The Best TV Characters of All Time

TV and film are two mediums always in flux. From the sitcom heyday of the 90s to today’s “Netflix and Chill” culture, here are our favorite characters in TV history.   

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BART SIMPSON

“Don’t have a cow, man!” Bart Simpson made skateboarding, sneakers and spikey hair cool, and when Bart T-shirts were once banned in school , getting away with wearing one just made you that much cooler. Bart was the kid who talked back to his parents, pranked his friends, took crazy dares and somehow always got away with everything.

But the 10-year-old was also wise beyond his years, teaching us important life lessons as a kid – like what not to do, and how best to fess up when you get caught. Ay Caramba! – Tim Chan

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WILL SMITH

Long before Will Smith was an A-list movie star, “Will Smith” was just a kid in West Philadelphia (born and raised) who became an unlikely teenage protagonist in his uncle’s tony enclave of Bel-Air. Will was a smart-ass, sure, but he was also independent, alert and sharp.

The “Fresh Prince” was woke before “being woke” was a thing. Along the way, he taught us a lot about what it takes to become a real man, and to stand up for what you want — and what you believe in. (Also: his bold 90s prints and colorful outfits are still a constant source of inspiration). -TC

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GEORGE COSTANZA

Neurotic, petty and selfish, Seinfeld’s George Costanza (Jason Alexander) was one of the most beloved TV characters of the 90s. He was avoided by his parents and barely liked by his friends, who described him as being a “brain-damaged, short, stocky, slow-witted, ugly, old, bald man.”

Whether he was plotting to trick Jerry’s kosher girlfriend into eating lobster as revenge for walking in on his “shrinkage,” or quietly celebrating the poisoning death of his fiance (caused by his insistence on using cheap envelopes for their wedding invitations), George’s depravity knew no bounds. – Matt Kolas

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SHELLY JOHNSON

The cast of Twin Peaks never lacked beautiful female leads, but while Audrey Horne may have been the sexiest and slain Laura Palmer possessed that kind of girl-next-door-gone-bad appeal, my favorite TP character was always the understated high school dropout, Shelly Johnson (played by Mädchen Amick).

Whether she was on-duty serving Agent Cooper some damn good coffee and a slice of cherry pie at the Double R Diner, or sneaking off to make out with Bobby Briggs while he ditched first period, Shelly was always the most intriguing female character on the show.

She was a modest sweetheart with an inner sadness and a killer off-duty wardrobe. While her blue work uniform and scarlet lips always looked lovely, who can forget the stunning sheer blouse and denim mini skirt combo she wore when she shared a kiss deputy Gordon Cole (David Lynch)? – Mia Maguire

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ROSEANNE AND DAN CONNOR

Overweight and blue collar, Roseanne and Dan Connor (Roseanne Barr, John Goodman) were the polar opposite of typical TV parents when Roseanne premiered in 1988. But the “domestic goddess” and her hardworking husband were exactly what America needed during the decade that marked the death of the country’s manufacturing base and the slide from working class to working poor.

Despite their struggles, which included the loss of a business, their daughter’s elopement and confronting domestic violence–all while coming to terms with their own dysfunctional upbringings–the Connors never lost their sense of humor or hope for a better tomorrow.

The series is getting a mid-season reprisal in 2018, with the entire original cast returning to ABC. -MK

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MICHELLE TANNER

Could you ever have predicted that the twins who shared the role of a brash-talking baby would go on to become two of the most respected fashion designers in America?

While Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are more demure and guarded these days, who can forget them as the sassy and outgoing Michelle Tanner from Full House?

You tuned in for the catchphrases (“You got it dude!”); you stayed through all eight seasons to watch Michelle grow up.

Even though the character is not appearing in the Fuller House spin-off, her presence is still felt.

Just look at how many petitions went around calling for the twins to make an appearance.

Sadly, the Olsens say they have moved on from the show. As Stephanie Tanner would say, “How rude!?” -TC

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ARCHIE BUNKER AND GEORGE JEFFERSON

Before they moved on up to the East Side, George and Louise were the nextdoor neighbors of Archie and Edith Bunker on Norman Lear’s, All in the Family. The cantankerous, African American George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) made the perfect foil for bigoted, misanthropic Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), to the frustration of each man’s much more neighborly wife and children.

