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TV Character

Rose Nylund

Rose Nylund is a fictional character featured on the popular 1980s situation comedy The Golden Girls, and its spin-off The Golden Palace. She was portrayed by Betty White for 8 years, totaling 208 episodes. Rose was originally supposed to be played by Rue McClanahan and Blanche Devereaux, one of Rose's roommates, was to be played by Betty White. However, Jay Sandrich, the director of the show, suggested that Rue and Betty switch parts. He felt that Betty would be a better fit for Rose because she had already played Sue Ann Nivens in the television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which is similar to the character of Blanche Devereaux.

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

Female Characters

Who are the greatest female TV characters of all time?&nbsp;This list includes some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-tv-characters-of-all-time">greatest television characters in history</a> from dramatic shows, sitcoms, and sci-fi series to&nbsp;procedurals and cartoons!&nbsp;For as long as TV has been a medium to reflect social constructs, programs have featured <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/strong-female-characters/anncasano?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">strong women characters</a> as protagonists, partners, and foils for their male counterparts. In comedy shows, characters like Lucy Ricardo, Mary Richards, and Maude Findlay paved the way for Elaine Benes, Roseanne Conner, and Liz Lemon.Female characters dominate modern genre series, with popular women like Daenerys Targaryen, Dana Scully, Buffy Summers, and Veronica Mars achieving cult-level idolization. You'll recognize these famous names as some of the strongest, funniest, and most relatable in television history.Vote up the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-female-movie-characters/ranker-characters?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest female characters</a> to move them up the list, and add please any that we're missing.

Morticia Addams

The Greatest Female TV Characters of All Time

Best Female TV Characters | Top Women Television Character List

Ranker Community

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

What were you watching during TV's greatest era?

'90s TV We'll Never Forget

Who were the best TV characters of the &#39;90s? From Frasier, Friends, and Married With Children all the way to kid favorites like Clarissa Explains it All, Doug, and Saved By the Bell, these shows greatly impacted 90s culture and made it the memorable decade it was. This list has the best television characters from all those classic 1990s TV shows.

It was the decade we met Bart Simpson, Cosmo Kramer, and Frasier Crane. The top TV show characters of the 90&#39;s included family-focused favorites like Tim &ldquo;The Tool Man&rdquo; Taylor, the obnoxious but lovable Steve Urkel, and Fresh Prince Will Smith. Nineties TV introduced many children&#39;s characters as well: Tommy Pickles, Batman, Doug.

This decade had an air of innocence and lightheartedness. The top characters of the &#39;90s were, for the most part family-friendly, uplifting, and hilarious. Who will ever forget the girl-next-door <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-happened-to-danielle-fishel/crystal-brackett" target="_blank">Topanga Lawrence</a>, and the importance of having an older, wiser soul rooting for you, like Mr. Feeney? The innocence of Clarissa Explains It All, Family Ties, and Blossom, reinforced family values, and other top &#39;90s shows like Friends, Roseanne, and The Cosby Show, left us feeling like we were never alone in the world.

Vote up your favorite 1990s TV characters below and think back to when these guys came into your living room once a week. Then go find yourself a Seinfeld rerun. You know there&#39;s got to be one on.

Peggy Bundy

The Best TV Characters of the 1990s

Ranker TV

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

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

"Motherhood: All love begins and ends there." -Robert Browning

Celebrating Moms

Culture

The favorite TV moms of all time, including mothers from all walks of life. Many great TV moms were characters on popular sitcoms, including 'The Brady Bunch,' 'Happy Days' and 'The Cosby Show.' Some were actually really good mothers, while others were just cool, funny and amusing. Which TV moms are the most memorable to you? Vote them up, and vote down any television moms you don't think are worthy of a place on this great list. Also, feel free to add your personal favorite TV mothers as well.Vote: <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/womansday_s-top-10-tv-dads-of-all-time">Favorite TV Dads of All Time</a>Some of the most memorable TV moms somehow always managed to get everything done with ease. How, exactly, did Carol Brady keep up with that whole bunch? To be fair, she had a lot of help from Alice, but still...it's not easy. And yes, not all of the favorite TV mothers on this list are as capable as say, Shirley Partridge ('The Partridge Family'), or as kind and nurturing as Caroline Ingalls ('Little House on the Prairie'). No, there are hot messes here too, including Peggy Bundy ('Married...With Children'). She might not be perfect, but she definitely loves her (totally messed up) kiddos. Claire Dunphy ('Modern Family'), for all her crazy, is actually a pretty awesome, fun mom to have. If you could choose any one of these TV moms as your own, who would it be? Would you rather have a wacky, hilarious mom like Lucy Ricardo ('I Love Lucy') or a more grounded, serious mom like Abby Bradford ('Eight is Enough').

Roseanne Conner

Favorite TV Moms Of All Time

Comedy

The funniest <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-female-tv-characters-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">female TV characters</a> are those whom we've both laughed at and laughed with, sharing their hilarious moments and sometimes their most touching ones. These funny females are mothers, friends, wives and businesswomen -- comical television character versions of the roles women play in real life. Sometimes easy to relate to, sometimes not, funny female TV characters keep viewers returning to the TV for season after season.While most truly funny women on TV can be found in sitcoms, a few of the best and funniest women in television can be found in dramas. Ally McBeal proved that a leading woman’s role could deal with dramatic situations, yet still allow the female lead to be humorous. A few of the funniest female TV characters have also come from books adapted into television shows, as in the case of Piper Chapman -- who also plays in a drama.Some of the funniest women on TV are known for their antics; a classic example is Lucy Ricardo’s failure to pronounce “Vitameatavegamin” after becoming tipsy off the health tonic of the same name. Some of TV’s funniest women are known for their rants or musings. Remember when Elaine Benes had to decide whether men were ‘spongeworthy?' No matter why viewers find them funny, these quirky, witty female characters continue to stand the test of time and give both men and women hilarious females to enjoy on TV. Whoever your favorite funny women on TV are, chances are they’ve become characters you can watch again and again. And that’s the real test: The funniest female TV characters aren’t just funny once, they’re enjoyable and humorous with repeated viewings. They’re human, they’re engaging and these funny television females give audiences not only a laugh, but a lift -- whether they earned one season, six seasons or more.

