How Many ’70s TV Characters’ Last Names Do You Know?

By: Ian Fortey
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
How Many ’70s TV Characters’ Last Names Do You Know?
Image: Wikicommons by paramount

About This Quiz

Some of the greatest shows in television history were on in the '70s. That decade gave us some of the most memorable characters, from the Fonz to Laverne and Shirley, J.R. from "Dallas," Alice and Flo at the diner, Arnold and Wills, and so many more. But how many of their last names do you really remember? Sure, it's easy with shows like "The Jeffersons" or "The Partridge Family," but what was Mindy's last name on "Mork and Mindy?" And Mary Tyler Moore had her own show, but Moore wasn't her character's last name. Do you remember what it was?

It's weird to think that every fictional character we know and love had a whole back story created for them, with a birthday, a family, and a full name that maybe went for years without ever being mentioned on the show. Or perhaps it was mentioned all the time, and you just don't remember it. If you do feel like you remember some of the most popular characters of the '70s and you're one of those people who can always match a name to a face, then maybe this is the quiz for you. Let's head back in time to the 1970s and see just how many last names you remember.

Last names 4
CBS
Do you remember Hawkeye's last name on "M*A*S*H*?"
Burns
Blake
Honeycutt
Pierce
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Alan Alda played Hawkeye, whose real name was Benjamin Franklin Pierce on the show. Alda and Jamie Farr, who played Klinger, were the only two cast members who were actually enlisted in the Armed Forces and served in Korea, though they served after the cease-fire.

Last names 1
CBS
Everyone knows "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," but Moore is her real last name. What's the character's name?
Petrie
Lindstrom
Morgenstern
Richards
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mary Tyler Moore played Mary Richards on her show back in the '70s. The show also featured Valerie Harper as Mary's best friend, and she almost wasn't cast in the part not because she was no good, but because they thought she was too pretty for the character.

Last names 2
CBS
One of the biggest cliffhangers in TV was about who shot J.R. What's his last name?
Ewing
Silver
Weston
Blake
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The season finale cliffhanger of "Dallas" that left viewers wondering who shot J.R. Ewing was one of the most iconic moments of TV history. It was so influential even "The Simpsons" did a parody of it decades later.

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Last names 3
CBS
"All in the Family" featured Carroll O'Connor as Archie who?
Grant
Woods
Bunker
Lester
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Archie Bunker is one of the most iconic sitcom characters of all time, though not necessarily all for good reasons. Especially in modern times, the show and Bunker, in particular, have been called out for racist and offensive jokes.

Last names 5
ABC
Erin Moran played Joanie what on "Happy Days?"
Fonzerelli
Cunningham
Blake
Rutherford
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The family on "Happy Days" were the Cunninghams, and Erin Moran's Joanie was the daughter. Later she'd go on to star in the spin-off "Joanie Loves Chachi" opposite Scott Baio's Chachi. Later, Moran would tell Howard Stern that, off-camera, Henry Winkler used to kiss her and her TV mom all the time.

Last names 6
CBS
What was Emily's last name on "The Bob Newhart Show?"
Newhart
Hartley
Hartman
Black
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Emily Hartley was the wife of doctor Bob Hartley on the show. Actress Suzanne Pleshette got the job after she appeared on "The Tonight Show," sitting next to Newhart quite by accident. Their chemistry was so good producers asked her to read for his new show.

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Last names 7
CBS
Before she became Rhoda Gerard, what was Rhoda's last name?
Montgomery
Henderson
Morgenstern
Billings
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rhoda Morgenstern moved from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" to her own show, where she changed her last name after getting married. "Rhoda" almost had its own animated spin-off about Carlton the Doorman, but it was never picked up.

Last names 8
NBC
What was the last name of Laura on "Little House on the Prairie?"
Walton
Ingalls
Carlton
Halsey
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Laura Ingalls was the character on "Little House on the Prairie." Melissa Gilbert played the character, and years later, she wrote a biography about her experiences, including that nearly everyone on the set abused alcohol during the production.

Last names 9
ABC
What was the last name of Charlie from "Charlie's Angels?"
Townsend
Marks
Parker
Vincent
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Even though we never actually see the character on the show, Charlie does have the last name of Townsend on the show. The character was voiced by John Forsythe, who never once visited the set because he said it would cost a lot more money to get him there in person.

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Last names 10
ABC
On "Laverne and Shirley," what was Laverne's full name?
Kosnowski
DeFazio
Ritchie
Cunningham
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Laverne DeFazio was the full name of Penny Marshall's character on "Laverne and Shirley." Laverne wore the letter "L" on all of her shirts because Penny Marshall hated how often characters referred to each other by name on TV. She thought that wearing the initial would fix it, but it did not.

