# The Greatest Character in Sitcom History **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821 "2009-02-07T18:41:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/41 "2009-02-08T03:51:43Z")
Norm Petersen and Cliff Clavin. And Professor Frink. Moyven. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Punkyova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@The\_Punkyova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Punkyova)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/42 "2009-02-08T05:07:56Z")
> [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](#): > > If “greatest” = most laughs per airtime, it would have to be Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd) on Taxi. If that’s your criteria, it would have to be Jack Benny. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/43 "2009-02-08T05:32:02Z")
Come on . . . Only one mention of Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason)??? For decades there were only 38 available known recorded shows yet in any major city you could tune into one of those episodes on any night of the week. The only sitcom to come close to that longevity is Seinfeld and they recorded that number of episode in many multiples. “The Honeymooners” define sitcom. ---
**Author:** ![jakesteele](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@jakesteele](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakesteele)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/44 "2009-02-08T05:40:02Z")
Fonsy (sp) from Happy Days is right up there with Archie but also Louie, Jim, Hawkeye, etc. Too many good ones with too many memorable moments that get “Mention of Honor”. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/45 "2009-02-08T05:55:34Z")
Nobody has mentioned Frank and Marie Barone, two characters whom people love to hate, and hate to love. But the all-time champ has to be Archie Bunker. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/46 "2009-02-08T06:16:38Z")
Can’t believe no one has mentioned the legendary Captain Tuttle. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/47 "2009-02-08T06:29:45Z")
Dan Conner from Roseanne makes the list for me, I empathized with that guy a great deal. John Goodman is a far better actor than the roles he’s been offered (with exception to Walter Sobchak). I’d also throw Cliff Huxtable out there. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/48 "2009-02-08T07:10:11Z")
> [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](#): > > Can’t believe no one has mentioned the legendary Captain Tuttle. > > 😃 There is a little Captain Tuttle in all of us. In fact you could say we made up Tuttle. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/49 "2009-02-08T07:34:11Z")
I was discussing this with my sister, and we think that the entire Bluth family needs a mention, but if I was forced to choose one, I’d go with **GOB**. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/50 "2009-02-08T08:00:58Z")
Sir Humphrey Appleby from Yes Minister/ Prime Minister ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/51 "2009-02-08T08:44:03Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Fred Sanford. One thing I loved about the character is that while he obviously loved his son and his late wife, he didn’t have the obligatory “Heart of Gold” underneath (nuggets of gold in his heart perhaps); he’d con his own son in a second in order to get something he really wanted, but then would get furious if anybody else tried to put the “dummy” down. He was also a lot sharper than most (including his son) usually gave him credit for, being able to smell B.S. 20 miles away, as expert in never missing a meal without ever having to sweat as Kramer e’er dared be, and as shrewd a social commentator as Archie. And while he was bad and selfish and sly enough to be interesting and funny, he never did anything _really_ bad. > > Of course it’s hard to divorce the character from the impeccable comic delivery and timing of the actor (whose previous acting experience was negligible as were most of the other great cast members on the show). But then, that’s true of any great character; if Archie Bunker had been played by Mickey Rooney as once suggested it’s doubtful he’d be that remembered. I came in here to mention Fred Sanford, but since you stole him from me, I will nominate Dorothy Zbornack. I gotta wonder if she would crack me up as much without the other golden girls with her. They crack me up too. And I agree that Archie Bunker was great. ---
**Author:** ![terrymiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@terrymiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terrymiff)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/52 "2009-02-08T08:50:28Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Kramer > > Edmund Black Adder(am I first to say this?) > > Gob Bluth Best support… **Baldrick** ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/53 "2009-02-08T10:03:08Z")
> [@Spartydog](#): > > Come on . . . > > Only one mention of Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason)??? For decades there were only 38 available known recorded shows yet in any major city you could tune into one of those episodes on any night of the week. The only sitcom to come close to that longevity is Seinfeld and they recorded that number of episode in many multiples. > > “The Honeymooners” define sitcom. If youre talking about sitcoms being long-running, then [Last of the Summer Wine](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069602/) beats any other contender ad Nora Batty would be the greatest ever character. The show hasn’t officially been cancelled and there might be even more seasons of it, despite the way the actors keep dying off. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/54 "2009-02-08T10:54:38Z")
From M_A_S\*H Colonel Flagg. I loved that character. Archie Bunker for all the reasons listed. Al Bundy for playing the completely beat down, middle aged man who still clings to his one moment of glory. A touchdown he scored for Polk High. Animation: Homer Simpson Ned Flanders Quagmire (giggidy, giggidy) Nelson (HA HA!) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/55 "2009-02-08T11:54:42Z")
Another vote for Archie Bunker. First name that popped into my head upon seeing the thread title too, ---
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/56 "2009-02-08T12:15:02Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > I’m going with Barney Fife. Honorable mention to Basil Fawlty. You and Bup got mine. Deputy Fife forever! Just thinking about Basil Fawlty makes me smile though. I think comic actors deserve credit for allowing their characters to seem utterly ridiculous and even unlikable. Those are two great examples. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/57 "2009-02-08T13:49:10Z")
I am glad that this thread moved so quickly from the “My favourite character in a current show I like” to an actual contemplation of Great Characters. Like in about one post. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/58 "2009-02-08T16:15:26Z")
> [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](#): > > Can’t believe no one has mentioned the legendary Captain Tuttle. I can’t see Captain Tuttle as one of the great sitcom characters of all time. In fact, it’s already hard to remember what he looked like. ---
**Author:** ![mikeargo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@mikeargo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikeargo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/59 "2009-02-08T16:17:23Z")
No one has mentioned Felix Unger yet, so I will. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821/60 "2009-02-08T16:21:34Z")
Another vote for **Eric Cartman**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-character-in-sitcom-history/484821.md?page=4)