Rick and Eddie in Bottom.
Leg man eh? I like her other assets.
My nomination would be Robert Petrie on the Dick Van Dyke Show.
But for all that, underneath all the bluster and insults and carrying-on, you can tell he really does love them very much. (Okay, we might waive the “very much” part for Meathead.) For all he bitched about Gloria and Meathead, there was never any question of them not living in his house rent-free for as long as they wanted, which is really above and beyond the call of duty for an adult and some loser jerk she took it in her head to marry.
Sure, Archie’s a loudmouthed obnoxious bigoted jackass, but he’s got enough empathy buried in there to be…sort of likable. He’s one of the most human, believable sitcom characters ever, because he ain’t the kind of guy who has road to Damascus revelations during Very Special Episodes and repents of his ways totally. I think a lot of what makes him such a great character is that he’s really not anything special. He’s got his bad points, but he’s not a villain, and he’s got his good points but isn’t a hero; he’s just this guy, you know? Writing a perfectly ordinary character is massively harder than writing one who is special in some way, and making that ordinary character both believable and interesting is an order of magnitude harder than that.
For me, it’s got to be a toss-up between Arch and Fred Sanford, for the reasons someone else has already outlined.
I think Daisy Moses deserves a nomination. (Granny, the Beverly Hillibillies)
Bill O’ Neal in “News Radio.”
Frog in “Best of the West.”
Howard Borden in “The Bob Newhart Show.”
Johnny Fever in “WKRP in Cincinatti.”
Bowler in “The Adventures of Brisco County.” Not actually a sitcom, but it was funny.
A couple of others
Colonel Klink
Sgt Schultz
Bob Newhart on all his sitcoms.
I also appreciate RickJay’s list of supporting characters. Jim Ignatowski (and Andy Kaufman as Latka) were classic comedic genius. I know the Carol Burnett show wasn’t a sitcom but I can’t go without mentioning that entire cast, Carol herself, Vicki Laurence, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, et al… Funny shit!
I recently got into Last of the Summer Wine on the Milwaukee PBS station and all the characters crack me up, along with the cast of One Foot In The Grave. Victor Meldrew and his wife are absolutely hilarious! I haven’t yet watched an episode of this show that didn’t have me laughing hysterically at what happens to them!!
There are just too many great characters to name my favorites, but no one mentioned One Foot In the Grave, so I thought I’d put that out there.
George Burns?
My choice of great characters are Patsy and Edina of AbFab.
That’s “Frawg”.
“Waal, gee, Bosssss!”
I also immediately thought of Archie Bunker and Homer Simpson, and after reading through these I have to agree with Cosmo Kramer, Hawkeye Pierce and Jim Ignatowski.
Laughs are important but another element is the uniqueness, nuance and staying power of the character. On this basis I would like to recognize Lisa Simpson, and for non-speaking characters Maggie Simpson is a standout.
I would agree that Archie, Hawkeye, any of the Seinfeld crew, Homer Simpson if eligible, would all be strong contenders. Two others I have been surprised to not see mentioned yet are Mork and the immortal Al Bundy.
Archie’s love for Gloria is hardly hidden; he adores his daughter quite openly. He can’t quite admit that he’s fond of Michael, but he’s pretty clear about his feelings for his “little girl,” which, of course, is what you’d expect.
Amen.
Ok, since there’s a lot of longshots here, I’m gonna go with a the character who got the most reaction with the least screen time ever.
Carlton the Doorman.
Gotta be Hawkeye. Second, Basil, then Gleason.
But I would suggest that a lot of people would have named Arthur Fonzarelli, were this 1978. Were it 1981, we’d be hearing votes for ** Mork from Ork.** Were it 1985, it’s be **Cliff Huxtable. **
Some comedy is rooted rather specifically in times and places, and doesn’t translate well. Mary Tyler Moore as the single career girl, or George Jefferson as the upscacle black man, do not have the inherently humorous premises they once did. One of the reasons Archie endures is that while the specific issues he dealt with are dead and gone, the specifics were never really the point – it was about this flawed, but essentially well-meaning (certainly in his mind) man finding that the world has changed around him as he has aged, and that he is powerless to stop it. We know that guy; we are that guy. And that imparts a timelessness to his story that goes beyond just being funny. He’s also a fully-realized character in a way that few sitcoms ever allow. (What’s the shittiest thing Cliff Huxtable ever did? What’s the noblest thing Kosmo Kramer ever did?)
I love me some Schrute, but I’d be very surprised if people find him as interesting in 2025 as they do now.
I have to agree that Archie is probably the most well formed, realistic character in a sitcom ever. I never enjoyed watching the show outside of the theme song, though, so I can’t really give him my vote. He’s too close to some relatives to be comfy.
I’ve notice several people nominating George Burns, I always think of Gracie Allen first. Her version of logic almost worked in the real world, and I see enough of her in everyone’s actions that the exaggeration holds for me.
As much as I’d like to give her my vote, Basil Fawlty really is the champ for me.
Never watched the Archie Bunker show (whatever it was called, something forgettable with “Family” in it I think).
Alex P. Keaton is the most memorable (to me) character of those who haven’t been mentioned yet, so I’ll throw him out there.
KleeeEEEEEEEnk!