Who is your favorite television character of all-time?

Dr. Zachary Smith, of course!

DL fave Roxanne Melman!

Who among us hasn't carried the torch for a man who'd have nothing to do with us?

Tiffany Welles

Bernice Clifton

Aunt Esther

Dorothy Zbornak

Mrs. Stanley Walker

Eric Cartman

Mr. Haney

Why, OP? So you can pitch a piss poor, badly thought out remake that ruins the whole thing?

Fuck you all!

Betty Draper

R11 here. I Wanted to say Ethel Mertz

Basil Fawlty

He taught me to use my powers as a gayling

Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham

Mildred Helper, 146 Bonnie Meadow Road

Daria Morgendorfer

Phoebe Buffay. I pretty much watched Friends only because of Pheebs. I love Stewie Griffin too.

The bulges of Dukes of Hazzard

Peter Beater

Ronnie The Rimmer

Officer Claire Howell from OZ -- a dumpy frau prison guard who demands sex from all of the hot cagemeat. Bbest female character ever!

Lucy wanted to say Ethel Mertz, but Gary talked her out of it. My fave is Sarah from Upstairs, Downstairs. Sarah and Thomas were the only characters who could match Lady Marjorie's gimlet stare.

I think there needs to be a distinction between comedy and drama. As for comedy, and male probably, probably George Costanza from Seinfeld.

Drama, and female, probably Betty Hoffstad Draper Francis from Mad Men

I will get back to you on female/comedy and male/drama.

Alan Shore (Boston Legal) is my role model as an attorney. Julia and Suzanne Sugarbaker are my favorite characters to watch.

Lucan

Three immediately came immediately to mind - Archie Bunker, Mary Richards and Jaime Sommers.

Emma Peel

Schmidt on New Girl. A perfect clown for his generation.

Marguerite

Niles Crane. And I love Jim Rockford.

Jerri Blank

Teensy & Weensy

Kath’s daughter Kimberly Craig.

Sometimes I come across the Honeymooners & Ed Norton still makes me laugh out loud lol

Mickey Milkovich on US Shameless. 'Fuck you, fuck you, and *especially* fuck you!'

Mr and Mrs Douglas, Arnold Ziffel, Mr Haney. Green Acres is my favorite classic TV show. Before my time but funny as shit.

Marion Lorne as Aunt Clara on Bewitched.

Opie Taylor

Dwight K Schrute

Homer Sunpson

*Simpson

Gladys Kravitz is my spirit animal.

R44 I have no doubt you’re right

Thelma Harper

My mother on "Soap."

Comedy: Sue Ann Nivens from "The MTM Show," Phyllis Stevens from "Bewitched"

Drama: Olenna Tyrell {"The Queen of Thorns") from "Game of Thrones"

What can i say? I love funny bitches.

Counselor Troi.

Blair Warner

r38 Don't fergit Eb!

[quote] This Twitter account appeals to sports fans of a certain age

And that age is 78.

The Slappin' Ann Romano

Frank Pembleton, Homicide: Life on the Street

OP asked if there any recent characters of note. Most of the mentions are from the last century. I don't think the last century is recent in the terms of this subject.

Patrizia on Gomorrah and Omar Little on The Wire. Elaine from Seinfeld. Dennis Duffy and Alec Baldwin's characters on 30 Rock.

Brett Somers and Samantha Stephens.

Endora.

That was an after thought, R55, the main question is in the thread title but it's interesting to see how DL's answers fit the same timeline.

I remember feeling sick at the thought knowing Season 8 would kill her.

Great contribution, R55

Fiona Goode

Rose Tyler from “Doctor Who”

Brenda Chenowith from 6 Feet Under. I thought I would like her less after she became a sex addict, but I actually liked her even more!

Patsy Stone

This gal.

It's a toss up between Alice Cooper from Mad Men or Ned the Pie Maker from Pushing Daisies.

But it's hard not to like a cold eyed WASPy lesbian who wears a two headed fox scarf to a board meeting.

😍 Robby Douglas 😍

Thank you, Robby, for lighting the fire within that little Gayling which still burns bright now and forever 🔥

Stiles Stilinski, smart, funny, and breedable.

r68 Cont...

