Interesting thing I read (top 25 tv characters)

[R0cketer]

The RULES

1(No puppets or cartoons, otherwise Kermit and Homer would definitely be on this list.
2)No mini-series, otherwise I'd definitely include Philip Marlow from THE SINGING DETECTIVE.
3)No reality show people, otherwise Matt Kennedy Gould from THE JOE SCHMO SHOW would be on here.
4)All characters must be regulars on the show. Okay, here we go


I'm working my 25, trying to keep from more than 2-3 people on the same show too...its tough...

[R0cketer]

Ok so far I got not in order but ...
1)Jack Bauer (24)
2)Capt. Mal Reynolds (Firefly)
3)Fox Mulder (X-Files)
4)Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith Show)
5)Sawyer (Lost)
6)Ham Tyler (V)
7)The Doctor (Doctor Who-9th Doctor Chris Eccleston)
8)Chander Bing (Friends)
9)Chloe O'Brien (24)
10)Chief Tyrol (Battlestar Galactica)
11)Howard Cunningham (Happy Days)
12)Kevin Arnold (Wonder Years)
13)Radar(Mash)
14)Sonny Crockett (Miami Vice)
15)Jayne Cobb (Firefly)
16)Hawkeye Pierce (Mash)
17)Dan Fielding (Night Court)
18)Perry Mason (Perry Mason)
19)David Addison (Moonlighting)
20)Niles Crane (Fraiser)
21)Alex P. Keaton (Family Ties)
22)Al Bundy (Married With Children)
23)Sledge Hammer (Sledge Hammer)
24)Jack McFarlane (Will and Grace)
25)Fred Sanford (Sanford & Son)

Honorable Mention
1)Larry, Darryl, Daryl (Newhart)
2)JD (Scrubs)
3)Woody Boyd (Cheers)
4)The Lone Gunmen (X-Files)
5)Kramer (Seinfield)
6)Cnl Tigh (BSG)
7)Maxwell Smart (Get Smart)
8)Barney (How I Met Your Mother)
9)Dr. Cox (Scrubs)
10)Randy (My Name Is Earl)

[UTVols2]

1. Jack Bauer - 24
2. Ryan Atwood - The O.C.
3. President Palmer - 24
4. Brandon Walsh - Beverly Hills 90210
5. Tony Almeida - 24
6. Bo Duke - Dukes of Hazard
7. Michael Scofield - Prison Break
8. Daisy Duke - Dukes of Hazard
9. Lincoln Burrows - Prison Break
10. Dylan McKay - Beverly Hills, 90210
11. Michael Rapaport - The War at home
12. Doug Heffernan - The King of Queens
13. Carrie Heffernan - The King of Queens
14. Horacio Cain - CSI, Miami
15. Jim Belushi - According to Jim
16. Rodney Carrington - Rodney
17. Michael Scott - The Office
18. The whole cast of Friends......

Thats all I got [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/arcadefreak.gif[/img]

[larry_legend]

These are not in order but are my 25, but remember not in order from greatest to least. Also I'm older so I used a bigger time frame.
1. Barney Fife (Andy Griffith show)
2. Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable (Cosby Show)
3. Thomas Magnum (Magnum P.I.) How cool of a name is that?
4. Ernest T. Bass (Andy Griffith Show)
5. Dan Fielding (Night Court)
6. B.A. Baracus (The A-Team)
7. Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld)
8. Dr. Gregory House (House M.D.)
9. Adrian Monk (Monk)
10.Elain Benes (Seinfeld)
11.Chandler Bing (Friends)
12.Jack McFarlane (Will & Grace)
13.Jack Bauer (24)
14.Cordell Walker (Walker Texas Ranger) Do you want to leave Chuck Norris off this list?
15.Bull Shannon (Night Court)
16.Joseph Cartwright (Bonanza)
17.H.M. Murdock (The A-Team)
18.J.R. Ewing (Dallas)
19.Andy Tayler (The Andy Griffith Show)
20.Gomer Pile (The Andy Griffith Show)
21.Detective Lennie Briscoe (Law & Order)
22.Gil Grissom (CSI)
23.MacGyver (MacGyver)
24.Robert Barone (Everybody Loves Ray)
25.Dr.Frasier Crane (Frasier)

