Your favorite character(s) from current or recent TV shows

[Zeldar]

Rather than hijack the Boardwalk Empire discussion for this, here's a new thread.

Richard Harrow on that show is fast becoming one of my all-time favorites.

Others I particularly enjoy have been:

Happy on Sons of Anarchy
Boyd Crowder on Justified
Cho on The Mentalist
Kalinda on The Good Wife

Both the main guys on Terriers deserve mention even if the show got zapped.

Help build a list of worthy people and maybe we can have a poll if there's enough interest.

[ZPG Zealot]

Sheldon Cooper on the Big Bang Theory. I want to marry him.

[lost4life]

Sterling Archer - Archer
Daryl - The Walking Dead

[Rollo Tomasi]

My favorite Boardwalk Empire character is and forever will be Arnold Rothstein.

Others:

Joan Harris from Mad Men (I could fill up this entire list with just Mad Men characters, honestly)
Raylan Givens, Justified
Nick Miller, New Girl
Donna Paulsen, Suits
Jane Kerkovich-Williams, Happy Endings
Bronn, Game of Thrones

[Skald the Rhymer]

I really like Patrick Jane, title character of the The Mentalist, and Kimball Cho, one of that show's supporting characters. Jane is just fun to watch in general, and Cho is very engaging. It occurs to me that the two of them are very much alike in many ways. They're both only nominally interested in the law, and though they seem to be subordinate to Lisbon, in fact neither of them ever does anything that they don't wan to do in the first place. And I don't think it's because they're simply ornery; I think they feel doing things they don't think they should do is immoral. Works for me.

I also like Lisbon. She's a bit too lawfully constricted for me, but I like the way that she obviously loves Jane but genuinely can just barely stand him. It's an amusing conflict, particularly because the conflict isn't reciprocal. That is, Jane loves her no less than she loves him, but he finds her a lot easier to get along with than he does.

Rigsby and Van Pelt are ... okay, I guess. But kinda boring. And I've liked two of the four bosses.

Originally Posted by ZPG Zealot

Sheldon Cooper on the Big Bang Theory. I want to marry him.

So you're okay with never having sex and with having to enable his 1296 separate antisocial behavioral eccentricities?

[MegaBee]

Snow White: Once Upon a Time
Mulan: Once Upon a Time
Rumplestiltskin: Once Upon a Time

[Cat Whisperer]

I adore Walter from "Fringe."
I have a great affection for Cho and Jane from "The Mentalist," too.
John Reese from "Person of Interest" is, well, very interesting. It doesn't hurt that he's awfully easy on the eyes, too.
I also am quite fond of Daryl and Glen from "Walking Dead," too.

[Dendarii Dame]

Charlie Eppes from Numb3rs
Harold Finch/Crane/whatever his last name actually is on Person of Interest
The Doctor from Doctor Who

[well he's back]

I agree that Jane & Cho from the Mentalist are good characters.

Also Kalinda from Good Wife.

Love Gold on Once Upon A Time. Amazing what a talented actor can do.

I find so many characters fun on Big Bang Theory, and so many fascinating on Breaking Bad that it's hard to choose.

Good characters make a long running show worth watching.

eta - CatWhisperer - thanks for reminding me about Walter. I gave up on Fringe, but Walter is one of my favorite characters ever. John Noble deserves awards that.

[TriPolar]

Richard Harrow on Boardwalk Empire. Very compelling character.

[well he's back]

I forgot another enjoyable character. Nolan, on Revenge. He certainly gets the best lines.

[RealityChuck]

Huck in Scandal. Fascinating character; his speech at the AA meeting is unforgettable, especially whenever he says "whiskey."

[Leaffan]

Let me just respond with my usual "Jim Rockford."

[lost4life]

Originally Posted by Leaffan

Let me just respond with my usual "Jim Rockford."

Is there a show I don't know about, or do we just have different definitions of Current and Recent?

[Little Nemo]

Louise Belcher on Bob's Burgers

[hogarth]

Cyril Figgis on "Archer" -- "I've just been jacking it...you know...on the telephone."

