TT Top Characters Telly Talk's Favourite TV Characters of the 1970s - The Result

[Daniel Avery]

I believe Lucinda didn't pop up on ATWT until the 80s? Or...?

1983 or 1984.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Many many many years ago I was completely entranced by Sandokan.

I still remember the feeling and when and where it happened, but I've never been able to figure out the reason why. Was it the story, the character or maybe the theme song?
I have absolutely no idea, maybe I had not expected to see something so exotic. There wasn't much for kids on TV in those days.

 

[Jessie]

@Ome I made a couple of mistakes noticed by @Emelee . I corrected unable to edit so I entered my entry again.

My top 70’s characters

1. Sue Ellen Ewing -Dallas
2. Roger Thorpe -Guiding Light
3.Mary Tyler Moore -Mary Tyler Moore Show
4. Karen Fairgate-Knots Landing
5. Jill Munroe -Charlie’s Angels
6. Natalie Bannon -As The World Turns
7. Cher-The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (CBS)
8. Archie -All in The Family
9. Mary Hartman-Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
10. Oscar-The Odd Couple
11. Jack -Three’s Company
12 -Kolchak -The Night Stalker
13. Shirley -Laverne and Shirley
14. Rhoda -Rhoda
15. Charles Ingall's -Little House On The Prairie
16. Tommy -Eight is Enough
17. Linda Murkland-All That Glitters
18. Vinnie Barbarino -Welcome Back Kotter
19. Hutch -Starsky and Hutch
20. Captain, Merrill Stubing -The Love Boat

 

[Seaviewer]

Then we get into other shows like Melrose Place, or 'V'

I would consider Melrose Place (2009) to be a continuation since there were some original actors in their original roles. V (2009) was a reboot since it didn't seem to have any connection to the original.

Here is my list:
1. Valene Ewing - Dallas
2. Karen Fairgate - Knots Landing
3. Charles Kingsfield - The Paper Chase
4. Jaime Sommers - The Bionic Woman
5. Wonder Woman/Diana Prince - Wonder Woman
6. Mary Richards - The Mary Tyler Moore Show
7. Bob Hartley - The Bob Newhart Show
8. Vinnie Barbarino - Welcome Back Kotter
9. Rhoda - Rhoda
10. Steve Austin - The Six Million Dollar Man
11. Hannibal Heyes, alias Joshua Smith - Alias Smith and Jones
12. Sabrina Duncan - Charlie's Angels
13 Jo Polniaczek - The Facts of Life
14. Lou Grant - Lou Grant
15. Mary Bradford - Eight Is Enough
16. Alice Hyatt - Alice
17. Arthur Fonzarelli - Happy Days
18. Benson - Benson
19. Florida Evans - Good Times
20. Tony Petrocelli - Petrocelli

 

[James from London]

Kenny – THE TOMORROW PEOPLE

Little Kenny!

 

[James from London]

1. John Ross Ewing III DALLAS
2. Commander Traynor TIMESLIP
3. Geoffrey "Bon Bon" Scrimshaw THE LOVERS
4. Steve Ross FOLLYFOOT
5. Elizabeth M'Bondo THE TOMORROW PEOPLE
6. Captain James Bellamy UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS
7. Marianne SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE
8. Rigsby RISING DAMP
9. Carlton Your Doorman RHODA
10. Stan Harvey CROSSROADS
11. Davros DOCTOR WHO
12. Dai the Poacher CHILDREN OF THE STONES
13. Travis BLAKE'S 7
14. Terry Bradshaw CORONATION STREET
15. Peter Manson BOUQUET OF BARBED WIRE
16. Callahan (Fembot version) THE BIONIC WOMAN
17. Benny Green GRANGE HILL
18. Purdey THE NEW AVENGERS
19. Dee ROCK FOLLIES
20. Richard Avery KNOTS LANDING

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Callahan (Fembot version)

This has given me a big smile.

