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

[Hawkman]

1.3rd and 4th Doctor - DOCTOR WHO (one character, two actors)
2.Kerr Avon - BLAKE'S SEVEN
3 Ed Straker - UFO
4. Basil Fawlty - FAWLTY TOWERS
5. Nasca THE FEATHERED SERPENT
6. Eric Shepherd - THE LOTUS EATERS
7. Simon Templar- THE RETURN OF THE SAINT
8. Steve McGarret- HAWAII 5 - 0
9. Neil Burnside - THE SANDBAGGERS
10 . Tarot- ACE OF WANDS
11. Rupert Rigsby - RISING DAMP
12 . Reginald Perrin- THE RISE AND FALL OF REGINALD PERRIN
13. Vera Bennett- PRISONER CELL BLOCK H
14. James Hadleigh - HADLEIGH
15. Alan Haldane - WHO PAYS THE FERRYMAN
16. David Callan - CALLAN
17. Spencer Quist - DOOMWATCH
18. Jim Kyle - 1990
19. Patrick Glover - FATHER DEAR FATHER
20. Frank Spencer- SOME MOTHERS DO 'AVE ' EM

 

[Victoriafan3]

1 Pam Ewing Dallas

2 Liz Kennedy The Young Doctors (Rebecca Gilling)

3 Julie Scott the Restless Year (Kim Lewis)

4 Blanche Hunt Corrie (it was nearly Mavis Riley)

5 Miss Piggy The Muppets

6 Sapphire Sapphire and Steel

7 Margo Leadbeatter The Good Life

8 Frank Spencer Some Mother’s Do ‘ Ave ‘Em

9 Mrs Slocombe Are You Being Served? (Nearly Mr Humphries)

10 Dorrie Evans Number 96 (Pat McDonald won 4 Logie awards for this role)

11 Marlena Evans Days of our Lives

12 Mildred Roper Man About the House

13 Laverne from Laverne and Shirley

14 Diana Prince Wonder Woman

15 Laura Ingalls Little House on the Prairie

16 Vera Novak from Alice

17 Jessica Tate in Soap

18 Kelly Garrett Charlie’s Angels (it was nearly Jill Munro)

19 Doreen Anderson/Burns Prisoner (Cell Block H)

20 Valene Ewing Knots Landing

Honourable mentions to

Jo polniaczek in Facts of Life

Jennifer in Hart to Hart

Christie Snow Threes Company

Arnold Jackson Diff’rent Strokes

Jamie Sommers Bionic Woman

 

[Mel O'Drama]

What's the rule on spin-off characters? For instance, if I vote for Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore Show), can I also vote for Rhoda (Rhoda)?

Interesting question.

I think we should include them because it's a different show.

I had this quandary when it came to two of the characters in my Seventies list. It made sense (in my head at least) to restrict it to the series in which the character made their first appearance, even though it means Mildred Roper and Jaime Sommers aren't nominated for their self-titled spin-offs.

I did get to have my cake and eat it with Terry and June. Even though it's just a reworking of Happy Ever After with the same actors playing almost identical characters, they have a different surname. So I was able to vote for Terry's character from one series and June's from the other.

Gosh, now my head is spinning thinking about it. Technically, I could vote for Sue Ellen Ewing and Val Ewing because Val had her own show, but then she was first introduced in DALLAS, so would that be fair? Then I think she did all her best work in KNOTS, so why shouldn't she be allowed that vote.

And following on from this thought there's the question of TNT Dallas. Is that a spin-off or the same series? Could people then vote for Sue Ellen or John Ross in the 2010s, even though they're both technically Seventies characters?

 

[Ome]

Mel O'Drama said:
And following on from this thought there's the question of TNT Dallas. Is that a spin-off or the same series?

Isn't this a continuation rather than a spin-off? I can't say I have the authority on spin-offs, but having a different name to the original gives that a more unique position than using the same name some 20/30/40 years later.

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

 

[Ome]

I Am Boz said:
1.3rd and 4th Doctor - DOCTOR WHO (one character, two actors

I Am Boz said:
Simon Templar- THE RETURN OF THE SAINT

I Am Boz said:
8. Steve McGarret- HAWAII 5 - 0

Thanks for your votes.

We established these three characters were introduced back in the 60s

Victoriafan3 said:
Blanche Hunt Corrie (it was nearly Mavis Riley)

70s Corrie created so many fantastic characters, I went with Ivy, but there was a strong presence pulling me into Vera's direction, then Blanche.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Isn't this a continuation rather than a spin-off? I can't say I have the authority on spin-offs, but having a different name to the original gives that a more unique position than using the same name some 20/30/40 years later.

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

It's confusing all right. And that's not even touching on reboots, or whatever you call series like Dynasty.

 

[Ome]

Maybe I should retract my comments and rule out the spin-off where a character was already introduced in a previous show.

This is about finding the ultimate TV character with a rule of one character per show, so when an established character has been introduced in one show, we can’t choose them from another show.

Then there is a question where one member may have only seen KNOTS LANDING and never watched DALLAS.


I voted on Jamie Sommers from THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN, but what about someone who only watched THE BIONIC WOMAN??

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Maybe I should retract my comments and rule out the spin-off where a character was already introduced in a previous show.

I'm easy either way. I'm just intrigued by everyone's thought processes around making choices.

