Who Was the Best Television Character of All Time?

[kedrin]

I doubt many here remember or have ever watched the British comedies Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister from the 70s.

My vote goes to Nigel Hawthorne, who played Humphrey, the conniving, pedantic and loquacious civil servant.

I just picked these up in a used-DVD store!

Yes, Humphrey was a great character. Along with some of the others mentioned: The Doctor. Mary Richards. Archie Bunker. Spock. Emma Peel.

Adding: Miss Fisher.

 

[quartz]

I will also add my votes for Mary Richards, Archie and Edith Bunker, and Homer Simpson.
I didn’t watch the show too much, but it seems like all the Golden Girls were super popular.

 

[judiz]

Archie Bunker
Hawkeye Pierce
Maude
George Jefferson
Murphy Brown
Lucy and Ricky
Mary Richards

 

[taf2002]

I liked Cagney better than Lacey. Tine Daley is brilliant in anything she does.

 

[vireo]

Lieutenant Colombo (did he even have a first name?)

Saul Goodman

Rhoda Morgenstern (Carlton the doorman, too)

Adrian Monk

Margaret (nemesis of Dennis the Menace)

Sue Ann Nivens

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Kevin Arnold & Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years
Alex Keaton from Family Ties

 

[quartz]

Kevin Arnold & Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years
Alex Keaton from Family Ties

Yes! I had thought about Alex P. Keaton, but thought it was more my huge crush on Michael J. Fox, than the character itself.
And the Wonder Years was such a charming little show.

 

[mysticchic]

Murphy Brown and Mary Richards.
Larry, Darrel and Darrel
Bob Newhart!

 

[StasiyaGalustyanLove]

Judge Judy

Also Any episode of "Holly Wood Squares" with Wayland Flowers and his puppet lady "Madame" is what I can watch every day just as I can eat my wife's slow cooker grape jelly meat balls day and night!

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Hyacinth Bucket (Boo-kay!).

 

[Japanfan]

An honorable mention should go to Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in "Downton Abbey'

 

[annie720]

Murphy Brown and Mary Richards.
Larry, Darrel and Darrel
Bob Newhart!

Which Bob Newhart?

 

[slicekw]

Chris from Northern Exposure
Reader, poet, philosopher with not even a HS diploma. Hottest man in Alaska. Piano-flinger.

 

[znhurston]

I am partial to TV series starring strong female leads.
1) Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren)-Prime Suspect.
2) Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski)-The Good Wife
3) Mary Beth Lacey(Tyne Daley)-Cagney and Lacey
4) Christine Cagney (Sharon Gless)-Cagney and Lacey
5) Nicollette Grant (Chloe Sevigny)-Big Love
6) Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall)-Sex and the City
7) Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren (Uzo Aduba)--Orange Is the New Black

 

[mysticchic]

Which Bob Newhart?

I loved both, but Newhart was my favorite.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Edina and Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous.

Favourite TV actress would be Elisabeth Moss. Have loved her in everything I have seen her in. She is brilliant.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Lucille Ball. She was a master at her craft. She has said that she is not a funny person. But no better comedienne. Also she was the first woman to run major television studio - Desilu productions. She said

You cannot teach someone comedy; either they have it or they don't.

If you want a treat, watch the Kennedy Honors Lucille Ball on YouTube. She was so humble.

Carol Burnett.............brilliant. People actually did not go out on Saturday nights...they stayed in to watch.

Carrol O'Conner - He created an iconic character.

Bill Cosby (I know, I know). He introduced us to an entirely different kind of Black Family....and thank goodness he did. He was utterly brilliant.

 

[Simone411]

Frances Bavier who played Aunt Bee on the Andy Griffith show.

Bea Arthur. Totally loved Maude which was a spin off sitcom from All in the Family, and also loved her character, Dorothy Zbornak from The Golden Girls. One of my favorite episodes included a skit about Henny Penny.

 

[CassAgain]

Detective Frank Pembleton
Captain Ray Holt
Omar Little
Mike Ehrmantraut
Hank and Marie Schrader
Gustavo Fring

 

[smurfy]

Good discussion, my 2 cents...

Lucy
Johnny Carson - I know not a character, but he was awesome
Hawkeye -Alan Alda
JR Ewing - Larry Hagman
Carol Burnett
Carroll O'Connor - as Archie mostly, but he was awesome in The Heat of the Night
(physically he reminds me a my dad, abt the same age - Irish American with the twinkling blue eyes)
ITA with Elisabeth Moss
President Jeb Bartlett - Martin Sheen
Bob Newhart
Tony Soprano - James Gandolfini
Geraldine - Flip Wilson
Erica Kane - - Susan Lucci

and all that everyone post. So many good ones!

 

[PRlady]

CJ Craig on West Wing
Joyce Davenport on Hill Street Blues
Mrs. Peel
Catwoman (Julie Newmar)
Mr. Spock
Kate on Lost
and of course, Colin Firth as Darcy in the BBC Pride and Prejudice

 

[Meredith]

President Bartlett was certainly a character to be remembered. Sigh ...

 

[screech]

Captain Ray Holt

YES! Can't believe I forgot about Holt. And every single character on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I feel like it's so rare to have a half hour sitcom that shows such variety in characterizations, yet also has them so well-rounded and non-stereotypical.

 

[jenny12]

Omar and Bubbles from The Wire. The two greatest characters from the greatest show of all time. With Omar, I think it was one of the first times seeing a gay character played in such a badass way. Such a layered character full of contradictions. And Bubbles was definitely the heart of the show. Also, got to put Lester up there as well.

 

[CassAgain]

I forgot to include Toby Ziegler...and probably ten or so others to add as the thread goes on.

 

[Simone411]

Adding to my list the whole Robinson family including Robot and Dr. Smith from Lost in Space. Several other favorites are already listed here in the thread.

 

[taf2002]

An honorable mention should go to Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in "Downton Abbey'

Yes! Maggie Smith in ANYTHING. I've loved her from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie to all the Harry Potter movies.

 

[quartz]

Donna Noble from Doctor Who
River Song from Doctor Who
Moss from IT Crowd
Veronica Palmer from Better Off Ted
Artie from Warehouse 13
Sheldon from Big Bang Theory
Mr. Bean

 

[skatingfan5]

Mr. Bean

OMG Mr. Bean! I remember first seeing that show while visiting my sister in Englad back in the 90s. Too many hysterically funny episodes to choose a favorite.

 

[Simone411]

Adding Tracey Ullman. I always loved her characters and still do!