Remember folks, these are in no particular order, except for the last remaining five. I'm saving my top five for the last post.
26. Berretta
Don’t do the crime, if you can’t do the time. The fact that Berretta had that bird and wore those crazy hats and had a temper like a lit firecracker were the main reasons I loved him. I knew if I ever got in trouble, Berretta would be there fighting for my rights. A tough kid from the wrong side of town, he is the protector. A man’s man. And can I just say, a hell of an opening song sung by the magnificent Sammy Davis Jr.
Portrayed by: Robert Blake
Favorite episode: The villain in an episode, who turned out to be a kleptomaniac, was also Gay. Berretta never made a big deal about it. It was one of the first times I realized that men could be gay, and be okay in a Big Guy’s Book.
27. Laura Petrie
She was always perfect. Perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect husband, perfect dance steps. I wanted her as a best friend, and I wanted so badly to go to one of those parties where everyone’s around the piano, and Laura prances out in the middle of the livingroom with a perfectly choreographed opening number. Her devotion to her family was unbridled, and she could cook a mean pot roast.
Portrayed by: Mary Tyler Moore (2 Emmy Awards, 4 Nominations)
Favorite episode: Laura dyes her hair in order to become more attractive to Rob, and unfortunately ends up looking like a skunk. “…and the general yu-u-u-ckinessss!”
28. Dr. Johnny Fever
I loved his world. He had style and always seemed to be at a party that was down the street a bit. He was wild and unpredictable. Nothing better than a little Johnny Fever in the morning.
Portrayed by: Howard Hessman (3 Emmy Award Nominations)
Favorite episode: Fever and Jenniffer finally have their big date.
29. Kate Lawrence
The Mother of all Mothers. Kind, patient, wise, and robust. She had such a great intellect. I always pictured her reading Brecht instead of doing housework. She loved her children and taught them right from wrong through the eyes of a scholar. I got lost in her eyes. A beautiful woman. Inside and out.
Portrayed by: Sada Thompson (1 Emmy Award, 3 Golden Globe Nominations)
Favorite episode: Kate thinks Buddy has a drinking problem.
30. Buddy and Sally
The best comedy team since Stiller and Meara. He finished what she would start. Sally’s gentle calming of Buddy’s obnoxious ability to avoid the truth, by knocking him silly in the ribs with a sharp jab was nothing more than playful. And when they sang together? Nothing better. She was always looking the right man; he was always looking for the right punch line.
Portrayed by: Mory Amsterdam and Rose Marie (Marie received 3 Emmy Nominations)
Favorite episode: Buddy and Sally moonlight up in the Pokanose. Meanwhile, Rob and Laura believe they’re having an affair.
31. The Prisoner (Number 6)
I may be one of the few people on earth that remembers this series. That’s unfortunate, because it’s one of the most brilliant and unique ever developed. Number 6 was a combination of strength, brains, ideology, and fear. He was determined to find out where he was and why he had been abducted. He never gave up. I loved the way he was able to get himself out of any jam. And can someone tell me what the HECK that white bouncing ball was supposed to be?
Portrayed by: Patrick Macgoohan
Favorite episode: Number 6 finally finds out who Number 1 is, and the ending actually isn’t the ending at all. Genius.
32. David Addison and Maddie Hayes
A bit of Tracey and Hepburn, they were the golden couple for me. When they finally got together it ruined the mystery for me, I preferred the chase to the actual catch. The blonde model being pursued by the balding Gorilla. It was stark, funny, sweet, maddening, and explosive. I loved every codependent minute of them.
Portrayed by: Bruce Willis and Cybill Sheppard (Sheppard received 2 Golden Globe Awards)
Favorite episode: Maddie has a fantasy about their relationship, professional and personal. She dreams they are both swept up in a 1940’s film noir. She sings the golden: “I Told You I Loved You, Now Get Out.” (I had a blue dress made to copy the one she wore in that very episode).