Last names 11
CBS
J.J. on "Good Times" gave the world "Dy-no-Mite!" What was his last name?
West
Richards
Givens
Evans
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Good Times" was about the Evans family, including J.J., Florida, and Michael. John Amos played J.J. Walker's father in the show, but in real life, there was only a seven-year age difference between the two actors.

Last names 12
CBS
The Jeffersons had a sassy maid named Florence. Do you remember her full name?
Carter
Hamilton
Washington
Johnston
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Marla Gibbs played the character Florence Johnston on "The Jeffersons." Unlike some shows, "The Jeffersons" never had a finale; it was canceled by surprise. The cast was furious about it, and star Sherman Helmsley said he learned of the cancellation by reading about it in the paper.

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Last names 13
CBS
Radar was one of the most popular characters on "M*A*S*H*," but do you remember his last name?
O'Reilly
McFarlane
Douglas
Reynolds
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Corporal Walter "Radar" Reilly was the most child-like character on the show, and, in fact, he even had a teddy bear. The prop bear used to be displayed at the Smithsonian museum and later sold at auction for $11,800.

Last names 14
CBS
Howard Hesseman had a pretty memorable name on "WKRP in Cincinnati." His first name was Johnny, but what was his last name?
Fever
Chaos
Wishbone
Psycho
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Howard Hesseman played Dr. Johnny Fever on "WKRP in Cincinnati." The character was supposed to use a lot of names, with Johnny Fever being just one of them as his job was to be different characters depending on the time of day since the station couldn't afford other on-air personalities. Some of his other names were Johnny Sunshine, Johnny Style, and Johnny Duke.

Last names 15
ABC
Obviously every main character on "The Brady Bunch" was named Brady, except for one. What was Alice's last name?
White
Nelson
Reilly
Jones
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Alice Nelson was the housekeeper on "The Brady Bunch," though you rarely hear her last name used. Alice's character was famously in one of the only scenes edited out of the show for content reasons. In one episode, Bobby and Cindy want to go skinny dipping, and Alice forbids it, saying no Brady will go to an X-rated party on her watch. The scene is usually edited out when broadcast for being too racy.

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Last names 16
CBS
On the TV show "Alice," what was Alice's last name?
Wyatt
Hyatt
Hamlin
Mason
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Alice Hyatt was the lead character on the show "Alice," but most people remember it better for her co-worker Flo. In fact, Flo was so popular that they spun her off into her own show. Unfortunately, it was a group dynamic that made it work, and Flo did not last on her own.

Last names 17
ABC
What was Jack's name on "Three's Company?"
Ritter
Peterman
Tripper
Berry
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John Ritter became famous thanks to his role as Jack Tripper on "Three's Company." Though everyone had great chemistry on screen, behind the scenes, there was a lot of tension after Suzanne Somers asked for a pay raise, but John Ritter has a clause in his contract saying he would always be the highest-paid actor.

Last names 18
ABC
What was the last name of Tony Randall's character in "The Odd Couple?"
Holcomb
Unger
Wells
Probst
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tony Randall played Felix Unger opposite Jack Klugman's Oscar Madison in the show "The Odd Couple." The show was based on the 1965 Neil Simon play of the same name and the play's 1968 film adaptation.

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Last names 19
ABC
Before she was on the big screen, Wonder Woman was on TV. What's her character's last name?
Kent
Wayne
Curry
Prince
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wonder Woman's alter ego is Diana Prince. In the original TV show, she was played by Lynda Carter. Rumor has it Carter and co-star Lyle Waggoner hated being together so much that they were barely in any scenes together towards the end of the series. Carter has denied any tension, though.

Last names 20
CBS
Roscoe was the sheriff on "Dukes of Hazzard" and his last name was what?
Duke
Hogg
Coltrane
Worrel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane always had it in for those Duke boys. James best played the character, and according to the storyline, he was supposed to have been an honest cop for 30 years until the budget was gutted, and he lost his retirement.

Last names 21
NBC
Can you remember what Ponch's last name on "CHiPS" was?
Llewelyn
Prince
Ponchly
Poncherello
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The character's full and somewhat lengthy name is Francis (Frank) Llewelyn "Ponch" Poncherello. Behind the scenes, the actors on the show were said not to get along very well at all, and even when Larry Wilcox left, Erik Estrada didn't get along with his replacement, either.

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Last names 22
ABC
Isaac the bartender had a last name on "The Love Boat." What was it?
Washington
Carter
Ford
White
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ted Lange played bartender Isaac Washington in "The Love Boat." The show has an interesting place in history as the last of its era to make use of a laugh track rather than a studio audience to provide the laughter in the background.