Jenna Maroney on "30 Rock" -- "I know what you're going through. I caught a lot of flak when I ate the pig that played Babe."

Stan Smith on "American Dad" -- "Sorry I'm late, I was getting a piping-hot cup of coffee. It's far too hot to drink, but luckily my leathery man-mouth can take it."

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by RealityChuck

Huck in Scandal. Fascinating character; his speech at the AA meeting is unforgettable, especially whenever he says "whiskey."

For Scandal, I would add the President's Chief of Staff. He has had some outstanding monologues and delivered them perfectly - just the right amount of humanity, false humility, and menace.

[ZPG Zealot]

Originally Posted by Skald the Rhymer

So you're okay with never having sex and with having to enable his 1296 separate antisocial behavioral eccentricities?

I don't find many of Sheldon's behavioral eccentricities antisocial. I think Sheldon would be easier to get along with than 90% of the people I know.

[ZPG Zealot]

Originally Posted by lost4life

Sterling Archer - Archer
Daryl - The Walking Dead

I haven't seen Archer, but Daryl Dixon is definitely a person you want with you in a zombie apocalypse.

[KneadToKnow]

Originally Posted by lost4life

Is there a show I don't know about, or do we just have different definitions of Current and Recent?

In Leaffan's defense, timeless supersedes current and recent.

I'll take Sherlock from Sherlock, since no one else seems to have mentioned him. Hell, Jim, too.

[Leaffan]

Originally Posted by lost4life

Is there a show I don't know about, or do we just have different definitions of Current and Recent?

Current or recent. Ah. Never mind then.

[RealityChuck]

Originally Posted by Icarus

For Scandal, I would add the President's Chief of Staff. He has had some outstanding monologues and delivered them perfectly - just the right amount of humanity, false humility, and menace.

Actually, the entire cast of characters is fascinating. I don't know why the show doesn't generate more buzz.

[Max Torque]

Finn the Human from Adventure Time.
Skips from Regular Show.

[Tim R. Mortiss]

I could totally hang out with Tony DiNozzo, swapping movie trivia at some bar while ogling the babes.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Originally Posted by Tim R. Mortiss

I could totally hang out with Tony DiNozzo, swapping movie trivia at some bar while ogling the babes.

I'm a sort-of fan of NCIS (in that I still enjoy the show but think it's needlessly past its prime), but that is in spite of DiNozzo. If I lived in the NCIS verse and DiNozzo were found mysteriously beaten to death, even I would wonder if I did it.

But I love Abby in small doses, and Ducky in large doses. They always cut off his stories way too soon. Those are interesting, damn it! I was happy when they let him actually explain about swan songs when Franks died; McCallum's delivery was wonderful and sad.

[Tapiotar]

Ducky from NCIS, and limited amounts of Gibbs, who is actually a softie.
Jane and Cho and, to a lesser degree, Lisbon from the Mentalist.
Marshall from HIMYM, when he's not trying to be all girly.
Castle, from Castle, now that he's grown up a bit
I still like TBBT, but none of the characters are favorites.
But none of them are favorites in the way that Spock or Ilya Kuryakin were when I was a kid, or Dr. Johnny Fever and Venus Flytrap were in the days of WKRP.

[Ethilrist]

Agent Farnsworth from Fringe.

[elfkin477]

Duke Crocker, Haven
Audrey Parker, Haven
Wade Kinsella, Hart of Dixie
Zoe Hart, Hart of Dixie
Bo, Kenzi, Hale, Dyson & Trick, Lost Girl
Emily Thorne, Revenge
Nolan Ross, Revenge
Jack Porter, Revenge

[MPB in Salt Lake]

I think that Cam on Modern Family (played by Eric Stonestreet) is the funniest all-around character on TV these days.

(Although since Modern Family is the only current sit-com I watch, I suppose my viewpoint is rather narrow)

[koeeoaddi]

Originally Posted by Leaffan

Let me just respond with my usual "Jim Rockford."

Agreed, and thanks for stretching the guideline since I wanted to mention Doc Cochran and Calamity Jane on Deadwood.

they're new to me!