Lucy Ricardo

The Funniest Female TV Characters

Funniest Female TV Characters | List of Funny Women on Television

Entertainment

Serious moments in sitcoms are not uncommon, but sometimes they take a dark turn that is startling. Sitcoms by definition are usually funny,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/heartbreaking-moments-happy-shows/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">happy</a>, and lighthearted. But they&nbsp;are also supposed to imitate real life, so amusing shows have&nbsp;sometimes dipped their toes into serious issues.

Depressing storylines often resolve themselves quickly and even happily, but the darkest sitcom moments and &quot;<a href="https://nofilmschool.com/tv-very-special-episodes" target="_blank">very special episodes</a>&quot; are a reminder that real life can be scary.

Extremely Dark Moments In Usually Funny Sitcoms

General

Extremely Dark Moments In Sitcoms

Karen Fratti

There’s such a huge different when discussing television characters versus film characters. The main distinction is that we get to know our TV characters much better. Instead of a two-hour movie, we get to see television characters in different situations, often over the course of several seasons and many years. We feel like we know them personally, and in some scenarios they might seem like our dad, sister, or best friend. Nothing affects how a television character comes across to a spectator like the person playing the role. Even the most mundane script or unfunny sitcom can be saved by an actor’s performance. These are the best-acted characters on television of all time. This list includes both the best -cted characters currently on TV and old characters from the small screen's past. Nearly every genre is covered from sitcoms to police procedurals to political dramas. Some of these are cantankerous sorts (we’re looking at you, Dr. House), others have had incredible obstacles to overcome (we knew you could beat cancer, Christina Braverman), and a few of these characters are entertainingly evil (everyone feels guilty rooting for Francis Underwood.)We’ve cried along with these characters and believed their every emotion. These well-acted television characters are what stays with fans when they shut off the television for the night. Of course, dialogue and story are imperative on any successful television program, but without the actor to deliver those lines and sell the narrative, the television screen may as well stay blank.Make your voice heard. Be sure to vote up all the best acted current TV characters and the most expertly acted TV characters from previous eras of television.

The Most Well-Acted Characters of All Time

The 50+ Most Well-Acted TV Characters of All Time

Ann Casano

You&#39;re trapped at home. It&#39;s getting real lonely out there. The only &quot;friends&quot; you can invite into your living room are Chandler, Ross, Joey, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe. But what if you could invite those characters into your house for real? Which <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/tv-shows-you-wish-you-were-on/ranker-tv" target="_blank">sitcom character</a>&nbsp;would you want to be quarantined with? Michael Scott from The Office? Michael Bluth from Arrested Development? Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation? Vote for the sitcom character you most want to spend the rest of quarantine eating frozen pizzas and hunting for toilet paper with.

Which Sitcom Character Would You Want to Quarantine With?

Dave Schilling

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

Dumb sitcom characters have long been a staple of television comedies. Some prove so popular and enduring they could easily rank among <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-tv-characters-of-all-time">the greatest TV characters ever</a>, or, at the very least, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-funniest-tv-characters-of-all-time">the funniest</a>. But not every sitcom moron started out that way. Some actually began as quite different characters, so much so that they eventually became unrecognizable from their early appearances. In a way, this is forgivable; after all, characters evolve naturally over the lifespan of a TV show - or, in the case of stupid TV characters, they devolve. In some cases they became so butchered by their own stupidity to the extent that the character, and sometimes even the show itself, suffered greatly.There's a word for this phenomenon in pop culture-speak: <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Flanderization">Flanderization</a>. When TV writers take one or two noticeable traits of a character and gradually those one or two traits become the whole character, that's Flanderization at work. The term is named for The Simpsons' Ned Flanders, Homer Simpson's neighbor, who started out the series as an optimistic, devout dad and morphed into a right-wing nut-job who can't see beyond the lens of his own fervent Evangelicalism.And so: behold the sitcom characters who get dumber over time, or in other words, Flanderized to the max.

15 Sitcom Characters Who Somehow Got Dumber Over Time

15 Dumb Sitcom Characters Who Somehow Got Dumber Over Time

Donn Saylor

Fictional Characters

List of notable fictional characters whose name is Rose, including photos when available. The fictional characters named Rose below come from every kind of genre and medium, as this list includes movie characters named Rose, TV characters named Rose, and book characters named Rose. You might even find some notable <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-badass-video-game-heroes-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">video game characters</a> whose name is Rose below as well. Whether you're looking for comedy characters named Rose or drama characters named Rose, this list will have what you're looking for. Who are the most well known fictional Roses? Some of the more memorable names below include Rose Tyler from Doctor Who, Rose Nylund 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>, and Rose DeWitt Bukater from Titanic. This list is ranked by the votes of users like you, so vote for your favorite characters below if you want to see them higher on the list. If we left your top character named Rose off the list, feel free to add them.

Rose Nylund

Rose Nylund is listed on