Leonard Hofstadter, The Big Bang Theory
CBS Thu 8 p.m. EST
We’ll skip all the “geek is chic” references and get straight to it. Leonard Hofstadter—as played by Johnny Galecki—is the more socially capable half of the lovably clueless pair of physicists on the CBS hit. He plays the straight man to his roommate Sheldon’s borderline autistic flamboyance with enviable patience, while pining for Penny, the girl who’s literally next door.
What’s cool about Leonard is that despite his nerdy exterior, he does, in fact, have a spine. When faced with Penny’s beefy suitor, he quips, “The homo habilis man discovering the opposable thumb says what?” (To which the dude replies, “What?” in fine sitcom form.) And though he puts up with Sheldon’s crazies like a good friend ought to—especially admirable, given the guy keeps a labeled measuring cup for urine samples in the kitchen—Leonard also knows where and when to draw the line.
Most of all, we love how Leonard is continually searching. As an experimental physicist, he’s looking for answers about the universe, but as a man, he’s looking for how to find love, be a good friend, and become a better person.Check out the episode where he decides to throw out his old comic books to prove his maturity. (Granted, he backs out, but only because he realizes that being a good adult is in your mind, not your reading materials.)
Then there’s the scene when the gang bounces a laser off the moon. Leonard waxes poetic:
“Think about what this represents. The fact that we can do this is the only way of definitively proving that there are manmade objects on the moon, put there by a member of a species that only 60 years before had just invented the airplane.”
A guy with that kind of wonder is good enough for us.
♦♦♦
Jay Pritchett, Mitchell Pritchett, Cameron Tucker, and Phil Dunphy: the men of Modern Family
ABC Wed 9 p.m. EST
There are plenty of good reasons that this show has been heralded as the savior of the family sitcom. Filmed in a mockumentary style, Modern Family follows the intertwined lives of three related nuclear families: a set of gay dads and their newly adopted daughter; a May-December marriage between Ed O’Neill (of Al Bundy fame) and his much younger, unreasonably hot Colombian wife and her son; and the classic three-kid suburban family with a dad who has delusions of coolness.
The show has garnered Emmys galore, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a bad review. Even if you were to ignore the witty one-liners and the ridiculous situations, the characters feel real. They struggle with their inner demons and shortcomings, but still manage to keep their family close-knit. And the occasional end-of-episode family hug doesn’t make you want to gag. Why they made the cut:
- They’re flawed. At his worst, Jay—the grumpy patriarch—is a little bit racist, a little bit homophobic, and a little bit emotionally stunted. (An entire episode surrounds how he’s only hugged his son, Mitchell, once in 25 years.) Respectively, Mitchell is often uptight and judgmental, while his partner, Cam, can be a passive-aggressive drama queen. And Phil, Jay’s other son-in-law, is generally just clueless.
- They’re willing to change. Jay’s accepted his gay son and his partner, and adapted to his new wife and son’s Colombian roots. Mitchell has taken a break from baby-proofing the house, while Phil has learned the value of keeping his word. Overall the show manages to tackle seemingly large, sweeping issues—ethnicity, homosexuality—with a subtlety you rarely find in a sitcom.
- They love each other unconditionally. In the final episode of the first season, Jay is interviewed by his grandson, Luke, about what it was like growing up in the ’60s. His answer:
Back in ’68 … I had this mental picture of the family that, if I was lucky enough, I would end up with. Perfect wife, perfect kids … Well, guess what? I didn’t get any of that. I wound up with this sorry bunch. And I’m thankful for that every day. Well, most days.
♦♦♦
Jim Halpert, The Office
NBC Thu 9 p.m. EST
Yes, Jim and his hobbit hair seem manufactured for fangirls to swoon over. Yes, his conspiratorial glances toward the camera make you understand why he managed to steal Pam from her then-fiancée, Roy. And, yes, he’s sort of annoying.
But we have him on our list because, in spite of his cloying charm, he’s just a nice guy. It’s been said a thousand times, but he’s TV’s everyman. His ongoing feud with Dwight, the office narc, never ceases to entertain us, and we’re not alone. More than nine million viewers tuned in to watch him marry Pam.
Recently, though, Jim’s been going through some changes. He struggled to gain the respect of his colleagues after getting a promotion, forcing him to make tough decisions—like punishing Ryan, an insubordinate, by making him work in a closet—and alienating both his coworkers and fans alike. (Canadian weekly Maclean’s went so far as to write a piece titled, “Why No One Likes Jim Anymore.”) Viewers have even complained about his new, non-floppy hair.
But here’s our take: Jim’s growing up. He’s accepting responsibility at the expense of popularity—a difficult thing to do and something rarely seen on TV. As the Maclean’s story notes,
The transformation of Jim may also be an inevitable part of dealing with something that’s happened since the show began: the world economic collapse. Jobs became scarce, and suddenly it became clear, as Keane puts it, “that someone with a dead-end job is better off than all of the people who are dealing with unemployment and unable to pay their bills.”
