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Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 15, 2009 0:49:42 GMT -6
Okay, we're all creatures of television, right? And over the years, we've seen a bazillion shows with a bazillion-plex of characters. In all those years, WHO are your all-time favorite characters? And by "favorite," I mean most memorable, most lovable, most unforgettable, most thought-provoking; or whatever other type of superlative that you want it to mean.
Here's mine, in no particular order:
Thomas Sullivan Magnum
James Tiberius Kirk
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko
Mr. Spock
Maxwell Smart
Jimmy Rockford
Mike Hammer
Lennie Briscoe
Dr. Gregory House
Dr. Bob Hartley
Who's next?......Jake
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Post by Irish Stu on Oct 15, 2009 4:16:02 GMT -6
Sam "Mayday" Malone
Jack Bauer
Yosser Hughes - "Gizza a job. I can do that" (80's British drama The Boys from the Black Stuff)
Dr. Frasier Crane (in his Frasier days, not Cheers)
Doctor Who (Tom Baker incarnation)
Edmund Blackadder
Ray Doyle and William Bodie - 'Bodie and Doyle' (70's British detective series The Professionals)
Detective Inspector Jack Regan "Get your knickers on and make us a cup of tea" (70's British cop series The Sweeney)
Victor Meldrew "I don't believe it" (90's British comedy series)
Tucker (long running kids school based drama Grange Hill which began when I was at school and was finally cancelled last year)
Simon
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 15, 2009 9:06:38 GMT -6
My list in approximate chronological order
Rod Serling*
Johnny Quest
Gomez Adams
Spock
Kojak
Jim Phelps
James West
George Costanza
Abby Sciuto
Stewie Griffin
* Rod Serling, though technically not a character, I would argue was "in character" and set the tone for each episode of The Twilight Zone, and without his introduction, the entire series would have been diminished.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 15, 2009 9:44:16 GMT -6
My "Other" list, feel free to add
Julie Cooper Horvath
Danny Partridge
Kwai Chang Caine
Colonel Robert E.Hogan
Mike Brady
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Oct 15, 2009 14:25:13 GMT -6
In no particular order:
1. Mr. Ed
2. Thing ("Addams Family")
3. The Car from "My Mother The Car"
4. Robot from "Lost In Space"
5. Bullwinkle
6. Topo Gigio from Ed Sullivan
7. The Flying Nun
8. Daisy Duke (nice shorts)
9. Crazy Guggenheim from Jackie Gleason's variety show
10. Spot from "The Munsters"
(Edited to ch-ch-change my list as I recalled others)
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Post by innit Geezer on Oct 15, 2009 14:43:14 GMT -6
Many come to mind:
Lou Grant
Batman
Granny (Beverly Hillbillies)
Mr. Drysdale
99
The entire cast of "my Name is Earl"
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 15, 2009 18:12:31 GMT -6
Honorable Mentions go out to
Martin the Martian
Darren Stephens (the First)
Astronaut Major Tony Nelson
and of course... Gilligan
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 15, 2009 18:15:05 GMT -6
In no particular order: 1. Mr. Ed 2. Thing ("Addams Family") 3. The Car from "My Mother The Car" 4. Robot from "Lost In Space" 5. Bullwinkle 6. Topo Gigio from Ed Sullivan 7. The Flying Nun 8. Daisy Duke (nice shorts) 9. Crazy Guggenheim (Im sure he was modeled after an Uncle of mine)from Jackie Gleason's variety show 10. Spot from "The Munsters" (Edited to ch-ch-change my list as I recalled others) |
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Post by innit Geezer on Oct 15, 2009 20:32:52 GMT -6
Also, the cast of 30 Rock is doing quite well, particularly Tracey Morgan as Tracey Jordan and Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy.
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Post by Tex on Oct 15, 2009 20:40:54 GMT -6
In no particular order:
1) Mr. Green Jeans
2) Thurston Howell III
3) Miss Jane Hathaway
4) Hugh Downs
5) Colombo
6) Daniel Boone (Fess Parker and my mom go way back)
7) Spock
8) Maxwell Smart
9) Ben Cartwright
10) Dennis The Menace
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Post by Merlot Joe on Oct 15, 2009 23:03:15 GMT -6
Here is mine.