[Cat Whisperer]

Originally Posted by elfkin477

<snip>
Bo, Kenzi, Hale, Dyson & Trick, Lost Girl <snip>

Thanks for the reminder - I love Kenzi, too!

[I Made French Toast For You]

The Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey.
April on Parks & Recreation.
Hannah on Girls.
Pam on Archer.

Not sure why all my favorites are ladies.

[Maggie the Ocelot]

River Song, Doctor Who
Captain Jack Harkness, Torchwood
Both leads, Sherlock

[blondebear]

Does Stephen Colbert count as a "character"?
If not, I'll go with Ron Swanson.

[Baker]

Daryl from The Walking Dead

Michael Garibaldi from Babylon 5

[chizzuk]

Originally Posted by Skald the Rhymer

I'm a sort-of fan of NCIS (in that I still enjoy the show but think it's needlessly past its prime), but that is in spite of DiNozzo. If I lived in the NCIS verse and DiNozzo were found mysteriously beaten to death, even I would wonder if I did it.

But I love Abby in small doses, and Ducky in large doses. They always cut off his stories way too soon. Those are interesting, damn it! I was happy when they let him actually explain about swan songs when Franks died; McCallum's delivery was wonderful and sad.

The issue of Tony DiNozzo seems very black and white: you either love him or you hate him. I've never encountered any NCIS fan who was neutral. I like DiNozzo, but I think both he and Gibbs have personalities that would be too strong if the other wasn't there. They're good foils. I wouldn't watch without both Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly.

Abby is sooooo annoying to me. I swear she's been exactly the same from season 1. Tony at least stops being an obnoxious movie-quoting joker long enough to have other serious storylines, but 10 years from now Abby will still be in her lab dressed like a clown blasting terrible music and having teenage melodramas over somebody spilling EDTA on her copy of Breaking Dawn. I can't stand Penelope Garcia on Criminal Minds for the same reason. No development at all.

Other favorites:
Spencer Reid, Criminal Minds
Danny Messer, CSI: NY
Charlie & Don Eppes, Numb3rs
Dr. Wilson, House

These probably don't count as characters, but Clarkson, May, and Hammond from Top Gear UK. Hilarious.

[RealityChuck]

Monroe from Grimm
Abed from Community

[Tangent]

Debra fucking Morgan from Dexter

Jessie Pinkman from Breaking Bad, bitches

Arya from Game of Thrones

Monroe from Grimm

Shawn and Gus from Psych

[Simplicio]

I'll second Nick Miller on New Girl. I'm glad he finally finished his zombie novel.

I like Saul on Homeland. With all the over-reacting, super-dramatic characters on TV (or for that matter, on Homeland), its nice having one guy that's pretty unflappable no matter what.

[standingwave]

Sterling Archer, Archer
Sheldon Cooper, Big Bang Theory
Walter White, Breaking Bad
Stephen Colbert, Colbert Report
Randy Marsh, South Park
The Doctor, Doctor Who

[Rollo Tomasi]

Originally Posted by Simplicio

I'll second Nick Miller on New Girl. I'm glad he finally finished his zombie novel.

Yeah, but good luck with the word search, you idiot.

[panache45]

Phil, from Modern Family.
Charlie, from Fringe.
Walter, from Fringe.
Sheldon, from Big Bang Theory. (Yeah, I know.)
House, from House.
John Oliver, from The Daily Show and others.

[salinqmind]

Rumplestiltskin/Gold from Once Upon A Time. I like the show well enough, but when he shows up, his scenes are just mesmerizing!

[Zeldar]

Well, I'm giving up on the idea of a poll because there would be way too many names on the list. If anybody else wants to do so, I have no problem with that.

I collected all the names from earlier posts that I could add to my own list and maybe there will be others later. Here's a summary:

==========================================

Yesterday, 12:56 PM
---Rollo Tomasi

My favorite Boardwalk Empire character is and forever will be Arnold Rothstein.

