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TV Character

Archie Bunker

Archibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional New Yorker in the 1970s top-rated American television sitcom All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place, played to acclaim by Carroll O'Connor. Bunker, a principal character of the series, is a veteran of World War II, reactionary, conservative, blue-collar worker, and family man. The Bunker character was first seen by the American public when All in the Family premiered on January 12, 1971, where he was depicted as the head of a family. In 1979, the show was retooled and renamed Archie Bunker's Place, finally going off the air in 1983. Bunker lived at the fictional address of 704 Hauser Street in the borough of Queens in New York City.
All in the Family got many of its laughs by playing on Archie's bigotry, although the dynamic tension between Archie and liberal Mike provided an ongoing political and social sounding board for a variety of topics. Archie appears in all but seven episodes of the series.
In 1999 TV Guide ranked him number 5 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list.

After spending so very many hours watching a TV show, we form strong attachments - and revulsions - to certain characters. Let's rank 'em.

TV Characters We Love & Hate

Best TV

These are the funniest television characters ever created, as determined by the votes and selections of Ranker users. Lots of things make up truly iconic, timelessly funny characters... the actor, the writing, the supporting cast... but in the end, it's just the character that makes you laugh yourself weak.What are the funniest characters on TV? These are the characters that still make you roll on the floor no matter if you are watching new episodes or reruns from 20 years ago. A lot of the funniest TV characters of all time, like Homer Simpson and Stewie Griffin, tend to be cartoons but there are lots of funny characters that are real-life people too. Vote for your funniest picks and add any characters you see missing. If you want to really impact this list's order, make your own ranking and add it!

Cosmo Kramer

The Funniest TV Characters of All Time

Funniest TV Characters of All Time | List of Funny Television Roles

Ranker Community

Lists about things you love—or at least remember—about history's most bodacious decade.

I Love the '80s

80s TV

Who were the best TV characters of the '80s? From <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-golden-girls-guest-stars/lisa-waugh?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">The Golden Girls</a>, The Cosby Show, and Murder, She Wrote all the way to kid favorites like Punky Brewster, Elmo, and Saved By the Bell, these shows greatly impacted the culture of the decade. This list has the best TV characters from classic 1980s television shows.It was the decade where the Pee-Wee Herman was introduced. Michael Knight and Virgil Tibbs also took to the small screen, entertaining millions of fans. The top TV show characters of the 1980s included family-focused favorites like <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-highway-to-heaven-episodes/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Highway to Heaven</a> and the still popular kid’s all-time favorite Sesame Street. And who can forget the Seaver family from Growing Pains (though we try to forget Kirk Cameron these days)?&nbsp;Children’s characters like Alf, Optimus Prime, and He-Man were also introduced. The top characters of the 80s were, for the most part family-friendly, uplifting, and hilarious. Let's honor the ingenuity of Mr. Angus MacGyver, and the importance of having life-long friends a la&nbsp;The Golden Girls.Vote up your favorite 1980's TV characters below or add your favorite if he or she isn't already on the list!

Thomas Magnum

The Best TV Characters Of The '80s

Best TV Characters of the 80s | Popular 1980s Character List

Ranker TV

poll

List of TV's most memorable characters, of all time, chosen by the Ranker community. What makes a character live on in the public's memory, even years after the original run of their respective TV programs? In some cases, it's the amount of depth that the show's writers, actors and other creators were able to bring to the character over the course of many years. For many of the greatest TV characters of all time, audiences feel like they get to know personalities like Dexter Morgan from &quot;Dexter.&quot; Even after the show leaves the air, they may not want that relationship to end. (Thankfully, they don't have to, as many shows live on for years after their cancellation on DVD and in syndication.) The best TV characters are ones that you feel like you know and that you'd want to be friends with.TV has brought many famous characters to life who have been extremely compelling, even if they are not entirely likeable. Viewers may not wish to know dangerous, shadowy figures like Tony Soprano, Vernon Schillinger, and Omar Little in reality, but following their exploits safely from the comfort of your living room can be appealing. Likewise, people who might be aloof or downright unpleasant in real life - think &quot;Mad Men's&quot; Don Draper or Al Swearengen of &quot;Deadwood&quot; - can prove charming, even admirable, when seen at a distance, with the subtext and intricacy that a top long-running TV show can provide.Who is the greatest TV character ever? This list contains the names of the greatest, most fascinating, and most enduring fictional characters from TV of all time. Be sure to vote for your favorites, and if some of your favorite popular characters aren't represented, go ahead and re-rank the list to contribute to the discussion.

