Lesbians, Omni-sexuals and Vampires! (Top Ten TV Characters)

Member Name: tange

Product:	Top Ten TV Characters
Date:	17/07/07 (140 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: My favourites, so of course I consider that to be advantage....

Disadvantages: ...you may not!

I have just read a really good review about top ten television characters (by shroud incidentally) and felt inspired to think (and then write) about my own favourite ten. Here they are then…in no particular order…

1: Vila Restal from Blakes Seven – I always liked Vila best because he was honest about being scared of situations, yet still went into those situations. He had a great sense of humour, despite having a rather deprived and harsh upbringing. He was a thief, but there was a likeable quality about him. It was, however, his honesty that draws me to him most. Favourite Vila quotations include "A thief isn't what I am, it's who I am", adding "you wouldn't like what was left of me" and “Other people's property comes naturally to me!”

2: Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer – I became a fan of Buffy quite late on after watching repeats during the daytime on Sky One when I was off work sick. Quickly I got hooked and put it on series link to try and catch up with it once I was back at work. Spike started off as a real nasty piece of work, but there was still something quite likeable about him – even when he was killing people left right and centre! He also had a sardonic, sarcastic sense of humour which really appealed to me. I also felt quite sorry for him when he was rendered helpless and unable to kill (god…I sound really sick now!). Favourite Spike quotations include “Sometimes I like to crumble the Weetabix in the blood. Gives it a little texture” and “I like people. They're like Happy Meals with legs.”

3: John Crichton from Farscape – You’ve got to admire a bloke who gets caught up in a wormwhole near Earth, catapults to a strange and alien place on the far side of the universe and still manages to maintain a semblance of sanity and a sense of humour! He adapts quickly to his new environment and has a tenacity of spirit and survival instinct that carries him though. Favourite Crichton quotations include “Haven't you read the super villain's handbook? This is where you're supposed to twirl your mustache and gloat” and “Since I left home, I've been hunted, beaten, locked up, shanghaied, shot at. I've had alien creatures in my face, up my noise, inside my brain, down my pants.”

4: Edmund Blackadder from Blackadder – I can still laugh at every joke from Blackadder and not get bored. Despite being an almost unlikeable person, Edmund has lots of unfortunate accidents that make you end up feeling really sorry for him. His ingenuity astounds me sometimes and the lengths he is often forced to go to to get out of situations verges on the insanely genious! Favourite Blackadder quotations include " We are in a stickier situation than when sticky the stick insect got stuck on a sticky bun" and “I would imagine a maternally outraged gorilla could be useful under these circumstances..."

5: The Doctor from (doh) Dr Who – Whoever( no pun intended…honest) plays him, it’s just an excellent idea for a character in a TV show! What a great concept – he can just keep regenerating, can travel ANYWHERE in time or space and is just a really nice guy. I have been a fan of the series for so many years and am just so happy that the current incarnation of the Doctor is just SO good. Favourite Doctor quotations are just TOO numerous to mention…so I’ll go for “What's the use of a good quotation if you can't change it?”

6: Homer Simpson from the Simpsons – a man who exists for beer, TV and food just has to make everyone’s top ten! He is such a well crafted character who just makes me smile by being there. A bit of a slob but such a great bloke. Again he has far too many great quotations but lets go for “When will I learn? The answer to life's problems aren't at the bottom of a bottle, they're on TV!” and “Ah, good old trustworthy beer. My love for you will never die.”

7: Basil Fawlty from Fawlty Towers – I still howl hysterically when Basil clubs his car to death with a leafy branch in frustration! If you’ve seen it you’ll know what I mean. He is put upon, silly, sometimes a little bit nasty and often awful to poor old Manuel; but he is just purely watchable! I have to put him on my list for entertainment value and pure silliness. Favourite quotations include “A satisfied customer. We should have him stuffed” and “I was up at five, you know, we do have staff problems, I'm so sorry, it's all done by magic.”

8: Kerr Avon from Blakes Seven – Sorry for another character from B7, but I love Avon to bits (I’ve also met Paul Darrow who played him and he’s just such a wonderful character too). He is a little bit nasty, has a wicked sense of humour and the anti-hero nature of his character makes him very watchable as a television character. He is independent and often said he only thought of himself, yet on occasions he was willing to risk his life for the sake of others. Favourite quotations include "I have never understood why it is necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care, or why it should be necessary to prove it at all" and "Trust is only dangerous when you have to rely on it."

9: Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Another repetition of programme here, but how could I not go for the coolest witch in Sunnydale? She started off as a bit of school loving geek and ended up as one of the most powerful witches ever seen. She is funny, sarcastic and a pretty likeable girl. Favourite quotations include “Do I have to fight to keep you? I’m not large with the butch” and “If you hurt her, I will beat you to death with a shovel!”

10: Captain Jack from Dr Who and Torchwood – Ok….so you’ve reached the end of my top ten. And where better to end than with the wonderfully omni-sexual Captain Jack Harkness. He would have an affair with anyone and any species, but is fiercely loyal to his friends and still keeps a sense of humour throughout. Famous quotations include “We told the last corpse he was injured; wasted last two minutes of his life screaming for an ambulance” and “Before we go any further, who the hell orders pizza under the name of “Torchwood”?

…as you’ve probably guessed my favourite characters generally are ones who have a sense of humour and are a little bit on the quirky side. There also seems to be a lot of cult and sci-fi people in there too, so that just goes to show where my viewing preferences lean. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my top ten television names and are inspired to maybe even come up with ten of your own.

Summary: Where else will you find a vampire, a lesbian and a 900 year old bloke in one review?