This is the list of "The 50 Greatest TV Icons," compiled by cable's TV Land and the writers of
Entertainmen Weekly Magazine. What do you think? I'll reserve my comment until after the list.

50. Larry Hagmen
49. Calista Flockhart
48. Jimmy Smits
47. Simon Cowell
46. Lassie
45. Sarah Michelle Gellar
44. Susan Lucci
43 Flip Wilson
42. James Gandolfini
41. Jon Stewart
40. Sally Field
39.Jennifer Anniston
38. Bea Arthur
37. George Clooney
36. Diahann Carroll
35. Michael J. Fox
34. Bob Barker
33. Ellen DeGeneres
32. Henry Winkler
31. Sarah Jessica Parker
30. Alan Alda
29. John Ritter
28. Howard Cosell
27. Regis Philbin
26. Farrah Fawcett
25. Heather Locklear
24. Michael Landon
23. Barbara Walters
22. Milton Berle
21. Kermit
20. Carroll O'Conner
19. Andy Griffith
18. William Shatner
17. Bob Newhart
16. David Letterman
15. Not Ready For Prime Time Players
14. Ed Sullivan
13. Jackie Gleason
12. Dick Van Dyke
11. Roseanne
10. Dick Clark
9.  Homer Simpson
8.  Jerry Seinfeld
7.  Mary Tyler Moore
6.  Carol Burnett
5.  Walter Cronkite
4.  Bill Cosby
3.  Oprah Winfrey
2.  Lucille Ball
1.  Johnny Carson


There are a few on this list I wouldn't put on my top 50, e.g. Oprah. She probably deserves to be on the list
but she wouldn't be on mine. I know, talking bad about Oprah is like talking bad about God, I just don't like her
a little bit. Another name would be Regis Philbin, why Regis?

I would put 2 names on this list in lieu of Oprah and Regis and they would be:

Jonathan Frid..(Barnabas Collins)

Darren Mcgavin..(The Night Stalker)

Simon Cowell in the Top 50?  WTF

I am glad to see Dick Clark in the Top 10.  I grew up watching him and he was (I'm sure) a staple in most TV households.  Also glad to see Henry Winkler up there.  The Fonz was like THE cool guy everyone wanted to be

I love my dog but Lassie, really? and Kermit... there had to be two others to choose....


Where's Mary Tyler Moore?  As Laura Petrie she was the first woman to wear pants, litterally on TV... (when Lucy did it was as a character, part of scheme or when chasing chickens  :D - Lucy always wore a dress around the house).  And look at how she defined the new independent woman in the 70s. She wasn't a widow, or a divorcee she was single girl getting hers on her own!

What about Will Smith... his show (although overplayed now) was huge... here was an urban youth able to move in with his rich relatives while retaining his identity. He wasn't a characiture like Martin Will was genuinely funny and he transformed this persona to the big movie star we watch today!


Susan Lucci is soooo overrated I'd rather see Genie Francis & Anthony Geary there (Luke & Laura)


I am thrilled to see Sarah Michelle Gellar there but I wish she were further down on the list

I didn't see Candace Bergan either... ummm how many other TV characters have been called out by the vice president for a ficticious event (Single mom Murphy giving birth to Avery) and had it turned into a very real debate (family values)  and then mined the situation for a very funny, very creative and very touching hour of TV?

I demand a recount  >:(

Why only one cartoon character?

Beavis & Butt-Head
Fred Flintstone
Scooby Doo (overrated, but is still popular since 1969)

Where's Mary Tyler Moore? 



Seventh?

I don't think Lassie belongs, nor do I think Kermit should be on this list. I'll buy Homer but in reality it should be
the whole Simpsons Cast.

Who I think should have made the list in their stead is:

Redd Foxx....Fred Sanford (Sanford & Son)

Sherman Hemsley....George Jefferson (The Jeffersons)

George Wendt....Norm Peterson (Cheers)

I don't think Lassie belongs, nor do I think Kermit should be on this list. I'll buy Homer but in reality it should be
the whole Simpsons Cast.



