This doesn’t really count because it’s not an atheist character, and he’s really more a radio personality, but he did have a t.v. show for a little while, and he is an atheist: Adam Carolla.
Murphy Brown?
Agent Mulder?
Reading this thread, I am again reminded of how “atheism versus public religiousness” really IS a cultural difference between the Netherlands and the USA. Over here, people are assumed atheist, unless specified otherwise.
People with strong religious beliefs in the Netherlands usually consider their religious feelings like… something private.
In the public sphere, on tv, and with co-workers, we Dutch prefer to treat religious love of god just the same as the love for one’s family. You can mention at work you are married or in love, and you can say you’re going to church and how religion is important to you. But to bring up your terrific kids or your SO or your God in unrelated conversations; to us Dutchies that is just.not.done.
A US-president raving about how he trusts in GOD to make certain decisions makes us Dutch feel the same uneasiness you Americans must have felt about when Tom Cruise was raving to Ophrah about Katie Holmes. “Whoa, dude” is the Ducht feeling at both at the President stating his religious feelings and a couch hopping Tom Cruise. “That’s just …unprofessional. Have you lost it, or what?”
Interesting, Maastricht. I think here, people are assumed Christian, unless specified otherwise – both IRL and on TV.
Relatively few TV characters, historically, have mentioned their spiritual leanings; except to be shown praying in times of crisis. (I think the only characters shown attending church services regularly are The Simpsons.) That’s why it struck me as a bit of a cultural shift – and somewhat odd – to have so many atheists/agnostics coming out recently.