# TV Sidekick Hall of fame **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 9, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656 "2005-06-09T22:10:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/21 "2005-06-10T01:35:45Z")
\*\*Chester Goode \*\* _Gunsmoke_ (1955-1964) \*\*Milhous Van Houten \*\* _The Simpsons_ **Potsie Weber & Ralph Malph** _Happy Days_ **Carrie “I Hardly Ever Get Any Lines” Ingalls** _Little House on the Prairie_ \*_Larry Dallas \*\* Three’s Company **The Cosby Kids** \* Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids_ **Lumpy Rutherford** _Leave it to Beaver_ **Mrs. Beasely** _Family Affair_ (special award of merit for being an inanimate object) ---
**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:** [June 10, 2005, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/22 "2005-06-10T02:13:03Z")
**Rhoda Morganstern** _Mary Tyler Moore_ **Norm Peterson** _Cheers_ **Trapper John McIntyre** _M_A_S_H\* **Rocket J. Squirrell** _The Bullwinkle Show_ (alternatively, Bullwinkle on Rocky and His Friends) **Buddy Sorrell and Sally Rogers** _The Dick Van Dyke Show_ **Gilligan** _Gilligan’s Island_ - Maybe the only show where the sidekick was the star And in the real world… **Ed McMahon** _The Tonight Show_ **Paul Shaffer** _The Late Show with David Letterman_ **Willard Scott** _The Today Show_ And maybe the best TV sidekick of all time… **Mariette Hartley** to James Garner in a series of Polaroid camera commercials ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/23 "2005-06-10T02:30:10Z")
I have to second, third, whatever Barney Fife. Don Knotts was amazing in that role, because by playing it as straight as he did, it made the character hilarious. Other great sidekicks: TV’s Frank from MST3K Butters from South Park ---
**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 10, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/24 "2005-06-10T04:32:43Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > And maybe the best TV sidekick of all time…Mariette Hartley to James Garner in a series of Polaroid camera commercials No, but you reminded me of another one; **Angel Martin** on _The Rockford Files_. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/25 "2005-06-10T07:40:28Z")
**Dog** _Columbo_ ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/26 "2005-06-10T10:13:56Z")
Surprised that Festus of Gunsmoke hasn’t gotten a nomination yet. Tied for first in my mind are Barney Fife and Ed Norton. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/27 "2005-06-10T12:57:33Z")
I was stunned to see the thread went to post #14 before anyone mentioned Barney Fife! ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/28 "2005-06-10T13:00:31Z")
Dipping into the 1960s era cartoons we have: Baba Louie to Quick Draw McGraw (“I don’t thin that’s a good idea, Quix-draw.”) and Boo Boo Bear to Yogi Bear. Of course, Huckleberry Hound didn’t need any sidekick. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/29 "2005-06-10T13:16:10Z")
People, people people! How could you forget **Barney Rubble**? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/30 "2005-06-10T13:43:51Z")
> [@Art Vandelay](#): > > Mrs. Peel. Thus in the strictest sense, she _is_ a sidekick. Yeah. Especially when she kicks _really high_. Rowr! Chickotay (ST: Voyager) Howard Borden, Jerry Robinson (The Bob Newhart Show) George Michael (Arrested Development) Skippy (Family Ties) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/31 "2005-06-10T16:57:17Z")
Artemis Gordon. ---
**Author:** ![wnorthr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@wnorthr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wnorthr)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/32 "2005-06-10T21:37:14Z")
Odio Coloney on the King Leonardo cartoons. Itchy brother. Biggie Rat’s sidekick on the same show. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/33 "2005-06-10T22:04:56Z")
Socrates Poole - “The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/34 "2005-06-10T23:23:45Z")
The Robot from _Lost In Space_. ---
**Author:** ![Baggins111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@Baggins111](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baggins111)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/35 "2005-06-10T23:36:36Z")
Ernest Penfold from “Dangermouse.” More votes for Ed Norton, Barney Fife, and Barney Rubble. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/36 "2005-06-10T23:57:51Z")
Probably one of the first in television Patrick Alouious Brady to Roy Rogers (you remember Pat he drove Nelliebelle) Range Rider had Little Beaver (played by Robert Blake by the way) Has anyone mentioned Mindy of Mork and … Paul Drake for Perry Mason Andamo for Mr. Lucky The Burt Reynolds character in Riverboat The oriental guy in Quincy Higgins in Magnum PI ---
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/37 "2005-06-14T23:32:26Z")
1928 Porter/Mom: “_My Mother the Car_”, Ann Sothern (as the car) played the sidekick role to Jerry Van Dyke (or was it the other way around?) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/38 "2005-06-14T23:58:21Z")
Jingles (Andy Devine) - _The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock_ _Hey, Wild Bill, wait for meeeee!_ ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/39 "2005-06-15T00:26:50Z")
Mr. Greenjeans to Captain Kangaroo ---
**Author:** ![ScubaSteve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@ScubaSteve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScubaSteve)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656/40 "2005-06-15T02:53:15Z")
**Wally** from the comic strip Dilbert **Snowman** from Smokey and the Bandit **Linus** From Peanuts [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-sidekick-hall-of-fame/307656.md?page=1)