Top 10 TV Characters of All Time!

With us now spending an average of 1,460 hours every year watching TV, it comes as no surprise that we emotionally invest in our favourite shows on quite a grand scale. From having a favourite character who you can relate to on any number of levels, to the fandom OTP that the hardcore fans ship all day long, people are buying ever more seriously into digital entertainment brands. With this in mind, I had a good old deliberation on which my ten favourite dramatis personae would be, and it was surprisingly easy, considering the depth and breadth of my TV tastes, but I can imagine it taking some a lot, lot longer…

10. (Oliver) Proudlock – Made in Chelsea –In a show with a cast fleshed out with socialite prima donnas and more dramatic long pauses and cold stares than is ever comfortable, you would think it isn’t all too hard to pick out a favourite character amongst the meagre offerings. Oh, how wrong you would be though. The show delivers some of the more compelling viewing on Monday night British television, and is a stellar “guilty pleasure” show for many people.

Whether you like the characters for their high-flying lifestyle and inability to not brag about it, or their brazen attempts at causing calamity and chaos in one another’s lives, it is easy to fall in love with some of the cast. The obvious choices here being McVitie’s heir Jamie Laing or Socialite and wannabe fashion guru Lucy Watson. But, for me, the out-and-out winner has to be Proudlock. In a sea of positively splendorous craziness, he is a rock of relative normality and serenity. He is like the meditative yogi to Jamie’s self-destructive rock star. He is the cool, hip, good-looking – but most of all – calm and sensible friend that everyone needs.

When one of the Lost Boys are up to something shady or potentially disastrous, he does everything a good mate should; counsels them, lets them do whatever it is they choose to do, then laugh at the outcome. Quality character, and the best part is no acting is really required; it’s “reality” TV after all…

9. Roxanne Harris – Whitney –Whitney was a bit of an under-the-radar hit, receiving mixed reviews throughout the two seasons it aired, but overall had some classic American SitCom moments, and including the hilarious and glamorous Whitney Cummings in the cast, it provided great comedy indulgence. Admittedly, the cast were entirely unknown to me on the whole, and whilst their acting was a good clue as to why, their delivery of punchy one-liners was truly second-to-none in the 2012 SitCom rat race, which endeared them to me immeasurably.

But one amongst them all really stands out. Roxanne’s sardonic, dry humour is well written, but her delivery is masterful. There’s also a slightly tragic aspect to her that comes from her divorce and mild alcoholism, that enriches her character, and makes her – strangely – more relatable. Despite these “flaws”, Roxanne is lovable and sweet, albeit in an awkward, not-quite-sure-in-what-way sense. Essentially, she is a more cynical, female Chandler Bing.

8. Diane Chambers – Cheers –One of America’s greatest all-time SitComs, and it really isn’t very hard to see why. A sterling formula, with a fantastic – albeit freshman – cast, made this show easily watchable, and it’s as popular as ever. A show that sky-rocketed the career of Kelsey Grammer, and showed a young Woody Harrelson the razzle dazzle of the entertainment world, had a rich ensemble of characters that it would seemingly be impossible to choose a favourite from, but for me there was only one sure-fire choice. And, whilst the obvious would be Sam, Woody or maybe even Norm (*cheering* Norm!), I couldn’t help but fall in love with Diane the very first time we – as the audience – met her.

She is well educated, well-to-do but also a little tragic; she is clearly cut out for more than a career in bar-tending, but she has fallen on harder times, and is having to make do with her lot, which she does admirably. Sure, she’s pompous and a little self-righteous, but these things are what make her alluring as a character. We are supposed to like her, despite and including her flaws. The chemistry between her and “Malone” was there from the beginning, and the signs leading to it were obvious for all to see, but even then I couldn’t help but buy into it. Not just romantically, but platonically too! Her jibes and quick wit make her one of the most endearing female SitCom characters of all time.

