most compelling TV character ever

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Doom&Gloom
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Doom&Gloom »

Ready3Retire wrote: Sat May 05, 2018 11:20 pm Jim Rockford! I’m surprised no one else mentioned this great TV character.
I'm with you--almost.

1) Pembleton
2) Sipowicz
3) Swidgin
4) Rockford
5) Angel Martin-Rockford Files
6) Larry-Newhart (Larry, Darryl & Darryl)
7) Les Nessman-WKRP in Cincinnati
UncleBen
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by UncleBen »

Compelling? Anthony Fremont, Twilight, episode It's a Good Life.
Paddygirl
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Paddygirl »

Peter Falk - Columbo
book lover
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by book lover »

Rod Serling: Submitted for your approval.
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midareff
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by midareff »

Flymore wrote: Sat May 05, 2018 2:19 pm Captain James T Krk. (William Shatner)
Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)
+1 but have to add Leonard Nimoy ... Spock.
previously mentioned Mark Harmon, and add Tony Dinozo and Ziva David on NCIS and of course Abby Schutto.

Dr. Grey on Grey's Anatomy. ... and Dr. House on his show was compelling.


Just sayin'
goaties
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by goaties »

Jane Tennison - Prime Suspect (played by Helen Mirren) I still can't forget some of the scenes from that show.
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by abuss368 »

James Sonny Crockett from Miami Vice!
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Didymograptus
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Didymograptus »

John Thaw - Inspector Morse
Jeremy Brett - Sherlock Holmes
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Dave55
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Dave55 »

Andy Sipowicz - NYPD Blue
Jim Rockford - Rockford Files
Lt Colombo - Colombo
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c.coyle
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by c.coyle »

Louis Rukeyser
Dr. Johnny Fever
Walter White
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Dontwasteit
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Dontwasteit »

Jacki Gleason
Tony Soprano
mouses
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by mouses »

Flymore wrote: Sat May 05, 2018 2:19 pm Captain James T Krk. (William Shatner)
Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)
James Kirk, Spock, Bones, Kira Nerys, any incarnation of Majel Barrett.

Also, most of the cast of Eureka.
straws46
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by straws46 »

Joey Heatherton in those mattress commercials.
BradJ
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by BradJ »

Mance Rayder, from Game of Thrones, once said “freedom to make my own mistakes is all I ever wanted.” Though not the most compelling character ever, probably one of the most compelling quotes.
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HomerJ
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by HomerJ »

straws46 wrote: Sun May 06, 2018 3:51 pm Joey Heatherton in those mattress commercials.
LOL... Holy cow you must be old to remember that. :D
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HRPennypacker
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by HRPennypacker »

In no particular order: Al Swearengen, Tony Soprano, Omar, Picard.
bloom2708
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by bloom2708 »

+1 for Andy Sipowizc from NYPD Blue.

Years past and I still miss his character.
Nicolas
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Nicolas »

Joe Granville & John Templeton.
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Dan-in-Virginia
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Re: Most??

Post by Dan-in-Virginia »

GIS Guy wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:12 pm I immediately thought of Alan Alda, MASH.
Concur
Glockenspiel
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Glockenspiel »

Walter White - Breaking Bad
rob65
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by rob65 »

Hawkeye Pierce, but really almost any of the characters from MASH.

Tyrion from Game of Thrones. Also, Daenerys Targaryen and Arya Stark.

Mary Roberts - easy to forget how groundbreaking the character was at the time.

Ted from How I Met Your Mother. Don’t judge me too badly.
Caduceus
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Caduceus »

All of you are wrong. 8-)

The answer is Alicia Florrick, played by Julianna Margulies, in The Good Wife. That performance was heads and shoulders over any one in the history of all media entertainment.

I'm not even joking!
AntsOnTheMarch
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by AntsOnTheMarch »

Lots of good picks but this is hopeless. Where would I start?

Maybe I missed them but I don’t see Ed Norton from The Honeymooners or Oscar, Felix and Murray the cop from The Odd Couple or Herman Munster and Grandpa.

I like that Earnest T. Bass and Floyd the barber are here. What about Gomer, Opie (and Leon, his brother in real life who made rare but notable appearances in a cowboy outfit, spoke no lines and offered his sandwich to whomever he come across)?

And I’m not even scratching he surface. Maybe look for a few here. Mrs. Peel fans, see second video.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=FLCQ5f ... eEs6e0FdwU

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=FLCQ5f ... ode=NORMAL
likegarden
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by likegarden »

Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith Show), Barney Fife (Don Knotts)
daheld
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by daheld »

I think "compelling" is a bit broad with no real context or explanation as to what you're looking for.

However, the correct answer here is:

1. Andy Griffith
2. Everything else
FoolMeOnce
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by FoolMeOnce »

danielrhall wrote: Sat May 05, 2018 12:38 pm Walter White (Breaking Bad)
Tony Soprano (The Sopranos)
Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Al Swearengen (Deadwood)
Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones)
+1 for Al Swearengen and Tyrion Lannister (I find Jamie pretty compelling, too).

Omar Little
srouen
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by srouen »

Caduceus wrote: Mon May 07, 2018 5:41 am All of you are wrong. 8-)

The answer is Alicia Florrick, played by Julianna Margulies, in The Good Wife. That performance was heads and shoulders over any one in the history of all media entertainment.

I'm not even joking!
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EnjoyIt
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by EnjoyIt »

I see a lot of Walter White and could not agree more. But I can not believe no one has brought up.

Negan from the Walking Dead. Every appearance he has had especially in Season 6 brings chills down into the pit of your stomach.
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by montanagirl »

Nelson Muntz.

His gifs will live forever.
bondsr4me
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by bondsr4me »

The Lone Ranger and Tonto....always getting the bad guys!
Still watch it these day!