I think Kermit should be on the list, as well as the rest of the cast of Sesame Street.  That show has been on the air since 1969, I grew up watching Kermit.  It holds a special place in my heart. 

AS far as Homer goes, I would have left him off my list. 

You know who I think swhould be on a list likew this (but probably never will be)?  David Caruso

Though he has been acting in Film and TV since the very early 80s, he never became a "star" until the 90s.  To struggle for so long, and finally become a houshold name some 13 years later definately deserves some kind of recognition.

If not for that, then for his bonehead move to leave a successful TV show (NYPD Blue) for a film career which flopped, then make his way back to a successful TV show ;D

You know who I think swhould be on a list likew this (but probably never will be)?  David Caruso

Though he has been acting in Film and TV since the very early 80s, he never became a "star" until the 90s.  To struggle for so long, and finally become a houshold name some 13 years later definately deserves some kind of recognition.

If not for that, then for his bonehead move to leave a successful TV show (NYPD Blue) for a film career which flopped, then make his way back to a successful TV show ;D



Ugh...I hate David Caruso.  He is such an over-actor! 

Ugh...I hate David Caruso.  He is such an over-actor! 

I dislike him too but I would not use the word "actor" in the same sentence with David Caruso!
He's such a bore.
David: "Keep me posted" (removes his sun glasses)
8-P

LOL I always knew people hated him ;D

I really like the guy.  He's like the Richard Gere of Television .. the good looking guy with the suave voice :D

I'm indifferent towards him, though look at him as one of the examples that even adult actors can be typecasted

Argh, lists like this really burns me up.

Not even sure if the list was made up by people who really watch TV or have any history of it.

People who have NO business being on the list:

Sarah Jessica Parker - SITC is not a standout of TV, bunch of kinda slutty females looking for love in NYC. Might of well been a reality show on VH-1.  Square Pegs would actually qualify if it was on longer, otherwise, no way.
Ellen DeGeneres - Why? Because of her show and gay outing, or because of her less than average talk show, either way boring, yawn.
Calista Flockhart - C'mon Ally McBeal?! Does not and will not register on the scope of TV in the long run, dancing babies were a blip on the radar at best.
Kermit - Don't really have a problem with this, just think this should be listed as "Jim Henson" as to all the characters that he created that should be recognized.
Heather Locklear - What for, Melrose Place? Or TJ Hooker? (Ooh, quality choices, huh?) Either one could hardly be called anything to honor in the TV realm, actually, just the opposite, she should be ashamed of her "work". Yes shes' blond and has a great rack, so does 2/3'rds of most women in Cali, so what?
Regis Philbin - Again WHY? Annoying talk show host who has contributed to...nothing. I'd give him props to putting up with Kathy Lee and Kelly Ripa (no small feat mind you) but in the realm of TV greatness, he doesn't even qualify to be mentioned.

Here are some people that should be added and were not mentioned:

Rod Serling - Twilight Zone opened the door for every Sci-Fi series and show there after. Shows like The X Files, Star Trek, Battleship Galactica, Babylon 5 (starting to get the idea?) could never have existed without it.
Gary Coleman - What you talkin' about Willis? This show was so huge in the early 80's and spawned spin offs ad-infinitum (Facts of Life, Hello Larry, Silver Spoons).
Redd Foxx - How can you not mention this, you big dummy. One of the funniest shows on TV at the time w/o question.
Jerry Mathers - Gosh Beav, I don't think 50's TV would be complete without my show being on the list.
Fred Flintstone - First animated show to have the same power of a sitcom on the air. And is still a powerful force today. South Park, The Simpsons, and Family Guy owe their popularity to this pioneer of prime time animation.
Mr. T - I pity the fool that doesn't recognize the influence of the "T" in the 80's and even today.
Jimmy Walker - It would be "dy-no-mite" for anyone to forget the first of the black sitcoms of the 70's and its popularity.

