to handle while Uncle Bill was off overseeing a construction project or dating a socialite. Uncle Bill’s idea of parenting was to open his wallet in case of any emergency (such as the time he hired a baby elephant to entertain Buffy at home in the family living room when she was depressed over her broken leg).
4. Uncle Jesse
TV viewers (particularly the moms in the audience) can’t resist a man who goes gooey over children, so it’s no surprise that heartthrob John Stamos as Uncle Jesse lured as many fans to Full House on Friday nights as did the Olsen twins. Darkly handsome, long-haired, brooding Uncle Jesse rode a motorcycle and was a staunch Elvis wannabe. When such a “bad boy” gave up his carousing ways in order to help take care of his deceased sister’s daughters, what red-blooded female wouldn’t swoon? During the first season, Stamos’ character was called “Jesse Cochran,” but by Season Two Stamos had enough clout to ask the producers to change his name to “Jesse Katsopolis” in recognition of his own Greek heritage (Stamos’ original family name was Stamotopoulos).
5. Uncle Charley
William Demarest was hired to portray Uncle Charley, the chief cook and bottle-washer, on My Three Sons after William Frawley (“Bub”) became too ill to be insured. Demarest was no youngster by the time he joined the Sons cast – he’d appeared with Al Jolson in the first talkie, The Jazz Singer, back in 1927. Crotchety Uncle Charley was definitely the antithesis of easy-going Uncle Bill; he was famous for threatening the Douglas kids with things like the “Watusi red ant torture” if they didn’t straighten up and fly right.
6. Uncle Junior
Uncle Junior of The Sopranos was not as warm and fuzzy as your typical TV uncle, but he did have a soft spot in his heart for his nephew, Tony Soprano. In the final episode of Season Three, Junior starts singing along with a guitarist in the restaurant where the family has gathered for a post-funeral meal. It is an old Italian classic, originally written for Enrico Caruso, and the mourners are visibly moved. Uncle Junior continues into a medley of sentimental favorites, and subtly re-establishes his status as boss (even if temporarily) of the family. Dominic Chianese, who portrayed Junior, had been singing on Broadway since 1965, and music has always been his first love, so it’s no wonder he was able to evince such a range of emotions in one scene via song.
7. Uncle Fester
When the bald, hunched man in the black coat appeared in Charles Addams’ cartoons, he had no name. Addams himself christened the character “Uncle Fester” when his macabre family was turned into a sitcom in 1964. On the TV series, Fester was Morticia’s maternal uncle, but in the subsequent films he was Gomez Addams’ brother. Uncle Fester was played by Jackie Coogan, who first gained fame as Charlie Chaplin’s sidekick in the 1921 silent film The Kid. Young Coogan’s image was used to merchandise everything from peanut butter to dolls, and he earned an estimated $4 million before he hit his teens. Sadly, his mother and stepfather spent most of his fortune on luxuries for themselves, and when Coogan turned 21 he found that his bank account was nearly empty. An ugly legal battle ensued, with one result being the California Child Actor’s Bill, which safeguards a portion of the earnings of juvenile performers.
8. Uncle Leo
It took some serious talent to stand out as an oddball among the Seinfeld cast, since every character had his or her own set of neuroses, but Len Lesser as Uncle Leo was up to the challenge. Uncle Leo was certain that anti-Semitism was behind every perceived slight, he believed seniors could get away with shoplifting by pleading senility, and he gripped folks by the forearm when talking to them just to make sure they didn’t walk away while he raved about his son Jeffrey, who worked for the Parks department. Lesser mentioned in a 2006 interview that total strangers still approach him on the street with open arms, shouting “HELLO Uncle Leo!” but he doesn’t mind; after playing a multitude of “faceless” character roles since 1955, he’s pleased with the recognition.
Any favorite uncles we’ve omitted? Feel free to suggest aunts and cousins for future columns, too!
Comments (38)
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No Uncle Jesse Duke? Or was there a limit of one Uncle Jesse per list?
posted by Jen on 5-8-2009 at 2:02 pm
Uncle Martin from “My Favorite Martian.” Had to include an extraterrestrial in there, you know.
posted by Walter on 5-8-2009 at 2:16 pm
Uncle Bobby rocked! I remember watching him as a kid. I always wished my parents would send in my b-day info so I could be greeted by Bimbo the Birthday Clown.
posted by Jon. on 5-8-2009 at 2:16 pm
Oh my gosh, I haven’t thought about Uncle Bobby in years! I too wanted my parents to send in my birthday info. I’m in my 40s now and I still have his mailing address memorized!
posted by Andi on 5-8-2009 at 2:24 pm
Uncle Martin from My Favorite Martian who really wasn’t Tim’s uncle but who doesn’t want an uncle from Mars.
Uncle Arthur from Bewitched. I don’t think I need to explain why.
Uncle Floyd Vivino from New Jersey. OK, so only people from NJ and NY probably know who he is but he’s the best!
posted by Zanti on 5-8-2009 at 2:29 pm
How about Uncle Bernie from the Bernie Mac Show? The epitome of tough love.
posted by Ryan on 5-8-2009 at 2:31 pm
I know I’m showing my age but you forgot Uncle Tonoose from “Make Room for Daddy”(1953). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045410/
posted by Melissa on 5-8-2009 at 2:33 pm
How about John Candy as Uncle Buck?