Jerry Seinfeld

The Greatest TV Characters of All Time

Fictional Character

Favorite TV Characters | List of Television's Greatest Characters

Some guys just want to watch the world burn.

Villains and Bad Guys

Villains

A detailed list of the most well-liked and loveable TV anti-heroes. The most likeable TV protagonists are listed in order from most popular to least. These ambivalent but likeable anti-heroes of TV can be changed in order of popularity to fit the viewer’s opinions. Or, you can copy to make your very own list of your most favorite TV anti-heroes. This villain list can then be re-arranged to suit your ideas. &nbsp; These ambivalent villains are a mixture of both good and evil and have managed to tug at the viewer’s heartstrings over the years. Do you remember most of these anti-heroes? This list answers the question, “Who are the most popular and likeable antiheroes of television?” Taking you on a road down memory lane, this list allows you to see which anti-heroes of TV were the worst and which were <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-movie-villains-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the best villains</a> of TV shows. &nbsp; While some TV protagonists are pure evil, many have a touch of good in them that the viewer can easily see, making the viewer sympathetic towards these quite loveable villains of television series. The viewers can often find themselves wishing only the best results for these sometimes harmless TV villains. This list allows you to choose which television anti-hero you think is the best villain of television.

Dr. Gregory House

The Most Likeable TV Anti-Heroes

Best TV Anti-Heroes | List of Favorite Antiheroes on Television

Entertainment

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 <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-red-forman-quotes/movie-and-tv-quotes" target="_blank">Red Forman</a> and Sue Sylvester, they&rsquo;re all here.

&nbsp;Why is it that we love TV&rsquo;s curmudgeons? They&rsquo;re unhappy, they complain, they&rsquo;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&rsquo;re dealing with a grouch, and carry on accordingly. In some cases, of course, the greatest grumps on TV really do make others&rsquo; lives miserable, but the curmudgeonly, grumpy character usually gets what&rsquo;s coming to him or her in the end, which makes it okay.

&nbsp;The best grumps on television are usually funny, as well. Frank Costanza generally looks like he&rsquo;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&rsquo;re often concealing a caring personality -- and if they inspire a few laughs in the process, that&rsquo;s all the better.

&nbsp;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.

The Most Beloved Grumps in TV History

Best TV Grumps | List of Curmudgeon Characters

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When a television show first starts, the writers of the program already have the star in mind. They write for the characters they think the audience will relate to and like the most and design the show around those characters. However, once the show hits the airwaves, the viewers don&rsquo;t always agree. Sometimes the true star of the show is the unlikeliest candidate. The breakout character is usually a character who was introduced as part of the supporting cast, but for one reason or another became a fan favorite. This list of the greatest breakout characters in TV history includes characters from both comedies and dramas and has been ranked by the community.

The breakout character on a TV show usually becomes the most discussed and most loved part of the show. He or she has the funniest lines, the best stories, and is portrayed by the favorite actor. After a positive audience reaction, these breakout characters suddenly start to get more screen time and story lines. Characters like <a href="https://groovyhistory.com/aaay-fonzie-happy-days-stories" target="_blank">Fonzie</a> and Ben Linus were never meant to be huge parts of their shows, but after their introduction, it was inevitable that they&rsquo;d become pivotal to the show&rsquo;s success. Some breakout characters, like Frasier Crane, even go on to star in their own series.

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Who are the greatest breakout characters on TV? Vote up the best breakout television characters below or add the best breakout star if he or she isn&#39;t already on the list.

Fonzie

The Greatest Breakout Characters in TV History

Greatest Breakout Characters in TV History | List of Breakout TV Characters

Celebrating the tough, goofy, loving men of the house who know and can fix everything.

Here's to Dad

Fathers

List of the greatest and most memorable dads from through television history. Which TV fathers were the most inspirational? Who taught you the most about growing up and becoming an adult? Which TV fathers were just the funniest and most entertaining? Any TV dads who fit these criteria are eligible for this list, an attempt to drill down into the definitive answer to the question: "Who's the world's favorite TV Dad?"Vote: <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/favorite-tv-moms-of-all-time-v3">Favorite TV Moms of All Time</a>Classic sitcoms revolving largely around the family gave us a ton of Dads to choose from, and for the most part, they were traditionally good fathers. Guys like Rob Petrie, Andy Taylor and Howard Cunningham looked out for their kids, paid attention to their needs and gave them solid life and career advice.Through the '80s and '90s, pop culture got a bit a bit more realistic or cynical, depending on who you ask, and TV Dads became more of a hodge-podge of responsibility and immaturity, reflecting the real, complex and often difficult job of being a father. Though there remain the shining examples of great TV dads like Cliff Huxtable from "The Cosby Show" and Dan Conner from "Roseanne," you now had alternative views of fatherhood, like Homer Simpson and the iconic Al Bundy.But this list doesn't discriminate! If your favorite TV dads are likely to lose their kids at the mall, ignore them in favor of football and beer or forget their birthdays, vote for 'em anyway! Your old man would be proud.

