Detective John Munch is one of my favorite characters in all of TV. Actor/comedian Richard Belzer has the distinction of being the only actor to play the same character across so many shows and networks. The character originated on Homicide: Life on the Street in 1993, and Belzer spent seven seasons on that show. During that run, he appeared on Law & Order in three crossover episodes, and made a cameo as Munch in an episode of The X-Files.
After Homicide was canceled, Dick Wolf moved the Munch character over to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where unfortunately his part seems to have gotten smaller every year. Belzer also made a cameo as Munch on the short-lived UPN series The Beat, and popped up briefly on HBO's The Wire. That's six different shows across four networks. Not too shabby.
(There's also an Arrested Development cameo, though most Munch fans debate the canonocity of that appearance.)
"The Belz," as he is sometimes called, has a new music video - "The Vampire Song."
However, that's not the first time he's sung on camera, as we see in this clip from Homicide, where Munch gives in to karaoke.
And finally, one of my all-time favorite Homicide moments, which I dare not spoil.