33. Benson
One of the funniest domestics on TV. His wisecracks were rarely topped. Yet his relationship with the Madam of the house was deep, rich, and honest. I loved when the doorbell would ring and he’d look around the room and say: “Isn’t someone gonna get that?” Gorgeous.
Portrayed by: Robert Gilliume
Favorite episode: Benson admits his love to Jessica, his employer.
34. Jim Ignitowski
The sad thing is, I understood everything he ever said. I dated guys like him for years. There was something endearing and endlessly charming about him. It wasn’t just that he seemed high, or loaded, it was that he seemed to me to be off on another planet simply enjoying the view. I could have a couple of drinks with this guy, and probably end up back at my place.
Portrayed by: Christopher Lloyd (2 Emmy Awards)
Favorite episode: Jim asks Alex to redecorate his apartment. Alex and Louis arrive at Iggy’s pad, and assume it’s been destroyed in a terrible fire. Jim tells them that it always looks like that. Then, the demolition begins.
35. Alice (From the Brady Bunch)
She broke up fights, she saved the Brady’s marriage, and she had a hot romance with the town butcher. I thought she was hilarious. I loved her snide remarks, and her snarky, wacky looks. She held the household in her hand and was a one woman Ann Landers/Howard Hughes. She did it all, and she did it all with a great big dose of Humor. I wanted one of her homemade cookies. Still do.
Portrayed by: Ann B. Davis
Favorite episode: The kids think Alice is squealing on them and they decide to teach her a lesson and give her the silent treatment. Alice ends up leaving the house. It broke my heart.
36. John Boy
I loved his sense of solitude. I loved that he wrote constantly. I loved that education was so important to who he was. He was, on the outside, simple, gentle, and wispy, but he had the heart and soul of a poet. A fierce poet. I could always sense the danger and the need to get out seething underneath. He was, for me, the brother I always wanted.
Portrayed by: Richard Thomas (1 Emmy Award)
Favorite episode: Grandma Walton passes away. John Boy’s dissertation the life and death at the end of the episode is stunning.
37. Jessica Fletcher
A novelist with a nose for murder. People died in that town left and right, and Jess was there solving it all. She was a school Marm and a snoop all rolled into one. She had a demure sensibility and yet a childlike curiosity about what was around her. I loved the way she was able to sneak around the eventual truth and was still able to keep her eye on the murderer.
Portrayed by: Angela Lansbury (18 Emmy Award Nominations. Holds the record for the most amount of time nominated, and never winning)
Favorite episode: One of Jessica’s novels comes alive through a dream she has under medication for a bad back. A brilliant spoof of Murder on the Orient Express.
38. Andy Taylor
Everything was better in Mayberry, and with Sherriff Taylor on duty, everything was sweeter as well. He never lost his cool, and he was always able to handle a situation with a calm demeanor and an occasional song on the front porch. A good looking man, and never aware of it. I think that made him even cuter. I had a little crush on the Sherriff.
Portrayed by: Andy Griffith
Favorite episode: Andy and Barney are forced to evict the crazy old man on the hill because they’ve found he’s making moonshine. And selling it to the Marberry-ians.
39. Charlie’s Angles
I’m talking about the original three here, although Kris was a definite keeper. Sabrina, Kelly, and Jill were the Goddesses of 1970’s TV. Brains, Beauty, Brawn. There was such an upheaval over the no bra factor, but had men had to wear those torture devices you can bet we wouldn’t have heard word one about it. They never failed to get their man, and they never failed to do it while looking flawless. Even dressed as prostitutes, they were squeaky clean and scrubbed up. I worshipped them, and pretended to be them all the time. I was Sabrina. Always.
Portrayed by: Kate Jackson, Jacklyn Smith, and Farrah Fawcett (5 Golden Globe Nominations)
Favorite episode: Kelly gets shot in the head by a little boy she befriends. It was the first and last time there was ever blood on the show.