Ward Cleaver

Which TV Dad Do You Wish Was Your Own?

Look, you watch enough of a show, you get to know the characters. Maybe you even care about them. Maybe you even love them. Or hate them. Or want to read tons of lists about them.

The People in Your TV

List of TV husbands whose wives should have divorced them. This list includes the worst TV husbands of all types - from those who were merely clueless to those who performed hurtful acts. Whatever their crimes, these are the television husbands who should have been left by their wives. Vote up the worst television husbands.Bad television husbands come in many varieties. Most common on comedy shows or sitcoms is the male chauvinist stereotype, the husband who complains, belittles others, or is just generally annoying all around. Perhaps the most recognizable example of this type of bad TV husband is Al Bundy. Who could disagree that he was something of a wife’s nightmare? His endless ogling of other women, his slovenly habits, and his anti-feminist rants weren’t anything a wife would want to put up with, but they definitely made for funny TV. Other bad husbands on TV perform more egregious acts, including cheating, stealing, and lying. These worst of the worst TV husbands include Tony Soprano and Tom Scavo, whose antics weren’t necessarily funny. Instead, their actions made us feel sympathetic toward their wives. Of course, some truly awful TV husbands had equally awful TV wives, such as Dale Gribble from <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/times-king-of-the-hill-got-dark/erin-wisti?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">King of the Hill</a>. Poor thing, he never could figure out what was happening with his wife’s &quot;headache treatments.&quot;This list includes the worst TV husbands of all time; these are the men on TV whose wives should have left them, even if only to get a little peace and quiet. Sometimes these gruff TV husbands were hiding a softer side, sometimes they weren’t, but either way, they are the worst examples of husbands on TV. Vote up the worst husbands on the list.

TV Husbands Whose Wives Should Have Divorced Them

Worst Husbands on TV Character List 

Beer knurds: What are your favorite brews? Vote on these lists to rank everything from the tastiest IPAs to the best brands to bring to a party to the greatest bartenders in film & TV.

Here's to Beer!

Lists about the most memorable fictional characters in film, TV, and literature that will stick in our minds forever.

Characters We'll Never Forget

The Local Watering Hole

There are so many bartenders and drink slingers in TV and movies that should be available to pour our cocktails any night of the week that it&#39;s almost sad when you remember the greatest fictional bartenders are just that: fictional. These amazing fictional bartenders hail from some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-movies-of-all-time">best movies of all time</a> and the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-tv-shows-of-recent-memory">best TV shows of recent memory</a>. 
From &quot;Sweet Dee&quot; on It&#39;s Always Sunny in Philadelphia&nbsp;to the rotating cast of pour jockeys at Cheers, there are plenty of little and big screen bartenders to choose from in the quest to name the best bartender that doesn&#39;t actually exist. Considering, on shows like The Simpsons,&nbsp;the bartenders can literally do ANYTHING imaginable (like conceive of a flaming drink that takes the boozing world by storm), it actually takes quite a bit to grab the title of best fake bartender.

This list of the best bartenders in TV and film, ranked by people like you, is here to help determine who the top movie or TV bartender really is. These <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-bartender-characters-in-movies/erin-cody" target="_blank">famous movie bartenders</a> and television barkeeps serve the best drinks, share the most interesting stories, tell the funniest bar jokes, and lend the most sympathetic ears. Vote up your favorite fictional characters to help determine who is the best bartender in entertainment.

The Greatest Fictional Bartenders

Famous Fictional Bartenders | List of Best Bar Employees from Film & TV

Bottoms Up

Lists about drinking alcohol for people who love drinking alcohol.

Drinking, Drunk, Drunks

&quot;The problem with some people is that when they aren't drunk they're sober.&quot; ﻿&nbsp; &nbsp;--William Butler Yeats.﻿ These are some of our favorite, most lovable TV drunks. Famous drunks: cartoon characters, ad men, a shoe salesman, even a kindergarten teacher – they are all proof that it's OK to enjoy the results of a good fermentation process. This list of alcoholic TV characters includes some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-tv-characters-of-all-time">greatest TV characters of all time</a>, because hey, boozehounds are people too. Vote for your favorite drunk TV characters and see if you recognize all of the TV alcoholics on this list.&nbsp;

Archie Bunker

Archie Bunker is listed on