# TV Shows With No Likable Major Characters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 13, 2008, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769 "2008-06-13T04:10:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/81 "2008-06-17T16:18:03Z")
> [@](#): > > House? I mean, given the choice, you’d like to hang out with them, have a beer? House has good taste in music; he probably knows good places to hang out. Might not be so bad if somebody good was playing. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/82 "2008-06-17T17:01:46Z")
[QUOTE=Lisa-go-Blind] **Six Feet Under**. I managed to watch the whole series, but it would get hard because of the obnoxiousness of the characters. Even relatively likeable ones like David and Rico had major personality problems. Of course, that’s what drove the drama of the show, etc etc. [/QUOTE] Sort of agree with the OP on Seinfeld, but I don’t agree with this. Most of the SFU characters were essentially likable, but we saw them at their most intense and stressed out. IOW–the plot and drama of the show drove our impression of the characters. Regarding Seinfeld, I think if I met those people in real life I could take them or leave them. I don’t think their actually evil, but a quick lunch once a week at Monk’s is probably the most exposure I could stand. Certainly they didn’t seem to have any intellectual pursuits or cultural interests; in seven seasons of episodes about four Manhattanites, did anyone ever mention going to the Met or the opera, or any other of the fantastic cultural opportunities that New York has to offer? Of course not, it was a sitcom, but still. They could have been living in Dubuque with subways for all that the City had anything to do with the show. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/83 "2008-06-17T17:45:51Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] You’d actually want to spend time with either Dr. Cox or House? I mean, given the choice, you’d like to hang out with them, have a beer? [/quote] Sure. They’re witty enough to make the insults entertaining, and I can give back if I want and would enjoy trying to find ways to top them. I never said they were nice, but they’d be a lot of fun to hang out with. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/84 "2008-06-17T18:23:40Z")
[QUOTE=Diceman] For _Married…With Children_, I’ve often thought that the perfect ending would have gone like this: Peg is sitting on the couch watching TV, being her usual obnoxious self, giving abuse to Al. Finally, she pushes Al too far. He leaves the room, and comes back a moment later carrying a big axe, with a demented gleam in his eye. Peg, still watching TV, is oblivious to this development. The camera slowly pans away, and the violin chords from _Psycho_ play in the background as we hear the sound of chopping and Peg screaming in agony. In the next scene, we see Al sitting in a padded room wearing a straightjacket. He’s smiling, and he says to himself, “Finally, I’ve got some peace and quiet.” [/QUOTE] You’re close, but I always thought the perfect ending for _Married… With Children_ would have been for Al to kill the whole family (and the neighbors) with an ax, and then be acquitted by a jury of twelve shoe salesmen. ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/85 "2008-06-17T18:31:19Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] Certainly they didn’t seem to have any intellectual pursuits or cultural interests; in seven seasons of episodes about four Manhattanites, did anyone ever mention going to the Met or the opera, or any other of the fantastic cultural opportunities that New York has to offer? Of course not, it was a sitcom, but still. They could have been living in Dubuque with subways for all that the City had anything to do with the show. [/QUOTE] I can’t see Jerry or George or Manhattanites like them taking advantage of the many fantastic cultural opportunities that New York has to offer. They would be too busy hanging out at diners seeing movies, and going to Yankee games. Elaine probably, and Kramer maybe. It just wouldn’t fit in with their characters to go to art museums or poetry readings. Having said that. There was an entire episode that revolved around Jerry Seinfeld dating an understudy on a Broadway play. There was another episode about George buying a piece of artwork from a painter friend of Elaine’s and hoping that it would go up in value when he died. And, there was an episode about all of their trip to see the Opera (and how, it seemed, they didn’t much want to go.) ---
**Author:** ![AlmondJoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@AlmondJoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlmondJoy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/86 "2008-06-17T19:07:23Z")
Maybe its because I’m weird but sometimes I actually like the people that I “shouldn’t” like even more because they are such a-holes… For example, the douschebaggery of House is so appealing … I obviously have issues… But if he was nice … who would even care … reallyyyy ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/87 "2008-06-17T19:07:53Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] [The Sopranos.](http://nymag.com/news/features/33517/) [/QUOTE] Thank you. I was gona say that. Theres not one character in that show that deserves sympathy or consideration. I already had an awesome distaste for New Jersey before I watched that show. Aftwer watching it i can only say once again that i will never willingly go back to New Jersey again. It has way too high of a concentration of dickheads. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/88 "2008-06-17T19:09:08Z")
