Tuesday's Top Ten - Favorite Television Characters

"There was someone on a platform talking to the folks/ About the T.V. ..." - "T.V. Talkin' Song" by Bob Dylan

I have done a couple of television-related lists in the past and they seem to be pretty popular based on page views, so I thought today I would focus my efforts on naming my all-time favorite T.V. characters. It was hard to narrow these down because I am such a T.V. junkie, but I think my top ten goes a little something like this:

1. Lorelai Gilmore (played by Lauren Graham) - This one was a no-brainer. "Gilmore Girls" is my favorite show and there has never been a character as fantastic as Lorelai. She's quick-witted, a pop culture whiz, quirky, snarcastic (snarky + sarcastic), and a great mom. I love how she's such a fast talker and is so goofy, but she is also a successful businesswoman and managed to raise her daughter entirely on her own, even after giving birth to her at only 16. I wish more people were like Lorelai in real life. And coincidentally, Lauren Graham also plays another great character in one of my current favorite shows, "Parenthood".

2. David Addison (played by Bruce Willis) - Before becoming an A-list movie star, Bruce Willis played David Addison in the 80s series "Moonlighting". In the third episode of the first season, David, in his smooth-talking, charming way, sings "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy" and I loved him from that moment on. He's the type of character that gets into trouble but can always talk his way out of it, will punch a guy in the face to defend someone important to him, and can win anyone over with a smile. Who wouldn't love David Addison?

3. Mike Seaver (played by Kirk Cameron) - "Growing Pains" has been one of my favorite sitcoms since I was in preschool, so it's no wonder it has had such a lasting impact on me. In fact, I think Michael Aaron Seaver was the first TV character I ever loved. He's kind of like the younger version of David Addison - the charming, mischievous guy who gets into trouble but never really means to, but no one cares because you can't help but like him. I think it's the smile.

4. Lucy Ricardo (played by Lucille Ball) - There will never be another Lucy. Her trademark slapstick humor and vibrant personality is the reason everyone loves Lucy. I loved how she always wanted Ricky to put her in his nightclub act and sometimes went to extreme lengths to make her dream a reality. She and Ethel had the best friendship, and no one could pull off a joke or a prank like Lucy. She was one of a kind.

5. Jim Halpert (played by John Krasinski) - The way Jim handles his rivalry with Dwight on "The Office" has landed him on my list. Jim is one of the funniest characters on TV at the moment, and has pulled some of the best pranks of all time. (Does anyone see a pattern here with some of these characters? Hmm...) I don't think I have ever laughed harder at a TV show than when Jim impersonated Dwight or when he created a "security threat" work ID badge for Dwight "Fart" Schrute. And his storyline with Pam was so sweet and innocent, that I can't help but love him.

6. Sheldon Cooper (played by Jim Parsons) - Okay, I am now deviating from my typical favorite character completely and picking the biggest of all uber-geeks from "The Big Bang Theory". Sheldon is hilarious! His character has no sense of humor, aside from his "classic practical jokes" with a bazinga zinger at the end, seems to be incapable of most human emotions, and is consumed with science, video games, comic books, and trains, but I still love him! He could be the poster child for the phrase "there's a fine line between genius and insanity", but there is something about him that is quite endearing. I think part of the appeal of the show and Sheldon's character, for me anyway, is that they are completely different from anything else out there on TV. No one is quite as weird as Sheldon, quite as oblivious, or quite as brilliant, and that makes him very fun to watch.

7. Lindsay Weir (played by Linda Cardellini) - There has never been another character on TV that I relate to as much as Lindsay from "Freaks and Geeks". This show was on when I was a senior in high school, and in so many ways, I was Lindsay. I was the good girl that hung out with the "bad kids", I always got good grades (although I was never a Mathlete!), and we liked the same music. Plus she was quick-witted and quick to speak her mind, both qualities I have always been proud to possess myself. I think it's kind of unusual for a girl like Lindsay who is thought of as wholesome and intelligent and has never been in trouble a day in her life to be accepted by a totally different crowd, "the freaks" in this case, but I experienced a similar connection and acceptance, so I immediately identified with her. It's a shame the show wasn't on longer. I would have loved to have seen how her journey following The Grateful Dead around for the summer went.

