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TV Character

Basil Fawlty

Basil Fawlty is the main character of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, played by John Cleese. Basil has become an iconic British comedy character, despite only twelve half-hour episodes ever being made.

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

The Absolute Most Hilarious Movies Ever Made

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

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.

Dr. Gregory House

The Most Beloved Grumps in TV History

Best TV Grumps | List of Curmudgeon Characters

Ranker TV

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.

The Most Likeable TV Anti-Heroes

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

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

Characters We'll Never Forget

List of the fictional bosses you’d least like to work for. Think your boss is bad? Your boss may not even compare to some of the horrible fictional bosses throughout time. Browse through this list of the fictional bosses you’d least like to work for to gain some new perspective on your own employment situation. Ranked by the community in order from the absolute worst to just kind of annoying, you are sure to find a boss worse than yours on the list.Vote for the fictional boss you think is the absolute worst. Or, if you don’t see a particularly horrible fictional boss on the list, and him or her below so that others can vote as well.Although some may think the boss they have is the worst, there are some fictional bosses that have even been known to stalk or kill their employees. After seeing a few of these fictional bosses that you’d least like to work for, you may start to appreciate your own boss a little more!

Marsellus Wallace

The Fictional Bosses You'd Least Like to Work For

Ranker Characters

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.

Archie Bunker

TV Husbands Whose Wives Should Have Divorced Them

Worst Husbands on TV Character List 

The mustache is an iconic facial hair statement that has been the hallmark of many a great television character. Only a true manly man can grow and groom the perfect mustache and manage to not look creepy. These awesome TV characters probably had the help of hair and makeup, but don't worry about that. Just take in the majestic mustaches of these memorable TV men.When it comes to facial hair on TV, I dare you to not immediately think of Ron Swanson. One of the best characters on Parks and Recreation, his mustache is truly epic and nearly perfect in every way. But there are many old school television mustaches as well. From Basil Fawlty, Magnum P.I., and the son-in-law from All in the Family, the mustache is a distinctive feature that was rocked by many of your favorite television characters throughout TV history.But mustaches aren't just cool and dapper. They also make a difference for men's health! Check out <a href="http://us.movember.com/">Movember</a> to see how! And if you still can't get enough of the 'stache, take a moment to vote for your&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-mustaches-in-film/amylindorff">favorite mustaches in movies</a>&nbsp;as well. Spoiler alert: that list is mostly Sam Elliott and Daniel Day Lewis. Or, maybe you're upset because you were looking for Alex Trebek and Geraldo Rivera below. Sorry, but <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-tv-personality-mustaches/amylindorff">that's a different list</a>. Now go get some mustache wax and get to sculpting.<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5498483/?claim=eyepwqtenk2">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Ned Flanders

The Most Excellent TV Character Mustaches

Amy Boal

Looking closer at movies, TV shows, and even characters based on and "inspired by" reality.

Based on a True Story

TV characters based on real people are as popular as ever. What better source to draw upon than real life?&nbsp;After all, real life is stranger than fiction. People who inspired&nbsp;TV characters can be horrifying while some can be inspirational.&nbsp;Some, like Lady Gaga's character on American Horror Story: Hotel are based off one of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/worst-serial-killers/tool100?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">most notorious serial killers</a> in history.&nbsp;Others, like Moe from The Simpsons, are based off famous athletes who retired from the sport but kept their feisty spirit alive. They are politicians, mob bosses and even an eccentric next door neighbor. What all of these people have in common is their mark as inspirations for some of the most memorable characters on television.&nbsp;Let's check out some fictional characters based on real people and see if you guessed they were real all along.

Basil Fawlty

Basil Fawlty is listed on