And Frasier Makes Three - S11-E20
Audio problem: There are two audio problems in this episode, both in the same scene. Frasier is in his apt. talking to Niles, Daphne, and Martin. After Marty says, "Wow, really?", we hear a couple of garbled words while Niles' lips move. Then as Frasier heads to the door, Daphne asks, "How'd he hurt himself anyway?" While she is saying this, we can hear a phone ringing faintly. It is not coming from on stage, no one moves to answer a phone, and it has no part of the plot.
Answer: It equals the record of James Arness of "Gunsmoke" for the actor who's played the same part on TV NOT in a soap opera. If you include soaps there are two main contenders - William Roache, who's been playing Ken Barlow in "Coronation Street" in the UK since 1960. Don Hastings has been playing Robert Hughes in US soap "As the World Turns" since 1960 as well.