Summary
Since the dawn of the medium, comedy has been one of television's most popular genres. Growing out of radio comedies, sitcoms and mockumentaries have been making people laugh since the middle of the 20th century. However, the craft involved in making humor convincing is easy to underestimate. Without great, ridiculous, and relatable characters, TV comedies wouldn't work.
Funny characters often embody a single trait. They may be hilariously sarcastic, overreactive, or absurd, or they can be keen observers who notice their friends' foibles and keep their heads cool when the world is falling apart. Often, it's a performance and not a single idea that makes a comedic character great.
Updated on July 2023, by Andrea Sandoval: Sitcoms are one of the most timeless TV genres, and there are dozens of terrific and iconic comedy characters. We updated this list to include a wider variety of sitcom characters that have become incredibly beloved by the audience.
14 Howard Wolowitz (The Big Bang Theory)
Although Big Bang Theory has many strong characters, Howard Wolowitz had the most significant character arc on the show. Originally the creepy and unlucky member of the group, Howard quickly matured when he found a stable relationship with Bernadette. Howard went from BBT's insecure friend who lives at home with his overbearing mother to a married father in just a few short years. While characters like Sheldon developed slowly, Howard managed to mature quickly while also retaining his funniest character traits.
13 Eddie Hitler (Bottom)
In the BBC's Bottom, Edward Elizabeth Hitler, along with Richard Richard, spends his time drinking and thinking up schemes to make some cash. The shady "Hammersmith hard man" made audiences laugh with his delivery of almost every line of dialogue in the series. In Bottom, Eddie was irreverent, sarcastic and conniving, and he loved teasing Richard. However, he had a confidence and wit that Richard sorely lacked. Some of Eddie's funniest moments included the burglary episode and his mockery of Richard on the roof of the local corner shop.
12 Karen Walker (Will & Grace)
Karen Walker is Grace Adler's wealthy, vain, and politically incorrect assistant in Will & Grace. Even though Karen can be incredibly inappropriate at times, her character became timeless for unapologetically saying the wrong thing, and she is a cautionary tale for viewers. On top of that, Karen is at the center of some of the most iconic jokes in Will & Grace, which is one of the most relevant sitcoms from the 90s. Karen's constant back and forth with Grace, her drinking problem, and her rivalry with Beverly Leslie are quintessential aspects of Will & Grace.
11 Ron Swanson (Parks And Recreation)
On Parks & Recreation, Ron Swanson is the libertarian manager of the Pawnee parks department. Despite working for the government, Ron's mission in life is to minimize the state's role in people's lives, which he thinks he achieves by being intentionally difficult to work with.
However, Ron is also incredibly competent and genuinely self-reliant and independent. His stoic nature coupled with his incredibly frank attitude made him a meme among the Parks and Recreation fanbase and a fan-favorite character. He could easily have been a one-note character, but he eventually learns to value friendship over ideology, growing while never losing his hilarious edge.
10 Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
Peter Griffin is the main character of Family Guy as well as the head of the Griffin household. With his wife, Lois, he raises his kids, Stewie, Meg, and Chris, and the family dog, Brian. Peter is one of the most chaotic characters in comedy TV, constantly getting himself into absurd situations and generally making life miserable for his friends and family.
Peter and his friends have a habit of making silly plans and embarking on random adventures. Whenever Peter is backed into a corner, he always manages to find a ridiculous way out. With no filter, Peter also has some of the funniest responses to otherwise serious topics. However, he also never learns any lessons or faces any consequences for his behavior, but it's more of a Family Guy problem than a problem with the character himself.
9 Edmund Blackadder (Blackadder)
Although Rowan Atkinson's character Mr. Bean, is well-known for his slapstick humor, Edmund Blackadder is arguably his crowning comedic achievement. In the BBC's darkly funny Blackadder, the titular character takes on many roles throughout British history.
Always cast in a middling role of power, Blackadder served as an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, a butler to Prince George, and a captain in the First World War. He was quick-witted, had a dark sense of humor, and used his brains to think up schemes for personal gain like no other. However, he's also self-defeating and the victim of his own cruelty. Without these attributes, he'd be an easy man to hate.
8 Denny Crane & Alan Shore (Boston Legal)
Denny Crane and Alan Shore were best friends on the comedy legal drama Boston Legal. The maverick, seasoned lawyer and his young, hotshot friend had the perfect TV friendship, easily making them the show's best characters. With Alan acting as Boston Legal's young liberal and Denny in the role of the arrogant conservative, they had a well-balanced dynamic and convincing friendship. Their office antics, friendly competition, and courtroom rivalry all came together to make them some of the best characters ever to hit TV screens.
