Special billing

[D'Snowth]

Have you ever wondered why certain actors on certain shows get special billing during the opening credits? Take "Seinfeld" for example: the credits role: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Michael Richard, then you've got Jason Alexander as George. Or like on "Bewitched" after Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York's/Sargent's billings role by, then you get Agnes Moorehead as Endora and David White as Larry Tate. Why:

[Ilikemuppets]

"and Jaleel White As Steve Urkel" Sometime it helps pull in ratings.

[BEAR]

That is a good question. I've also pointed out a similar billing on Sesame Street where it lists the cast and at the end says "and Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar".
Also if you look at posters for Broadway shows it is the same thing. They usually have the lead or 2 leads names real big at the very top above the show's title, then list the rest of the cast smaller, and sometimes in a bit bigger letters is "and ______ as _____"
I always thought it was special billing and actually always thought it would be the best to have that spot in the credits.

[BEAR]

It must be something special. Remember the Full House opening credits? For a while, it always went like this:
John Stamos
Bob Saget
Dave Coulier
Candace Cameron
Jodie Sweetin
Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen
Lori Laughlin
Andrea Barber

Then, in the final season, it became this:
John Stamos
Bob Saget
Dave Coulier
Candace Cameron
Jodie Sweetin
Lori Laughlin
Andrea Barber
(Whatever the twin boys' names were)
and Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen as "Michelle"

All of a sudden, the Olsen girls got special billing. I wouldn't be surprised if it meant they got paid more than the other 2 girls.

[Ilikemuppets]

I thought Caroll got it because he was featured on the street scenes.

[Ilikemuppets]

I also wonder about the Credit that says staring so and such!

[D'Snowth]

A little trivia in case you don't know...

The opening credits for M*A*S*H usually went like this:
Alan Alda
Mike Farrell
Harry Morgan
Loretta Swit
David Ogden Stiers
Gary Burghoff
Jamie Farr
William Christopher

But for the first 5 episodes of the eighth season, the opening credits went as follows:
Alan Alda
Mike Farrell
Harry Morgan
Loretta Swit
David Ogden Stiers
Jamie Farr
William Christopher
and Gary Burghoff as "Radar"

This was because Gary Burghoff left at the end of the seventh season, but the networks didn't want to end that season with a good-bye Radar episode, so instead, he got called back to temporaily reprise his role as a guest the following season (mostly scenes of him calling back to the 4077th while on R&R whenever Klinger had trouble) until they did a two-part good-bye show for him. After that, his name was dropped from the credits for the rest of the season, and the rest of the series.

[BEAR]

I thought Caroll got it because he was featured on the street scenes.

Yeah, maybe, but he's also gotten special billing with the Muppeteer cast where aren't humans. Didn't he get a special credit in Muppet Family Christmas?

[Ilikemuppets]

Yeah, so I have know Idea.:confused:

[Gonzo14]

or like in cheers when it was

Ted Danson
Kirstie Alley
Rhea Pearlman
Woody Harrelson
John Ratzenberger
Kelsey Grammer
Bebe Neuwirth
& George Wendt

George Wendt (Norm) always got the last billing, even though he was a bigger character than Grammer, Neuwirth, and Ratzenberger. Some shows save one of their bigger characters toward the end, and add an and. usually if the last billing says "with this person", or "and this person", it's a special billing

[BEAR]

or like in cheers when it was

Ted Danson
Kirstie Alley
Rhea Pearlman
Woody Harrelson
John Ratzenberger
Kelsey Grammer
Bebe Neuwirth
& George Wendt

George Wendt (Norm) always got the last billing, even though he was a bigger character than Grammer, Neuwirth, and Ratzenberger. Some shows save one of their bigger characters toward the end, and add an and. usually if the last billing says "with this person", or "and this person", it's a special billing


yeah, but someone has to be last. I think by "special billing" we mean when an actor is listed last along with the part they play

[rurulesunc]

Special billing can include just the name or the name plus the character name. It is all worked into the contract for the actor. You can only have so many people starring in something (tv, film, theatre). So actors who arent necessarily the main stars but are highly featured can be listed at the end of the credits. Its a way to give them special recognition (which usually comes with higher pay too).

Its all worked out with the agent. Hope this answers your question.

[Ilikemuppets]

Well I get it.

[Xerus]

Also, in Alice. Whenever they got a replacement waitress, they always got credited last.

Polly Holiday as Flo
Diane Ladd as Belle
Celia Weston as Jolene