Last names 23
CBS
Do you remember the name of that sleazy repairman on "One Day at a Time?"
Schneider
Wilson
Varney
Simpson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dwayne Schneider, mostly just known as Schneider, was played by Pat Harrington Jr. He actually quit the show once over a pay dispute, and it lasted just one month. Once the producers realized how important he was to the show's success, they gave him a raise.

Last names 24
ABC
Dick Van Patten was the head of the family on "Eight is Enough." His character's first name was Tom, but what was the last name?
Hillman
Carter
Bradford
Henderson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Bradford was the head of the Bradford clan on "Eight is Enough." Grant Goodeve played his son David Bradford on the show, but Mark Hamill, best known as Luke Skywalker, was originally cast in the role.

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Last names 25
ABC
Squiggy was a popular "Laverne and Shirley" character; what was his last name?
Leonard
Squiggman
Feeney
Sigmund
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Squiggy was obviously a nickname, and the character's real name was Andrew Squiggman. David Lander, who played Squiggy, was hired as a writer on the show, and, along with Michael McKean, who played Lenny, wrote himself as a character.

Last names 26
ABC
Suzanne Somers played Chrissy who on "Three's Company?"
White
Reid
Wilson
Snow
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Suzanne Somers played Christmas "Chrissy" Snow on "Three's Company." She was fired from the show after several seasons because she refused to work without getting a raise, and the other actors grew to hate her so much they wouldn't be on set with her.

Last names 27
ABC
"The Partridge Family" featured a manager named Reuben what?
Oliver
Hutchinson
Kincaid
Garret
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dave Madden played the musical family's manager Reuben Kincaid in "The Partridge Family." Weirdly enough, in the very first episode, even though Madden appears as Kincaid, an actor named Gordon Jump is credited with the role.

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Last names 28
ABC
What was the name of Ricardo Montalban's mysterious "Fantasy Island" character?
Roarke
Vincent
Alonzo
Parish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mr. Roarke was the main character on "Fantasy Island," and he didn't actually have a first name. Montalban filmed the movie "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" playing Khan at the same as he was working on the show.

Last names 29
ABC
Do you remember the last name of the "Six Million Dollar Man"?
Majors
Lee
Austin
King
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Steve Austin was the Six Million Dollar Man, at least in most countries. The show went by different names in different countries, including "Thee Nuclear Man" in Spanish-speaking countries and "The Man Who Is Worth Millions" in Israel.

Last names 30
NBC
On "Emergency!" what was the last name of John the paramedic?
Pitt
Elliot
Gage
Mantooth
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Johnny Gage was the main character on the show "Emergency!" Randolph Mantooth played the role and initially turned it down because he felt he was an up and coming star who didn't want to get stuck on TV.

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Last names 31
ABC
What was Wojo's last name on "Barney Miller?"
Wozniak
Stetterson
Sipowicz
Wojciehowicz
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Stan Wojciehowicz, also known as Wojo, was played by Max Gail. When Gail auditioned for the role, he had hair, but as filming progressed, he started to go bald, so the actor used a hairpiece for most of the production.

Last names 32
NBC
Remember Arnold on "Diff'rent Strokes?" What was his last name?
Drummond
Jackson
Coleman
Willis
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gary Coleman played Arnold Jackson on the show. "Diff'rent Strokes" has one of the most memorable theme songs in TV history, and not a lot of people know that Alan Thicke, the star of "Growing Pains," was the singer.

Last names 33
CBS
What was the last name of Jack Lord's character on "Hawaii Five-O?"
Wells
Hammer
McGarrett
Bruce
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jack Lord played detective Steve McGarrett on the show. Lord was a last-minute addition to the show, and he read for the part on a Wednesday in Beverly Hills, flew to Hawaii on Friday, and was at work on camera by Monday.

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Last names 34
CBS
Maude's last name on "Maude" was what?
Arthur
Getty
White
Findlay
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Before she was on "The Golden Girls," Bea Arthur starred as Maude Findlay. Series creator Norman Lear, who was famous for the many shows he had a hand in creating back in the day, based the character Maude on his wife.

Last names 35
ABC
Mork's last name may have been "from Ork," but what was Mindy's?
Masterson
McConnell
Willis
Paul
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mindy McConnell was the Mindy of "Mork and Mindy," acting opposite Robin Williams. Williams famously improvised much of the humor on the show to the point that eventually, the screenwriters would just write notes telling him to do whatever he wanted in some scenes.

You Got:
/35
Wikicommons by paramount