Jean Luc Picard
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko
Frazier Crane
Hawkeye Pierce
Sgt. Chip Saunders
Popeye( the cartoon)
President Josiah Bartlet
Niles Crane
Radar O'Reilly
Curly Howard
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Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 16, 2009 0:31:13 GMT -6
Wow, we're getting some really good ones here! I may have to revise my list, after having my memory jogged so much........Jake
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 16, 2009 6:08:40 GMT -6
Beebs "My Mother the Car reference made me thing of this
Top Ten TV Props that were almost Characters in and of Themselves
1. The Enterprise (Gene Roddenberry when the original series shut down said the real central character of the show wasnt any of the actors but the ship itself)
2. K.I.T.T. (Knight Rider)
3. Anything the Professor made on Gilligan's Island
4. The General Lee
5. Cylon's Red moving eye
6. Mission Impossible's Tape Recorder
7. George Jetson's flying, folds into a briefcase car
8. The Baywatch Beach
9. The South Fork Ranch
10. Dr Who's phone booth
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 16, 2009 7:22:37 GMT -6
In no particular order: 1. Mr. Ed 2. Thing ("Addams Family") I heard he shaved down there, with the help of Cousin It, until he got arthritis and It started sporting a mohawk.3. The Car from "My Mother The Car" 4. Robot from "Lost In Space" 5. Bullwinkle 6. Topo Gigio from Ed Sullivan 7. The Flying Nun 8. Daisy Duke (nice shorts) 9. Crazy Guggenheim from Jackie Gleason's variety show 10. Spot from "The Munsters" (Edited to ch-ch-change my list as I recalled others) |
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Post by Irish Stu on Oct 16, 2009 8:09:44 GMT -6
Beebs "My Mother the Car reference made me thing of this Top Ten TV Props that were almost Characters in and of Themselves 1. The Enterprise (Gene Roddenberry when the original series shut down said the real central character of the show wasnt any of the actors but the ship itself) 2. K.I.T.T. (Knight Rider) 3. Anything the Professor made on Gilligan's Island 4. The General Lee 5. Cylon's Red moving eye 6. Mission Impossible's Tape Recorder 7. George Jetson's flying, folds into a briefcase car 8. The Baywatch Beach9. The South Fork Ranch 10. Dr Who's phone booth 11. Pamela Anderson's red swimsuit. Simon |
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Post by Irish Stu on Oct 16, 2009 8:21:38 GMT -6
I've been there. The place is tiny!! The main part of the house is only one room deep... when they shot the Ewings gathered in the sitting room in the studio it would have taken up most of the downstairs of the actual house. Apparently that particular house (so they told us on the VERY short tour) was chosen because it was almost perfect and there wasn't an angle it couldn't be shot from. In the show Kristan Shepard fell off the balcony and drowned in the pool, but if she'd really fallen off the balcony she'd have landed on the concrete deck below... the pool is a good 10 feet or so away, and it's also tiny, about the size of a two car garage. When they shot scenes in the pool they would put the actors at one end, or in a corner, and shot low across the pool to give the impression that the pool was much, much bigger. We also discovered Elvis working there as a handyman. How none of the other 1000's of visitors who go there every year have managed not to spot him I really don't know. I have some pictures of the place (and one of Elvis). If I can find them I'll post some. Simon |
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Post by nolaflacav on Oct 16, 2009 8:28:57 GMT -6
Andy Sipowicz - Ipso this, you pissy little bitch
Cosmo Kramer - The Dewey Decimal System, what a scam that was. Boy that Dewey guy really cleaned up on that deal
Gus McCrae - Jake liked to joke. He didn't like to work. I have exactly those same failings myself.
Phil Esterhouse - Hey...let's be careful out there
Latka Gravas - Tenk you veddy much
Miss Betty - Romper, bomper, stomper boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me, do. Tell me, Magic Mirror, today have all my friends had fun at play?
Larry David - Uh... well, your honor, I believe it would be hard to remain impartial seeing as the defendant is a negro.
Artie - Dimitri, my man, you and I both clean up shit for a living. The only difference is my shit talks back.
J.R. Ewing - Don't forgive and never forget; Do unto others before they do unto you; and third and most importantly, keep your eye on your friends, because your enemies will take care of themselves!
Larry - Hi, I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl and this is my other brother Darryl
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Post by Tex on Oct 16, 2009 11:18:37 GMT -6
Beebs "My Mother the Car reference made me thing of this Top Ten TV Props that were almost Characters in and of Themselves 1. The Enterprise (Gene Roddenberry when the original series shut down said the real central character of the show wasnt any of the actors but the ship itself) 2. K.I.T.T. (Knight Rider) 3. Anything the Professor made on Gilligan's Island4. The General Lee 5. Cylon's Red moving eye 6. Mission Impossible's Tape Recorder 7. George Jetson's flying, folds into a briefcase car 8. The Baywatch Beach 9. The South Fork Ranch 10. Dr Who's phone booth You have to wonder why, if the professor could make a radio out of coconuts, why couldn't he fix the fucking boat? Then again, if I were fucking Mary Ann on a beautiful island, leave the boat be. |
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 16, 2009 11:34:59 GMT -6
Amen!
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Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 16, 2009 12:17:14 GMT -6
The Professor was my primary inspiration for studying engineering. He was awesome........Jake
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Oct 16, 2009 20:04:15 GMT -6
The Professor was my primary inspiration for studying engineering. He was awesome........Jake I found Ginger inspiring for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with engineering......Not Jake |
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Post by Merlot Joe on Oct 18, 2009 1:14:58 GMT -6
Top Ten TV Props that were almost Characters in and of Themselves.
The Emergency Room on ER
The front steps to the court house on Law and Order
The Ford Torino in Starsky and Hutch
The OR on Mash
The Enterprise D
Maxwell Smart's Phone Shoe
Batman's Utiliy Belt
The Deep Space Nine Space Station
The Rifle of the Rifleman
The Ponderosa on Bonanza.
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Post by IE on Oct 20, 2009 21:53:10 GMT -6
Isn't it weird how the Seinfeld cast worked so magically together, but since then, none have really made it. Kind of like the planets had aligned for that show, and the sum is much greater than the equal of its' parts. Or else they all hit their high point already.
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Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 21, 2009 0:26:30 GMT -6
Isn't it weird how the Seinfeld cast worked so magically together, but since then, none have really made it. Kind of like the planets had aligned for that show, and the sum is much greater than the equal of its' parts. Or else they all hit their high point already. I've wondered about that myself. When the Beatles split up, they all went on to successful solo careers. Clearly, they were all talented and full of capability on their own. But when the "Seinfelds" split up, they didn't. I guess you have to attribute the success of the show to the writers, producers, directors, or other. Or maybe to Jerry, who really hasn't failed (by not really trying anything) at any post-Seinfeld endeavors. It could be that he was the real brains that held things together, and he's done trying to prove anything. An alternate theory is that Larry David was really the driver behind the show. But I've never seen his show, so I can't really judge that theory. |
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