I'm sorry I occasionally cheated on you with Wally Cleaver 😍... What can I say, it was the 60s, I was 7, crazy times

Gomorra - Imma Savastino

Subiera - Spadino Anacleti

Six Feet Under - Margaret Chenowith

Mad Men - Peggy Olson

Bewitched - all of Samantha's relatives, and that Kravitz woman

The Wire - Omar Little

La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) - Nairobi

The Sopranos - Livia Soprano

Susie Green, on Curb Your Enthusiasm

Niles from Frasier George from Seinfeld, Vera from Alice, Spock from Star Trek, Leela from Futurama, Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants, Penny from Big Bang Theory, Dorothy from the Golden Girls, and Wilona from Good Times. Jackie from Roseanne, Linda from Bob's Burgers. I could go on. Dr. Gregory House from House, and Adrian Monk from Monk.

Mary Tyler Moore, of course!

MARY!

Artie Bucco from the Sopranos. He’s hilarious, tragic, and yet somehow strangely sexy. It’s a great performance.

Lieutenant Columbo. Cartman. Bugs Bunny.

Iola Boylan

And because I’m greedy, I’ll also add Rosalie Aprile from The Sopranos. It’s such a natural performance from Sharon Angela, at times tragic but generally hilarious.

It's a difficult choice, but I'll say Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson), closely followed by Dougal from "Father Ted."

r78 wins the thread. I loved Rosalie Aprile, and that was one of the best scenes throughout the series.

Dee from What's Happening!!

Olive Snook

Mrs. Olivia “Mother” Jefferson, Lady Marjorie Bellamy, Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, Harriet Oleson….

Willona Woods

Valerie Cherish

Good one r81, Dee was the best!!!

Yetta Rosenberg

The Church Lady…isn’t that special!

Elaine and George from Seinfeld

Emily Gilmore

Peggy Bundy

Diane from Cheers. She'd have been a pain to know but she was a really unusual main character.

Onslow from Keeping Up Appearances

Alf from ALF

R90, that host talks too much. Emily barely got a word in.

No Lenny Briscoe? Jack McCoy? Perry Mason?

I love Onslow, r93, because he was such an oaf.

Bone idle, that one.

Not Tootie Ramsay. She went off the rails to go to a fuckin Jermaine Jackson concert once.

Mr. French

It’s very specific and a trio. Mary, Rhoda and Phyllis from the first 3 seasons of MTM. Their scenes together inspired the writers and actors to work at an entirely different level than the rest of the show, or any other show. Watching them today is as satisfying as I’m sure it was 50 years ago.

R24- Rachel Gurney WAS Lady Marjorie. She played the character so wasn't acting but to me she WAS the character of Lady Marjorie.

There can be only one, darling.

I was a little kid when she died & cried when I hears it because I thought she really was Aunt Clara.

Oops

Grandpa Munster

OP, get some help, dear. If you have that extensive a list, one can only imagine how many guys you've had.

It is interesting that OP's link has almost entirely men as their favorite, but DL has mostly women.

So many but of recent times I do love Moira.

Zach on Saved By The Bell

I love “Blackadder” but my favorite characters are Baldrick and Mrs. Miggins.

Jennifer Barkley

Both Archie and Edith Bunker.

I think it was funny to see Gloria and Archie interact. She always got her way.

Not Sabrina Duncan!

Robert Conrad in the Wild, Wild West... 😛

R30 Schmidt from “New Girl” had more charms than mere humor.

Randolph Mantooth, in a show called [Emergency], in the 1970's. Lol, I was in love with him, I was 15 yrs old and thought he was gorgeous!

Quincy, M.E.

Manttoth?? What a strange name!

What if his name was Asstooth?

^ I'd be afraid he'd bite me in the butt 😬

David Vincent (Roy Thinnes) from the TV show - The Invaders. I was a very young gayling and I just swooned over him at the time.

Forever and always...MTM

Kalinda Sharma from The Good Wife. One of the most unique and fascinating characters of all time IMO. You never really understood what motivated her, which was part of the mystery. And always in her badass boots, kicking ass, taking names, and winning the case!

That is, until Julianna Marguiles sidelined her because she was too popular on the show.

How can a woman be named Archie? LMAO!