7. Oleg – 2 Broke Girls –2 Broke Girls is non-committal viewing at its finest; you can miss a couple of episodes, and pick it up pretty much knowing the chronological storyline won’t have progressed all that much, and you won’t ever be too far behind. It has its funny moments, it’s had a few touching ones too, but it is never going to be a classic. It just doesn’t have that star quality. What it has in spades, is the ability to not take itself too seriously, and that is something that I can’t help but love in a show. Written – in part – by Whitney Cummings, you always have high hopes for the comedic writing of the script, and it does deliver, but it would fall flat even on some of the high notes, were it not for the actors conveying it; none of whom do a better job than Jonathan Kite.

Oleg – a Ukrainian sex-obsessed cook at the show’s primary setting, the diner – is altogether cringey yet forgivably lovable all at once. He manages to pull off some of the most vomit-inducing lines in television history, without actually making you vomit. After a few episodes you even start to just brush it off as part of who he is, in a very “Oh! Youuuuu!” fashion. What starts out as a character’s idiosyncrasies making your skin crawl, soon become the reason compelling you to continue watching the show, which has few other forms of captivation – Kat Dennings aside.

6. Niles Crane – Frasier –Another of the great American classics, Frasier made its name as a “high brow” SitCom, focussing on the (mainly) romantic struggles of a Middle Class Psychiatrist, and his friends and family. The eponymous character is obviously the show’s main focus, and as such requires a bundle of charisma that only Kelsey Grammer could deliver, but without the array of supporting characters, the show really wouldn’t have been the worthy successor that it was. From extreme highs to crushing lows, there were commanding performances across all 11 seasons of the show, with John Mahoney ‘s Martin Crane and Jane Leeves Daphne Moon being particular highlights.

For me though, there is one person that really helped the show transcend the barrier between the run-of-the-mill SitCom fest, and the classics. David Hyde Pierce’s portrayal of Frasier’s  younger brother Niles, carries the show at some of its weakest moments, and builds it up during its strongest. His germ phobia is a running joke, as is his tragic love life, but what marks him out as a comedy great is his silent acting. He manages to put you in a fit of hysterical laughter – without ever uttering a word – and that is a sign of an artist at work.

However, what I like most about Niles, strangely enough has nothing to do with comedy. It is his poor run-of-form in romance, and how tragic his love life is throughout much of the shows 11 seasons. We never meet his wife in the earlier seasons, Maris, yet we feel his pain as he struggles to maintain a steadily failing relationship, and we see first-hand the fallout of that. That anguish isn’t easy to portray in a believable way, yet Pierce nails it.

5. Dean Winchester – Supernatural –It’s curious how a show that is on track to become one of TV’s all-time greatest, and builds in popularity season-on-season, can have only a handful of stand-out characters. That’s not because the supporting cast are awful – in fact, the supporting cast are some of the best you can imagine! – but because of the calibre of Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins, you just struggle to see beyond the fandom’s favourite triumvirate.

Jared’s Sam has been the focal point of most of the show’s critical story arcs – Apocalypse and demon liaisons come to mind – and Misha’s Castiel could not be any more of an opposite to his real self but, for me, the portrayal of Dean is just a constant master class in acting. You want badass; you get hard-as-nails, rough and ready badass. You want protective older sibling, you got it! You want tragedy and self-loathing? That’s a speciality. There’s just something all-at-once heart-breaking yet comforting about Dean-centric scenes, and whilst the show is chock full of compelling viewing centred on the other characters, it is Dean that I find most relatable, most compelling, and most enjoyable.

4. Chandler Bing – Friends –Arguably the greatest SitCom to have ever graced our TV’s, Friends is the epitome of a show ruled by its main cast, and how a group dynamic can and should work. It took 6 relative nobodies, a fairly untested formula and made something that has an undying popularity; the hallmark of truly great TV, is its ability to stand the test of time, which is something that Friends is already doing, almost 20 years on. But, how do you pick a favourite out of 6 uniquely brilliant characters, supported by 10 years of fantastic supporting characters and guest stars?