Lear recently told Variety that he had declined an invitation to the Kennedy Center Honors pre-ceremony reception at the White House, citing Trump’s call to cut funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. -MK

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FRAN FINE

After getting dumped and fired, “fashion queen” Fran Fine resorts to selling cosmetics door-to-door in Manhattan in the 90s series The Nanny. She winds up at the doorstep of Maxwell Sheffield, an affluent Broadway producer and widow with three children. She gets mistaken as a prospective nanny candidate for the household, and ends up nailing the job regardless.

Fran’s flagrant fashions stand out sharply against the typical suit and school uniform-clad Sheffields—giving the house a newfound energy and the sardonic butler, Niles a new target.

The Bronx-native brings as much sass and flair to the lackluster household, and even fills in as a mother figure to the three kids, giving the show some seriously tear-worthy moments. -MM

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STEWART GILLIGAN GRIFFIN

Our favorite cartoon toddler, Family Guy’s Stewie Griffin (Seth MacFarlane) brought a sardonic sense of humor — and a serious Oedipus complex — to our small screens every Sunday.

Whether he was time travelling with his canine best friend Brian (also MacFarlane) or hashing out plans for world domination, Stewie was always good for a laugh. -MK

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JOHN JAMES ‘MR. BIG’ PRESTON

If you’re a Sex And The City fan, you probably fall under one of two categories: Team Big or Team Aidan. Even if Carrie Bradshaw wasn’t your favorite friend out of chic quartet of 30-somethings, you probably molded some sort of opinion about her love interests. Sure, Aidan was 100% husband-material, but Mr. Big just got her.

Not only was he tall, dark, and handsome, but he was also incredible witty, charismatic, and above all else, emotionally unavailable. Most of us have dealt with a Mr. Big in our lives, and it usually doesn’t lead to a happy ending. But somehow, like Charlotte, I found myself always secretly rooting for him. Even though he left her heartbroken countless times—and even left her at the altar—the show’s series finale rewarded Big supporters with the fairytale ending we’d been waiting for since 1998. -MM 

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BRANDON WALSH

Growing up as a child of the 90s, Wednesday nights meant settling in with some popcorn and watching Beverly Hills 90210. Long before the CW remake introduced us to The Wilsons, the original 90210 had The Walshs.

Brandon Walsh was like my TV hero, at once virtuous and smart, yet still somehow part of the cool crowd. Always there to lend a shoulder to cry on and to be a voice of reason (Brandon’s brief interracial romance and his staunch defense of his black friends have never been more relevant) Brandon proved that nice guys don’t always finish last. – TC

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MAMA & EUNICE

Few comedy pairings can touch Vicki Lawrence and Carol Burnett as the dysfunctional mother/daughter duo of Thelma “Mama” Harper (Lawrence) and Eunice Higgins (Burnett).

First portrayed on The Family sketch on The Carol Burnett Show (CBS 1967-78), the characters were later adapted for the NBC series, Mama’s Family, which ran on the network for two seasons before moving to syndication.

After dropping the Homeless Mama video to lampoon internet fame in 2011, Lawrence made her final appearance as Mama on The Queen Latifah Show in 2014. For her part, Burnett will return to the spotlight in the upcoming Netflix series, A Little Help with Carol Burnett. -MK

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COSMO KRAMER

Elaine famously called him a “hipster doofus,” but Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards), was probably the original hipster, and he definitely endures as one of the most distinctive characters of all time.

Indeed, he curiously lived a pretty comfortable life, without ever having a steady job. Sure, there was the coffee table book, the make your pizza shop, and the ocean-scented cologne, and his stint as a Calvin Klein underwear model, but aside from his creative business ideas and impromptu gigs, he never had an actual salary.

Thankfully, he was always able to make use of Jerry’s well-stocked fridge, which may have saved him a dime or two. Hip, brutally honest, and always up for a bound-to-fail adventure, Michael Richard’s genius performance of Jerry’s eccentric neighbor remains one of the best showcases of physical comedy in sitcom history. – MK

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