# Terrible characters from great shows.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 26, 2020, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614 "2020-04-26T14:49:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/81 "2020-04-30T12:24:28Z")
Just to be clear, \*\*it’s Guesst-starring: Id! \*\*who doesn’t like Barney Fife. I cocked up the quotes in my post;)
> [@Guest-starring: Id!](#):
>
> Not a fantastic, earth-shaking “televisual feast”\*, but The Andy Griffith Show had two characters who really required the now-iconic, swooping, over-sized mallet bonk: the character played by Don Knotts (possibly because it was Don Knotts) (ok ok I have a Love God soft spot), and the Floyd the barber character.
>
> Cousin Itt - a hirsuite Hamburglar
>
> SNL’s “Makin’ cop-ies!” dude
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#):
>
> Oiy!. Nip it in the bud! Who doesn’t love Barney Fife?
>
> “Cousin Itt - a hirsuite Hamburglar”
>
> Did Cousin Itt come first? Wouldn’t that make Hamburglar a bald Cousin Itt?
> “SNL’s “Makin’ cop-ies!” dude”
>
> “Sting! Stiiiiiiing! Sting - a - Ling!”
---
### Author:  [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/82 "2020-04-30T14:03:25Z")
😃
---
### Author:  [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/83 "2020-04-30T18:44:31Z")
> [@Hampshire](#):
>
> For a show with a lot of complex interesting characters I thought Walter Jr. on Breaking Bad was a combination of poorly written and not that great of acting.
> I appreciated having a character with a disability but outside of that he didn’t serve much purpose besides being someone they were trying to keep a secret from and then over reacting when he found out. They never really used him for much else.
> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> \*\*Great Shows? \*\*
Breaking Bad wasn’t a \*great \*show, it was the \*greatest \*show. I think Walt Jr. was well acted and added a lot to the show, too.
And, anybody who thinks Barney Fife wasn’t a hilarious character needs a funny bone transplant.
Don Knotts was a talented comic actor, but it was sad to see him mugging and hamming it up too much on Three’s Company. I blame the director for making him play the character too over-the-top.
---
### Author:  [@Little\_Brother\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Brother_1)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/84 "2020-04-30T21:27:03Z")
> [@Grrr](#):
>
> I recently did a rewatch of The Andy Griffith Show. I’ve always liked Don. And had fond memories of Barney Fife.
> But dude, let me tell ya’. His character has NOT aged well. Rewatching the series I’m reminded he cheats, he’s possessive, and manipulative WRT Thelma Lou.
>
> And he’s a compulsive liar.
>
> Fife is a straight up asshole.
This belongs on a “Rewatching Old Shows Letdowns” thread, but since you mention this I’ll push the boundaries: recently, I tuned into some episodes of “The Dick Van Dyke” show and was surprisingly underwhelmed.
Maybe it was just the luck of the draw. I have watched and enjoyed the show in syndication over the years, and had a “legacy” positive regard from my youth. Some characters and themes don’t age well, e.g. Sally Rogers’ “old maid” struggle to find romance. Buddy’s zingers to Mel Cooley are still funny, though.
But the episodes I caught seemed much dumber and unfunnier than I remembered, especially the interaction between Rob and Laura at home. One involved Rob freaking out because feared that he was losing his hair-- a premise so improbable that it was painful to watch the supposedly hilarious freak-outs. And Laura, famously whiny (“Oh, _Rob_!”) seemed far more dithery and inane than I’d previously noticed.
The ones I sampled didn’t seem as witty or charming as I remembered, to put it mildly. It must be “me”, but I still can’t account for the letdown.
---
### Author:  [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2020, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/85 "2020-05-01T13:13:23Z")
> [@wanderer2575](#):
>
> Lwaxana Troi on any episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine.
>
> Damaris Phillips or Katie Lee appearing on any Food Network competition episode.
I thought she was great in TNG’s **Half a Life**.
