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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask you for your top 3 sitcom characters ever?

372 replies

CheapSausagesAndSpam · 01/02/2018 12:08

3 isn't many is it?

Here's mine

Jill Tyrell-Nighty Night
David Brent even though he annoys me so much
Basil Fawlty

Now people will come along with theirs and I'll think I've chosen the wrong ones!

OP posts:
GreyGardens88 · 01/02/2018 23:09

Dr Pippa in getting on

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 01/02/2018 23:13

George Costanza - Seinfeld he is the best sitcom character ever love the other characters too especially Elain

Susie Green - Curb Your Enthusiasm

Sybil Fawlty - Fawlty Towers her put downs are great

JBH316 · 01/02/2018 23:20

Chandler Bing - Friends
Jay Kyle - My Wife and Kids
Arnold Jackson - Different Strokes

CremeFresh · 01/02/2018 23:25

Our Lucian from the Liverbirds - I loved him and his rabbits !

Hobbes8 · 01/02/2018 23:33

You've all said so many of my classic favourites, so I'm going to cheat and go for some that no one has mentioned, even though they're not my all time faves:
Karen in Pulling
Marcella in Game Face
Liz in Motherland

...although that doesn't leave enough room for Siobhan from 2012 and W1, or Sharon in Catastrophe....damn!

DarkDarkNight · 01/02/2018 23:34

Victor Meldrew - One Foot in the Grave
George Costanza - Seinfeld
Malcolm Tucker- The Thick Of It

Agree with Susie from Curb Your Enthusiasm, she is all kinds of great.

PrincessScarlett · 01/02/2018 23:37

Oh my god, definitely Gordon Brittas and Dr Alan Statham. In fact all the characters in Green Wing were awesome. And June Whitfield in Ab Fab or indeed Terry and June.

Weezol · 01/02/2018 23:38

Softblocks I love Grumio 'Give us one o them pies wi legs'

Heartofglass12345 · 01/02/2018 23:43

Martin and Jim from friday night dinner... shit on it!!
Fraser from bad education is hilarious
Victor Meldrew (and also his neighbour.... i called round last year, you told me to piss off Grin)
Pam Shipman
Uncle Bryn
Dawn and Pete
Mrs Doyle
Niles and Frasier
Miranda's mum.... Such fun!
Too many to choose from!

Giggorata · 01/02/2018 23:54

Pretty much all mine have been mentioned, so I’ll just add Dr Pippa Moore and Nurse Kim Wilde from Getting On.

UsedtobeFeckless · 02/02/2018 00:01

Everyone on Cabin Pressure. I know there's four of them. I don't care. It's my favorite thing ever.

Showmeyoursshowyoumine · 02/02/2018 00:02

Richie rich & eddie hitler - bottom.
All 4 from the inbetweeners.

drigon · 02/02/2018 00:06

Yes, Margot from Good Life,
George Costanza from Seinfeld,
Niles from Frasier/ Mark from Peep Show.

IamAporcupine · 02/02/2018 00:06

Came in to say Niles!

Alan Partridge
Malcolm Tucker
George Constanza

bluelion23 · 02/02/2018 00:14

not amy from tbbt the way she emotionally manipulated sheldon for sex was alfull but lots of people found her funny. not me!!

PurpleRobe · 02/02/2018 00:28

Niles - From Frasier

George - From Seinfel or possible Elaine.

Susie - from curb your enthusiasm but that's not really a sitcom I guess

HelenaDove · 02/02/2018 00:43

Belinda Lang as Bill in 2.4 Children She was also fab as snobby Liza in Second Thoughts Two completely different roles.

Margot Leadbetter The Good Life
Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers Both of these women knew how to deal with workmen who take the piss.

I know thats 3 but i want to give a mention to Dave Allen who wasnt in a sitcom but did great monologues and sketches.

He was fab.

HelenaDove · 02/02/2018 00:50

Micheal Sharvell Martin and Jacqueline Clarke were two regulars in Dave Allen sketches Jacquelines acting range was amazing

Michael also played the neighbour in No Place Like Home.

HelenaDove · 02/02/2018 00:54

Andrew Marshall was one of the co writers along with Dave himself on Dave Allen At Large

Andrew went on to write 2.4 Children.

runawaywithme07 · 02/02/2018 01:09
  1. Victor Meldrew - One Foot In The Grave
  2. Hyacinth Bucket - Keeping Up Appearances
  3. Basil Fawlty - Fawlty Towers

I was going to put Mr Bean as #3, but that's more of a sketch show than a sitcom I guess?

Honourable mentions go to: Alan Partridge, Mrs Warboys, Father Ted and Bernard Black.

crikeycrumbsblimey · 02/02/2018 03:51

Dinner ladies - Petula. The final episode with the recording telling Bren more about her father and it was just the colour of his jumper. Also Dolly & Jean

Father Jack - I love my brick

Queenie Blackadder ll - I wanted to be her.

But also

Flash from blackadder,
bubbles and mother from AB fab

user1493423934 · 02/02/2018 04:14

Sybil and Manuel (can't believe no ones' mentioned him yet!) from Fawlty towers and Basil Fawlty too of course . . .
All of Ab Fab but especially Bubble and Mother
Margot Leadbetter
David Brent and Gareth Keenan from UK Office
Nessa from G & S

BashStreetKid · 02/02/2018 08:04

Oh, yes, I hadn't thought of the Cabin Pressure crew. Definitely, all four of them.

MichaelBendfaster · 02/02/2018 10:26

Margot from The Good Life. A towering performance.
Mrs Doyle is great, but a little goes a long way.
Bernard Black, Manny and Fran from Black Books.
Niles, Frasier and their dad from Frasier.

I can't separate them, or narrow it down to three, because the key to brilliant sitcom performances and characters is often not just individuals' performances but the ensemble. The Frasier lot might be the best ensemble cast ever. You can see them feeding off and supporting each other and it's a joy.

ShatnersWig · 02/02/2018 10:43

runaway Yes, I almost had Mrs Warboys down as an honorable mention along with Victor. Absolute gem of a character, superbly played by Doreen Mantle who will be 92 in June and still going strong. There are scenes - and probably two entire episodes - of One Foot In the Grave that I think are among the very best writing ever in a British sitcom.