Lucy Ricardo

Fred Sanford

James West

Excuse me!

Delta Burke

Mother Jefferson

Has anyone mentioned Gilligan? How about Alexis Carrington?

Lance Cumson

I adored Sam Sullivan, played by Bret Harrison, in The Loop.

A three way tie: Eddie Haskell from "Leave It To Beaver", Uncle Arthur from "Bewitched" and the title character from "Mr. Bean".

Vicky from Small Wonder

Larry David/George Costanza

Mr. Spock and, yes, Captain Kirk.

Stephanie Forrester (B&B)

Maude Findlay

Lt U’Hura

Dr Gregory House

Chuck Cunningham on Happy Days!

R137-I prefer Captain Crunch

Endora

Shirley

[quote]Who is your favorite television character of all-time?

I don't understand the question, and I will not respond to it.

^ Have you set your boundaries yet?

[quote] Have you set your boundaries yet?

^ Oh, that's different

Valerie Cherish. Hands down.

Jan Brady. We've all been Jan, at some point in our lives. She's the most complex and most relatable of all the Bradys.

I know many found Maude and All In The Family abrasive, but Maude Findlay and Archie and Edith were such well defined characters. They'd have to be among my favorites for sure.

R19- The Golden Palace was better than Friends

Edith Bunker

I love you all.

Elaine Benes

The Log Lady

Tom Corbett (Bill Bixby), from The Courtship of Eddie's Father

Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams), Laverne and Shirley

Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), Cheers

Harriet Oleson (Katherine MacGregor), Little House on the Prairie

Nellie Oleson (Alison Arngrim), Little House on the Prairie

Dwayne Schneider (Pat Harrington, Jr.), One Day at a Time

J.R. Ewing and Dr. Johnny Fever.

R156 Can't name ONE, huh? Annoying.

Joey on My Two Dads

Frasier Crane, MD, PhD

I love that based on WWs , DLs favorite television characters of all time are Eric Cartman, Dr.Smith, Willona Woods, and Dee from Whats Happening. DLers are my people!!!!

The Fresh princess of Compton

Kiss my grits, bitches! What about ME?

These days it's Stewie Gilligan Griffin.

I’m new to the Sopranos, 20 episodes left, & so many of the characters are despicable! But like the above posters said, I love Artie (sexy mensch) & Rosalie, who sounds so dumb when she talks, like a female Rocky Balboa (yo, Cahmelluh!) The actress cracks me up because she resembles Cecile Strong from SNL & even talks like Cecile’s crazy lady character Kathy Ann.

My favorite character would have to be Jessica Tate from Soap. I loved her to death & cried when the show ended (I was around 10 or 11). I used to get to stay up late to watch it, & worried about the Parental Discretion disclaimer, & actually asked my dad if our neighbor cop found out, if we’d be in trouble. He wasn’t amused.

R1 here. I'd like to thank the Datalounge academy for... OUCH!!

Inspector Morse (John Thaw version). Roger the Alien from American Dad.

R96, what makes Onslow such a great character is that eventually you realize that he is the only sane character in the show, and the only likable one. He's comfortable with who he is and he just wants to be left alone to enjoy life. He's the only one who's not grasping, phony, needy, or cowed. I've come to think that this is a subtle political statement of sorts: Pro-working class and pro-loafer; anti-middle class and upper-class and all who aspire to them.

Lilith from Cheers and Frasier.

I forgot about Nellie and Mama Olson from Little House. They are 2nd and 3rd after Lilith.

Chassie Tucker

With Heather Lawless as Ruth and Ana Fabrega as Esther a VERY close second.

Tiffany Welles from Charlie’s Angels

Mrs Steve

Big Aggie & Zora from Charlie’s Angels

Harriet Oleson is one of faves.

The Queen from "the Crown."

More complex than [italic]any[/italic] other character on this list.

The Queen in The Crown is the most dishonest portrayal on TV of a character based on an actual person.

Mama June

Marie Barone (Doris Roberts)

Miss Lindzey, daily on Fox News.

^^^^

Looking really butch at R182 Miz Lindz!

Dan Abrams ❤️

No one from 3rd Rock From The Sun

Ally McBeal, early on. I didn't watch the last seasons.

