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For the daytime equivalent, see recurring status.

A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who is not a main character but who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus. The character's return is based on popularity.

Recurring characters usually start out as guest stars in one episode but continue to show up in future episodes because of their popularity. Some recurring characters have been so popular that they became main characters, famous examples being the Family Matters' Steve Urkel the The West Wing's Donna Moss and 24's Michelle Dessler and Chloe O'Brian. In other cases, recurring characters have been given spin-off series of their own, such as Dr. Frasier Crane who originally appeared on Cheers.

On sketch comedy programs, recurring characters are generally a staple. Usually they will appear in their own sketch and presumably, due to their popularity, the sketch itself will become a regular part of the show. Some examples would include the Church Lady and Hans and Franz from Saturday Night Live, the Gumbys from Monty Python's Flying Circus, and Bob and Doug Mckenzie from SCTV. However, the characters are not always limited to their own sketches, often they will appear in others. Sometimes, the characters go on to have their own TV shows. For example, when The Carol Burnett Show was canceled the central character of a popular sketch called The Family, Thelma "Mama" Harper, went on to have her own show Mama's Family. Also, sometimes recurring characters in sketch comedy shows go on to even have their own movies. This is especially true with Saturday Night Live which has had many recurring characters turn into movies such as Stuart Smalley, Wayne and Garth of Wayne's World, The Blues Brothers, and The Ladies Man. Recurring characters will even revist shows long after the actor who played them has left the cast. Sometimes they will even visit other shows, sketch comedy or not.

Examples of recurring characters:

• Mike Novick (Jude Ciccolella) and Aaron Pierce (Glenn Morshower) from 24
• 'The Colonel' John Camden on 7th Heaven.
• Pete Pryor (Matthew John Armstrong) from American Dreams
• Lindsey McDonald (Christian Kane) from Angel
• Barry Zuckerkorn (Henry Winkler) from Arrested Development
• Sam Franklin (Allan Melvin) from The Brady Bunch
• Tara Maclay (Amber Benson) from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Except for the Seeing Red episode, where she was made a regular.)
• Lady Heather (Melinda Clarke) from CSI
• The Great Gazoo from The Flintstones
• Jazz (Jeffrey A. Townes) from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
• Dr. Zin from Jonny Quest
• Friedman (Aaron Himelstein) from Joan of Arcadia
• Lenny (Michael McKean) and Squiggy (David Lander) on Laverne & Shirley
• Rose Henderson (L. Scott Caldwell) and Bernard Nadler (Sam Anderson) from Lost
• Murdoc (Michael Des Barres) and Jack Dalton (Bruce McGill) from MacGyver
• Colonel Flagg (Edward Winter) and Sidney Freedman (Allan Arbus) from M*A*S*H
• Dennis Becker, Beth Davenport, and 'Angel' Martin from The Rockford Files
• Newman (Wayne Knight), Uncle Leo (Len Lesser), and Frank Costanza (Jerry Stiller) (among many others) from Seinfeld
• Dr. Nick, Lionel Hutz, Professor Frink, Sideshow Bob, and many other characters from The Simpsons
• Christine Blair (Lauralee Bell), Miguel Rodriguez (Anthony Pena) and Gina Roma (Patty Weaver) from The Young and the Restless
• Dr. Radek Zelenka (David Nykl) from Stargate Atlantis
• Bra'tac (Tony Amendola) from Stargate SG-1
• Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz) and Q (John de Lancie) from Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Amy Gardner (Mary-Louise Parker) and Nancy McNally (Anna Deavere Smith) from The West Wing
• Dr. Miguelito Loveless (Michael Dunn) from The Wild Wild West
• Glenn Quagmire (Seth MacFarlane), Joe Swanson (Patrick Warburton) and Cleveland Brown (Mike Henry), among many others, from Family Guy.
• Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis) from The X-Files
• Jeffrey Engle (Wallace Shawn) from The Cosby Show
• Richard Lewis from Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore) from Smallville
• Clarke Garrison (Daniel McVicar) from The Bold and the Beautiful
• Arwin Hawkhauser (Brian Stepanek), Esteban Ramirez (Adrian R'Mante), Nia Moseby (Giovannie Samuels), Mary Margaret and Corrie (Monique Coleman and Vanessa Anne Hudgens) from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
• Roxy and Jake Ryan from Hannah Montana.