10 Classic TV Characters Who Weren't Added Until Later Seasons

Introducing a character late into a series can be a tricky thing. In theory, it can help make a great show even better, but a lot of times, the character just feels shoehorned in. We've become attached to the existing cast of characters and their dynamics, and now we're suddenly supposed to accept this new person into that?

This phenomenon was parodied brilliantly on The Simpsons with the character of Poochie, who network executives force writers to add on to The Itchy & Scratchy Show to "freshen things up." This kind of thing does happen a lot, where a dying show attempts to add in someone new because we've all gotten so bored with the series.

But then there are characters who are introduced late in the game, yet they become so iconic, it's hard to imagine the show ever existed without them. We go back to the first few seasons and feel empty, remembering that our favorite character didn't even come on board until Season 3 or 4.

In a lot of these cases, an actor joins the show for a brief guest role, but the writers love him so much he's added as a regular. Other times, a character isn't important to the story until a few years in, but once they're added, it's like a breath of fresh air.

Between new employees around the office to aspiring queens, here are 10 iconic TV characters that didn't come on board until later seasons.

Based on the last several seasons of Parks and Recreation, it's hard to imagine the show without Ben Wyatt. But that show did exist for a while, because everyone's favorite Star Trek nerd wasn't added to the cast until the end of Season 2.

The introduction of Ben Wyatt brought so much to Parks and Recreation, with Ben replacing the bland, uninteresting Mark Bendanawitz. Ben was something of a straight man to the rest of the office, but unlike Mark, he actually had personality: smart and levelheaded but also high strung and at times hilariously nerdy, with an unexpected obsession with calzones. 

His relationship with Leslie, which at first seemed like it could be a forced sitcom coupling, turned out to be one of the greatest things about the show, with the two blossoming into one of TV's best power couples. 

Along with Ben we also got Chris Traeger, literally one of the greatest characters in the explored universe. Originally, Rob Lowe was only supposed to be a guest star, departing the series six episodes into Season 3. But he became such a favorite that he ended up signing a multi-year contract and staying with the show for three more seasons.

Chris represents so much of what's great about Parks and Recreation. He's so overwhelmingly enthusiastic that we can't help but smile, which is a pretty good way of describing the show itself.