7 Lucy Ricardo (I Love Lucy)
The main character of the iconic sitcom I Love Lucy from 1951, Lucy Ricardo is the archetype of a homemaker and mother in family sitcoms. Lucy is an ambitious, charming, and optimistic character who is overly zealously trying to make it in show business despite having no particular artistic talents.
Even though many viewers may believe that Lucy's character aged poorly to today's standards, there's no doubt that Lucy was ahead of her time. This character showed a determination and stubbornness not often found in this decade in female characters. Additionally, thanks to Lucille Ball's great physical acting, especially with her facial gestures, Lucy Ricardo is hilarious even today.
6 Eric Cartman (South Park)
Eric Cartman is mainly beloved for his pure evil nature and never-ending schemes. He is one of South Park's cruelest and most unrelenting villains, despite being the show's de facto main character. Even though South Park's other denizens hate him with good reason, Cartman has saved the town many times over.
Cartman's fanbase love him because he's an exaggerated "problem child." He's often strangely competent in adult situations but has also roped his friends into criminal plans. Cartman has managed some odd feats, like infiltrating the government and saving his town, but it's mainly his abrasive personality that wins people over. He's a little ball of hate, and he speaks directly to many people's ideologies.
5 Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
Homer Simpson is the patriarch of the Springfield-based Simpson family. First hitting TV screens in 1989, The Simpsons quickly became one of the most beloved comedies in television history. This was largely thanks to Homer's kind-hearted nature and hilarious antics. Homer is one of the best cartoon dads, and he redefined the bumbling dad archetype. His love of donuts, warm heart, and endearing incompetence all make him a fan-favorite character. He's one of TV's greatest self-saboteurs and everymen, a goofy antihero who still resonates with audiences after more than 30 years.
4 Dr. Frasier Crane (Frasier)
Frasier Crane is the hopelessly out-of-touch therapist who was created for Cheers, but he was so popular that he was given his own spin-off series, Frasier. His effete snobbery was memorable on Cheers, but it was only after he was given his own show and could separate himself from the bar's ensemble that his pretentious personality and farcical errors made him truly great.
Frasier was among the greatest sitcoms of the 1990s, and the show followed the titular therapist as he rekindled his relationship with his father and brother in Seattle. Many episodes focused on Frasier navigating everyday life, but these regular situations brought him down to reality and made him more relatable than ever before.
3 George Costanza (Seinfeld)
Despite having several great leading characters, George Costanza is Seinfeld's best character, and arguably the greatest comedy character ever on TV. His shameless personality and inarguable selfishness made him a legend, in a way. Few characters have worked harder to avoid an honest day's work or dismiss an obligation than George. The greatest slacker on TV, there was no job opening so grand that George couldn't bluff his way into the position, yet he still spent his days doing nothing.
2 Fran Fine (The Nanny)
The main character of The Nanny, Fran Fine is a memorable character that people still love. Fran Fine arrives at the Sheffield household selling cosmetics and ends up becoming the nanny of the children in the house, who recently lost their mother. Played by Fran Drescher, and highly inspired by her own life, Fran Fine has a particular aesthetic and energy that differentiate her from most comedy characters on TV. The woman's unique wardrobe and irreverent sense of humor quickly turned her into one of the best lead characters in sitcoms.
1 Chandler Bing (Friends)
Chandler is the most beloved character from Friends, and his impact on 90s sitcoms can't be underestimated. He's the socially awkward, sarcastic, and goofy member of the gang, and people love him for his loyalty to Joey, his amazing relationship with Monica, and his iconic jokes. Most people remember Chandler's popular and funny jokes from Friends, such as, "Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?" or "I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable." These great moments from television are still all around the internet and prove how truly memorable Chandler is as a character.
Michael Scott (The Office)
Played by great comedy actor Steve Carell, there are few sitcom characters as hated, beloved, and recognizable as Michael Scott. The lead character in The Office, this well-intended but often stubborn and childish character represents the archetypical boss in a regular office, and Carell did a great job being both relatable and hilarious.
Michael Scott is known for his many iconic scenes in The Office, such as ruining Pam and Jim's wedding, carrying a frenemy relationship with Dwight, and his disturbing romance with his boss, Jan. Even though Michael can be infuriating and cringe-inducing at times, he's a well-written and consistent character that works as a social satire of the average white, straight man.