Favorite TV Characters

First post in a long, long time. Wrote this list a while ago, but decided to post it here. I went through and figured out my favorite 15 currently airing shows and put them in a relative order. Granted, some of the order can change week to week, but for now, this is it. Then I picked a few of my favorite characters from each show. I may come back at some point and update/elaborate on the characters. Here goes nothing.

15. Californication - So, the show isn't anything all that amazing. I think I watch it mostly for the music and David Duchovny's performance. They've spent approximately four seasons on one overarching plot line, which hit a high note in the season 3 finale, but is hopefully done with. There are a lot of interesting directions to take the show, and I hope they do so moving forward. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Hank Moody (David Duchovny), Lou Ashby (Callum Keith Rennie), and Eddie Nero (Rob Lowe)

14. Modern Family - Great show, even if the first season set the bar so high that it would be nearly impossible for season 2 to match it. There are some weaker episodes, but it's a great cast who I want to spend time hanging out with once a week. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell), Luke Dunphy (Nolan Gould), Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet)

13. The Amazing Race - The first of two reality shows. I watched the first 5 or 6 seasons and really liked it, but then college happened, and I just wasn't watching much TV. I got back into it recently and still really enjoy it. They are doing an all-star season right now, so some of my picks for favorite 'characters' are based on that, since I possibly did not see their original season. FAVORITE CHARACTERS/TEAMS: Zev & Justin, Jet & Cord, Brooke & Claire

12. 30 Rock - Awesome show that has been on a creative upswing this season. Of the NBC Thursday night comedies, it's the one I find myself least looking forward to, but then always enjoy it immensely. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan), Dr. Leo Spaceman (Chris Parnell), Pete Hornberger (Scott Adsit)

11. Breaking Bad - There should likely be an asterisk next to this one, as I've only watched it through part of the 2nd season. I'm pretty sure it will move up quite a bit by the time I'm caught up (if Alan Sepinwall and every other TV blogger in the universe is correct). FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Walter White (Bryan Cranston), Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul)

10. The Office - A couple years back, this would have been top 5, easily. In the past couple seasons, though, the plot has been lacking, but it's another one of those shows where the show's world is so much fun to hang out in, and the characters are so great, that I still find myself looking forward to new episodes. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Michael Scott (Steve Carell), Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner), Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton), Pam Halpert (Jenna Fischer), Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson)

9. Parenthood - An extremely well cast show that does the little moments really, really well. Not always the best plots, especially since having a large cast means giving the short end of the plot-stick to certain characters, but usually a very enjoyable show. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Adam Braverman (Peter Krause), Amber Braverman (Mae Whitman), Sarah Braverman (Lauren Graham)

8. How I Met Your Mother - Always good for a few (if not many) laughs. They've gotten back to the stories, and storytelling techniques, that made earlier seasons so enjoyable. It's a show full of heart and humor, and the characters exemplify this. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders)

7. Boardwalk Empire - Very interesting show. The first season had a lot of hype to live up to, but by the last few episodes, the show was in a groove, delivering spectacular moments regularly. Very excited about season 2. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Richard Harrow (Jack Huston), Jimmy Dormandy (Michael Pitt), Al Capone (Stephen Graham)

6. Dexter - After a near perfect season 4, I knew the show would take a downturn in season 5. The question was how far. I thought they did a pretty good job, and were smart to take the story in a new direction, rather than try to top the Trinity Killer. My main issue is that the show seems too stuck in its formula, to where there don't seem to be any real stakes. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter), Arthur Mitchell (John Lithgow), Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine)

5. Survivor - Really, if I based this list just on the enjoyment I get on a week-to-week basis, this could probably be #1. I watched the show religiously back in the day, but once college came, Thursday nights were no longer a night to watch TV. I've since gone back and watched all the seasons, and it's just fascinating to watch human nature unfold in interesting, exciting, and sometimes hilarious ways. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Rob Mariano, Parvati Shallow, JT Thomas, Ozzy Lusth

4. Treme - I'm a sucker for David Simon shows, ever since The Wire. His attention to detail and his ability to portray seemingly 'ordinary' things like running a restaurant, or writing a book, or playing jazz music in such interesting ways just amazes me. Also, he is the master of tying up plotlines, and not leaving story threads unresolved. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Antoine Batiste (Wendell Pierce), Davis McAlary (Steve Zahn), Annie (Lucia Micarelli), Janette Desotell (Kim Dickens)

3. Community - Wonderful show, hilarious cast, and amazing that they have the number of pop-culture references they do without it becoming overbearing. In fact, they usually fit nicely into the plot. This and #2 were a toss-up. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Troy Barnes (Donald Glover), Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) Annie Edison (Allison Brie)

2. Parks & Recreation - The world of Pawnee, Indiana has been fleshed out so well that even picking characters becomes hard, simply because they have created so many small parts that, when utilized, lead to big laughs. These include a local newspaper writer, the host of a local TV talk show, the head of the Sewage Department, etc. Amazing show. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt), Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler)

1. Mad Men - Best show on TV. Period. The attention to period detail, but not at the expense of the characters as the center of the show, is just astounding. FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Peggy Olson (Elizabeth Moss), Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks), Roger Sterling (John Slattery), Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka)

So there you have it.