And now for something completely different. Here’s my all-time favorite sitcom characters, respond with yours:
- Ralph Kramden (Honeymooners)
- Archie Bunker (All in the Family)
- Fred Sanford (Sanford & Son)
- Barney Fife (Andy of Mayberry)
- Ed Norton (Honeymooners)
- Lucy Ricardo (The Lucy Show)
- Louie DePalma (Taxi)
- Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld)
- Hank Kingsley (Larry Sanders Show)
- Herman Munster (The Munsters)
- Gilligan (Gilligan’s Island)
- Maxwell Smart (Get Smart)
- George Costanza (Seinfeld)
- Edith Bunker (All in the Family)
- Cliff Huxtable (Cosby Show)
- Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
- Granny Clampett (Beverly Hillbillies)
- Jethro Bodine (Beverly Hillbillies)
- Latka Gravas (Taxi)
- Newman (Seinfeld)
- Quinton McHale (McHale’s Navy)
- Dick Louden (Newhart)
- Eddie Haskell (Leave it to Beaver)
- Fonzie (Happy Days)
- Beavis (Beavis and Butthead)
- Al Bundy (Married with Children)
- Jack McFarland (Will and Grace)
- Ted Baxter (Mary Tyler Moore)
- Rob Petrie (The Dick Van Dyke Show)
- Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore)
- Carla Tortelli (Cheers)
- Norm Peterson (Cheers)
- Cliff Clavin (Cheers)
- Felix Unger (The Odd Couple)
- Oscar Madison (The Odd Couple)
- Radar O’Reilly (M*A*S*H)
This is a good list. A few I’d add:
Larry David and Leon Black from Curb Your Enthusiasm
Ray from Everybody Loves Raymond
Will Arnett, David Cross, Jeffrey Tamboor from Arrested Development
Garry Shandling From the Larry Sanders show.
I’m sure I’ll think of more
Thinking of Jeffrey Tambor, can you list other actors who have created more than 1 memorable charactor? I would submit Tambor for 3, including on Hill Street Blues, not a comedy per se. But his character wad comedic for sure. Bom Nrwhart and Bill Cosby don’t count. They played the same characters, just in different shows.
Doris Roberts played Mrs. Costanza and Raymonds mom on Everybody Loves Raymond.
Estelle Harris played George’s mother. Although it’s easy to confuse them.
For people who had multiple memorable characters – Mary Tyler Moore – Her show and the Dick Van Dyke show
Anybody from Hogan’s Heroes. What about Barney Miller?