8. John Boy Walton (played by Richard Thomas) - I love "The Waltons" and John Boy was my favorite character right from the start. I can relate to his dream of becoming a writer and each time he sent off a submission or got a rejection letter, I was like, "Yep, I know just how you feel!" And when it shows him sitting down to write at night, trying to escape all of the craziness that goes on in the rest of his life and find a moment of peace, I like to think that I know a little bit how Earl Hamner, Jr. (the real life John Boy that wrote the book which inspired the show) felt as his pen sailed across the paper, telling stories that maybe, just maybe, would mean something to someone someday.

9. Cameron Tucker (played by Eric Stonestreet) - Easily one of the funniest characters to ever appear on television, and my favorite character on "Modern Family". Cam is so over the top and flamboyant, and the faces he makes are beyond hilarious. Even his mannerisms are laugh out loud funny! He has said in interviews that he modeled his character after his mother, so I'm just assuming that she's one of the funniest, goofiest, nicest, and most likable people on the planet. And I love seeing Cam interact with Lily, his TV daughter. He's like a big papa bear who plays dress up and probably throws a killer tea party.

10. Mr. Lynn Belvedere (played by Christopher Hewett) - I have mentioned before how I think of Mr. Belvedere as my TV kindered spirit, so it's just right that he rounds out my top ten. Lindsay from "Freaks and Geeks" may be the most like me as a teenager, but somehow, I relate to Mr. Belvedere as an adult! Not the British middle-aged curmudgeon of a man (insert eye roll here), but the house manager/nanny who keeps everything under control and everyone in line, even that lovable little trouble-maker Wesley. And Mr. Belvedere writes every night as well! I think if Mr. Belvedere and I sat down for tea (yes, I know he's fictional; I haven't completely lost it yet!), we would have a lot to talk about.

Tuesday's Top Ten - 80s Sitcoms

"What would you do if I sang out of tune/ Would you stand up and walk out on me/ Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song/ And I'll try not to sing out of key." - "A Little Help From My Friends", Joe Cocker version and theme song to "The Wonder Years"

For those of you who may not have been around for the 80s, they were a decade of day-glo clothing, awful hairstyles (the mullet, Jheri Curl, Flock of Seagulls!), valley girl slang, and last but not least, fantastic sitcoms. As a card carrying TV junkie, I thought I would dedicate this post to my top ten favorite sitcoms of the decade I was born and raised in. I realize that some of these shows may have started in the 70s or ran into the 90s, but they are still so totally 80s! Are your favorites on the list?

1. "The Wonder Years" - I absolutely LOVE this show and am so upset it isn't available on DVD. Fred Savage was perfect as Kevin Arnold, the boy next door that had a geeky best friend named Paul, was in love with Winnie Cooper, and had to put up with his terrible older brother, Wayne, the worst character on any show, ever! Set in the 1960s/70s when music was great, cars had muscle, and the Vietnam War was in full swing, this show spoke to my realization that I had been born in the wrong generation and I would have been a hippie like Kevin's sister, Karen, if I had been born 30 years sooner.

2. "Growing Pains" - Two words - Mike Seaver. What girl didn't love Kirk Cameron's cool, goofy, always getting into trouble but still a good guy character? He was the whole reason to watch the show. He may have had bad taste in friends (Boner Stabbone, really?) and not gotten the best grades, but it was obvious that the guy was smart and charming, and he won over the hearts of pretty much every girl in America. One of my favorite Mike Seaver episodes was when he and Dr. Jason Seaver (gotta use the full name!) went to see Bruce Springsteen in concert. Go ahead and belt out "Born in the USA". I'll wait, and maybe sing along.

3. "Family Ties" - This show was so great, and still is! The kids were all fantastic, especially Michael J. Fox as the super-preppy Alex P. Keaton (the P. stood for Peace!), the antithesis to his liberal formerly hippie parents. Then there was boy-crazy, shopping obsessed Mallory, and smart toyboy Jennifer, who I discovered was actually pretty funny as I have watched the reruns as an adult. Later on there was adorable little Andy of course, but the show belonged to Alex. Anyone remember the episode when he took speed? It was so he could stay up and study, of course, but it was kind of funny to see the president of the Young Republicans go a little crazy.

