As I posted earlier, Don Knotts’ character on The Andy Griffith Show, Barney Fife, is what I consider to be the funniest in television history. I’m sure that will spark some debate here. If there’s one thing I love, it’s humor. And there have been a lot of funny people on television over the years.
Here are my top 10. I’d love to read yours:
1) Don Knotts as Barney Fife in The Andy Griffith Show
2) Homer Simpson in The Simpsons
3) Tim Conway in The Carol Burnett Show
4) Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker in All in the Family
5) Art Carney as Ed Norton in The Honeymooners
6) Bob Newhart in Newhart
7) Danny De Vito as Louie De Palma
Roseanne in Roseanne
9) Ted Danson as Sam Malone in Cheers
10) Matt LeBlanc as Joey in Friends
Honorable Mention
Estelle Getty as Sophia in Golden Girls
Jackie Gleason in The Honeymooners
Ted Knight as Ted Baxter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show
John Ritter as Jack Tripper in Three’s Company
Garry Shandling, Rip Torn and Jeffrey Tambor in The Larry Sanders Show
Gale Gordon as Theodore Moony on The Lucy Show
Kevin James as Doug Heffernan on The King of Queens
Irene Ryan as Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies
Steve Landesberg as Det. Arthur Dietrich on Barney Miller
Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford on Sanford and Son
3 Comments
Carrol O’Connor, Ted Knight and Roseanne would be on my list too. How about Julia Louis Dreyfus and Michael Richards (Elaine and Kramer) on Seinfeld. I thought Michael J. Fox as Alex Keaton on Family Ties was hilarious. Robin Williams as Mork.
He was not a TV character per se, but Don Meredith was the funniest commentator ever, especially when he bantered with Howard Cosell.
Bob, did you notice that Yahoo Sports had a WSU Shocker on its front page. Too bad it was an old photo of Jamar Howard, and not a current player.
I like your list, here are two more from the same sitcom Taxi
Christopher Lloyd as Reverend Jim
Danny Divito and Louie DePalma