 

[Karin Schill]

This is almost impossible, I mean to limit it down to one Dallas character to vote for. I have been back and forth on whether to vote for Lucy, JR, Sue Ellen, Ray, Bobby for the past couple of days but I eventually decided to go with:

1. Pam Ewing in Dallas (1978-1991)
2. Valene Ewing in Knots Landing (1979-1993)
3. Laura Ingalls Wilder in Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983)
4. Madicken in Swedish TV-series Madicken (1979-1983)
5. Emil Svensson in Swedish TV-series Emil i Lönneberga (1974-1976)
6. Maggie Petrocelli in Petrocelli (1974-1976)
7. Cher in The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (1971-1974)
8. Mark Harris in Man From Atlantis (1977-1978)
9. Julie McCoy in The Love Boat (1977-1987)
10. Miss Piggy in The Muppet Show (1976-1981) @Toni

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Avon (Paul Darrow) from Blake’s 7.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Robert Powell as Jesus in ITC’s Jesus of Nazareth

Tony Curtis as Danny Wilde in ITC’s The Persuaders!.

 

[Willie Oleson]

1. Ann Hammond - THE BROTHERS

She's smart, sexy and she hates nice people - so there is that.
Ann is the restless corporate wife who likes to do a bit of self-analysis every now and then, as if she's trying to break the barriers of the soap bubble she's living in.
And sometimes she almost gets it, only to be outfoxed by the people who write her The Brothers story.

2. Harriet Oleson - LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE

Daughter Nellie is probably the bigger cult icon but Harriet and her super-ego could make even the tiniest scene sizzle with excitement.
I was always disappointed when she (or Nellie) didn't appear in an episode but at the same time it made the Oleson episodes extra special.

3. Rosco P. Coltrane - THE DUKES OF HAZZARD

The wicked sheriff with the trademark chuckle who never really wanted to catch the Dukes because he liked the car chasing too much.

4. Annika Zeferis - WHO PAYS THE FERRYMAN?

For that seventies, continental Euro-glamour. The character could have been played by a British actress and that's why I think this was an interesting choice.
She and "Leandros" do a little dance in a Dutch talk show.

5. John-Boy - THE WALTONS

The #1 reason to watch The Waltons, I think.

 

[Seaviewer]

This has given me a big smile.

James has certainly given us an alternate point of view.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

1. Kerr Avon – BLAKE’S 7
2. Lizzie Birdsworth – PRISONER CELL BLOCK H
3. Sapphire – SAPPHIRE & STEEL
4. Helena Russell – SPACE 1999
5. Sarah Jane Smith – DOCTOR WHO
6. Sky – SKY
7. Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, WONDER WOMAN
8. Jessica Tate - SOAP
9. Jaime Sommers – THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN
10. Tucker Jenkins – GRANGE HILL
11. Sue Ellen Ewing – DALLAS
12. Ivy Tilsley – CORONATION STREET
13. Richard Avery – KNOTS LANDING
14. Sabrina Duncan – CHARLIE’S ANGELS
15. Purdey – THE NEW AVENGERS
16. Jesus – JESUS OF NAZARETH
17. Timothy Claypole - RENTAGHOST
18. Logan 5 – LOGAN’S RUN
19. Bodkin – GHOSTS OF MOTLEY HALL
20. Kenny – THE TOMORROW PEOPLE

I’d agree on Richard Avery too. I only ever started eating pastrami so I could copy him saying it was lousy in A Brand New Day. And I’d add Mister Claypole, Purdey and Wonder Woman too.

And Simon Templar in ITC’s Return of the Saint was still around. But he now had a different face. So I’ll stick him in again. Some of his incidental music turned up on Dallas and Knots Landing, as well as guest stars Gayle Hunnicutt and David Healy.

And Worzel Gummidge.