For each of us, that person is likely to be different; each will appeal to different types of people. The socialite-come-waitress in us, will find they relate to Rachel, far more easily than they will the street-raised kook that is Phoebe. Likewise, the palaeontology nerd in us that is Ross, will appeal to some far more than the alpha-player that is Joey, ever could. For me, Chandler is the most relatable out of the lot. He is smart, but by no means a genius. He has a pretty good job, but not a career that he loves. He is well paid, but not rich. He’s good looking, but not the ultimate specimen of a male. But, what he does have is a quick wit, dry humour and an unbelievable talent for sarcasm, which not only appeals to me, but I find easy to relate to.

The writers did an admirable job farming out an equal share of the funnier moments in Friends’ 10 year running, but you can’t help but feel that Chandler was the funniest of the lot. It’s not necessarily that his scenes were any longer, more frequent or better written than the rest, it’s that Matthew Perry’s delivery was on point every time. Could he be any more likable?

3. Patrick Jane – The Mentalist –There’s quirky, and then there’s Patrick Jane. He really is a kook, and most of his appeal directly comes from his unorthodox and maverick approach, not just to work but social interactions too. From harmless fun to dangerous bait-and-switches, Jane is a lovable rogue, but there is a slightly darker, more unhinged side to him, that whilst not always obvious, is ever-present.

In the truest sense of the word his life is a tragedy, having lost his wife and young daughter to the predations of a serial killer, which was entirely self-perpetuated by his mockery and conceitedness. There is a dark poetry about his life; living with a smiling, clownish façade but inside he is hollow – a husk of his former self. His pursuit of the man responsible for the loss of his family, and his will to succeed at the cost of anything and everything, is tragic in itself.

Patrick Jane is a complicated, broiling mess of emotions and facets of the human condition, that when encompassed by the silky body language and acting ability of Simon Baker, make for one of the most entrancing and memorable TV characters in recent memory.

2. Barney Stinson – How I Met Your Mother –Following the “Friends” template, How I Met Your Mother – henceforth referred to as HIMYM, for ease –  employed the group dynamic to great effect, with the show being one of the most successful SitCom’s of the last few years. Much like it’s compatriots in Friends, Scrubs and the Big Bang Theory, HIMYM has a pedigree of fantastic supporting characters, but it is the main group who (deservedly) steal the limelight. Barring Lily – who I find overused, tired and a little intense – the writers have developed some of the richest, yet most relatable characters for a very long time. I mean, who doesn’t know a Ted or a Robin?

Neil Patrick Harris does a sterling job of bringing Barney to life, from his passion for dressing impeccably formally at all times, to his intricate and often ludicrous “plays”. Barney taught me that it is perfectly acceptable to wear a suit when out drinking with your mates, and that it’s not all about beer and bombs. He is a brilliant twist on the overwrought “daddy issues” joke employed in most modern comedy – see Rachel from Friends, Penny from The Big Bang Theory or Whitney from the eponymously titled show, as reference – in so much as he is male, and that it doesn’t fundamentally screw him up. Sure, he overcompensates with his polygamy, but we are shown that is a defence mechanism, and that he is capable of connecting with someone (Robin) on an intimate level.

1. John “J.D” Dorian – Scrubs –With my penchant and suckerish nature for a hopeless romantic – this guy, Ted, Will from the Inbetweeners to name but a few – it was inevitable that I would love Zach Braff’s character for this reason alone…

It’s just a happy coincidence, then, that there is a whole myriad of reasons why John Dorian is quite simply my favourite TV character of all time. From his frequent, fantastical daydreaming, to his goofiness, his kind-heartedness to his loyalty, there is not a single thing I can dislike about him. He is just a normal guy, trying to get through life, making a living and navigating the minefield that is a modern love life. He is relatable and, to coin a tired hipster term, he is my “spirit animal”.

Through the dozen or so shows I watch on a regular basis, as well as the hundreds I have watched on-and-off since I was very young indeed, I have managed to narrow down a list of thousands of prospective candidates for my top 10 favourite TV show characters of all time. I’m curious to see who you guys would all pick, if you had to sit down and choose yours. Maybe leave a comment below, or drop me a message on Facebook!