Select as many as you like.
mmm
Putting them in tiers…
First tier (and voted for): Leonard, Penny, and Sheldon.
Second tier (close enough that I considered voting): Raj and Amy Farrah Fowler.
Third tier: Howard and Bernadette (who are probably making out while the others aren’t looking).
Fourth tier: Leslie Winkle (who I don’t dig at all).
Last tier: Mrs W, who as a not-very-recurring off-screen character doesn’t warrant consideration, IMO.
In the first season I really liked Penny - the character seemed genuinely sweet.
She is growing more cynical and I’m liking her less. But she is still my favorite.
Ha that’s funny Khadaji - I like her more now because she’s more cynical 
I didn’t like it when Penny was “Here’s the dumb blonde that lives next door that all the boys want to bang, and one is totally smitten with her” But now she is “the normal person who lives next door and snarkily comments on the boys’ nerdiness” and I dig it!
Penny definitely. She’s witty, sweet, and damn hot. She’s the only regular that is able to get the better of Sheldon, in little ways, often enough it doesn’t warrant an entire episode devoted to it (a la the cricket debate).
I wouldn’t want to be Sheldon’s friend in “real life,” but I do like watching the character on TV.
Raj is innocent and left-field comic relief. The selective mutism is played out, but otherwise there isn’t much to dislike.
Leonard has become a whiny, neurotic twit. I liked him in the first season when he was the least nerdy of the four guys, but he no longer is the one closest to reality. Howard is an ass.
Thank you for not including Kruipke, but my favorite recurring character is evil Wil Weaton. It’s important for Sheldon to have a Moriarty in his life, and Wil plays it off with perfection.
I loved Leslie Winkle as she was the only one to be able to completely disarm Sheldon. I like Sheldon but it’s always nice to take him down a peg and Leslie was able to do this.
Actually the whole cast is strong. Each is good in his/her own way.
I just got the first season and after watching it, as I said on another thread, I was surprised to see Penny develop the way she did. Who would’ve thought she would’ve been the “rock” and “sensible” one that everyone else revolves around. Though it makes sense her character did assume this role
I kinda like the comic bookstore guy. And Wesley Crusher as the villain.
Penny and Bernadette. And sometimes Evil Wil Wheaton (who is doing several guest shots on Eureka when it returns).
He was pretty cool.
Right up until he argued that Jason Todd should be the new Batman.
Heresy can not be forgiven. (It should have been Tim, but Dick serves.)
I like the Penny-Leonard-Sheldon trio, and that’s what I voted. We haven’t had any Evil Wil Wheaton episodes here yet, I think, we’ve just gotten through the Sara Rue (Dr Stephanie) ones and I liked her. Even if she wasn’t a good fit for Leonard, she did play off nicely against Sheldon.
Why isn’t Evil Wil on the list?
Penny, cuz she’s hot and nice, and I’d like to do her.
Sheldon because I once had a roommate and good friend very much like him. Hi Jeff! He turned out more normal than me anyway.
Evil Wil Wheaton FTW.
I don’t think that Penny is as hot as a lot of guys say that she is. I love her as a character though, due largely to Kaley Cuoco’s comedic skills. Then again, the entire main cast is simply excellent in that regard.
I had a similar thought process when I voted for Bernadette, though I wouldn’t have put it in quite those words.
Penny and Sheldon.
Sheldon because he’s funny.
Penny because she’s normal. Leonard is normal too but he’s a whiny brat.
Penny and Sheldon, because they are played by the best two comedic actors on the show. Katie Cuoco is one of the best comedic actresses I’ve seen in a long time. She’s brilliantly expressive.
I think that people should be voting for the character(s) who, if the actor(s) left the show, it would mean you wouldn’t watch it any more (or would be much less likely to watch)
Obviously, high on such a list would be Sheldon. Penny is great, but if she left the show (which she sort of did for a couple episodes) it wouldn’t be that huge of an impact. The dynamics between the four guys provide most of the funnier scenes of this series.
I wish they wrote Leonard to be much less whiny. If he left the show I don’t think I’d mind one bit, assuming he was replaced by someone else to play the straight man vs Sheldon.
The show wouldn’t be very good without Sheldon, so I had to vote for him even though I don’t particularly “like” the character.
On reflection, I really like Bernadette. And not having seen much of season one, I voted for Penny too.
I almost voted for Leonard but I decided to keep it to three. Howard is good for laughs even though I don’t care much for the character. I’m really tired of Raj’s no-talking thing and the character doesn’t have much else to go on.
Amy Farrah Fowler is a poorly done copy of Dr. Lilith Stern.
I really think comicbook store guy is the perfect husband for Penny. He woudl quiety worhsip her and support her acting dreams while raising the kids in a playpen behind the counter. ::sigh::
You can have too much Sheldon but there wouldn’t be a show without him. He is by far the most important character.