 

[Long Lashes]

1. John Boy Walton - The Waltons
2. Fonzie – Happy Days
3. Kunta Kinte – Roots
4. Mr Hudson - Upstairs Downstairs
5. Mavis Wilton (also Riley) – Coronation Street
6. Mork - Mork And Mindy
7. Catweazle – Catweazle
8. Wolfie Smith - Citizen Smith
9. Charles Ingalls - Little House On The Prairie
10. Keith Partridge - The Partridge Family
11. Norman Fletcher – Porridge
12. Margo Leadbetter - The Good Life
13. Dr. Helena Russell - Space: 1999
14. Ross Poldark – Poldark
15. Det. Insp. Jack Regan - The Sweeny
16. Terry McCann - Minder
17. Mr Humphries – Are You Being Served
18. Rupert Rigsby – Rising Damp
19. Frank Spencer - Some Mother’s Do ‘ Ave ‘Em
20. Basil Fawlty – Fawlty Towers

 

[Toni]

Aren´t you forgetting a certain MOI...?​

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Miss Piggy from ATV/ITC’s The Muppet Show

All past and future incarnations of the mysterious Commander Traynor (Denis Quilley) from ATV/ITC’s Timeslip. And any dodgy Traynor clones.

Timeslip

When two curious teenagers stumble upon a time rift, they find themselves propelled into past and future eras, uncovering hidden truths, secret experiments and mind-bending mysteries, in this thrilling 70s teenage drama

televisionheaven.co.uk

 

[Jimmy Todd]

My choices:
1.George Jefferson- The Jeffersons
2.Archie Bunker- All in the Family
3.Maya- Space:1999
4.Ann Romano- One Day at a Time
5.Captain William "Buck" Rogers- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
6.James Evans- Good Times
7.Shirley- What's Happening
8.JR Ewing- Dallas
9.Natalie- The Facts of Life
10.Valene Ewing- Knots Landing
11.Ida Morgenstern- Rhoda
12.Jim Rockford- The Rockford Files
13.Alice- The Brady Bunch
14. Flo- Alice
15. Fred Sanford- Sanford and Son
16. Geraldine- The Flip Wilson Show
17. Laverne Defazio- Laverne and Shirley
18.Jamie Summers- The Bionic Woman
19. Thelma Harper- The Carol Burnett Show
20. Frank Cannon- Cannon

 

[Seaviewer]

10. Keith Partridge - The Partridge Family

I wanted to include Danny Partridge but I forgot - then when I remembered, I couldn't decide who to drop.

 

[colbyco]

01 J.R. Ewing, DALLAS

02 Gary Ewing, Knots Landing

03 Jim Rockford, Rockford Files

04 Quincy, Quincy ME

05 John McIntyre, Trapper John, M.D.

06 Jeniffer Hart, Hart to Hart

07 Jill Munroe, Charlie’s Angels

08 Mary Richards, Mary Tyler Moore Show

09 Lt. Mike Stone, The Streets of San Francisco

10 Boss Hogg, Dukes of Hazzard

11 Mr Rourke, Fantasy Island

12 Chrissy Snow, Three’s Company

13 Mark Harris, Man from Atlantis

14 Harriet Oleson, Little House On The Prairie

15 Danny Wilde, The Persuaders

 

[Sarah]

1. Sue Ellen Ewing (Dallas) for reasons that really shouldn't have to be explained to anyone. Ever.

2. Basil Fawlty (Fawlty Towers)
3. Wonder Woman (Wonder Woman)
4. Samantha Stephens (Bewitched)
5. Dr David Banner (The Incredible Hulk - scared the crap clean out of me as a kid!)
6. Miss Piggy (The Muppets) - because it would be rude not to! @Toni
7. Timothy Claypole (Rentaghost)
8. Hermann Munster (The Munsters)
9. Lily Munster (The Munsters)
10. Jennifer Hart (Hart to Hart)
11. Karen MacKenzie (Knots Landing)
12. Laverne (Laverne and Shirley)
13. Miss Piggy (The Muppets)
14. Peep-Peep (The Boy From Space)
15. Princess (Battle of the Planets)
16. Arnold (Diff'rent Strokes)
17. Maude (Maude)
18. Mork (Mork and Mindy)
19. Battery Sergeant Major Williams (It Ain't Half Hot Mum)
20. Frank Spencer (Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em)

My mistakes have been rectifed!

I really wanted to add Penelope Pitstop and The Hooded Claw but they were made in the 60's and I grew up watching them in the 80's.