Uncle Floyd was great. He still performs in Vegas and AC.
posted by Sue on 5-8-2009 at 2:46 pm
What about uncle arthur rom bewitched!?!
posted by alison on 5-8-2009 at 2:54 pm
Oh and Fresh Prince’s Uncle Phil.
posted by Zanti on 5-8-2009 at 2:57 pm
I immediately thought of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
posted by jmb on 5-8-2009 at 3:22 pm
How about Napoleon Solo?…ok, it was a stretch…sorry.
posted by Daryl on 5-8-2009 at 3:30 pm
Uncle Charlie from Two and a half Men.
posted by Dub C on 5-8-2009 at 3:31 pm
HELLO!!!!
Gotta second the Uncle Jesse from Dukes.
posted by Jonny on 5-8-2009 at 4:12 pm
A couple of recent uncles:
Uncle Teddy — Rescue Me
Uncle Pete — Damages
Some from older shows:
Uncle Casimir (Stivic) — All in the Family
Uncle Norman — The Courtship of Eddie’s Father
Uncle Bentley — Bachelor Father
posted by Rance on 5-8-2009 at 4:41 pm
Sign me up as third for Uncle Jesse Duke and second for Uncle Phil!
You could almost add the whole cast of Arrested Devolopment too – Uncle GOB, Uncle Buster, Uncle Tobias, Uncle Michael, and of course Uncle Oscar. Technically George Sr. is Buster’s uncle, so he counts too.
posted by Bert on 5-8-2009 at 5:32 pm
I second Bert. We need Uncle GOB, Uncle Buster, Uncle Tobias, Uncle Michael, Uncle Oscar?, and Uncle George Sr.!!
posted by Hilldawg on 5-8-2009 at 7:47 pm
“It’s Uncle Al, the Kiddies’ pal, hello little friends hello.”
- a frequent bit by Alan Suess on Laugh In
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 5-8-2009 at 9:14 pm
Philip J. Fry had a unique relationship with his great-great…great-grandnephew Hubert J. Farnsworth. I don’t think that there are a whole lot of uncles who are more than a century younger than their nephews.
As for aunts, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Esther (Winfield) Anderson from Sanford and Son.
posted by DetroitBob on 5-8-2009 at 9:17 pm
What, you mention Uncle Jesse but no Uncle Joey? I thought they were inseparable.
posted by Roxie on 5-8-2009 at 11:36 pm
Roxie, don’t ask me why I remember this, but Uncle Joey wasn’t technically an Uncle, he was kind of just Bob Saget’s friend.
But I second Uncle Phil from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Overall I think it’s an overrated sitcom, but Uncle Phil was probably the most interesting and layered character on the show.
posted by Zach on 5-8-2009 at 11:59 pm
Kinda sad that that elephant probably lived longer than Anissa Jones did….poor girl.
posted by Marty on 5-9-2009 at 1:26 am
I have to second (and third and fourth, I think) for Uncle Joey, Uncle Jesse from the Dukes, and Hubert Fonsworth. Perhaps a followup list?
posted by Andy on 5-9-2009 at 7:25 am
The first uncle I thought of was Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince
posted by rach on 5-9-2009 at 9:58 am
Uncle Ted!
posted by MPW on 5-9-2009 at 5:07 pm
He’s not really their uncle, but Bobby Singer on Supernatural is just about the best uncle anyone can get. He’s loyal, smart, quick on his feet, and can ID and slay about 100 different incarnations of evil.
For the Winchester brothers, he serves as asurrogate father and their go-to guy. Gotta love Uncle Bobby!
posted by Anna on 5-10-2009 at 10:45 am
sitll can’t believe you forgot uncle Arthur and aunt Clara from Bewitched.
They were the best.
posted by hidden sunshine on 5-10-2009 at 8:43 pm
First off, I’ll agree with all of the “Uncle Arthur” supporters. Also Uncle Ted from Bobby’s World.
Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince is also a good call.
posted by Doron on 5-11-2009 at 10:59 am
I can’t believe no one has suggested the best uncle of them all! Uncle Scrooge!!! Yes, he is technically the great-uncle, but still the best uncle in all of Duckburg.
posted by Hastings on 5-11-2009 at 1:49 pm
Several people mentioned Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince, but there was another memorable Uncle Phil – the one on Mad About You played by Mel Brooks.
posted by Mark on 5-13-2009 at 9:08 am
What about Tom Hanks, who played Alex’s uncle on Family Ties? He, like many I’m sure, enjoyed a soothing jolt of vanilla extract after a hard night’s drinking.
posted by Ben on 5-13-2009 at 12:10 pm
Herman Munster was Uncle Herman to misfit niece Marilyn.
And Lou Ann Platter refers to Hank Hill as Uncle Hank.
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 5-13-2009 at 6:12 pm
did anyone mention tom hanks in family ties???
posted by robb roncs on 5-19-2009 at 10:54 am
Uncle Jesse! Dukes of Hazzard ROCKS!
posted by Christy on 5-22-2009 at 10:34 am
Have to second John Candy’s Uncle Buck and always liked Uncle Fester on Addams Family.
posted by Ashley on 5-29-2009 at 6:13 pm
Aunt Bea from Andy Griffith
posted by Megan on 6-22-2009 at 11:21 pm
Uncle Phil, from the Fresh Prince of
Bel Air
posted by Kappa on 6-25-2009 at 12:10 am
The late great Buddy Hackett as Uncle Lonnie, in the underappreciated TV series ‘Action’
posted by lj on 7-11-2009 at 1:13 am