@r183, "Looking really butch at [R182] Miz Lindz! "

He looks shit-face drunk

Buster Bluth

Obv the Golden Girls. They are the only thing that matters to us geezer DLers.

Which queen from "The Crown" (young or middle aged)?

Mr Humphries. "I'm free Captain Peacock !!!"

Ed Norton (Art Carney)

I’m gonna say Tiffany Welles again because I’m feeling bitchy

Melissa Agretti Cumson Gioberti

Aunt Angela

Mother Mary Angelica

Dr. Miguelito Loveless

Jessica Fletcher!

Katy Winters

Bob Newhart

^^ playing "Bob"

R201 You mean Bob Hartley, I assume - his show with Suzanne Pleshette.

Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Too soon?

Herman Munster

Mary Hartman.

Mary Hartman.

R201 Or the other Newhart show where he also played "Bob"

Sargent Schultz

Col. Hogan

Col. Klink

^Sergeant Schultz

Miranda Hobbes, during Sex and the City. The way the character written and acted in And Just Like That destroys any memory of her in the original show.

Debralee Scott

I said Valerie Cherish- by a mile-

But I have to say a few others-

Nellie Olsen- Just great.

Butters from South Park- I LOVE HIM!

Sheila on Y&R

Uncle Junior- The Sopranos

Tina Lord Roberts on One Life To Live- circa 85-89

Carmella Soprano

and finally Margaret Chenowith on SFU.

Vicki on The Love Boat, Vicki on Three's a Crowd, Vicki on Small Wonder, and Vicki on Falcon Crest.

James Garner was gay

[quote] Has anyone mentioned Gilligan? How about Alexis Carrington?

Gilligan is top of the list of “TV character you’d most like to kill.”

Shit, now all of Datalounge (and the hacker community) knows that the answer to one of my security questions is Dorothy Zbornak!

R211 Tough time following OP's query of naming a character, not characters? Loser.

Vivian of course.

Dwight Schrute

George Peppard as Hannibal on The A-Team

Saaandra

Kath Day-Knight

Rhoda

Joan Holloway and Alan Shore

Jill Foster Abbott, of course.

President Josiah Bartlet

Michael Learned

Phyllis "Mother Stevens" Stevens.

A memorable portrait of passive-aggresive rage.

Florida Evans

Number One Super Guy!

J.R. Ewing

R213, No, he wasn't.

Buffy Summers

Over 200 replies and no love for Rosario? Honestly, I never liked Will and Grace much (not the show, not the characters). But Rosario always cracked me up.

Nicole Kidman played Samantha in the film version of Bewitched. It was then I realized that Elizabeth Montgomery played her better and was likely a better actress. So it's Samantha as my favorite.

R234 That was a strange confusing film, and I don't think/know if Nicole's character was really supposed to be our Samantha, or another totally unrelated witch character who was hired to play Samantha on tv.

Like "Being The Ricardos," I don't blame Nicole for the problems with the film. The problems go deeper to the writing and directing.

r234 & r235, I didn't see the Bewitched movie with Nicole Kidman. Given that she can't move her Botoxed face, how did they address the nose twitching?

Everyone in Downton Abby. I'm re-watching it now, most likely for the third or fourth time. It's such a great show! The writing is perfection so is the casting. I can't wait for the new movie. Although I enjoy the Guilded Age, it pales in comparison to Downton.

R236 it is a confusing film. Nicole plays a person hired to star in Bewitched, who turns out to really be a witch. She did twitch her nose though.

Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell are both fine, even charming in Bewitched and Nic looks fab as Samantha, with Shirley MacLaine as Endora.

BUT, Nora Ephron made a mess of that film. Her confusing script and direction are full on disastrous. And she never stopped whining about it until the day she died.

Quincy, M.E.

Victor Sifuentes

Sabrina Duncan and Jill Munroe

Ja'Net DuBois (Wilona)

Daffy Duck

The baby Yoda.

Jennifer Marlowe

Thelma Harper

Maynard G. Krebbs

Mannix

Gomez Adams

Pee Wee Herman

Tattoo on Fantasy Island

Aunt Esther. We have the same personality

Zelda Gilroy

I wanted to be Will Robinson!

Lola Heatherton.

Ranger Gord on “Red Green”