Seventh?


I swear I am chucking my laptop asap... you know I posted on several boards at what I thought was the last post b/c my stupid lp didn't show all posts... I don't get it either....

for this one I did a ctl + f to find "Mary" on the page and it didn't find it... what's up with that?

I swear I am chucking my laptop asap... you know I posted on several boards at what I thought was the last post b/c my stupid lp didn't show all posts... I don't get it either....

for this one I did a ctl + f to find "Mary" on the page and it didn't find it... what's up with that?


I never knew about doing ctl + f to find things!  Anyway it worked for me so it must be your laptop.  Perhaps Santa can bring you a new one.

calista flockhart?!

what the.......

I never knew about doing ctl + f to find things!  Anyway it worked for me so it must be your laptop.  Perhaps Santa can bring you a new one.

lol my list is growing longer and longer....

I get Entertainment Weekly (It came with concert tickets), and they had a full 100 list, here's the rest. Bold I've seen people in this topic suggest.

100. Marcia Cross
99. Delta Burke
98. Meredith Baxter
97. The Cast of "In Living Color"
96. Shannen Doherty
95. Richard Dawson
94. Melissa Gilbert
93. Neil Patrick Harris
92. Judge Judy
91. Dennis Franz
90. John Stamos
89. Robert Guillaume
88. Gavin MacLeod
87. Phil Hartman
86. Jerry Mathers
85. Rod Serling
84. Eric Cartman
83. Isabel Sanford
82. Ted Knight
81. Dick Cavett
80. Adam West
79. Angels Lansbury
78. Art Carney
77. James Garner
76. Candice Bergen
75. Peter Falk
74. Joan Rivers
73. Tony Danza
72. Cher
71. Rosie O'Donnel
70. Bob Denver
69. Barbara Eden
68. Don Cornelius
67. Tom Selleck
66. Kelsey Grammer
65. Pamela Anderson
64. Phil Donahue
63. Ed Asner
62. Redd Foxx
61. Paul Reubens
60. Merv Griffin
59. Ted Danson
58. Don Knotts
57. Charlie Brown
56. Betty White
55. Fred Rogers
54. Florence Henderson
53. Ed McMahon
52. Ron Howard
51. Bob Hope

The 50 Greatest AmericanTV Icons  ::) ;)

^ But there are 2 Canadians and 1 Brit in there ???

^ But there are 2 Canadians and 1 Brit in there ???


Thank you I knew they weren't all American I just don't know my Canadians very well...

^ But there are 2 Canadians and 1 Brit in there ???


There should be more Brits IMHO! :o

There should be more Brits IMHO! :o


maybe bbc can list their own... this list was created by an American Magazine working in conjunction with an American TV network... that probably explains the skewed results.... even tho we get most of our ideas from the UK... we try to keep it a secret  ;D

Most Americans don't know that All in the Family, Who's the Boss, Three's Company, Trading Places, Coupling (which failed miserably) and the Office were based on British shows... well maybe they know about The Office and Coupling because they kept the same titles....

We know that American Idol was done in England first-hence the transplant (and inclusion on the list) of Simon Cowell but we are happier thinking it was an American idea.... we're just like that I would apologize but it would take way to long to do so for every one who is ignorant about the source of their favorite shows....

Oh and for my "cousin" Henk,  we stole Big Brother from the Netherlands...  ;)

^ But there are 2 Canadians and 1 Brit in there ???
Do you mean in the 50, or in the WHIOLE list?

  I remember hauling my 19" TV to work with me to catch the final Tonight Show...

How about:  Jack Paar,  Steve Allen,  Dave Garoway,  Sid Ceasar,  Red Skelton,  Lorne Greene,  Bob Cummings,  Howdy Doody 8)