[the_alienist]

These aren't in order:
1. Dr. Gregory House (House)
2. Fran Fine (the Nanny)
3. Doogie Howser (Doogie Howser M.D.)
4. Gill Grissom (CSI)
5. Fox Moulder (X-Files)
6. Herman Muster (The Musters)
7. Nick Stokes (CSI)
8. Horatio Caine (CSI: Miami)
9. Charlie Epps (Numbers)
10. Lucy Ricardo (I Love Lucy)
11. Murdock (The A-Team)
12. The Fonz (Happy Days)
13. Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld)
14. Kramer (Seinfeld)
15. Dr Sam Beckett/ John Beckett (Quantum Leap)
16. Al Calavicci (Quantum Leap)
17. Maxwell Smart (Get Smart)
18. Frasier Crane (Fraiser)
19. George Jefferson (the Jeffersons)
20. Laverne de Fazio (Laverne and Shirley)
21. Shirley Feeney (Laverne and Shirley)
22. Roseanne Connor (Roseanne)
23. Judge Harry Stone (Night Court)
24. Sophia Petrillo (the Golden Girls)
25. Blanche Devereaux (the Golden Girls)

[R0cketer]

My top 25 and reasons why (not ranked in order)

1)Jack Bauer (24) --Ok there is no character I feel can pull their butt out of the fire, save the world, do whatever horrible needs to be done, yet still seem bothered by it when its all over. I feel better about the world if I know that there is a Jack Bauer on our side.

2)Capt. Mal Reynolds (Firefly) --Reckon he is the definition of stubborn. A flawed character who you never know for sure what he's thinking. He's not above screwing himself over if he thinks it will keep him flying.

3)Fox Mulder (X-Files) --Obessive, witty and pay no attention to the porn he has. Believed in the character, that even though you knew he wouldn't, made you believe he could uncover it all.

4)Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith Show) --He was a great sheriff and dad and everyman. The show was simple, pure and stands the test of time. He was mostly the straight man to Barney, Gomer, Goober, Floyd, Ernest T. Bass, Otis etc, but was the glue that held the show together.

5)Sawyer (Lost) --So slimey that you just love to see what he'll do or say. He hates himself, so watching him trying to make others hate him, even when he sometimes does good, is a trip.

6)Ham Tyler (V) --no miniseries but since this was also a show, it is allowed to cheat. Ham was a great character, he was good, but not good. Played by Michael Ironside the character was a perfect foil to Donovan, even if they were on the same side.

7)The Doctor (Doctor Who-9th Doctor Chris Eccleston)--I prefer this version to the 10th Doctor David Tennant, although if I didn't have the 9th doctor, I'd have the 10th. He was so good at going from happy go lucky to depressed and mad that Tennant hasn't caught him yet. I mean its the Doctor unless someone sucks, as long as the scripts stay at such a high level, the character should be here. He's a freaking time lord.

8)Chander Bing (Friends) --Take a show about perfect people who don't really work but hang out and its not funny. Throw Chandler, the side-splitting guy who works as ....what does he work as....as someone who is a bit of a smartbutt, I appreciate the character. We knew why he downed himself, and the character grew. He was still funny, but you seen the maturity in him. Could he not BE on this list.

9)Chloe O'Brien (24) --how many people like extremely quirky hateful rude people? Not many, yet some reason Chloe hits with everybody. Everybody knows someone like her, well at least the 'if she's having a bad day, you're having a bad day' attitude. However she is thus far, extremely loyal, so you take her bad with the good.

10)Chief Tyrol (Battlestar Galactica) --A less major character in the crowded BSG universe but he's the everyman. He gets the girl but really doesn't get the girl, he's the man you expect to save the day, but get no credit for it. On a show that is written so strongly, he is one of the few characters you want to win.