> **[Half a Life (Star Trek: The Next Generation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_a_Life_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation))**
>
> "Half a Life" is the 22nd episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 96th episode overall. It was originally released on May 6, 1991, in broadcast syndication. The episode was the first of the series written by Peter Allan Fields, who later joined the writing staff. Director Les Landau said that "Half a Life" was a morality play about "how society deals with the elderly".
> Set in the 24th century, the series follows the ad...
---
### Author:  [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2020, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/86 "2020-05-01T19:54:12Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#):
>
> For me it would be Cliff on Cheers. He is mildly annoying. But it is rare when he adds anything to the show. (maybe I’m a minority on this)
He was the setup guy. And a little funny too.
---
### Author:  [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2020, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/87 "2020-05-01T22:11:50Z")
I’m giving _The Dick Van Dyke Show_’s Millie Helper a 5.8
That isn’t good.
---
### Author:  [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/88 "2020-05-02T08:51:58Z")
> [@Superdude](#):
>
> I’m quarantine binging _Deadwood_, and halfway through the 1st season, Calamity Jane’s really annoying me.
She doesn’t improve as the series goes on.
---
### Author:  [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/89 "2020-05-02T08:55:52Z")
> [@dorvann](#):
>
> Speaking of Law & Order I always found assistant district attorney Serena Southerlyn (played by Elisabeth Röhm) to be annoying. (And no, it’s not because she’s a lesbian.)
Join the very, very, very large club. From reading various message boards, I think the character was almost universally disliked by L&O fans.
---
### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/90 "2020-05-02T12:01:05Z")
> [@Doyle](#):
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > For me it would be Cliff on Cheers. He is mildly annoying. But it is rare when he adds anything to the show. (maybe I’m a minority on this)
>
> He was the setup guy. And a little funny too.
Fair enough, but: they’ve _got_ setup guys. Once you’re looking for it, you can’t _not_ see that Woody is putting a line out there for the sole purpose of letting Norm fire the perfect response; or that Diane is being serious for a moment just so Carla can follow it up with a snarky putdown; or that Coach is saying something that sounds sensible to give Sam a chance to amiably point out that, _no, that’s not it_; or that Frasier stops talking so Lilith can then dunk on him, and vice versa; and so on.
---
### Author:  [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/91 "2020-05-02T15:46:39Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#):
>
> Fair enough, but: they’ve _got_ setup guys. Once you’re looking for it, you can’t _not_ see that Woody is putting a line out there for the sole purpose of letting Norm fire the perfect response; or that Diane is being serious for a moment just so Carla can follow it up with a snarky putdown; or that Coach is saying something that sounds sensible to give Sam a chance to amiably point out that, _no, that’s not it_; or that Frasier stops talking so Lilith can then dunk on him, and vice versa; and so on.
The show definitely got too on rhythm, I would agree. The jokes were different but the pace was the same.
Someone mentioned Carla… her character’s situation was actually a lot rougher than the others, being a single mom with kids. And they did include the kids in the plots periodically. But I think it was hard for the writers to promote a sympathetic POV because all of the other characters were in a different place. So they stayed with the bitter wisecracks, which made some sense given how Sam viewed both Diane/Rebecca and Carla, but didn’t do a lot to endear her to the audience.
---
### Author:  [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/92 "2020-05-02T17:32:26Z")
> [@jaycat](#):
>
> Helen Crump. What a sourpuss.
Agreed. And could they have possibly given the character a dowdier and more insipid name?
---
### Author:  [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/93 "2020-05-02T17:39:06Z")
> [@jaycat](#):
>
> Helen Crump. What a sourpuss.
Agreed. And could they have possibly given the character a dowdier and more insipid name?