Others:

Joan Harris from Mad Men (I could fill up this entire list with just Mad Men characters, honestly)
Raylan Givens, Justified

Yesterday, 01:01 PM
---Skald the Rhymer

I really like Patrick Jane, title character of the The Mentalist, and Kimball Cho, one of that show's supporting characters. Jane is just fun to watch in general, and Cho is very engaging. It occurs to me that the two of them are very much alike in many ways. They're both only nominally interested in the law, and though they seem to be subordinate to Lisbon, in fact neither of them ever does anything that they don't wan to do in the first place. And I don't think it's because they're simply ornery; I think they feel doing things they don't think they should do is immoral. Works for me.

I also like Lisbon. She's a bit too lawfully constricted for me, but I like the way that she obviously loves Jane but genuinely can just barely stand him. It's an amusing conflict, particularly because the conflict isn't reciprocal. That is, Jane loves her no less than she loves him, but he finds her a lot easier to get along with than he does.

Rigsby and Van Pelt are ... okay, I guess. But kinda boring. And I've liked two of the four bosses.

Yesterday, 01:19 PM
---Cat Whisperer

I adore Walter from "Fringe."
I have a great affection for Cho and Jane from "The Mentalist," too.

Yesterday, 01:29 PM
---well he's back

I agree that Jane & Cho from the Mentalist are good characters.

Also Kalinda from Good Wife.

eta - CatWhisperer - thanks for reminding me about Walter. I gave up on Fringe, but Walter is one of my favorite characters ever. John Noble deserves awards that.

Yesterday, 01:32 PM
---TriPolar

Richard Harrow on Boardwalk Empire. Very compelling character.

Yesterday, 04:39 PM
---Tapiotar

Jane and Cho and, to a lesser degree, Lisbon from the Mentalist.

Yesterday, 04:58 PM
---Ethilrist

Agent Farnsworth from Fringe.

Yesterday, 07:09 PM
---I Made French Toast For You

The Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey.

Yesterday, 08:21 PM
---chizzuk

Dr. Wilson, House

Yesterday, 09:04 PM
---Tangent

Debra fucking Morgan from Dexter

Jessie Pinkman from Breaking Bad, bitches

Yesterday, 09:32 PM
---Simplicio

I like Saul on Homeland. With all the over-reacting, super-dramatic characters on TV (or for that matter, on Homeland), its nice having one guy that's pretty unflappable no matter what.

Yesterday, 10:41 PM
---standingwave

Walter White, Breaking Bad

Yesterday, 11:42 PM
---panache45

Walter, from Fringe.
House, from House.

==========================================

[SciFiSam]

Castle on Castle. Though I like all four main characters on that show really.
Monroe on Grimm. Rosalie's a lucky woman.
Debra Fucking Morgan. Unpredictable, believable, good development as a character.
Parker on Leverage. They're all great, but she's my favourite.

[Corcaigh]

Sam and Dean (Supernatural)
Monroe (Grimm)
Sheldon (BBT)
Rodney McKay (SGA)
Joan Watson (Elementary)
Claudia [actually I like everybody on that show] (Warehouse13)
Walter, and Astrid (Fringe)
Daryl (TWD)
Gus 'n' Shawn (Psych)
Rumplestilskin (Once Upon A Time)
Roger (American Dad)
Brian (Family Guy)
Castle (Castle)

[Grumman]

I'll n'th Arnold Rothstein from (Boardwalk Empire), and Angela Darmody too.

Zaraki Kenpachi (Bleach) - a blunt instrument who wants the same thing the audience wants: hilariously awesome fights.

[Quimby]

Tyrion from Game of Thrones

Troy and Abed from Community

Ben Wyatt from Parks and Rec (Not the funniest character but I would love to hang out with him)

Marshall from How I met Your Mother (see Ben Wyatt above)

Nick from New Girl (one of the funniest characters on TV right now)

Schmidt from New Girl (also very funny)

Luke from Modern Family

[Labdad]

Provenza from "the Closer," and now "Major Crimes."

[Elendil's Heir]

Limiting myself to one per show that I watch nowadays:

Sterling Archer, Archer
Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
Tyrion, Game of Thrones
Raj, Big Bang Theory
Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, Downton Abbey