40. Marcus Welby M.D.
Remember when doctors made house calls? With little black bags and stethoscopes? Marcus Welby not only made the house call, he delivered babies, cured ailing pets, and solved family disputes. He never minced words. Although smiling one minute, he could turn on you in a heartbeat, if he thought you had missed your annual check up.
Portrayed by: Robert Young (4 Golden Globe Awards)
Favorite episode: Marcus brings an interracial couple back together after the Hispanic husband gets driven out of the all white neighborhood by a bunch of racists.
41. Mork (From Ork)
“Shazbot!” The magic finger. The way he sat on his head. His ability to kill a piece of toast. And his love for Mindy. He was a child let loose inside a mental facility, and I wanted badly to be there. His monologues to the Great Orson at the end of every episode always summed up the human condition. In an odd, twisted Mork sort of way.
Portrayed by: Robin Williams (1 Emmy Award Nomination)
Favorite episode: Mork decides to become a rock and roll star in order to become more “human”.
42. The Cast of M*A*S*H
I tried but I couldn’t do it. I tired to single out one character from this show, but I failed miserably. It would take an entire post by itself to thoroughly discuss why they’re so important to me, and who, and in what way, so I’m stuck with a sentence or two. Suffice to say, these are all people in the middle of a disastrous circumstance, watching death climb by their collective windows and never once losing their humanity or hope. The epitome of what we pray all Americans are able to do during War Time. A testament to brilliant writing and once in lifetime acting. On all fronts.
Cast Of MASH: (8 Emmy Awards, 10 Golden Globe Awards, 18 Nominations)
Favorite episode: It’s a tie: Henry dies in a helicopter crash witnessed by the entire camp, and ofcourse, the very last episode with “Goodbye” spelled out in rocks as Hawkeye finally leaves the hospital.
43. Barney Miller
Barney wasn’t a quick on the draw kinda guy. He moved at his own pace, and it was calming and hilarious. His pouty, aged face and his camaraderie with the guys in the office was what made him a good cop and plain old nice guy. Very few of them left. Again, another guy I’d bring home to Mom.
Portrayed by: Hal Linden (1 Emmy Award)
Favorite episode: Wojo arrests a Transvestite that only Barney realizes is indeed, a Transvestite. It was an episode done with style and compassion.
44. Rhoda Morgenstern
She was the tough New Yorker girlfriend I knew right from the start. She wasn’t fooled by Mary’s goody two shoes attitude, and when the two met in their mutual apartment for the first time, I immediately fell in love with her. Her constant search for the perfect guy as she battled her weight, her looks, and her Mother, while simultaneously befriending the coolest cheerleader at camp was always hilarious. She was the coolest chick on TV.
Portrayed by: Valerie Harper (4 Emmy Awards)
Favorite episode: Rhoda’s Mother (the indescribably Nancy Walker) comes for a visit. A fight ensues, and a make up at a bus stop that includes Mary in a store window pretending to be a dummy.
45. Hoss Cartwright
I always believed him. He was the cowboy that couldn’t lie. He was compelled by right and truth. He could also throw down when it came time. He was the bull dog at the door that would crumble into pieces at the sight of a pretty girl.
Portrayed by: Dan Blocker
Favorite episode: Little Joe has his first big fight with a bad guy (all dressed in black). Hoss comes to the rescue on his horse like the cavalry.
46. Captain Picard
He always seemed to me to be ready for his audition at The National Shakespeare Theatre. He was rational, thoughtful, and romantic. I always pictured him tucked in his bed, a little Mozart on the CD player, reading Marlowe as he awaits the next Starship catastrophe. Definitely a man I’d go to when I needed a cool head to prevail. And a man who fences? Take me now.
Portrayed by: Patrick Stewart
Favorite episode: Capt. Picard and the crew use the Holodeck to go back to the wild, wild west.