4. "Kate and Allie" - This show never gets the credit it deserves. It was all about two childhood friends who move in together after getting divorces and raise their three kids together. They were a very unconvential family, but it showed that with a little creativity, hard work, and humor, people can come together and get through anything, coming out even better in the end. I just loved Susan St. James's character, Kate McArdle. She was fun, spunky, and always said, "fabulous!" really dramatically, which I remember copying when I was a kid. She was the perfect opposite for Allie Lowell, the pearl-wearing, high strung, formerly upper-crust Connecticut socialite played by the brilliantly hilarious Jane Curtin.

5. "Full House" - Okay, this may not have been a show with the most believable storylines or the best acting in the whole world, but when this show premiered in 1987, it was my all-time favorite. I was in Kindergarten, about the same age as Stephanie, and she was my favorite of the Tanner kids. Then there was awesome big sister DJ, and the adorable Michelle. Yes, she got annoying as the series went on, but as a baby and toddler, the Olsen twins were the cutie pies of "Full House". Oh yeah, and living in the room across the hall complete with pink bunnies on the wallpaper, was Uncle Jesse. John Stamos was the cool rock and roll playing, motorcycle riding uncle, and I especially loved that he played with the Beach Boys. In real life! Remember when his band, The Rippers, ditched him for Barry Williams (Greg Brady) of all people? How rude!

6. "The Cosby Show" - You can't go wrong with the Huxtables! Our favorite Jell-o pudding peddler was always hilarious, and I still enjoy watching this show now. It just doesn't get old! The five kids were all great during the first few seasons (Vanessa got on my nerves later on in the series), especially Denise. I also loved the spin-off, "A Different World", even though she was only on for one season. One of my favorite Cosby episodes featuring Denise (played by Lisa Bonet) was when she made that hideous, funky shirt for Theo. A classic!

7. "WKRP in Cincinatti" - I have not seen every episode ever created like I have with the other shows on this list, but I love it enough to put it in my top 10. Dr. Johnny Fever, the cool, most likely always stoned deejay was the best, and I wish that more seasons would become available on DVD. For those of you who don't know, before coming to WKRP, Johnny Fever was fired from a radio station for saying the word booger. I like to think that Tom Petty's "The Last DJ" is about this character. So funny! As I go on to the next show on my list, I will leave you with these parting words: "As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!" That's from the Turkey's Away episode in Season One. It's available on iTunes, and I highly recommend it.

8. "The Facts of Life" - Jo, Blair, Natalie, Tootie, and Mrs. Garrett. What's not to love? Set in a girls' school with the wise Mrs. Garrett to watch over the four stars, this sitcom was so much fun. Jo Polniaczek (Nancy McKeon) was my favorite because she was street smart and tough, not stuck up and frilly like Blair Warner (Lisa Welchel), who was my least favorite. I also liked Natalie a little later on when I watched this in reruns because she wanted to be a writer. My interests in writing, music, and TV didn't really change much over the years...

9. "Who's the Boss?" - Tony Micelli, of course! Yes, Angela Bower was technically his boss, but Tony ran the house, took care of the kids, and solved the problems. Hmm, I wonder why I liked him the best? Maybe that was some weird foreshadowing into my future job as a nanny... Okay, everyone who remembers this show as well as I do, say it with me: "Ay-oh! Oh-ay!" Gotta love Tony Danza!

10. "Mr. Belvedere" - I remember loving this show when I was a kid, the youngest Owens child, Wesley, in particular, and I discovered when rewatching the first season on DVD recently, that nothing has changed. This is a fantastic show! Wesley is the charming little trouble maker who is always testing poor Mr. Belvedere's patience, and I think I may love it even more now than I did in the 80s when I watched it as a very young child. You never know how shows or movies will really be when the last time you watched them was 20 years ago when you were in elementary school, but this one has stood the test of time for me. Also, I think Mr. Belvedere, the Owen's housekeeper, may be my kindered spirit. He takes care of the kids, always knows how to solve their problems, understands each of them like no one else does, manages the house, and even writes in his journal every night before he goes to bed. Let's see... A professional nanny/house manager who likes to write. Sound familiar?

I hope you enjoyed this blast from the past! I sure did!