Then there is a question where one member may have only seen KNOTS LANDING and never watched DALLAS.

Ooh - interesting.

To me it's similar to the decade thing. Blanche Hunt made it into my list mostly on the strength of a lot of her material in the Noughties, but I voted for her in the place she first appeared, even though I watched very little of her at that time.

It's probably win/win for someone who only watched the spin-off show, especially if they're torn between Val and Laura or something, because they can choose two characters. But if someone chooses Val from Knots and omits Dallas altogether, it's not going to make much difference in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Ome]

I’ve given this more thought, actually too much thought and I will go with allowing the advantage of naming character from spin off shows, with the same rule of the character’s first introduction being the decade we are voting on.

That does not include reboots or continuation. The characters from the DALLAS continuation must have been first introduced in the 10s decade.

I’m already plotting on my spin-off to this mission.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I’m already plotting on my spin-off to this mission.

How exciting. I can't wait to find out what you have planned.

 

[Barbara Fan]

I would consider Gary and Val Knots landing characters as 99.9% of their work was there with a brief fleeting appearances in Dallas

I dont need to worry about TNT - it wont be on a list

 

[bmasters9]

I dont need to worry about TNT - it wont be on a list

Do you think it was that bad?

 

[Toni]

1 Pam Ewing Dallas

2 Liz Kennedy The Young Doctors (Rebecca Gilling)

3 Julie Scott the Restless Year (Kim Lewis)

4 Blanche Hunt Corrie (it was nearly Mavis Riley)

5 Miss Piggy The Muppets

 

[Daniel Avery]

Then there is a question where one member may have only seen KNOTS LANDING and never watched DALLAS.

I kinda resemble that remark.

I had similar quandaries with Benson Dubois and Thelma Harper. Benson, who was first seen on Soap, wasn't as well-rounded as he was in the self-titled spin-off, but I felt he was only eligible for Soap since that was where I saw him first. The much more enjoyable version on Benson was first seen on Soap. And Thelma, from "The Family" skits from the Carol Burnett Show, was similarly a background character and much more enjoyable in the spin-off Mama's Family. Like @Ome, I thought entirely too long on the subjects, so I ended up not voting for Benson at all, and saving Thelma for the 1980s vote, hoping I could argue that "Mama" from Carol Burnett would be different enough to merit being voted on as a 'new' character, since they actually used her name in the spin-off.

But now, if I edit my list to include Benson, I'd have to drop Gretchen Kraus, and I really enjoyed her too....so I guess it will just have to stay as it is.

 

[Emelee]

1. Basil Fawlty, Fawlty Towers
2. J.R. Ewing, Dallas
3. Chester Tate, Soap
4. Herr Papphammar, Papphammar
5. The Swedish Chef, The Muppets
6. Emil Svensson, Emil of Lönneberga
7. George Smiley, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
8. Katherine Chancellor, The Young and the Restless
9. Laura Avery, Knots Landing
10. Jennifer Horton, Days of Our Lives
11. Brett Sinclair, The Persuaders
12. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, MASH
13. Sabrina Duncan, Charlie’s Angels
14. Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, To the Manor Born
15. Dorian Cramer Lord, One Life To Live
16. Barbara Ryan, As the World Turns
17. Roger Thorpe, Guiding Light
18. Laura Collins, General Hospital
19. Jennifer Hart, Hart to Hart
20. Phoebe Tyler Wallingford, All My Children

 

[Jessie]

My top 70’s characters

1. Sue Ellen Ewing -Dallas
2. Michael Zaslow -Guiding Light
3.Mary Tyler Moore -Mary Tyler Moore Show
4. Karen Fairgate-Knots Landing
5. Jill Munroe -Charlie’s Angels
6. Lucinda Walsh -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

 

[Emelee]

2. Michael Zaslow -Guiding Light
6. Lucinda Walsh -As The World Turns

Michael Zaslow is the actor, Roger Thorpe the character.

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

 

[Crimson]

And Thelma, from "The Family" skits from the Carol Burnett Show, was similarly a background character and much more enjoyable in the spin-off Mama's Family.

The continuity between "The Family" skits and MAMA'S FAMILY is pretty flimsy and I think it's a reasonable argument that they are different characters. Of course, that's a slippery slope. The continuity of TNT DALLAS was atrocious, so the precedent is now set for someone to vote for JR or Sue Ellen a second time.

 

[Ome]

The continuity of TNT DALLAS was atrocious, so the precedent is now set for someone to vote for JR or Sue Ellen a second time.

Not sure if you missed some of what I mentioned yesterday, or I didn’t explain myself.

I agreed that we could vote on characters from a spin-off providing they were introduced in that decade. I class the spin-offs as a different show, with a different title.

Members can continue to vote for DALLAS characters from the last decade, but only vote on characters that were first introduced in that decade. So that means JR & Sue Ellen are not eligible a second time around.

Characters from reboot shows can only be voted on if that character is a totally new character created only for the reboot.
Hopefully that makes sense and apologies for any misunderstanding.

 

[Crimson]

Not sure if you missed some of what I mentioned yesterday, or I didn’t explain myself.

It was a point -- and not a very serious one -- that there are those who don't consider TNT DALLAS to be a continuation of the original, for much the same reason why "Mama" might be considered a different character between those two series. Needless to say, I have no interest in voting for any characters from TNT DALLAS so it's a moot point for me anyway.