47. Catwoman
Okay. I know there were three, but for me, there was only ever one. Eartha. No disrespect meant for either the glorious Lee Meriwether, or the statuesque Julie Newmar, but Ms. Kitt was the real deal. She purred, she plotted, and she pursued Batman like a piece of chocolate cake. Although her stint lasted only 3 episodes, she was the villain I always wanted to be. When I was 8, I designed my own cabwoman costume and snuck around the house while my parents slept, cooing and meowing until they woke up. Catwoman and Batman were the hottest couple going for a while.
Portrayed by: Eartha Kitt
Favorite episode: Catwoman plots to steal the diamond collection from Gotham’s only museum. She doesn’t care a lick for the actual diamonds; she merely wants Batman to trail her. They end up on the grass, in the middle of the day; Batman on top of her, lips inches away. I died a little that day.
48. President Josiah Bartlett
Capable, stoic, funny, handsome, acute, direct, tireless in his quest to do his job, flawed, angry, and monologue-ready. The President we’ll never see, and hope to have. He’s the guy that would actually open up the White House and invite the public back in.
Portrayed by: Martin Sheen (3 Emmy Award Nominations)
Favorite episode: A Dr. Laura-like preacher with a big mouth is invited to the White House. The President gives her an ear full about exactly what the Bible says. Word for word.
49. Murphy Brown
She was constantly at war with herself. Fighting blindly in a male world and reaching endlessly for perfection in herself. I don’t know that she ever won either of those battles, but she certainly grew trying.
Portrayed by: Candice Bergen (5 Emmy Awards, 1 Golden Globe Award. She was the first actress to pull out of Emmy consideration. She felt she was dominating the category and wanted to give other actresses a chance to win)
Favorite episode: Murphy finally has her baby. One of the best delivery scenes ever filmed.
50. Sam and Diane
Another brilliant couple. Again, when they finally consummated their affair, I was bored, but the fight to get there was magnificent. Tragic, and hilarious, they kept each other at odds while constantly admiring themselves from across the room. Sam’s boyish, smarmy charm, and Diane’s brainy, egocentric femininity made for a beautiful courtship.
Portrayed by: Ted Danson and Shelly Long (Danson: 2 Emmy Awards, 1 Golden Globe Award, Long: 1 Emmy Award, 2 Golden Globe Awards)
Favorite episode: Sam and Diane go out on their first date. It’s a drunken disaster.
26. Berretta
Don’t do the crime, if you can’t do the time. The fact that Berretta had that bird and wore those crazy hats and had a temper like a lit firecracker were the main reasons I loved him. I knew if I ever got in trouble, Berretta would be there fighting for my rights. A tough kid from the wrong side of town, he is the protector. A man’s man. And can I just say, a hell of an opening song sung by the magnificent Sammy Davis Jr.
Portrayed by: Robert Blake
Favorite episode: The villain in an episode, who turned out to be a kleptomaniac, was also Gay. Berretta never made a big deal about it. It was one of the first times I realized that men could be gay, and be okay in a Big Guy’s Book.
27. Laura Petrie
She was always perfect. Perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect husband, perfect dance steps. I wanted her as a best friend, and I wanted so badly to go to one of those parties where everyone’s around the piano, and Laura prances out in the middle of the livingroom with a perfectly choreographed opening number. Her devotion to her family was unbridled, and she could cook a mean pot roast.
Portrayed by: Mary Tyler Moore (2 Emmy Awards, 4 Nominations)
Favorite episode: Laura dyes her hair in order to become more attractive to Rob, and unfortunately ends up looking like a skunk. “…and the general yu-u-u-ckinessss!”
28. Dr. Johnny Fever
I loved his world. He had style and always seemed to be at a party that was down the street a bit. He was wild and unpredictable. Nothing better than a little Johnny Fever in the morning.
Portrayed by: Howard Hessman (3 Emmy Award Nominations)
Favorite episode: Fever and Jenniffer finally have their big date.