Jim has stepped out of the realm of “everyman” and into the much scarier world of “everyman dealing with reality.” And, though he may be struggling to pull it off, we’d be happy to let him hang out in our office.
♦♦♦
Continued on next page
To this list, I’d add: Patrick Jane (“The Mentalist”), Dr. Owen Hunt (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Terry Bellefleur (“True Blood”), Chuck Bartowski (“Chuck”), LeRoy Gibbs (“NCIS”) and Marshall Mann (“In Plain Sight”). All good men.
Patrick Jane (“The Mentalist”) I love that show but while he is smart he has a bit too much of a disregard for authority. And his attitude sometimes borders on arrogance. LeRoy Gibbs (“NCIS”) Again I like the show a lot but for all the good there is in Agent Gibbs I’m not sure he’s that great of a man if for no other reason than his head slapping and how selective he is of it. You could make a viral video with clips of him slapping DiNozzo and McGee (to the beat of “Where’s Your Head At?” by Basement… Read more »
Okay, I just stumbled upon The Good Men Project so I should probably withhold judgement on its mission statement until I’ve read more. That being said, it seems to me the ultimate TV example of someone “trying to be a good man” is Nate Fisher from Six Feet Under. If you’ve seen the show, you know how well his tries work out.
Totally with you, and I’m a huge Krause fan (Sports Night, SFU, etc.). We’ll have to do a follow-up piece with shows that aren’t running.
I don’t understaaaaand the fascination with neil patrick harris! he wasn’t on the list, but got what amounted to an honourable mention – his character is an unabashed sexist pig!
Don’t forget Eddie Trunk, Don Jamison, and Jim Florentine on the VH1 Classic program, “That Metal Show.” Guests so far include Rob Halford from Judas Priest and Michael Anthony from Van Halen. They opened the new season with a genuine tribute to the recently passed rocker Ronnie James Dio.
These guys just sit around an talk metal, mostly classic metal. The show is a big hit, and this season was expanded from a half hour to an hour.
I believe this list was characters, though. Those guys are great (and absolutely hilarious), but they’re real people on TV. Not characters that everyone is made to look up to. I feel there’s a difference.
Great list! Love the Modern Family guys! Henry Francis does deserve to be on this list! I like watching Don and his struggles but there are so many other great characters on Mad Men. Henry is a good guy and I love the actor. Can’t wait to see what next season brings.
I CAN’T POST! IT ALL ZIPS AWAY!
nevermind…..everytime I post here the whole thing gets lost just before I hit PostComment. so foget it here
Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) of Law and Order: SVU. Good father, defender of the weak.
I don’t entirely agree with this. Though Detective Stabler can be a great guy, he has just as many flaws. He’s an angry cop and too conflicted to be put on this list, in my opinion. Besides, if you didn’t notice (or read) law enforcement was avoided on here. Stabler is a perfect reason why. Good cop, not the greatest guy.
I’d like Bill Adama of Battlestar Galactica added to this list.
I really enjoy Chuck on Chuck. And the supporting cast of men on that show, from Awesome to Casey to the guys who work at the Buy More. Each is flawed, each tries to do the right thing in their own, sometimes misguided, ways.
seconded
I have to agree. Chuck is loyal to his girlfriend, a good brother to his sister, a good friend and always tries to do what’s right. He might be a nerd, but he knows it and he doesn’t let it stop him.
Okay guys…with you all the way on this with one exception. Henry Francis. Have you been watching the show? He seems like a pretty bitter dude to me, treating Betty and my boy Don pretty horribly. Maybe its because I am so fascinated by how they portray Don’s search for meaning, his attempt to deal with being a divorced dad, and juggle work, love, and booze (okay, yes I plead guilty) that makes me dislike Henry Francis intensely. I’ll ask you one question: Did Betty look better with Don or with Henry Francis? I will grant you that Don’s latest… Read more »
Don has been a horrible husband (infidelity), father (absenteeism), soldier (desertion), and business partner (dirty dealings to prevent exposure). Compared to Don, almost any other husband is superior–and Henry is a revelation.
Al Bundy is the best TV dad of all time and it’s abhorrent that he didn’t make this list. He sells shoes and makes no money, but what little money he does make is taken by his wife. He has two kids who don’t respect him, yet he constantly comes to the rescue when his throws the boyfriends of his slutty daughter into the wall and out of the house. And he takes his boy on father-son bonding trips to the nudie bar. Al was also a promising high school football standout, but instead of striving for fame and athletic… Read more »
We love Al Bundy! But this is for characters currently on air. He’s there in spirit through Modern family though!
Damn technicalities! 😉
Unfortunately the male characters from my other favorite show (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) are morally deplorable and thus would not qualify. But it is hilarious.
I JUST discussed this with my boys’ class the other day and discovered that most of the male characters they watch on television happen to be animated ones who lack integrity. However, they assured me there are GOOD MEN on TV who are human, but they are watching an entirely different stream of programming than the ones mentioned here, and I suspect so are an enormous number of other people. The boys let me know loud and clear that George Lopez is a good man, and then they went on to rattle off a list of good cops and forensic… Read more »