At Least They Were in the Right Professions Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Nearly every episode was set where "everybody knows your name". What did retired baseball player Sam Malone do that let us meet quirky people and co-workers who kept us laughing for eleven seasons?

Answer: Bartender

The show was "Cheers" and it ran from 1982 to 1993. It had one of the most successful spin-offs in the history of spin-offs, "Frasier", which ran for its own eleven seasons. Set in a bar of the same name, "Cheers" introduced us to a host of main and continuing characters as well as some recurring and/or celebrity characters that some might forget also tipped a glass in "Cheers'" bar. I'll never forget Harry Connick Jr. as Woody's cousin who fell for Rebecca.

2. His job often let him work from home and explain away some of the wackiest half hour problems caused by his beautiful witch wife or her family. At what profession did Darrin Stephens basically set his own hours and come and go at will if necessary?

Answer: Advertising executive

Produced way too early for the world wide web, "Bewitched" aired from 1964 to 1972. Often leaving work early (for example, if his nose started to grow, or he began to disappear!), he would burst into the house hollering "Samantha!" when needing her to put things right. Many times the abnormalities were conveniently explained away by ad campaigns.

3. Though he wrote how-to books on the side and at times hosted a small cable TV show in Vermont, what profession did Dick Loudon have in "Newhart" that ensured that he could meet people and set his own hours?

Answer: Inn keeper

The big hint here was "in Vermont", and the name Dick Loudon. The star, Bob Newhart, had two long-running sitcoms. This was the second, set in the Stratford Inn in Vermont. Running an inn not only meant colorful characters could check in, but there were multiple interesting characters in the town itself. Remember "Hi, I'm Larry, and this is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl"? Who thinks of these things?

4. Formerly a Marine sniper, this man's work brought him into frequent contact with political intrigue, criminal mystery, and almost always murder. But what is Leroy Jethro Gibbs' official position title with the NCIS in the television show of the same name?

Answer: Supervisory Special Agent

Before an argument starts, let me point out that his "rank" is senior field agent, and his official occupation is NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) Special Agent, as is the occupation of many others on the show. But his position title is what puts him in charge of the rest of the team.

This man of few words can put people in place with a single look and is the father figure for his mostly younger squad. Oh, and he hates technology.

5. Truly in the "right" profession that had "the right stuff", Tony Nelson had a job that let him be away for long periods of time and provided some novel excuses for the effects of his genie's magic. What was his job?

Answer: Astronaut

Ah, the troubles that began when Captain (later promoted to Major, and then in the reunion special, Colonel) Anthony Nelson got washed up on that beach and found a discarded old bottle. Created to coat-tail on the success of rival network "Bewitched", "I Dream of Jeannie" gave Nelson a profession where he could explain some of what was happening - invisibly driven cars or quick trips to other countries- by blaming non-existent technologies and classified information.

6. What is someone who looks like that going to do for a living? Though it didn't necessarily factor into many of the episodes, where (appropriately) did Herman Munster pick up his black lunch box and go off to work every day?

Answer: A funeral home

It's hard to believe that "The Munsters" only ran for two years. Herman worked as a gravedigger for Gateman, Goodbury, and Graves (get it?) having started as a "box boy", a position that was never quite explained. When we did see him with his co-workers, no one at work seemed to think he was strange, despite his size or color. I guess sometimes it does just matter that you're good at what you do.

7. There is no shortage of drama when you are in the medical profession, but what if you get super powers as well? What was the original profession of Peter Petrelli on "Heroes"?

Answer: Nurse

Yes, he started as a nurse! He was a hospice nurse, who, appropriately to his profession, gained the superpower of being able to absorb and mimic the powers of others. I always thought this was because of the compassionate nature of his being a nurse and being able to understand and feel the pain and needs of his patients. Later he became a paramedic, and things got a little weird (weirder?), but it was nice to see a good male nurse for a little while.

8. Working with teenagers in general is probably a good source of material at any time. But working with sweathogs? Even better! What was the profession of Mr. Kotter on "Welcome Back, Kotter"?

Answer: Remedial teacher

Beginning in 1975, Gabe Kotter, who was one of the founding members of the sweathogs years ago, returns to teach the current sweathogs - the remedial class of James Buchanan High School. Through wit and imagination, and an ability to relate to their situation, he is able to connect to them and actually teach.

This surprises the ever-grouchy vice-principal, Mr. Woodman, who really just expected the class to be babysat and not amount to much. And, lest we not forget, the young man playing Vinnie Barbarino was none other than John Travolta. Sigh....

9. Who can turn the world on with her smile? On "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", where did Mary Richards work that let her meet other wacky people in the profession and brought her to the office every day (and some late holiday nights)?

Answer: A newsroom

Groundbreaking because it was one of the first shows that centered on a single career woman in her 30's, it won multiple Emmy Awards and tackled many controversial subjects. The show also launched multiple successful spin-offs - "Rhoda", "Phyllis", and "Lou Grant" - while many other cast members went on to have successful series of their own.

10. His job on the ship seemed to give him ample time to interact with the passengers every week. But was exactly was Burl 'Gopher' Smith's job on "The Love Boat"?

Answer: Purser

I never saw Gopher actually do anything. Issac was the bartender, and you saw him mixing drinks. You saw the doctor seeing patients sometimes and the cruise director planning activities. So I looked up ship purser and it is actually a lot of work and very little of it involves standing out on deck hobnobbing with passengers. Hmmmmm...maybe if Gopher had done more of his paperwork and organizing his crew and less standing around he might have gotten promoted.

But then we might have had less stories with him providing comic relief.

Source: Author Patwoosley

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ladymacb29 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Maybe the most important decision in creating a television show is picking the right profession for the main character. What professions did these television characters have that ensured the writers would have plenty to write about?

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