29. Kate Lawrence
The Mother of all Mothers. Kind, patient, wise, and robust. She had such a great intellect. I always pictured her reading Brecht instead of doing housework. She loved her children and taught them right from wrong through the eyes of a scholar. I got lost in her eyes. A beautiful woman. Inside and out.
Portrayed by: Sada Thompson (1 Emmy Award, 3 Golden Globe Nominations)
Favorite episode: Kate thinks Buddy has a drinking problem.
30. Buddy and Sally
The best comedy team since Stiller and Meara. He finished what she would start. Sally’s gentle calming of Buddy’s obnoxious ability to avoid the truth, by knocking him silly in the ribs with a sharp jab was nothing more than playful. And when they sang together? Nothing better. She was always looking the right man; he was always looking for the right punch line.
Portrayed by: Mory Amsterdam and Rose Marie (Marie received 3 Emmy Nominations)
Favorite episode: Buddy and Sally moonlight up in the Pokanose. Meanwhile, Rob and Laura believe they’re having an affair.
31. The Prisoner (Number 6)
I may be one of the few people on earth that remembers this series. That’s unfortunate, because it’s one of the most brilliant and unique ever developed. Number 6 was a combination of strength, brains, ideology, and fear. He was determined to find out where he was and why he had been abducted. He never gave up. I loved the way he was able to get himself out of any jam. And can someone tell me what the HECK that white bouncing ball was supposed to be?
Portrayed by: Patrick Macgoohan
Favorite episode: Number 6 finally finds out who Number 1 is, and the ending actually isn’t the ending at all. Genius.
32. David Addison and Maddie Hayes
A bit of Tracey and Hepburn, they were the golden couple for me. When they finally got together it ruined the mystery for me, I preferred the chase to the actual catch. The blonde model being pursued by the balding Gorilla. It was stark, funny, sweet, maddening, and explosive. I loved every codependent minute of them.
Portrayed by: Bruce Willis and Cybill Sheppard (Sheppard received 2 Golden Globe Awards)
Favorite episode: Maddie has a fantasy about their relationship, professional and personal. She dreams they are both swept up in a 1940’s film noir. She sings the golden: “I Told You I Loved You, Now Get Out.” (I had a blue dress made to copy the one she wore in that very episode).
33. Benson
One of the funniest domestics on TV. His wisecracks were rarely topped. Yet his relationship with the Madam of the house was deep, rich, and honest. I loved when the doorbell would ring and he’d look around the room and say: “Isn’t someone gonna get that?” Gorgeous.
Portrayed by: Robert Gilliume
Favorite episode: Benson admits his love to Jessica, his employer.
34. Jim Ignitowski
The sad thing is, I understood everything he ever said. I dated guys like him for years. There was something endearing and endlessly charming about him. It wasn’t just that he seemed high, or loaded, it was that he seemed to me to be off on another planet simply enjoying the view. I could have a couple of drinks with this guy, and probably end up back at my place.
Portrayed by: Christopher Lloyd (2 Emmy Awards)
Favorite episode: Jim asks Alex to redecorate his apartment. Alex and Louis arrive at Iggy’s pad, and assume it’s been destroyed in a terrible fire. Jim tells them that it always looks like that. Then, the demolition begins.
35. Alice (From the Brady Bunch)
She broke up fights, she saved the Brady’s marriage, and she had a hot romance with the town butcher. I thought she was hilarious. I loved her snide remarks, and her snarky, wacky looks. She held the household in her hand and was a one woman Ann Landers/Howard Hughes. She did it all, and she did it all with a great big dose of Humor. I wanted one of her homemade cookies. Still do.
Portrayed by: Ann B. Davis
Favorite episode: The kids think Alice is squealing on them and they decide to teach her a lesson and give her the silent treatment. Alice ends up leaving the house. It broke my heart.
