Sometimes I think of my life as like my very own TV show. I'm the main character, everything that happens to me matters, I've got friends who provide everything from comic relief and wacky antics to drama and love. If anyone ever pisses me off I just think "who cares? they're merely an uncredited extra to my main character's awesome life!" But once in a while everyone meets someone who is just that much more interesting, popular or successful and it can be hard to deal with. This, of course, happens in the world of television and often takes place in the form of a plotline or episode so we can watch how these characters react. It's happened to many loved characters from Zack Morris in Saved by the Bell to Lisa in The Simpsons. But what I wanted to do with this article was approach this phenomenon analytically and look at the less obvious and more subtle transitions, the motivation, actions and acting ability of supporting characters who begin to steal the spotlight from the character the show is based around. Sometimes it happens so well you barely notice until you're watching one day and thinking "when did this guy become the coolest person on the show?" Because I am analysing characters on shows which have run from anywhere between two and eight seasons, I will be talking about plot points and over-arcing storylines so there will be spoilers for people who haven't seen them. However most of them are for shows that are now finished, with the exception of one which is still running but was broadcast within months and not days or weeks.