10 Greatest TV Comedy Characters Of All Time

[Mark Trail]

Article here.

I guess "all time" began around 1988 and there was nothing but a great void prior thereto.

So...since the writer/editors clearly don't understand the concept of the article, who here would like to name some of the actual all time greats?

I'll start with three:
archie-bunker-all-in-the-fmaily.jpg

[AndrewCrossett]

I wouldn't even subject myself to the frustration of trying to narrow it down to 10. I mean... Archie Bunker, Gob Bluth, Fish, Edmund Blackadder, Rob Petrie, Frasier Crane, Ed Norton, Lucy Ricardo, Hawkeye Pierce, Dan Fielding, Felix Unger, Kramer, Homer Simpson, Rev. Jim, Johnny Fever, Dorothy from Golden Girls, Ted Baxter, Fonzie... I could go on all day.

[krazijoe]

Leslie Nielsen as Detective Frank Drebin

[JBatmanFan05]

10 personal greatests I can think of:
Chris Peterson (Get A Life)
Jerri Blank (Strangers With Candy...though really all 3 main characters)
George Constanza (Seinfeld...but really the whole main cast perhaps)
Gomez Addams (The Addams Family)
Gomer Pyle (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.)
Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
Archie Bunker (All in the Family)
Eric Cartman (South Park)
Al Bundy (Married With Children)
Carlton Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIq8WQM34jk

[Dr. Skeleton]

Archie Bunker
Louie DePalma
The Fonz
Herman Munster
Grandpa Munster
Mork From Ork
Felix Unger
Oscar Madison
Lucy Ricardo
Ralph Cramden

[CaptCleghorn]

Archie Bunker (All in the Family)
Al Bundy (Married With Children)

And I will add Red Forman (That 70's Show) to this shortened list as well.

These are the dads. And yes, the seeming stereotyping and one dimensional nature is strong in these characters. BUT each has their moments and strong good points. All three characters had the opportunity to be the one who was right and who needed to be listened to and followed at times. That's why I love these characters. You get their psyches quickly but you also see where those psyches are part of the comedy and where they also work.

[Mark Trail]

10 personal greatests I can think of:

Gomer Pyle (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.)

Gomer reminds me: Any list of the greatest TV comedy characters of all time that doesn't include Barney Fife should probably go back to the editor for another pass.

[caj]

I couldn't begin to narrow it down to 10. However...

...I will add these to all the great responses above:

Samantha Stevens from Bewitched
Fred Sanford from Sanford and Son
Jack Tripper from Three's Company

[wleakr]

I wouldn't even subject myself to the frustration of trying to narrow it down to 10. I mean... Archie Bunker, Gob Bluth, Fish, Edmund Blackadder, Rob Petrie, Frasier Crane, Ed Norton, Lucy Ricardo, Hawkeye Pierce, Dan Fielding, Felix Unger, Kramer, Homer Simpson, Rev. Jim, Johnny Fever, Dorothy from Golden Girls, Ted Baxter, Fonzie... I could go on all day.

I don’t know. The Dorothy character usually played straight to all the other characters. She was funny, but the other ladies, especially her mom, seemed funnier to me.

The Fonz as a top comedy character? I mean, he did do some things that were funny, but I’ve never looked at his character as truly comedic.

[AndrewCrossett]

I don’t know. The Dorothy character usually played straight to all the other characters. She was funny, but the other ladies, especially her mom, seemed funnier to me.

The Fonz as a top comedy character? I mean, he did do some things that were funny, but I’ve never looked at his character as truly comedic.

Straight men (and women) are comedians too. Sometimes they contribute more to the funny than the wacky characters do.

[MajorHoy]

Murphy Brown?

What about any of the characters from M*A*S*H?

[Scott Taylor]

Hard to judge because there are so many. Here goes:

Herman Munster (The Munsters)
Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)
Barney Fife (Andy Griffith Show)
Balki Bartokomous (Perfect Strangers)
Edith Bunker (All in the Family)
Bea Arthur (Maude)
Florence Johnson (The Jeffersons)
Larry (Newhart)
April Ludgate (Parks and Recreation)
Cliff Clavin (Cheers)

Honorable mention to Miguel from Fawlty Towers.

Thing about MASH is that, even though it is funny, it had this thing happen where all the funny stuff was in the beginning and not so much towards the middle and end. And the humor throughout the show was a bit repetitive. But once the humor surrounding philandering and other topics that were becoming more controversial in society were off the table, MASH had also changed into a much more serious show. So I guess its not a humor show, to me.

[Godzilla2099]

The Three Stooges (Shocked they weren't mentioned. By far the greatest comedy act in my books. The Stooges are timeless)

Lucille Ball

Laurel and Hardy

Fred Sanford

[caj]

Straight men (and women) are comedians too. Sometimes they contribute more to the funny than the wacky characters do.

Agree completely. Plus, Dorothy's sarcasm was just as hilarious as her glares.

[MajorHoy]

The Three Stooges (Shocked they weren't mentioned. By far the greatest comedy act in my books. The Stooges are timeless)

Lucille Ball

Laurel and Hardy

Fred Sanford

But with both the Three Stooges and Laurel & Hardy, were they really "TV characters"? Weren't they more short film theater movie releases that later were shown on TV, as opposed to characters on shows created for TV?