36. John Boy
I loved his sense of solitude. I loved that he wrote constantly. I loved that education was so important to who he was. He was, on the outside, simple, gentle, and wispy, but he had the heart and soul of a poet. A fierce poet. I could always sense the danger and the need to get out seething underneath. He was, for me, the brother I always wanted.
Portrayed by: Richard Thomas (1 Emmy Award)
Favorite episode: Grandma Walton passes away. John Boy’s dissertation the life and death at the end of the episode is stunning.
37. Jessica Fletcher
A novelist with a nose for murder. People died in that town left and right, and Jess was there solving it all. She was a school Marm and a snoop all rolled into one. She had a demure sensibility and yet a childlike curiosity about what was around her. I loved the way she was able to sneak around the eventual truth and was still able to keep her eye on the murderer.
Portrayed by: Angela Lansbury (18 Emmy Award Nominations. Holds the record for the most amount of time nominated, and never winning)
Favorite episode: One of Jessica’s novels comes alive through a dream she has under medication for a bad back. A brilliant spoof of Murder on the Orient Express.
38. Andy Taylor
Everything was better in Mayberry, and with Sherriff Taylor on duty, everything was sweeter as well. He never lost his cool, and he was always able to handle a situation with a calm demeanor and an occasional song on the front porch. A good looking man, and never aware of it. I think that made him even cuter. I had a little crush on the Sherriff.
Portrayed by: Andy Griffith
Favorite episode: Andy and Barney are forced to evict the crazy old man on the hill because they’ve found he’s making moonshine. And selling it to the Marberry-ians.
39. Charlie’s Angles
I’m talking about the original three here, although Kris was a definite keeper. Sabrina, Kelly, and Jill were the Goddesses of 1970’s TV. Brains, Beauty, Brawn. There was such an upheaval over the no bra factor, but had men had to wear those torture devices you can bet we wouldn’t have heard word one about it. They never failed to get their man, and they never failed to do it while looking flawless. Even dressed as prostitutes, they were squeaky clean and scrubbed up. I worshipped them, and pretended to be them all the time. I was Sabrina. Always.
Portrayed by: Kate Jackson, Jacklyn Smith, and Farrah Fawcett (5 Golden Globe Nominations)
Favorite episode: Kelly gets shot in the head by a little boy she befriends. It was the first and last time there was ever blood on the show.
40. Marcus Welby M.D.
Remember when doctors made house calls? With little black bags and stethoscopes? Marcus Welby not only made the house call, he delivered babies, cured ailing pets, and solved family disputes. He never minced words. Although smiling one minute, he could turn on you in a heartbeat, if he thought you had missed your annual check up.
Portrayed by: Robert Young (4 Golden Globe Awards)
Favorite episode: Marcus brings an interracial couple back together after the Hispanic husband gets driven out of the all white neighborhood by a bunch of racists.
41. Mork (From Ork)
“Shazbot!” The magic finger. The way he sat on his head. His ability to kill a piece of toast. And his love for Mindy. He was a child let loose inside a mental facility, and I wanted badly to be there. His monologues to the Great Orson at the end of every episode always summed up the human condition. In an odd, twisted Mork sort of way.
Portrayed by: Robin Williams (1 Emmy Award Nomination)
Favorite episode: Mork decides to become a rock and roll star in order to become more “human”.
42. The Cast of M*A*S*H
I tried but I couldn’t do it. I tired to single out one character from this show, but I failed miserably. It would take an entire post by itself to thoroughly discuss why they’re so important to me, and who, and in what way, so I’m stuck with a sentence or two. Suffice to say, these are all people in the middle of a disastrous circumstance, watching death climb by their collective windows and never once losing their humanity or hope. The epitome of what we pray all Americans are able to do during War Time. A testament to brilliant writing and once in lifetime acting. On all fronts.
Cast Of MASH: (8 Emmy Awards, 10 Golden Globe Awards, 18 Nominations)
Favorite episode: It’s a tie: Henry dies in a helicopter crash witnessed by the entire camp, and ofcourse, the very last episode with “Goodbye” spelled out in rocks as Hawkeye finally leaves the hospital.
