# The Great Sitcom Battle, Female Characters, Round 4, The Elite Eight. Choose your favorites **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [March 18, 2026, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538 "2026-03-18T01:54:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/1 "2026-03-18T01:54:35Z")
This is Round 4 of the Great Sitcom Battle, Female Characters edition. Rankings are based on input gathered in another thread. Vote for your favorite character in each of the following 4 head-to-head battles. Polls will close when the voting starts tapering off. _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/1))_ _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/1))_ _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/1))_ _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/2 "2026-03-18T02:59:14Z")
I gave the nod to the lead characters, which meant my only tough choice was Morticia vs. Lucy. As unforgettable as Morticia was, I had to pick Lucy, and expect her to be in the final two. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/3 "2026-03-18T03:57:29Z")
None of these choices were a no-contest. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/4 "2026-03-18T13:47:29Z")
I’m surprised Margaret Houlihan has gotten this far. One of my criteria for this contest is “Is the character funny?” (after all, we are talking _sitcom_ characters here) and I don’t recall Margaret ever being funny. Even Frank Burns, who was a despicable character, got some memorable funny lines. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/5 "2026-03-18T14:59:23Z")
Even considering that we are talking about sitcoms, I’m not sure that your favorite characters have to necessarily be funny. They just have to be your favorites. That said, you make a point about Houlihan that I hadn’t thought of before; she really isn’t funny. (I personally don’t think Lucy Ricardo is funny, either, but that’s different. Lucy is intended to be funny) mmm ETA: Now that I think about it, is Agent 99 actually _funny_? ETA2: The word funny looks funnier the more you look at it. ETA3: The word funnier is even funnier. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/6 "2026-03-18T15:01:04Z")
I’m amazed that Morticia has made it this far. Equally amazed that Edith Bunker crashed out. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/7 "2026-03-18T15:02:23Z")
Really don’t know how Morticia, Lucy and Margaret made it this far, dull characters. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/8 "2026-03-18T15:05:36Z")
I don’t think Lucy was dull at all. I’m not that well versed in Get Smart but I kind of think this turned into a teenage crush fest - also featuring Liz Lemon. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/9 "2026-03-18T15:06:46Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > amazed that Edith Bunker crashed out. Edith would have been my overall #1. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/10 "2026-03-18T15:12:52Z")
Ditto ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/11 "2026-03-18T15:21:45Z")
I’m just angry Gloria Prichett didn’t even make the cut. No Modern Family fans here? A well-written, well-acted hilarious character on one of the most popular sitcoms of the past 20 years. Sofia Vergara played a perfect trophy wife without ever being cliche. Is there no justice?!! ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/12 "2026-03-18T16:37:37Z")
And we’ve reached the point where I’m simply voting for the characters I’m actually familiar with. And given the current standings, by the next round the majority of the characters I’m actually familiar enough with to have an opinion on will be eliminated. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/13 "2026-03-18T16:45:17Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Even considering that we are talking about sitcoms, I’m not sure that your favorite characters have to necessarily be funny. They just have to be your favorites. > > That said, you make a point about Houlihan that I hadn’t thought of before; she really isn’t funny. A lot of comedy follows the formula of a relatively normal character interacting with someone outrageous (for lack of a better word). Lucy was the outrageous one on her show, with a relatively normal husband, best friend, and landlord. Mary Richards was pretty normal, amidst the likes of Ted, Mr. Grant, Murray, Sue Ann, and Rhoda. Being the straight man (or woman) is rather thankless, but necessary to make the comedy work. Bob Newhart raised it to an art form. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/14 "2026-03-18T16:46:11Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > by the next round the majority of the characters I’m actually familiar enough with to have an opinion on will be eliminated. None of my nominations survived the first round of votes. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/15 "2026-03-18T17:51:23Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’m not that well versed in Get Smart but I kind of think this turned into a teenage crush fest - also featuring Liz Lemon. I think Morticia is riding the schoolboy crush wave, as well. (With the added benefit of being a funny character rather than a straight (wo)man like 99 or a foil like Hot Lips.) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/16 "2026-03-18T18:10:00Z")
Right. Agent 99, Hot Lips and Morticia are just crushes IMHO. We established kind of early on that Laura Petrie didn’t have much going on as a character. If it wasn’t just crushes Edith Bunker would still be in. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/17 "2026-03-18T18:24:29Z")
Well, to be fair, the question is asking about your favorite character. A crush can certainly be a favorite. And now I am wondering how I forgot about Laurie Partridge. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/18 "2026-03-18T18:33:51Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Well, to be fair, the question is asking about your favorite character. A crush can certainly be a favorite. Favorite and crush aren’t quite the same thing, but they aren’t entirely different, either. The list of qualities that make a character interesting and entertaining, and the list that make them crushable have some overlap. I tried to cast a wide net for my nominations and votes; funny, original, well-written, and well-acted. I think I managed to keep raw attraction out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/19 "2026-03-18T18:36:29Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > And now I am wondering how I forgot about Laurie Partridge. I didn’t. But I didn’t nominate her. > [@Who are your 5 favorite female sitcom characters of all time?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-5-favorite-female-sitcom-characters-of-all-time/1028321/35): > > Ignoring all my childhood crushes (Mary Ann, Jeanie, 99, Catwoman, Laurie Partridge…) I’ll go with: ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538/20 "2026-03-18T19:25:45Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > a funny character rather than a straight (wo)man like 99 or a foil like Hot Lips. I think both of these characters are hilarious. In both cases the heavies relied on them for the jokes to land, thanks to a combination of brilliant writing and skillful acting and a sense of timing. Did I have a crush on Barbara Feldon? Yes. Was that the reason I’ve consistently chosen her character? A resounding No. A Favorite Character is a favorite character without separating it into specific reasons. I don’t think any of my choices have been for a specific reason and that reason alone - in fact I have voted against several beloved characters because they didn’t tick enough boxes. E.g. I have long been hot for Julia Louis-Dreyfus (still am), but I hated Elaine (she reminded me of a disliked coworker at the time) and I was lukewarm about Seinfeld at its funniest. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-sitcom-battle-female-characters-round-4-the-elite-eight-choose-your-favorites/1028538.md?page=2)