"The 50 Greatest TV Icons"

[traininvain]

The list of "The 50 Greatest TV Icons," compiled by TV Land network and Entertainment Weekly magazine:

50. Larry Hagman
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 Aniston
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'Connor
19. Andy Griffith
18. William Shatner
17. Bob Newhart
16. David Letterman
15. "Not Ready for Primetime 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


These types of lists are usually good argument starters, and there are a few that really make me scratch my head, but this one is truely odd: 49. Calista Flockhart.
Calista Flockhart, when did she become an icon?

Looking at it some more, 31-50 is scattered with "icons" and non-icons.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

I would rate Lucy higher than Johnny.

[dimmzy]

Hmmm.... it's a decent list overall.

I agree about Calista Flockhart. I would have added a sports personality like either Howard Cosell or Jim McKay.

[Shade]

Simon Cowell got on the list but not Meredith Vieira, ridiculous.

[TheCalvinator24]

Hmmm.... it's a decent list overall.

I agree about Calista Flockhart. I would have added a sports personality like either Howard Cosell or Jim McKay.

Cosell is #28

[TheCalvinator24]

Some of these actors portrayed iconic characters (and I would agree that Ally McBeal qualifies in that vein, just like Buffy-Geller).

Dick Van Dyke is rated too low. There is no way Roseanne should be above him.

Heather Locklear is too high.

JOhn Ritter should not be above Alan Alda.

Sarah Jessica Parker fits in the same category with Flockhart, Geller, and Gandolfini. Thus, she should be lower. Ditto with Henry Winkler (even though The Fonz is a more iconic character than the rest of those put together)

And speaking of iconic characters, where's Lucy Lawless for Xena?

Lassie should be higher. As should Hagman (Although once again it's more for an iconic character).

Smits does not belong.

And yes, Simon belongs, but Meredith does not.

[T_Bone0806]

The list of "The 50 Greatest TV Icons," compiled by TV Land network and Entertainment Weekly magazine:

50. Larry Hagman
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 Aniston
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'Connor
19. Andy Griffith
18. William Shatner
17. Bob Newhart
16. David Letterman
15. "Not Ready for Primetime 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


These types of lists are usually good argument starters, and there are a few that really make me scratch my head, but this one is truely odd: 49. Calista Flockhart.
Calista Flockhart, when did she become an icon?

Looking at it some more, 31-50 is scattered with "icons" and non-icons.

Flockhart is the real sore thumb here. Jimmy Smits, Jon Stewart, Simon Cowell (too new). and Gellar are pretty questionable.

Excuse me? Where are Steve Allen, Sid Caesar and Don Knotts? Art Carney and Red Skelton? ROD SERLING???????

I'm going to stop before I hyperventilate.

[silverscreenselect]

The list of "The 50 Greatest TV Icons," compiled by TV Land network and Entertainment Weekly magazine:

50. Larry Hagman
...

1. Johnny Carson


These types of lists are usually good argument starters, and there are a few that really make me scratch my head, but this one is truely odd: 49. Calista Flockhart.
Calista Flockhart, when did she become an icon?

Looking at it some more, 31-50 is scattered with "icons" and non-icons.

All lists like this tend to be badly skewed in favor of more recent celebrities because the people doing the voting almost always have more experience with more recent TV shows.

Jimmy Smits? Jon Stewart? George Clooney? I think Ellen DeGeneres, Flip Wilson and Diahann Carroll are on the list more for their historical significance than any lasting impact their shows or characters may have had.

Where is Robert Stack? Raymond Burr? Robert Urich? Angela Lansbury? James Arness? James Garner? Jack Lord? John Madden (if Cosell is on the list)?

[Ritterskoop]

I'm glad Bea made the list.

[earendel]

OK, so we have the list, and it's doing exactly what such lists do - engendering discussion. But what were the criteria for the list? Some of the names seem a little too recent to be "icons". Also "icon" to me implies a notable character, which would mean the exclusion of Raymond Burr (Perry Mason, Ironside) makes no sense. Rod Serling, though not a character, is certainly an "icon", too.

[peacock2121]

Mike Douglas should be on the list. If he is and I missed it, I apologize. He is the day-time talk/variety show guy.

[gsabc]

Rosanne should be in the lower ten, at best.

