Which shows made the best use of Special Celebrity Guests?

[WoodStoner1]

We know that there's some shows (coughNEWERSIMPSONScough) that can be obnoxious when a guest star is appearing, and seems to have no idea other than "Look! It's [x]! Love this episode!" But which shows did the opposite; as in, had guest stars but had a creative or entertaining way of using them?

I was thinking of one Raising Hope episode having Katy Perry appear, only she didn't play herself and was in fact a really non-Katy character.

[Push R Truth]

Law and Order/NCIS/Bones/etc because in the first 20 seconds you know who is either doing the crime or getting assaulted/raped/murdered.

[Feyrhausen]

How I Met Your Mother was usually pretty good. Wayne Brady, Jon Lithgow, Regis Philben, Ben Vereen.

Chuck had some fun ones. John Larroquette is the first one that comes to mind.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

I enjoy when shows do an anti-special celebrity guest spot. Monty Python’s Flying Circus did a great one of these. The show otherwise never had guest stars, but they had Ringo Starr and Lulu on. Both were very popular at the time, especially Ringo who was about as popular as he’d ever get post-Beatles.

It’s made to look like they are going to give a long form interview when Michael Palin comes out just as he looks in the show’s opening. He says, “It’s…” then the show’s opening plays superimposed over Starr and Lulu who both look annoyed. Then it just goes to the credits and the episode ends.

The Python’s last ever onscreen appearance with Graham Chapman was similar. Steve Martin hosted a retrospective of their career up to that point. He then sadly thinks of what became of them. He opens a closet door and all 6 are crammed in together. They don’t do anything, Martin closes the closet, and the show ends.

[Mrs. Potato Dick]

Jan 17, 2023 10:58:50 GMT -5 Feyrhausen said:

How I Met Your Mother was usually pretty good. Wayne Brady, Jon Lithgow, Regis Philben, Ben Vereen.

Chuck had some fun ones. John Larroquette is the first one that comes to mind.

Came to say HIMYM. ESPECIALLY Lithgow. The big wink to the audience when he asks Barney if he's some preacher in Bomont was outstanding.

[peaches1]

Matthew Mcconaughey was hysterical as Rad Thibodeaux on "King of the Hill"

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

X-Files had Alex Trebek as one of the Men in Black.

X-Files wins.

[darbus alan]

HIMYM's guest stars were so good. Even in the later seasons.

I actually liked a lot of Big Bang Theory's guest spots. The episode with James Earl Jones and Carrie Fisher was great. It was also interesting when they'd get people from the sciences like Stephen Hawking, Steve Wozniak, Ira Flatow, etc. That said, history will not look back kindly on the episode Elon Musk guest starred in, assuming it doesn't already.

[Rumble McSkirmish]

Jan 17, 2023 10:50:32 GMT -5 Push R Truth said:

Law and Order/NCIS/Bones/etc because in the first 20 seconds you know who is either doing the crime or getting assaulted/raped/murdered.

You can also add Columbo to that list as the culprit of the week was almost always played by a named actor.

60's Batman also made good use of special guests as either members of the rouges gallery (Or window cameos as Batman and Robin ascend up the side of a building.)

[Deleted]

South Park having George Clooney voice a regular dog that didn't talk was my favorite. Dude was the biggest star on the planet and wanted to be on their show.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Jan 17, 2023 10:50:32 GMT -5 Push R Truth said:

Law and Order/NCIS/Bones/etc because in the first 20 seconds you know who is either doing the crime or getting assaulted/raped/murdered.

When Julia Roberts was on Law & Order it was too distracting. I was very aware it was Julia Roberts.

[Milkman Norm]

The Love Boat

[bibboid]

Jan 17, 2023 17:34:16 GMT -5 Rumble McSkirmish said:

You can also add Columbo to that list as the culprit of the week was almost always played by a named actor.

60's Batman also made good use of special guests as either members of the rouges gallery (Or window cameos as Batman and Robin ascend up the side of a building.)

These are two of the three I first thought of.

The other one is The Nanny. Fran Drescher managed to convince a crapload of stars to show up and do cameos.

[ace]

Paul McCartney on Bojack Horseman.

[Zombie Mod]

scrubs

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Family Guy does a pretty good job. Most of the time you don’t even know they’re using a celebrity guest.

[The Dark Order Inferno]

The Star Trek series have been great over the years, with guys like Iggy Pop under prosthetics as just another cast member.

[crashmatsbazz]

Police Squad.
they shot or killed the celebrity in the intro.

[Vice honcho room temperature]

Jan 17, 2023 15:54:42 GMT -5 peaches1 said:

Matthew Mcconaughey was hysterical as Rad Thibodeaux on "King of the Hill"

Brad Pitt was pretty good as Patch Boomhauer too

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

Jan 17, 2023 10:58:50 GMT -5 Feyrhausen said:

How I Met Your Mother was usually pretty good. Wayne Brady, Jon Lithgow, Regis Philben, Ben Vereen.

Chuck had some fun ones. John Larroquette is the first one that comes to mind.

Laroquette was indeed great on Chuck.

And Tron was a big thing in Chuck, and who played Awesome's dad? Bruce Boxleitner. And while not connected to Tron, Scott Bakula was great, as was Linda Hamilton. But nobody could top Timothy Dalton.

Jan 17, 2023 15:54:42 GMT -5 peaches1 said:

Matthew Mcconaughey was hysterical as Rad Thibodeaux on "King of the Hill"

The self proclaimed genius.