11)Howard Cunningham (Happy Days) --Ok who didn't want Howard as your dad? Sure he had a hardware store, drove a huge car, and was not cool in any sense of the word cool, but he was also someone who would be in your corner. Besides anybody that who could become the Grand Puba deserves to be here.

12)Kevin Arnold (Wonder Years) --a classic character in you really did grow with it. Kevin was the innocent eyes in a not so innocent time. Nerdy friend, hot girlfriend who was a friend more than a girlfriend most of the time. A brother who would beat him up for the sake of doing it, a sister who was a hippy. Granted the narrator, Kevin older, was the voice mostly, but this character was everybody placed in an uncomfortable situation, and how we hoped we would deal.

13)Radar(Mash) --Another innocent trapped in a not innocent place. Seeing how horrified Radar could be or how naive he could be was always able to bring a smile. I think we all would love to be so innocent sometimes.

14)Sonny Crockett (Miami Vice) --hard to write much outside of The definition of cool. Angst, torture, problems, sure...but at the end of the day...cool

15)Jayne Cobb (Firefly) --a mercenary who was absolutely about the bottom line. How do you have a character who basically shows he will turn on you, tells the captain he will if the money is right and still make him liked? No clue, but he was and is. The Hero of Canton, the Man they call Jayne.

16)Hawkeye Pierce (Mash) --When you're on as long as Mash was, you have to have a main character who you may not always like, but you always support. Hawkeye. He would do the job, but you also knew he was as likely to do something outside the book too.

17)Dan Fielding (Night Court) --Scum. Definition of what a bad lawyer is. Perverted. Only in things for himself. However on this show, with the others all being generally 'good', someone who wasn't so clear or goody-2-shoes was needed. Another great character actor with a character we should dislike but can't do the humor provided.

18)Perry Mason (Perry Mason) --and following the example of what we wouldnt want a lawyer to be, the one that we would want. I doubt a lawyer around doesn't want to be viewed like Perry Mason. The character wasn't as important as the 'getting to the conclusion' was, but Raymond Burr was able to make him totally believable and you could always see the wheels a turning.

19)David Addison (Moonlighting) --Hard to say much except I watched this show and thought wow if it was just him think how good the show would be. Was a bad boy character with just enough goodness to make him appealing.

20)Niles Crane (Frasier) --So over the top on obsessive it was funny. Frasier could annoy you easily but Niles had such a twitch that he was unable to annoy, even if it involved the same thing. Sure the character was less interesting later in the shows life, but this was a classic comedy character.

21)Alex P. Keaton (Family Ties) --Michael J Fox. Classic. A rather preachy show now and then but he was the classic foil. Intelligent, completely opposite beliefs of his family, yet somehow managed to do the right thing, if not always for the right reason.

22)Al Bundy (Married With Children) --as politically incorrect as you could be. The humor was low brow, repetitive, but how long did this show last? Sure you had a hot Christina Applegate, and Bud the Stud, but watching Al tear into everything with no care what was right was great. After this show, you never looked at the bad uncle as being so bad, I mean he could have been worse.

23)Sledge Hammer (Sledge Hammer) --Anybody that talks to his gun, the one called Gun, has to be on here. A show actually ahead of its time.

24)Jack McFarlane (Will and Grace) --not a great fan of show but this character was so much of a flamer that I think it actually made people laugh and be able to deal with and react better to the homosexual lifestyle. Rather that's right/wrong is up to choice but I think that a character that can affect society so much has to be important. Plus I guess my love for characters who are very very un-politically correct shows. Watching a gay character make fun of gays, and never getting attacked for it, meant that it was done in a way that got a message across but still was entertaining.

25)Fred Sanford (Sanford & Son) --Almost the same as the previous character, except more for race issues. Fred made it ok to laugh at or with *gasp* white/black humor. I mean we made fun of heart attacks, and everybody did it "this is the big one". Definitely made a difference.

Honorable Mention
1)Larry, Darryl, Daryl (Newhart) --can't distinguish them but for guys who hardly spoke, they were the highlight of the show week in/week out. Rednecks in the NE. Who knew?