Milton Berle should take her place at #11, at worst.

Shatner wasn't the real icon of Star Trek, Nimoy was. Now Shatner's a self-parody. And laughing all the way to the bank with it.

Replace Barbara Walters with Edward R. Murrow. Or Phil Donahue, if she's on there for talk/interview shows.

Gellar, Smits and Flockhart don't belong at all. Replace with Bob Denver, Jerry Mathers and Donna Reed. Or if you want more recent, Jerry Orbach, and the guy who plays Grissom on CSI (whose name obviously escapes me at the moment).

Agree with whoever mentioned Art Carney and especially Red Skelton, egregious absences. Where's Lorne Greene or James Arness? David Janssen? Sid Caesar?

Ah well, like all these lists, it'll disappear from the news within a week and no one will know or care.

[earendel]

...and the guy who plays Grissom on CSI (whose name obviously escapes me at the moment).

William Petersen. I remember how much he was reviled when CSI first premiered because it came on opposite BAM.

[gsabc]

Oh, and I'm surprised no one has mentioned the dear boy himself, Merv Griffin.

[Appa23]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer must be one of the more underappreciated shows in history, looking at the MAWGish posts in this thread. (Clearly the reason why it never was recognized with much-deserved Emmy nominations, let alone wins.)

I would argue that Gellar should be higher on the list, especially giving her bonus points for being such a go-to SNL host in recent years.

BTW, Oprah at #3??????

Why the never-ending lovefest for this woman? More iconic than Burnett, Cosby, and Cronkite?

[gsabc]

BTW, Oprah at #3??????

Why the never-ending lovefest for this woman? More iconic than Burnett, Cosby, and Cronkite?

It's the constant self-promotion. She's about the only person, IMO, who could seriously challenge Steve Jobs in the ego department. "Hey, how about I publish a magazine, name it after myself, and put a picture of me on every cover?"

[Rod Serling]

Excuse me? Where are Steve Allen, Sid Caesar and Don Knotts? Art Carney and Red Skelton? ROD SERLING???????

Sorry, but I don't want to be on any list with Roseanne and Oprah in the Top 11...

[dimmzy]

She's about the only person, IMO, who could seriously challenge Steve Jobs in the ego department. "Hey, how about I publish a magazine, name it after myself, and put a picture of me on every cover?"

Oprah has said that Hearst insisted on having a "face" on the cover of the magazine but since she doesn't traditionally promote celebrities in the magazine (each issue is devoted to "Courage" or "Love" or "Challenge Yourself") she didn't have much choice. She said there was no "artwork" that could support Courage and STILL sell magazines. "Test audience just wouldn't buy an issue of a popular magazine with the Dalai Lama on it!"

--dimmzy, who would be happy to be a publicist for Oprah

[eyégor]

a few more that I think deserve some consideration

Curt Gowdy
Dave Garroway
Hugh Downs
David Brinkley
Robert Young
Aaron Spelling -probably misses the criteria
John Forsythe
Willard Scott
Peter Falk....
& if it is character driven, The Marlboro Man

Oh, & good to see you, cuz...

[earendel]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer must be one of the more underappreciated shows in history, looking at the MAWGish posts in this thread. (Clearly the reason why it never was recognized with much-deserved Emmy nominations, let alone wins.)

BTVS isn't a bad show - I've caught it in reruns and it certainly had its moments. It's a matter of whether SJP is more deserving than others who have been mentioned. I'd say she belongs on the list - BTVS was the forerunner for shows like "Medium" and "Ghost Whisperer", IMO, and thus is "iconic".

[eyégor]

Gee, we're approaching 50 replacement icons....

in the cartoony vein

Fred Flintstone
Bullwinkle

& remembered because of the Ira Levin Thread

Judge Wapner

[The Crimson Chin]

And where am I??????????

I demand a recount!!!!

[littlebeast13]

What about Pat Summerall?

lb13

[silverscreenselect]

Shatner wasn't the real icon of Star Trek, Nimoy was. Now Shatner's a self-parody. And laughing all the way to the bank with it.

If you go by an entire career, you can add TJ Hooker and Boston Legal to Shatner's resume and he qualifies.

[Craig Paquette]

I was on TV a few times....

CP21