50 Greatest TV Characters

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Recently CBSNews.com posted their choices for the 50 Greatest TV Characters.  Using just the characters from their list here is my top ten and 10 more who should have made the list:

  1. Lucy Ricardo: No matter what Lucy did, it always backfired, and just like Ricky, we were always ready to forgive her and come back for more.
  2. Vic Mackey: The greatest good bad guy in television history.  How could we find ourselves pulling for a guy who killed a good cop in cold blood in the very first episode?
  3. The cast of “Seinfeld”: The best tv comedy ensemble ever.
  4. Spock / Capt. James T. Kirk: Through in “Bones” McCoy and you have the best tv trifecta ever.
  5. Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver: The “Beav” when he was younger was a lot of fun… unfortunately he outgrew his cuteness before the series ended.
  6. Frasier Crane / Niles Crane: Totally believable as brothers and unbelievable funny [and I mean that in a good way].
  7. The Huxtables: The family that brought comedies back into vogue.
  8. Rico Tubbs and Sonny Crockett: The first year set the standard for tv, movies, and music videos.  Miami Vice’s influence was everywhere.
  9. Tony Soprano: The tough mob boss who couldn’t control his own family.
  10. Bob Hartley: Totally under-rated series lead.

Why weren’t these folks on the list?  James West, Cheyenne Bodie, Vinnie Terranova, Raylan Givens, Jack Bauer, Barnabus Collins, Rod Serling, Fred Sanford, Rob & Laura Petrie and Ralph Kramden & Ed Norton?