Spot the Butler Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Hop Sing (played by Victor Sen Yung) was the grumpy Chinese cook and general servant for the all-male Cartwright family on 'Bonanza' between 1959 and 1973. The Ponderosa was actually quite multicultural, with each of the three sons having a mother of a different nationality. Although Hop Sing was rarely involved in the main plots, he appeared in many episodes (107 of 431) to provide a bit of humor amid the drama.

Lurch (played by Ted Cassidy) was the butler for 'The Addams Family' when the live-action television show first gave names to the characters who had previously been nameless cartoon figures, running between 1964 and 1966. An imposing (one might venture intimidating) figure, Lurch had little to say, other than a gloomy "You ... rang?" when he instantly appeared in response to a family member pulling on the noose-shaped bell rope that trigger a loud gong.

Aloysius 'Nosey' Parker (voiced by David Graham) was Lady Penelope's butler and chauffeur in the Supermarionation (a registered electronic animation process using marionettes) series 'Thunderbirds' between 1964 and 1966. He is a reformemd criminal (specialising in safe cracking and cat burglary) with a Cockney accent whose underworld contacts are often useful as Penelope pursues her espionage work.

Alfred (played by Alan Napier) was Bruce Wayne's butler and general assistant on 'Batman', the series that featured Adam West in the title role between 1966 and 1968. He was the only person in the show who knew that Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Barbara Gordon were, respectively, Batman, Robin and Batgirl.

Giles French (played by Sebastian Cabot) was almost always called French or Mr French by his employer Bill Davis in 'Family Affair' between 1966 and 1971. The arrival of three orphaned children to be the responsibility of their Uncle Bill changed French's quiet life as valet to a wealthy bachelor into a much more 'interesting' one caring for the children.

Benson (played by Robert Guillaume) only had a first name while he was employed by the Tate family on 'Soap' between 1977 and 1979. The sarcastic butler was so popular that he was given his own spinoff series, 'Benson', in 1979. In this series he was employed for seven seasons by Governor Eugene Gatling. His full name was revealed as his role progressed from butler to Lieutenant Governor, and finally he became a candidate opposing his former employer for election - a campaign whose outcome was never revealed, as the show was cancelled.

Max, played by Lionel Stander, looked after the jetsetting detective couple Jonathan and Jennifer Hart in 'Hart to Hart' between 1979 and 1984. He introduces them over the opening credits, finising with, "By the way, my name is Max. I take care of both of them - which ain't easy; 'cause when they met, it was murder." Stander subsequently repries his role in the first five movies based on the series, before his death from lung cancer meant he had to be replaced in later movies.

Jonathan Higgins (played by John Hillerman) zealously looked after the Hawaiian estate of Robin Masters, often butting heads with the title character (who had some undefined arrangement allowing him to live in the guest house of Robin's Nest and drive the Ferrari) in 'Magnum, P.I.' between 1980 and 1988. Despite their personality differences, Higgins and Magnum grew to respect each other, while still finding each other occasionally irritating.

Charles (played by Scott Baio) had no surname given in the series 'Charles in Charge', where he played a student taking on the role of housekeeper with the Pembroke family to work his way through college in 1984. The series ran for a single season, before being revived in syndication in 1987 with a while new family.

Tony Micelli (played by Tony Danza) was employed by Angela Bower on the series 'Who's the Boss?' between 1984 and 1992. Tony takes up a job advertised as live-in housekeeper, and looks after his daughter and his employer's son while she runs her advertising agency. The title of the series reflects what was then seen as a role reversal, a working woman supporting the family while a man took care of the home.

Edmund Blackadder (played by Rowan Atkinson) has a different role in each series of the eponymous show. In 'Blackadder III' (1987), set at some vague time near the end of the 18th century or the start of the 19th, he is butler to the Prince of Wales, portrayed by Hugh Laurie as a foppish fool. Blackadder has to cope with the Prince's obsession with the latest fad; fortunately he is easily distracted.

Geoffrey Butler (played by Joseph Marcell) served the Banks family, whose lives were disrupted by the arrival of Will Smith (playing a fictionalised version of himself) to live with his aunt and uncle between 1990 and 1996 on 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'. in 2003, Marcell had a recurringr role on 'The Bold and the Beautiful' as a butler named Hudson, who had previously been employed by a family in Bel-Air.

Niles (played by Daniel Davis) was butler to the Sheffield family in 'The Nanny', which featured Fran Drescher as said nanny between 1993 and 1999. Niles had been the family butler since Maxwell was a child, and he tended to their needs assiduously. He had a complex relationship with Maxwell's business partner, C.C. Babcock - initially they were bitter enemies, but they were married in the final episode of the series.

Mr Carson (played by Jim Carter) managed the household staff for the Edwardian Crawley family in 'Downton Abbey' between 2010 and 2015, and was rarely called by his first name (or his nickname, Charlie). While the main storylines focused on the family residing upstairs, the downstairs employees were involved in many subplots. These included Carson's developing romance with the housekeeper, which led to their marriage in the sixth season.

Sebastian Beach (always called Beach by the family and visitors) was the long-suffering butler who oversaw proceedings at the chaotic 'Blandings Castle' and protected the somewhat pig-obsessed Lord Emsworth between 2013 and 2014. He was played in the first season by Mark Williams and in the second season by Tim Vine.