Who Was the Best Television Character of All Time?

[VALuvsMKwan]

Adding Barnabas Collins, Dr. Julia Hoffman and Angelique from "Dark Shadows" (the original series).

 

[quartz]

Wednesday.

 

[easilydistracte]

Army Nurse Colleen McMurphy on China Beach.

. . .
Mr. Spock
. . .

YES.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I should have added Stewie from Family Guy.

 

[Tinami Amori]

All my favs and role models/influences....
In Russia (until age of 14)

• Mowgli and Bageera
• Clever Rabbit (from Ну Погоди! Watch out!)
• Flipper
• Lassie
• Peppi Langstrump
• Cpt. Nemo (J.V.’s novel on TV)
• Ostap Bender (adventurer from “12 Chairs”)
• Janek the Tank operator (fr Polish TV series “4 Tank-men and a Dog”)

After Russia 14+ (shows fr USA, UK, Italy, Germany, etc..)

• Mr. Spock/USA
• Mrs. Peel/UK
• James West/Wild Wild West/US
• Sabrina/Bewitched/US
• Fonzie/Happy Days/US
• Fallon/Dynasty/USA
• Sonny Corinthos/Gen. Hospital/US
• Hercule Poirot/UK
• Corrado Cattani/La Piovra/IT
• Commissario Brunetti/GER
• Sherlock Holmes/UK
• Lovejoy/UK
• Don Draper/Mad Men/US
• Zeeva David/NCIS/US
• Bertie Wooster/Jeeves and Wooster/UK

 

[Cachoo]

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

Woof! (How I miss Northern Exposure)

I love that supporting characters in programs are also mentioned. Where would we be without Carlton the Doorman?

Someone mentioned Omar from "The Wire" and I think he is easily the one supporting character I'll never forget: And Aubrey Plaza in "Parks and Rec" was one of the reasons I watched faithfully. She was so bizarre and I loved her.

 

[annie720]

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

Good one!

 

[znhurston]

Woof! (


Someone mentioned Omar from "The Wire" and I think he is easily the one supporting character I'll never forget:

Omar (Michael K. Williams) now does a "news" series on Viceland. Check it out.
https://www.viceland.com/en_us/show/black-market-with-michael-k-williams

 

[Oreo]

Magnum PI
Jack Bauer

 

[smurfy]

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

How could I forget Mrs Peel. As a young girl in the 60s - she was the coolest thing!
To adjust to Martin Sheen - just make it the whole cast of the Wet Wing.
Colin Firth - yes!
Captain Jean LucPicard -- Patrick Stewart
Walt Longmire

 

[Simone411]

And how could I forget about Matt Houston - Lee Horsely.

 

[Kasey]

Dr. House
Weezy Jefferson
Lucy Ricardo
Charles Emerson Winchester III
Rose Nyland
Claire Huxtable (yeah, he's a dirtbag, but her character still rocked at the time)
Mr. Rogers
Dana Scully

 

[quartz]

Vinnie Barbarino from Welcome Back Kotter.

 

[sk8girl]

Frasier Crane
Walter White
Gustavo Fring
Tony Soprano
Maggie Smith's character in Downton Abbey ("Oh I'm sorry, I thought you were a waiter." )

 

[screech]

Eli Stone (RIP George Michael! That show should have lasted way more than 2 seasons)

I mentioned Veronica Mars before, but I also have to mention Keith Mars - IMO one of the best TV fathers of all time.

And speaking of TV fathers, I absolutely have to mention Jack Bristow from Alias. He went from seeming like such a huge SOB at the beginning to really being someone who just did absolutely everything out of love for his daughter.

 

[Japanfan]

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

I agree that Maggie Smith is always wonderful. But I thought her role in Downton was particularly special because she had nine seasons in which to develop her character and the writers made sure to give her lines worthy of her sarcastic delivery.

For example, "I have many friends I don't like". Or, when a young woman who had worked as a prostitute is invited to lunch as Mrs. Crawley's home (IIRC Mrs. Crawley is helping her get out of the trade). Lord Grantham finds out and is furious. But the lunch continues anyway, and the Countess says: "Shame to waste a good pudding".

 

[falling_dance]

Maude Findlay
Space Ghost and Zorak (from the talk show years, not their earlier lives as a superhero and his mantis nemesis, respectively)
Carla from Cheers

 

[Japanfan]

• Flipper
• Lassie

Flipper! Lassie!

There was some speculation that Flipper suicided after being retired, due to loneliness. IIRC it was his trainer who thought so. Flipper was not a solitary type of creature.

 

[paskatefan]

Archie & Edith Bunker
Alex Keaton
Marcus Welby, MD
Mary Richards & Rhoda Morganstern
Clair Huxtable
Don Adams' character in Get Smart
The cast of WKRP Cincinnati
The cast of Room 222
George & Weezy Jefferson
Carol Burnett
Kermit the Frog
Mr. Rogers

 

[KatieC]

Haven't seen Dr Carter, ER. Such a sweetheart.

 

[aliceanne]

I remember Steed and Mrs. Peel fondly. They were a campy send-up of all the Cold War spy dramas that were so popular in the mid-sixties, but there were some sincere moments. I saw earlier versions of the series with Honor Blackman and it was more noir detective.

Al Bundy/ Married with Children is another show I like to revisit. It was a refreshing change from the too-perfect family that few of us could relate to. Although the Bundys would rather die than admit they cared, you knew deep down inside they did.

Currently I like Sister Michael in Derry Girls. She doesn’t let spirituality get in the way of getting things done.

I like satire as long as it isn’t relentlessly mean-spirited. I don’t relate to shows where people wear their heart on their sleeve, I don’t know adults like that.

 

[oleada]

Leslie Knope

 

[Tinami Amori]

Leslie Knope

By any chance you remember "Rita/Nina" in "Avenida Brasil", I love her and "Carmina"..

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Buddy (Kristy McNichol) in Family (1970s) was a really good character.

 

[VGThuy]

It took me a long time to think of somebody who really resonated with me, and after much thought, it really is Liz Lemon from 30 Rock. I mean...the good, bad, and the ugly. Also...*shameful whisper* Ally McBeal planted the seed of being a lawyer in my head when I was in middle school */shameful whisper* So yeah...

 

[Wyliefan]

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.

Mr. Bean is funny, but I prefer Rowan Atkinson as Blackadder.

 

[screech]

It took me a long time to think of somebody who really resonated with me, and after much thought, it really is Liz Lemon from 30 Rock. I mean...the good, bad, and the ugly.

Liz Lemon! YES! I love that she was so unashamedly nerdy/dorky and was a smart lady boss. She had her quirks, but that's what made her so lovable. Also love that her eventual husband Criss Chros (had to double check his spelling) absolutely adored her for who she was.

 

[PRlady]

A few little-known ones:

Patricia Wettig as Nancy on thirtysomething was amazing.

William Daniels as Dr. Craig on St. Elsewhere.

And she wasn’t a character, but Gwen Ifill was the best TV moderator ever

 

[kedrin]

Sally Rogers from the Dick Van Dyke show. A very early example of a career woman. I'm also going to add Selma Hacker from Night Court- played by Selma Diamond, who was an early comedy writer for TV, in addition to being an actor. Sally was based on her.

 

[smurfy]

A few little-known ones:
And she wasn’t a character, but Gwen Ifill was the best TV moderator ever

ITA - loved her on Washington Week. I have watched that show for years before she was on, and now it is hard to watch without, sames with the PBS NewsHour. She is someone you would want as your best friend.