List RulesBest grumpy or curmudgeonly TV characters, both female and male
List of the best TV grumps. Male or female, these are the greatest grumpy TV characters -- television curmudgeons whose pessimistic rants and antics usually make viewers laugh. From the original great TV grumps, including Fred Sanford and Archie Bunker, to the new generation of grumpy TV characters such as Red Forman and Sue Sylvester, they’re all here.
Why is it that we love TV’s curmudgeons? They’re unhappy, they complain, they’re pessimistic, and they often try to make everyone around them miserable, too. The best TV grumps remain lovable, however, because they tap into our own grumpy sides; besides, their rantings and predictions of doom and gloom often have no effect on anyone else. The other characters in a TV show know that they’re dealing with a grouch, and carry on accordingly. In some cases, of course, the greatest grumps on TV really do make others’ lives miserable, but the curmudgeonly, grumpy character usually gets what’s coming to him or her in the end, which makes it okay.
The best grumps on television are usually funny, as well. Frank Costanza generally looks like he’s about to pop a blood vessel, but his ravings are hilarious. And underneath it all, many TV curmudgeons have a softer, warmer side. Who can blame a gentle-hearted person for putting up a mean front to protect their tender emotions? Viewers understand this about the best TV curmudgeons: They might seem mean, but they’re often concealing a caring personality -- and if they inspire a few laughs in the process, that’s all the better.
This list contains the grumps on TV that viewers have both loved and hated, laughed at or felt sorry for. Both female and male TV curmudgeons are included; after all, women can be just as crabby as men. The list also makes no age distinction -- the best TV grouches are both young and old.
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161138Basil Fawlty
Fawlty Towers- 28164141
Grampa Simpson
The Simpsons - 29161106
Daisy "Granny" Moses
The Beverly Hillbillies - 3013791
George Jefferson
The Jeffersons - 31136114
Frank Burns
M*A*S*H - 32172155
Lois
Malcolm in the Middle - 3311091
George Costanza
Seinfeld - 34152134
Sue Sylvester
Glee - 359760
Dean Winchester
Supernatural, Supernatural The Animation - 36135126
Oscar Madison
The Odd Couple - 374822
Leonard McCoy
Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series - 38124110
Louie De Palma
Taxi - 39110118
Becker
Becker - 40124122
Ralph Kramden
The Honeymooners - 418160
The Skipper
Gilligan's Island - 428565
Carla Tortelli
Cheers - 436264
Philip Banks
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - 4412179
Fred Flintstone
The Flintstones - 45104116
Thelma Harper
Mama's Family - 469355
Moe Howard
- 47123131
Nick Miller
New Girl - 48292
Eeyore
- 49118108
Lou Grant
The Mary Tyler Moore Show - 5086102
Henry Spencer
Psych