1. Maris Crane (Frasier)
There was no other choice, was there? The wife / ex-wife of long suffering Doctor Niles Crane is the ultimate great TV character that was never seen. Inspired by Norm's unseen wife Vera in
Cheers, Maris was still a brilliant character in her own right. And on a show with such brilliant performances, that was no mean feet. In the early years of
Frasier, she was the love / thorn in Niles' life, an upper class, emaciated, neurotic, spoilt, opinionated woman who was impossible to live with. Still, Niles loved her dearly, trying several times to reignite their marriage until finally divorce came knocking at the end of season four. Naturally her story ended for a long period of time...as Niles and Daphne edged closer to and eventually became a couple, Maris became a thing of the past. Until she made a magnificent return in the final season, on trial for murder of her Argentinean lover. Niles committed one final act of love for his former wife, helping her to escape to a non-extradition island and out of his life forever. A running theme in a lot of these characters is other characters' reaction to the unseen person's appearance. Maris is absolutely number one when it comes to this. Rather than being the usual obese , overbearing characters that many unseen characters tend to be, Maris was the opposite; a beanpole of a human being with rather peculiar tastes. This quote sums up her appearance perfectly!
Roz: I see her coat on a hat rack
Frasier: Look closer, is the hat rack moving?
Roz: Oh, my god ! There were many traits that made her such a great, extreme character. On one hand she had some questionable eating habits... No shellfish, poultry, red meat, saturated fats, nitrates, wheat, starch, sulfites, MSG, or dairy. Or nuts! But best of all was her relationship to Niles. Maris was someone who hated any sign of affection. It took until Daphne for Niles to find what real passion was. (Maris Mini-me second wife Mel doesn't count).
Niles: Maris means the world to me. Why, just the other day I kissed her for no reason whatsoever! Poor Niles. At least he finally found true love in the end. It's just a shame that the show went a bit down hill after that (until the final brilliant season anyway!) So do you agree with my choices? Is there anyone missing? (Pardon the pun). And what are your favourite unseen character moments? Please feel free to comment below!