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Top 8 Sitcom Characters

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Martin Payne
Cosmo Kramer
Homer Simpson
Fred Sanford
Eric Cartman
Dwight Schrute
Peg Bundy
Doug Heffernan
 
Cosmo Kramer
Gob Bluth
Ron Swanson
Andy Dwyer
Creed Bratton
Jake Peralta
Marshall Eriksen
Jared Dunn
 
Lucille Ricardo (Ball). She invented the genre.

Archie & Edith Bunker (throw the Meathead in there; screw Gloria).

George Jefferson.

Fred Sanford.

Barney Fife

Ralph Kramden, Alice Kramden, Ed Norton

The Fonz.

Sgt Bilko.

Mary Richards & Ted Baxter.

Hawkeye.

Yeah I'm seriously dating myself.
 
Lucille Ricardo (Ball). She invented the genre.

Archie & Edith Bunker (throw the Meathead in there; screw Gloria).

George Jefferson.

Fred Sanford.

Barney Fife

Ralph Kramden, Alice Kramden, Ed Norton

The Fonz.

Sgt Bilko.

Mary Richards & Ted Baxter.

Hawkeye.

Yeah I'm seriously dating myself.

How did I forget Barney!


 
In no particular order...

Eric Cartman
Red Foreman
Norm Peterson
George Constanza
Barney Stinson
Walter White
Al Swearengen
Tyrion Lannister
 
Limiting it to sitcoms I actually watched with some regularity (e.g., Lucille Ricardo/Ball belongs on a list like this, but I never watched "I Love Lucy"):

- Sheldon Cooper
- George Costanza
- Barney Stinson
- Lucille Bluth
- Carla Tortelli
- Chandler Bing
- Michael Scott
- Al Bundy
 
I try to separate writing from character design. Frasier was incredibly well-written and one of my favorite sitcoms of all-time, but Frasier Crane doesn't crack the top 20 of my list. I think Niles is a better character. Basically, these are icons that either became tropes because of their success, or are icons that writers wish they came up with because they were such good characters that would be successful regardless of writing.

I was born in 1987, so I'm leaving off shows I never watched. If you're old, you better have been on re-runs on Nick-at-Nite or TV Land. I'm sure Married With Children, All in the Family, and Golden Girls contend for spots here, but sorry--I can't judge them.

I'm also leaving off cartoons and sketch shows.

In no particular order...

Cosmo Kramer and George Costanza from Seinfeld
Steve Urkel from Family Matters
Lucille Ball from I Love Lucy
The Fonz from Happy Days
Norm from Cheers
Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec
Michael Scott from The Office (US)

Honorable mentions:
  • Dwight Schrute from The Office (US)
  • Moss from The IT Crowd
  • Gob Bluth from Arrested Development
  • Chandler Bing from Friends
  • Mr. Feeney from Boy Meets World
  • Tim Allen and Wilson from Home Improvement
  • Maxwell Smart from Get Smart
  • Uncle Jesse from Full House
  • Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy from 30 Rock
  • Samantha from Bewitched
  • Edmund Blackadder from Blackadder
  • Raymond Holt from Brooklyn Nine-Nine
  • Abed from Community
  • Dirk Gently from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
  • Todd Margaret from The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret
  • Mimi from The Drew Carey Show
  • Marie Barone from Everybody Loves Raymond
  • Red Foreman and Michael Kelso from That 70's Show
  • Frank Reynolds from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
  • Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie
  • Turk and The Janitor from Scrubs
 
cartoon sitcoms absolutely counts, so anyone mentioning Homer Simpson can not only use him, but he is absolutely on the list. Here’s the actual top 8.

Homer Simpson
Al Bundy
George Costanza
Norm Peterson
Roseanne Connors (I’m talking character, not the racist actress)
Cosmo Kramer (again, the character, not the racist)
Carlton Banks
Niles Crane

Unfortunately, since it was only 8, I had to leave 2 of the Golden Girls of the list. It you have to ask which 2, then you probably should stay out of this thread, lol.

Roseanne isn't racist, her humor was bad, but we live in a world of craziness where comedians cant be real comedians anymore.
 
Roseanne isn't racist, her humor was bad, but we live in a world of craziness where comedians cant be real comedians anymore.

Plenty of comedians say whatever they want and don't get in any trouble for it. Daniel Tosh, for example.
 

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