2)JD (Scrubs) --To me, the funniest show on tv now. JD is our hero. He has a ton of ups/downs but is so durn likeable. Strong cast to play off, and sometimes the straight man, sometimes the humor.

3)Woody Boyd (Cheers) --dimwitted but classic. Followed up the Coach, put in a position that should never have lasted or succeeded but was so much an opposite of every other character on the show, it worked.

4)The Lone Gunmen (X-Files) --can't seperate them either. The conspiracy loving guys provided just enough depth and humor to the X-files to make them popular. Great characters in small doses.

5)Kramer (Seinfield) --Probably should be in the top list, but I have a hard time picking a character from the show. Kramer was such an odd character. We all know someone like this, hairballed schemes, never seems to end up on the bad side of things, no matter how far out they go.

6)Cnl Tigh (BSG) -- a complex, completely flawed character. A great secondary character, who has shown he is not a leadership type. You can count on him to do...well exactly the wrong thing, but its not that he's trying to do wrong, its just he really is so flawed he can't see consequences.

7)Maxwell Smart (Get Smart) --Missed it by this much. Played with such grit and realness that you had to appreciate it. Always good for a laugh, and any character who can seem so dumb, yet playing what should be a smart character, well it deserves a place.

8)Barney (How I Met Your Mother) --this one I am not sure about. Not enough really to make the top list but its one that could be there in another year or so. He's the horrible friend that we all have/had that is most likely going to take the easy way out of things, get us into trouble, totally wreck something, yet we love them.

9)Dr. Perry Cox (Scrubs) --so good at being bad. Sometimes you think his heart is in the right place and you know its there, but has the tough doctor thing going so much that sometimes he doesn't show it. You never know if he's going to do the right thing, but when he tries, you know he'll do whatever to succeed.

10)Randy (My Name Is Earl) --another one thats not got enough of yet, but is showing potential. The child like innocence of a bad guy is played with just enough cluelessness but also enough heart that you totally like the character. I look forward to watching him in later episodes.

[Gotch]

Some i haven't seen that deserve mention. Don't shoot me if they are already listed. I just didn't see them.

Norm from cheers

Cliff from Cheers

Sam from Cheers

Lerch from Addams Family

Gomez from Addams Family

Morticia from Addams Family

Uncle Fester from Addams Family

Cousin It from Addams Family

Grandpa Munster

Otis from Andy Griffith

Matt Dillon from gunsmoke

Festus from Gunsmoke

Earl from My Name Is Earl

Coach from Cheers

Trapper John from MASH

Colonel Blake from MASH

Just a few that come to mind.

[SunTzu]

I'm going old school cause this is what I grew up with

James Garner "Jim Rockford" - Rockford Files
" " " Bret Maverick - Maverick
Bruce Willis "David Addison" - Moonlighting
Carrol O'Conner "Archie Bunker"
Redd Foxx "Fred G. Sanford period "
Christopher Lloyd "Reverand Jim" - Taxi
Richard Sanders "Les Nessman" - WKRP
Ken Curtis " Festus" - Gunsmoke
James Arness "Matt Dillon" - Gunsmoke
Sherman Hemsley "George Jefferson" - Jeffersons
Mash Cast
Robin Williams "Mork" - Mork & Mindy
Robert Conrad "Pappy Boyington" Baa Baa Black Sheep
Tim Conway "Mr. Tudball " - Carol Burnette Show
Peter Falk "Det. Columbo" - Columbo
Jimmie Walker "JJ" - Good Times
Are You Being Served (Entire Cast)
Max Baer "Jethro " - Beverly Hillbillies
Fess Parker " Daniel Boone "
Pat Buttram " Mr Haney " - Green Acres
Don Adams " Maxwell Smart " - Get Smart
Cameron Mitchell " Buck Cannon " High Chpparrel
Chuck Conners " Jason McCord " Branded
Chuck Conners "Lucas McCain " Thr Rifleman