A recurring character is a fictional person who appears in a TV show, usually during prime time, but not in every episode. These characters often play important roles in more than one episode and may be the main focus in some. They are different from "regular" characters, who appear in nearly every episode. Recurring characters appear more often than guest stars, who may only be in one or two episodes and are not expected to return.
Sometimes, recurring characters begin as guest stars in one episode and return later because the show creators or viewers enjoy their performances or storylines. Occasionally, a recurring character becomes part of the main cast, known as a breakout character. Examples include Eli Gold from The Good Wife, Leo Chingkwake from That '70s Show, Spike and Oz from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marc St. James from Ugly Betty, Vanessa Abrams from Gossip Girl, Zack Allan from Babylon 5, Steve Urkel from Family Matters, Donna Moss from The West Wing, Steve Harrington from Stranger Things, and Felicity Smoak from Arrow.
In some cases, recurring characters get their own TV shows. For example, Dr. Frasier Crane was a recurring character on Cheers before becoming a main character and later starring in his own series. Similarly, Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer became the main character in the spin-off Angel.
On sketch comedy shows, recurring characters are common. For example, Your Show of Shows used recurring characters in their own sketches, which became regular parts of the show. Notable examples 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. Some recurring characters from sketches have appeared in other sketches or even their own TV shows or movies. For instance, Thelma "Mama" Harper from The Carol Burnett Show had her own show, Mama's Family, after the original sketch ended. Characters from Saturday Night Live, like Stuart Smalley, Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World, and The Blues Brothers, have also appeared in movies. Recurring characters may even return long after the actor who played them has left, such as Mary Katherine Gallagher, portrayed by Molly Shannon in 2007, six years after she left the show.
Recurring characters are not only found in TV. In the early 1900s, the Saturday Evening Post had recurring characters in their cover art, like Baby New Year. The comic strip Li'l Abner featured the Shmoo, a recurring character that later appeared in TV cartoons. Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories also included recurring characters, such as Inspector Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson.
In American daytime soap operas, recurring characters are played by actors without long-term contracts. These actors are not required to continue in the role and may not have guaranteed work. They were once called "day players."