Unseen character

In fiction, an unseen character is a character that is never directly observed by the audience but is only described by other characters. They are a common device in drama^[1][2] and have been called "triumphs of theatrical invention".^[3] They are continuing characters — characters who are currently in frequent interaction with the other characters and who influence current story events. Films, television shows and stage plays make use of characters who are not seen or heard, but who have an effect on the events portrayed.

Radio shows also feature "unheard" characters who never speak. A notable example is the long-running British radio soap The Archers which has featured several such silent characters^[4]. Sometimes the script plays with audience knowledge that the characters never speak. The silence of the character Pru Forrest became a long running joke "with scriptwriters competing to invent more outlandish excuses for her failure to speak." She was eventually given a dramatic eruption of speech when Terry Wogan appeared on the soap.

Excited by Wogan's arrival, Pru began to talk, and wouldn't shut up: the big surprise being that she had the voice of Dame Judi Dench. Older listeners, like my mother, who could remember what Pru really sounded like before her non-speaking days, were outraged by this travesty.^[5]

Books can feature characters who are referenced by others, but whose actions and dialogue are never directly described. The work of Voltaire, for example, included the "unseen character".^[6]

Illustrative examples

Rosaline in Romeo and Juliet also by William Shakespeare is often spoken of but never has any direct presence in the play. In the revisionist 1954 and 1968 film versions of the play, she is seen onscreen.

The play Doubt: A Parable is about the question of whether or not a Catholic priest at a church school is sexually abusing Donald Muller, a student at the school. He is central to the story and his mother appears on stage, but Donald never does. In the film adaptation of the play the boy (renamed "Donald Miller") does appear.

In the play Sleuth the two main characters are Milo Tindle and Andrew Wyke. The central conflict between the men is because Tindle has been involved in a relationship with Wyke's wife, Marguerite, who is never seen in the play. In both the 1972 film adaptation and the 2007 film adaptation of the play this character does appear.

The plot of the play Bunbury, by Tom Jacobson, involves numerous unseen characters from classic drama - including Rosaline from Romeo and Juliet, the boy from A Streetcar Named Desire, and Godot from Waiting for Godot – who team up to change the endings of famous pieces of literature and, ultimately, history. The titular character, Bunbury, is not technically an unseen character, since he is only imaginary in the play The Importance of Being Earnest.

In the television series Columbo, Peter Falk refers to his wife, Mrs. Columbo, who is never seen.

In The Big Chill, Alex the common friend whose suicide brings the main cast together, is talked about throughout the film, but never seen.

La Casa de Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca includes an unseen character named Pepe el Romano, who creates all the tension between the daughters.

In the sitcom Seinfeld, many of Kramer's friends are frequently mentioned but never seen, such as Bob Sacamano.

The British comedy drama series Minder starred George Cole as Cockney wheeler-dealer Arthur Daley who would refer to his unseen wife as "'er indoors". She was even at the centre of one episode, "Whatever Happened to Her Indoors?", in which she mysteriously disappears but is still not seen when reported to have returned home safely.

In the sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, Del Boy's three friends, Monkey Harris, Sunglasses Ron and Paddy the Greek, are frequently mentioned but never seen.

A number of earlier sitcoms, including two created by James L. Brooks, include notable unseen characters, namely Lars Lindstrom, Mary's landlord and downstairs neighbor, husband of Phyllis, in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Vern is not seen but mentioned by Ernest P. Worrell in the straight-to-video special Knowhutimean? Hey Vern, It's My Family Album, television commercials, and the series Hey Vern, It's Ernest!.

On The Andy Griffith Show, telephone operator Sarah is often spoken to but never seen or heard. On The Dick Van Dyke Show, when Rob Petrie was in his office he would frequently speak on the phone to receptionist Marge, who performed various tasks but was never seen or heard.

The Sitcom Friends mentions sometimes Chandler´s former Roommate Kip, who was living with him before Joey moves in.

In the sitcom Frasier, a memorable running gag is the fact that Niles' estranged wife Maris, often spoken of with loathing, was never seen (save for a rare silhouette or shadow).^[7]

In Scrubs, Dr. Kelso's wife Enid is referred to many times but is never actually shown on screen.

In My So-Called Life, Tino, the lead singer of Frozen Embryos and a friend of many major characters, is often mentioned but never seen.

In iCarly, Spencer's friend Socko and his brothers Penny, Otto, Rob, and Tyler, are frequently mentioned but never shown, with the exception of Rob. Socko is the source of Spencer's unique sock collection.

An unusual variant of the familiar unseen sitcom character occurred^{[citation needed]} when Hogan's Heroes was shown in Germany and Austria, with the dialogue dubbed into German. Most of the original references to Hitler and Nazism were deleted, requiring new dialogue for the missing air time. The new dubbed dialogue often featured references to Kelinka, a character never seen or mentioned in any of the original American episodes. Kelinka is Colonel Klink's sexy housemaid, not to be confused with his attractive secretary who actually was seen in several episodes.

In The Mentalist, the main antagonist of the series, a serial killer named Red John, has never been seen on camera but his acts are the driving force behind Patrick Jane's work.

In the drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, a character named Heather Sinclair (Holly J.'s older sister) is occasionally mentioned by the characters throughout the seasons, but she is never seen by the viewers.

In the Australian sitcom The Librarians, the children of Francis O'Brien are often spoken about but are not seen.

In adapting the Nero Wolfe stories to television, the writers and producers of A Nero Wolfe Mystery chose to make Theodore Horstmann an unseen character, as he is little more than one in the books.

References