[QUOTE=Jolly Roger] Thank you. I was gona say that. Theres not one character in that show that deserves sympathy or consideration. I already had an awesome distaste for New Jersey before I watched that show. Aftwer watching it i can only say once again that i will never willingly go back to New Jersey again. It has way too high of a concentration of dickheads. [/QUOTE] Seriously? Based on a TV show? Whoosh, right? ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/89 "2008-06-17T19:11:56Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] I guess they succeeded. [/QUOTE] Not entirely…I kinda liked Al. He was a slob, a loser and an idiot, but he was also kind of an “Everyman”. His frustrations were sort of what a lot of people feel. I wouldn’t want to live next to him, or hang out with him, but he wasn’t that unlikable. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/90 "2008-06-17T19:24:09Z")
[QUOTE=Hazle Weatherfield] Seriously? Based on a TV show? Whoosh, right? [/QUOTE] Not entirely on the Tv show. _ok, I’ll agree that this isn’t a rational explanation ahead of time, but its how i feel_ I won’t go into detail, but i was stationed in NJ as a recruiter for five fuckin’; years. Recruitibng sucked, I hated it and I wanted more than ahything to NOT be a recruiter. (ironically I have an ward for being top recruiter of the quarter while i was there). But New Jersey was filled with some of the most unpleasant people I’ve ever met. I seriously never want to ever see that state again. I have 3 realtives in NJ, and I told them that I’ll never come back unless someone dies and I come to the funeral. (since they aren’t originally from NJ I’m hoping the funeral would be elsewhere)/ I won’t pretend this has anything to do with other than my own crazy nonsensical feelings, but those were the most miserable years of my life. My time in New Jersey saw me hospitalized twice due to blood pressure. Watching the Sopranos brought way to many of the feelings back to the surface. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/91 "2008-06-17T19:36:09Z")
This issue was my main gripe with **Wings** , which I think was an earlier example of a show in which it’s hard to root for any of the characters. I didn 't have this problem with **Seinfeld** at all, because it was so over the top. With **Wings**. I think we were supposed to be rooting for at least some of them. (I was rutting for Crystal Bernard, but that’s another story…) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/92 "2008-06-17T20:00:11Z")
_Barney and Friends_ Wait, did the OP specifically exclude kids’ shows? Then _Squidbillies_. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/93 "2008-06-17T22:27:24Z")
House? really? Cuz I love him. of course that has much to do with Hugh Laurie melting me into a little puddle of lust. Plus the character is bitter and sarcastic and funny. All of which also does it for me. And if House ever went back to Hugh’s orginal accent, you’d definatly find a puddle of lust right there in my living room. Got to go with Everybody Loves Raymond. Lot’s of shows, like Seinfeld, like the Sopranos, you aren’t supposed to think well of anyone. But ELR, or say, Friends there’s an idea that they’re supposed to be likable when they’re really horrible horrible people. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/94 "2008-06-18T13:13:38Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] You’d actually want to spend time with either Dr. Cox or House? I mean, given the choice, you’d like to hang out with them, have a beer? [/QUOTE] I would. I like both Dr. Cox and Dr. House. And add in Adam from _Northern Exposure_. Can you imagine spending a night in a bar with those three? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/95 "2008-06-18T14:21:24Z")
Somebody mentioned earlier the _Godfather_ movies, so I imagine that, although the OP specifically mentioned TV series, movies are allowed. In that case, I want to propose that the movie that epitomizes the “every single character is a total asshole” is … _ **A Clockwork Orange** _ I have watched it several times, and I cannot think of ANY character in it that is NOT an asshole, flawed, or troubled in one way or another. The movie is great, but the characters, _good goodness…_ Just my 2 eurocent! ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/96 "2008-06-19T03:15:43Z")
The chaplain? ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/97 "2008-06-19T03:59:45Z")
_Fawlty Towers_. Oh, and though I haven’t watched it, I gather that _The Office_ is like this. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/98 "2008-06-19T04:04:03Z")
Other than Dewey (who’s a kid), _Malcolm in the Middle_ doesn’t really have any particularly likable characters. Lois, while admittedly stressed out and often provoked, can be a first order biatch, Hal’s a nutless nebbish, Rhys and Francis are somewhere twixt delinquents and thugs, Malcolm makes Woody Allen look like Mr. Rogers in terms of whining and maladjustment, [can’t remember his name- the chubby co-worker in love with Lois] is a neurotic geek, and Lois’s mom is one of the most evil creatures ever on television. That said, taken altogether it works. At its best it was a fantastic show. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/99 "2008-06-19T23:18:28Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] The chaplain? [/QUOTE] The prison chaplain from “A Clockwork Orange”? Hmmm… He is hopelessly naïve, though. I imagine that he is the only one who might be considered “likeable”, although at times you feel like smacking him for not seeing what a S.O.B. his charge is. Just my 2 eurocent! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769/100 "2008-06-20T00:06:30Z")
Colin Baker era Doctor Who. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-shows-with-no-likable-major-characters/452769.md?page=6)