For decades, it has been the norm for a once great show on the wane to stick in needless extra characters to try and up the viewers’ interests again. Think Scooby’s annoyingly perky cousin Scrappy Doo or Poochie, the rapping dog from Itchy and Scratchy on The Simpsons that was a terrific satire of that type of character.
But it’s not easy for a character who turns up a few seasons into a popular series, as they have to try and match the popularity of the older cast members. Nevertheless, some do manage to equal or even surpass the longer-lasting characters by bringing something that was missing from the show as it was.
So, one that note, here are nine of the most awesome TV characters who turned up later on in the show’s run (at least about three seasons in to qualify for this list). If we’ve missed one of your favourite examples, make sure to let us know in the comments.