Right up would be Marshall Dillon (Gunsmoke)!
Still watch it also.

Love this old stuff.

Don

ps...

Jackie Gleason and Art Carney...The Honeymooners
The Untouchables (Robert Stack)
Red Skelton (Clem Kadittlehopper ??)

Just great stuff
Last edited by bondsr4me on Tue May 08, 2018 12:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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buccimane
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by buccimane »

Michael Scott: The Office
Jax Teller: Sons of Anarchy


Fun seeing all the love Dr. House was getting in 2009.

I'll check back in 2028
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TonyDAntonio
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by TonyDAntonio »

straws46 wrote: Sun May 06, 2018 3:51 pm Joey Heatherton in those mattress commercials.
Joey had nothing on Ginger and Mary Ann.
scottgekko
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by scottgekko »

Don Draper - Mad Men
Possibly the greatest drama ever made.
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cheese_breath
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by cheese_breath »

Monk, Lou Grant, Emma Peel
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SueG5123
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by SueG5123 »

Agree with Hank Hill of King of the Hill.

Would add (surprised no one else has) Walter White of Breaking Bad.

Also love Will McAvoy of The Newsroom

P.S. Having been active duty Navy for 23 years, the whole NCIS thing seems really pretty ridiculous to me. If I was going to watch Mark Harmon, I'd watch him on reruns of St. Elswhere.
Nicolas
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Nicolas »

Percy Dovetonsils
Crabby Appleton
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Dead Man Walking »

Most compelling TV character ever has to be Archie Bunker. There is no way that he could be the main character in a mainstream TV show in this century! Meathead and George Jefferson were terrific antagonists.

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Nestegg_User
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Nestegg_User »

HomerJ wrote: Sun May 06, 2018 8:06 pm
straws46 wrote: Sun May 06, 2018 3:51 pm Joey Heatherton in those mattress commercials.
LOL... Holy cow you must be old to remember that. :D
Then I must be old too...and if I remember it was for the Serta “Perfect Sleeper” :D ( how’s my memory?)

AFA the thread, might as well put in Mr Ed :mrgreen:


Edit: I was right...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYDwMm8Ud_s
Last edited by Nestegg_User on Mon May 07, 2018 7:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Big Worm
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Big Worm »

Eric Cartman.
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unclescrooge
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by unclescrooge »

stlrick wrote: Sat May 05, 2018 12:43 pm Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes
+1

Also, Henry Winkler as Fonzie :mrgreen:
finite_difference
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Re:

Post by finite_difference »

Bharat wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:48 pm 1. Al Swearengen (Deadwood)
2. Baltimore City (The Wire)
3. Bubbles (The Wire)
It’s funny that everyone likes some character on Deadwood. I had to stop watching that show after a couple episodes after they killed every compelling character I cared about :mrgreen:

The Wire++. The best show ever made. Takes a few episodes to get into it. I’ll add:

1. Poirot
2. Spock
3. Jean-Luc Picard
4. Snoop (The Wire)
5. Malcolm Reynolds (Firefly)
6. Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones)
7. Saul Goodman (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul)
8. Piper Chapman (Orange Is the New Black)
9. Starbuck (Battlestar Gallactica)
10. David Tennant (Dr. Who)

Many of those shows have many stand-out characters.
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finite_difference
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by finite_difference »

unclescrooge wrote: Mon May 07, 2018 7:57 pm
stlrick wrote: Sat May 05, 2018 12:43 pm Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes
+1

Also, Henry Winkler as Fonzie :mrgreen:
For Sherlock I was going to say Benedict Cumberbatch.. ;)
The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. - Thich Nhat Hanh
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cheese_breath
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by cheese_breath »

Nestegg_User wrote: Mon May 07, 2018 7:51 pm ... AFA the thread, might as well put in Mr Ed :mrgreen: ...
Well then you might as well put in Oliver J. Dragon from Kukla, Fran and Ollie
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Nestegg_User
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Nestegg_User »

but dragon wasn’t as central to the show as that horse was... and I didn’t mention Beanie & Cecil either (I think that was early reruns in earlier to mid -60’s)
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Nicolas
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by Nicolas »

Moe, Larry, Curly
spectec
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by spectec »

Jim (Taxi)
Al Swearengen (Deadwood)
Hank Voight (Chicago PD)
Lucas McCain (The Rifleman)
Last edited by spectec on Mon May 07, 2018 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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epicahab
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by epicahab »

Walter White was the first to come to mind.

Don Draper was pretty compelling during the whole run of Mad Men.

Bernard/Arnold on Westworld is becoming a favorite of mine. Him or William, or even Ford.
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by ncbill »

Jim Rockford - Rockford Files - the most realistic PI character on television ever - ex-con, barely scraping by, beat up by the bad guys on a regular basis.

Angel - Rockford Files - the kind of small-time grifter Jim Rockford would have to put up with in his profession.
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by manuelku »

Al Bundy
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cheese_breath
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Re: most compelling TV character ever

Post by cheese_breath »

Nestegg_User wrote: Mon May 07, 2018 8:10 pm but dragon wasn’t as central to the show as that horse was... and I didn’t mention Beanie & Cecil either (I think that was early reruns in earlier to mid -60’s)
(am I showing my age?)
Yes, you're showing how young you are. Reruns in the 60s? That must have been the animated series. I watched the original Time for Beany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_for_Beany when Beany and Cecil were puppets.

And Ollie certainly was as central to the show as Mr. Ed was. That's why his name was in the title: Kukla, Fran and Ollie. And you can't tell me watching Ollie roll onto his back wasn't compelling. :D

BTW, has anyone mentioned The Fonz yet?
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
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