# The Great TV Sitcom Battle, Male Characters, Round 6, the Final Match. Choose your favorite **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [April 13, 2026, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240 "2026-04-13T10:19:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **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:** [April 13, 2026, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/1 "2026-04-13T10:19:14Z")
This is the sixth and final round of the Great TV Sitcom Battle, Male Characters edition. Rankings are based on input gathered in another thread. Vote for your favorite character. _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/2 "2026-04-13T20:19:01Z")
It seems odd that Bob Newhart is liable to win out of a field that originally included Barney Fife, Archie Bunker, Maxwell Smart, Ed Norton, Lou Grant, Buddy Sorrell, and (my favorite) Rollo Lawson. Any and all of whom were way funnier than Bob Newhart (to me anyway). ---
**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:** [April 13, 2026, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/3 "2026-04-13T20:22:40Z")
I feel like Bob Newhart’s real genius was in choosing his supporting cast. I never thought he was particularly funny on his own. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/4 "2026-04-13T20:26:43Z")
Ditto, but add Al Bundy to that list, please. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/5 "2026-04-13T20:36:30Z")
No, Sherman T. Potter was the clear winner. ---
**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:** [April 14, 2026, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/6 "2026-04-14T03:24:21Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > I feel like Bob Newhart’s real genius was in choosing his supporting cast. I never thought he was particularly funny on his own. I’ve thought the same thing; Bob Newhart was such a great straight man that anyone around him was instantly funny. The thing is, that’s a rare talent and Newhart was the master of it. A lot of his standup routines had his famous one-sided phone calls, where the humor came from Newhart’s reactions to the funny things we know were said but didn’t actually hear. Even when Bob Newhart was alone on stage, the other guy got all the 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:** [April 14, 2026, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/7 "2026-04-14T11:41:46Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Bob Newhart was such a great straight man that anyone around him was instantly funny. But doesn’t that make _him_ funny? A good portion of my laughter from The Bob Newhart Show was generated directly from Newhart’s reactions. 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:** [April 14, 2026, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/8 "2026-04-14T12:13:11Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > But doesn’t that make _him_ funny? Sure, but it’s a very particular style of humor. It was subtle, and probably looked a lot easier than it was. I can’t think of anyone else who worked in that same way. ---
**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:** [April 14, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/9 "2026-04-14T16:13:24Z")
> [@Jaycat.again](#): > > It seems odd that Bob Newhart is liable to win out of a field that originally included Barney Fife, Archie Bunker, Maxwell Smart… These first three you listed are my top three; I’d probably rank them Max, Archie, then Barney. But what can I say, the people have spoken. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/10 "2026-04-14T20:12:33Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I can’t think of anyone else who worked in that same way. Alan Arkin could do the tiniest funny look and make you piss your pants laughing. ---
**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:** [April 14, 2026, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/11 "2026-04-14T22:00:30Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I can’t think of anyone else who worked in that same way. George Burns did the same thing with Gracie Allen. Burns said something to the effect that when working with Gracie, his biggest laughs came from lines like, “Oh, really?” Of course, Burns wasn’t part of the poll. ---
**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:** [April 14, 2026, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/12 "2026-04-14T23:11:56Z")
I think an asterisk is in order explaining that Dr. Smith from _Lost in Space_ was disqualified on a technicality. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/13 "2026-04-14T23:38:19Z")
No vote from me this time. I’ve never watched either show. I’d probably vote for Cleese if I had seen them both. ---
**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:** [April 15, 2026, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/14 "2026-04-15T00:42:53Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I think an asterisk is in order explaining that Dr. Smith from _Lost in Space_ was disqualified on a technicality. The technicality being that he did not appear in a sitcom? For the record, these characters would also have been disqualified: Atticus Finch, Harry Potter, Huckleberry Finn, Princess Leia, and Godzilla. mmm ---
**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:** [April 15, 2026, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/15 "2026-04-15T03:09:34Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > For the record, these characters would also have been disqualified: Atticus Finch…. But none of them were playing comedy to the situation like Dr. Smith. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/16 "2026-04-15T09:49:00Z")
Are we going to have more of these? Sitcom children might be interesting. ---
**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:** [April 15, 2026, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-tv-sitcom-battle-male-characters-round-6-the-final-match-choose-your-favorite/1029240/17 "2026-04-15T11:35:26Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > Are we going to have more of these? As they say…stay tuned. mmm