43. Barney Miller
Barney wasn’t a quick on the draw kinda guy. He moved at his own pace, and it was calming and hilarious. His pouty, aged face and his camaraderie with the guys in the office was what made him a good cop and plain old nice guy. Very few of them left. Again, another guy I’d bring home to Mom.
Portrayed by: Hal Linden (1 Emmy Award)
Favorite episode: Wojo arrests a Transvestite that only Barney realizes is indeed, a Transvestite. It was an episode done with style and compassion.
44. Rhoda Morgenstern
She was the tough New Yorker girlfriend I knew right from the start. She wasn’t fooled by Mary’s goody two shoes attitude, and when the two met in their mutual apartment for the first time, I immediately fell in love with her. Her constant search for the perfect guy as she battled her weight, her looks, and her Mother, while simultaneously befriending the coolest cheerleader at camp was always hilarious. She was the coolest chick on TV.
Portrayed by: Valerie Harper (4 Emmy Awards)
Favorite episode: Rhoda’s Mother (the indescribably Nancy Walker) comes for a visit. A fight ensues, and a make up at a bus stop that includes Mary in a store window pretending to be a dummy.
45. Hoss Cartwright
I always believed him. He was the cowboy that couldn’t lie. He was compelled by right and truth. He could also throw down when it came time. He was the bull dog at the door that would crumble into pieces at the sight of a pretty girl.
Portrayed by: Dan Blocker
Favorite episode: Little Joe has his first big fight with a bad guy (all dressed in black). Hoss comes to the rescue on his horse like the cavalry.
46. Captain Picard
He always seemed to me to be ready for his audition at The National Shakespeare Theatre. He was rational, thoughtful, and romantic. I always pictured him tucked in his bed, a little Mozart on the CD player, reading Marlowe as he awaits the next Starship catastrophe. Definitely a man I’d go to when I needed a cool head to prevail. And a man who fences? Take me now.
Portrayed by: Patrick Stewart
Favorite episode: Capt. Picard and the crew use the Holodeck to go back to the wild, wild west.
47. Catwoman
Okay. I know there were three, but for me, there was only ever one. Eartha. No disrespect meant for either the glorious Lee Meriwether, or the statuesque Julie Newmar, but Ms. Kitt was the real deal. She purred, she plotted, and she pursued Batman like a piece of chocolate cake. Although her stint lasted only 3 episodes, she was the villain I always wanted to be. When I was 8, I designed my own cabwoman costume and snuck around the house while my parents slept, cooing and meowing until they woke up. Catwoman and Batman were the hottest couple going for a while.
Portrayed by: Eartha Kitt
Favorite episode: Catwoman plots to steal the diamond collection from Gotham’s only museum. She doesn’t care a lick for the actual diamonds; she merely wants Batman to trail her. They end up on the grass, in the middle of the day; Batman on top of her, lips inches away. I died a little that day.
48. President Josiah Bartlett
Capable, stoic, funny, handsome, acute, direct, tireless in his quest to do his job, flawed, angry, and monologue-ready. The President we’ll never see, and hope to have. He’s the guy that would actually open up the White House and invite the public back in.
Portrayed by: Martin Sheen (3 Emmy Award Nominations)
Favorite episode: A Dr. Laura-like preacher with a big mouth is invited to the White House. The President gives her an ear full about exactly what the Bible says. Word for word.
49. Murphy Brown
She was constantly at war with herself. Fighting blindly in a male world and reaching endlessly for perfection in herself. I don’t know that she ever won either of those battles, but she certainly grew trying.
Portrayed by: Candice Bergen (5 Emmy Awards, 1 Golden Globe Award. She was the first actress to pull out of Emmy consideration. She felt she was dominating the category and wanted to give other actresses a chance to win)
Favorite episode: Murphy finally has her baby. One of the best delivery scenes ever filmed.
