This could be a very tough one for most of you. I'm going to try and do it though, I'd love to know what yours are as well. I'm sure I left a few out, but overall I feel pretty good about the list. I didn't really know who would be my number one, but they are all pretty great.

25. Stewie Griffin (Family Guy)
24. Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)
23. Scooby Doo (Scooby Doo)
22. Rod Sterling as the Twilight Zone guy (The Twilight Zone)
21. Tony Soprano (Sopranos)
20. Jack Tripper (Three's Company)
19. Shawn Spencer (Psych)
18. Jean Luc-Picard (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
17. Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)
16. Elliot Stabler (Law and Order: SVU)
15. Zack Morris (Saved By The Bell)
14. Lucy ( I love Lucy)
13. Johnny Drama (Entourage)
12. Frasier (Cheers and Frasier)
11. Samantha (Bewitched)
10. Spock (Star Trek)
9. Adrian Monk (Monk)
8. Tobias Funke (Arrested Development)
7. Cliff Huxtable (The Cosby Show)
6. Fonzie (Happy Days
5. Archie Bunker (All in the Family)
4. Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld)
3. Jack Bauer
2. Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
1. Sam Beckett (Quantam Leap)

I cant put a list together but I would throw BBCs Life On Mars' Gene Hunt in the list

1. Lorelai Gilmore

Seriously. I wish she were real. I want her to be my mom or my best friend or something.

Barney Fife
Homer Simpson
Spock

Walter White. Possibly the most richly drawn lead character in a television show I've ever seen.

Libs, I can't urge you enough to see The Shield, in particular because of several similarities between Vic Mackey and Walter.

Can't rank them yet, really, but my unranked Top 10 would probably look like this:

Vic Mackey
Walter White
Jesse Pinkman
Homer Simpson
Bender
Gregory House
Jack Bauer
Charles Logan
Fox Mulder
Gene Hunt

Here's mine:

1. Walter White (Breaking Bad)
2. Tony Soprano (The Sopranos)
3. Vic Mackey (The Shield)
4. Jack Bauer (24)
5. George Costanza (Seinfeld)
6. Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld)
7. Dexter Morgan (Dexter)
8. Sam Malone (Cheers)
9. Tim "The Toolman" Taylor (Home Improvement)
10. Gil Grissom (CSI)
11. Raylan Givens (Justified)
12. Stewie Griffin (Family Guy)
13. Thomas Magnum (Magnum, P.I.)
14. Arthur Spooner (The King of Queens)
15. Sterling Archer (Archer)
16. Boyd Crowder (Justified)
17. Nancy Botwin (Weeds)
18. Hank Moody (Californication)
19. Dr. Gregory House (House M.D.)
20. Fox Mulder (The X-Files)
21. Woody Boyd (Cheers)
22. Steve Urkel (Family Matters)
23. Dennis Finch (Just Shoot Me!)
24. William Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
25. Dr. Doogie Howser (Doogie Howser, M.D.)

Top 5
Homer Simpson
Jack Bauer
Cliff Huxtable
Walter White
Omar Little

I really need to start watching AMC and Showtime. Dexter, Breaking Bad, MadMen

The Seinfeld 4 and even a lot of the secondary characters are all great
I think Either Frank or Charlie from It's Always Sunny might make it too. I just put up a preliminary list, definitely not my last.

Walter White would be my #1 and my current crush for Victoria Greyson would put he rin my top 5.

In no particular order...

George Costanza
Don Draper
Tony Soprano
Cosmo Kramer
Richard Harrow
Chalky White
Arnold Rothstein
Frank Barone
Jack Baur
JR Ewing
Maude Findlay
Archie Bunker
Emily Thorne
Rumpelstiltskin
Chandler Bing
Kevin Arnold
Titus Pullo
Lucious Vorenus
Ari Gold
Johnny Drama
Elaine Benes

George Costanza has to be Top 5. HAS TO.

Ron Fucking Swanson.

1. David Brent (The Office)
2. Alan Partridge (Alan Partridge)
3. Darren Lamb (Extras)
4. Ross Gellar (Friends)
5. Chandler Bing (Friends)
6. Andy Millman (Extras)
7. Stewie Griffin (Family Guy)
8. Brian Griffin (Family Guy)
9. Gunther (Friends)
10. Carrie Mathison (Homeland)
11. Del Boy (Only Fools and Horses)
12. Stan Smith (American Dad)
13. Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
14. Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
15. Trigger (Only Fools and Horses)
16. Nicholas Brody (Homeland)
17. Joey Tribianni (Friends)
18. Pheobe Buffet (Friends)
19. Robert Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)
20. Victor Meldrew (One Foot in the Grave)
21. Saul Beresford (Homeland)
22. Mike Hannigan (Friends)
23. Rodney (Only Fools and Horses)
24. Boycie (Only Fools and Horses)
25. Ben Harper (My Family)

I'm surprised Kudrow is on your list since you don't find women funny.

At least one of the Friends' gang (minus Ross) HAS TO be on your list, otherwise it's invalid/it sucks.

But no Victoria Greyson?, I find Victoria to be a much much better character than Emily tbh.

Who says I like her character because of humour?

Blonde.

Phoebe should be on everyones list. She is one of the funniest characters ever.

Great thread idea, by the way.

Some shows are simply inseparable as ensemble casts - - the interplay between the lead characters is just perfect - - for example:

Friends
Seinfeld
Everyone Love Raymond
All in the Family
Star Trek
Star Trek: Next Generation
Arrested Development

Matter of fact, top television ensemble casts could be it's own thread/poll...

I like Emily's character but you are right I should also have Victoria on the list. And thinking about it Nolan's a great character too.

Spot on Bradley.

The first three shows on your list are my favourite comedies and I can watch them again and again. What makes them so rewatchable is the fact that on repeat viewings you can appreciate the different cast members that make up the ensemble.