---
### Author:  [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/94 "2020-05-02T17:41:59Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#):
>
> Fair enough, but: they’ve _got_ setup guys. Once you’re looking for it, you can’t _not_ see that Woody is putting a line out there for the sole purpose of letting Norm fire the perfect response; or that Diane is being serious for a moment just so Carla can follow it up with a snarky putdown; or that Coach is saying something that sounds sensible to give Sam a chance to amiably point out that, _no, that’s not it_; or that Frasier stops talking so Lilith can then dunk on him, and vice versa; and so on.
Isn’t this format pretty much true of all traditional sitcoms?
---
### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/95 "2020-05-02T17:46:02Z")
> [@jtur88](#):
>
> Everybods mother on all sitcoms. Especially Rosanne and George Costanza.
I thought George’s mother was a terrible person, but a great character. I didn’t like his father much though.
---
### Author:  [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/96 "2020-05-02T18:32:54Z")
> [@TimfromNapa](#):
>
> Deanna Troi had two redeeming features: 1. Her lovely figure. 2. The uniforms that made the most of that lovely figure. Otherwise, she was an annoying drag.
I have been rewatching _Voyager_ lately. Troi makes guest appearances in a couple of episodes, and it’s making me realize just how annoying I find her. In particular, her ridiculously cliched obsession with chocolate.
On TNG, it seemed like her character was mostly useful as a walking lie detector.
---
### Author:  [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/97 "2020-05-02T20:54:28Z")
> [@Procrustus](#):
>
> I thought George’s mother was a terrible person, but a great character. I didn’t like his father much though.
Both were of the “terrible person but great character” type IMO. Jerry Stiller was typecast and was the same way as Carrie’s father in ‘King of Queens’, worse yet for the fact he lived in the same house they did. How they didn’t tie, gag,and lock him in a closet to expire is beyond me.
---
### Author:  [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2020, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/98 "2020-05-02T22:00:53Z")
> [@jtur88](#):
>
> Everybods mother on all sitcoms.
Nah - [Lucille Bluth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EW_tlvW4aI) and [Gladys Peterson,](https://youtu.be/MbDubmfFUqc?list=PLuQv8eh_-6E27Xs1Mh0ib6DnZYAQEOYUy&t=74) um, _RULE_.
---
### Author:  [@Calavera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calavera)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/99 "2020-05-03T12:28:40Z")
JB Smoove’s character on\* Curb Your Enthusiasm\* is terrible, and any scene he’s in is a painful black hole.
---
### Author:  [@Little\_Brother\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Brother_1)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/100 "2020-05-03T15:52:30Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#):
>
> I have been rewatching _Voyager_ lately. Troi makes guest appearances in a couple of episodes, and it’s making me realize just how annoying I find her. In particular, her ridiculously cliched obsession with chocolate.
>
> On TNG, it seemed like her character was mostly useful as a walking lie detector.
I agree about Troi.
This is just my own abiding guess or vibe, and I’ve never checked out the Trekkie commentariat to see if it’s been observed, analyzed, etc. by anyone else. But I think that when the TNG creators revived the ST franchise, they were so appalled or embarrassed by the “incorrect” sexuality in TOS, particularly Kirk as Captain Horn Dog, that they imposed a chilly, sanitized, “corrected” ethos that dominated the rest of the franchise.
TNG and the other post-TOS series still incorporated “sexy” elements: physically attractive cast members, romantic interludes, even unchecked passion; there are hints that hedonism and sexual gratification still exist in Federation culture. But to me, running away from the TOS Sixties “free love” indulgence made the Star Fleet officer corps cloyingly prim and puritanical.
Even beautiful, shapely actors like Marina Sirtis/Troi are presented as if they’re like 24th Century nuns in close-fitting habits; lust is confined to chocolate or, er, trombone-playing. To me, in general the actual romantic/sensual scenes are flat and unconvincing.
And since you mention those “Voyager” guest appearances, I just can’t take Dwight Schultz’s overwrought, fretful, socially awkward Reginald Barclay character. I just had to get that off my chest.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614.md?page=4)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614.md?page=6)