50. Sam and Diane
Another brilliant couple. Again, when they finally consummated their affair, I was bored, but the fight to get there was magnificent. Tragic, and hilarious, they kept each other at odds while constantly admiring themselves from across the room. Sam’s boyish, smarmy charm, and Diane’s brainy, egocentric femininity made for a beautiful courtship.
Portrayed by: Ted Danson and Shelly Long (Danson: 2 Emmy Awards, 1 Golden Globe Award, Long: 1 Emmy Award, 2 Golden Globe Awards)
Favorite episode: Sam and Diane go out on their first date. It’s a drunken disaster.
Comments
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- 22 Feb 2014, 03:52I got a kick out of this. Saw it on FB first, and posted it on my page. Really well done. I wonder how long it took them to find all these clips.
- 12 Feb 2014, 02:50Someone is off his meds. What in the hell is he talking about. This paragraph makes absolutely no sense.
I have to put up with my Rush-listening brother-in-law every time I visit my family in Ohio.…
Comments
Steve Schalchlin
Steve S (again)
I think it was some sort of traking device, wasn't it? I think so. Briliant show. I wish they'd re run it.
I wonder if that's availabe on DVD - I'd love to see it again.
-- sheila
But I would put those guys and Andy Taylor w-a-a-a-y higher on the list ;) In fact, I might put Hawkeye Pierce as #1.
I was pretty young when M*A*S*H was on the air, and now that I've seen the majority of episodes, it clearly is one of the best written shows of all time. The actors were unbelievable and the stories had such a range...some episodes had you falling over laughing, others had you sobbing. What an amazing show.
Loved that you remembered Kate Lawrence. She was the glue that held that attractive family together. I had the hots for Season Hubley so bad, I thought I might explode.
I find it interesting that your list is a nice combination of wackiness and solidity. Captain Picard, President Bartlett, Marcus Welby, Barney Miller, and, especially, Andy Taylor(the role model for small-town reason and decency) all represent stable, dependable father-figures to whom those in need could turn. I think the Andy Taylor character had an under-appreciated impact on society. He showed America what a father, friend, and neighbor should be.
Anyway, thanks for these lists. They are a real pleasure.
- Stevie
My Grandparents lived in Pasadena. I did a lot of pretending at their house.
Yep, Barretta and remember the pimp informer Huggy Bear played by Antonio Vargas?
Laura Petrie in all her general yuckiness is my fave ep too. I also love the parties in the Petrie living room. I will never forget Rob and Laura singing Mountain Greenery.
How the heck do you remember Kate Lawrence on Family. Wow! I haven't thought of that show for ions. I agree about Kate. Beautiful.
Jessica Fletcher. All I know is if there's a wedding, weekend or cruise and she's invited, someone is gonna die.
Absolutely loved Rhoda. I loved the contrast in Mary and Rhoda's apartments with Mary all neat and conventional and Rhoda so bohemian with the beaded curtains. I liked the Rhoda spinoff too and had a big crush on her boyfriend Joe.
Andy Griffith is a family favorite and we are all Andy trivia experts.
Remember the eps with the two wild girls who get arrested and cause Andy and Barney trouble with Thelma Lou and Helen Crump. Fantastic characters.
Jackie
Okay. You win, Jackie. Wow!
I also liked the Andy shows with Earnest T. Bass. Remember him?
Jackie
- Stevie
One of my favorites, although a bit fuzzy:
Aunt Bea has entered a contest judging the best homemade pickles, but hers taste vile. I remember a scene where Barney and Andy first taste them. Priceless! I think they end up switching hers...
I've read that Andy Griffith was originally supposed to be the "funny" character, but wisely decided to be the center and react to all of the craziness around him, especially from Barney Fife.
Definately a real feel-good show.
Who wouldn't want to stop by Mayberry? At least for a visit.
-Paul