1/10 People Won't Be Able To Name All These Sitcom Characters
- by Candace Winters
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Television. If there is a better way to spend one’s free time than chilling out in front of the TV, gorging on some of the best sitcoms ever produced, then we definitely don’t want to hear about it.
In fact, this quiz was designed with the most avid television viewers in mind. When we say that 1 in 10 people won’t be able to name all of these sitcom characters – we mean it. Only the most dedicated television watchers will be able to correctly identify the characters contained in this quiz. Knowing just the main characters of the most popular sitcoms on television won’t cut it. This quiz covers sidekicks, kooky neighbors, love interests, adversaries, secondary characters and more.
A lot of people consider themselves to be television buffs and passing this quiz is the absolute best way to prove it because not everyone possesses the deep television trivia knowledge required to properly name all of these sitcom characters.
So, pull up a chair, put the television on mute and access that part of the brain where random television facts lie, like the name of the wise neighbor on Home Improvement and the cool guy star of Saved by the Bell.
Good luck and happy quizzing!
Name this character from The Office.
Michael Scott may have fancied himself the patriarch of The Office and its employees his children, but the sad sack Human Resources representative was definitely not a part of the family. And actually, since the resident HR rep was divorced, he wasn’t really a part of his own family, either. We all watched as the evil snail got thrown out of countless conference room meetings for ruining Michael’s good fun, but how many of us even remember the poor guy’s name?
Name this character from That 70's Show.
That 70s Show followed the mishaps and misadventures of a group of teenage friends growing up in Wisconsin. The crew could most often be found hanging out in lead character, Eric Foreman’s super chill basement and their roundtable chill out sessions down there made for some truly excellent television. Everyone remembers that the show introduced us to future real-life couple Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, but who remembers the name of the funny foreign exchange student in the group?
Name the principal who lived next door on Boy Meets World.
Boy Meets World introduced us to teenage everyman, Cory Matthews, as he navigated the highs and lows of adolescence with his supportive family, including dimwitted but well-intentioned older brother Eric, girlfriend Topanga, best friend Shawn, and of course, the wizened principal next door. Everybody could feel for Cory’s everyday teenage struggles, like trying to fit in at school – that’s what made the show so relatable. But who can remember the name of the advice-dispensing principal of John Adams High School who lived next door?
Name this character from How I Met Your Mother.
On How I Met Your Mother, Ted Mosby spends nine seasons searching for the woman of his dreams. Ted’s wide-eyed romanticism stands, of course, in very stark contrast to his legend – wait for – dary bro friend whose seemingly sole purpose in life is to find his next hookup. He does eventually settle down and commits to on-again, off-again girlfriend Robin in the series finale, but the union is short-lived and the pair end up getting a divorce after just three years.
Name this character from Saved By The Bell.
If there was ever trouble going on at fictional Bayside High School on Saved by the Bell, then there was a very good chance that this guy was behind it. Ringleader of a crew of friends that included cheerleader Kelly Kapowski; superstar athlete A.C. Slater; activist and feminist Jessie Spano, shopaholic Lisa Turtle and uber-nerd Samuel “Screech” Powers, this cool guy was always on the hunt for a new get-rich-scheme, much to the chagrin of harried school principal, Mr. Belding.
Name the kooky neighbor on Seinfeld.
For a show about nothing, Seinfeld certainly had a pretty great nine season run. Based on the comedic stylings of Jerry Seinfeld, the show revolved around the everyday troubles (minor inconveniences, really) and dating woes facing a group of shallow New Yorkers. There was Jerry, of course, and his former fling turned best gal pal Elaine Benes; chronic underachiever George Costanza; and an extremely eccentric neighbor across the hall whose very funny entrances into Jerry’s apartment would become a running gag.
Name the owner of the comic book store on Big Bang Theory.
The Big Bang Theory revolves around the lives of super nerds, Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter, Howard Wolowtiz and Rajesh Koothrapali. Like any good group of geeks, the guys spend a fair amount of time hanging out at their local comic book store whose owner is a particularly sad character. Everyone knows that our whole universe was in a hot, dense state, then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started, but who knows the owner of The Comic Center of Padadena?
Name this character from Family Guy.
Quahog’s resident creep and Griffin family next door neighbor is best known for being a deviant as well as his oft-repeated catchphrase, “Giggity.” But he’s more than just a weirdo, he’s also an accomplished pilot, a former ensign in the U.S. Navy, and one of Peter Griffin’s best friends (despite his very obvious crush on Peter’s wife, Lois). And while his prowess with women is well-documented, it’s really just a self-defense mechanism after his relationship with supermodel Cheryl Tiegs left him with a broken heart.
Name this character from Modern Family.
Modern Family was no doubt influenced by prior sitcom documentary set-ups like Arrested Development and The Office. The mocumentary comedy about a large, multicultural extended family drew millions of viewers each week and was pretty much unstoppable come awards season. And like its predecessors, Modern Family was an ensemble comedy that launched a breakout star. The Columbia native’s hysterical portrayal of a wife in a May-December relationship with the family’s patriarch brought Sofia Vergara mainstream fame and made her one of the highest paid actresses on television.
Name Tina's crush on Bob's Burgers.
Tina Belcher is the oldest daughter on Bob’s Burgers and her boy craziness is very well-documented. She has a particularly deep love jones for her dad’s restaurant rival’s son – a teenage boy with a slight lisp and a passion for slow dancing. And while Tina has her share of other crushes, like Josh from the dairy case at Fresh Feed and Jeff the Ghost, her heart will always belong to the slow dancing dynamo of her dreams. Who remembers his name?
Name Ray's pushy parents on Everybody Loves Raymond.
Not everybody would choose to live directly across the street from their overly involved, intrusive parents who seem to lack even the most basic notion of healthy boundaries. But, everybody is not Ray Barone. The sportswriter and slacker husband and father might complain about his parent’s and sad sack older brother, Robert’s constant presence in his home, but deep down he loves it and them. After all, Everybody Loves Raymond. Who among us remembers the names of Ray’s pushy parents?
Name Kimmy's landlord on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
On Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Ellie Kempler plays the titular character, Kimmy, who, after being held in an underground bunker with three other women for fifteen years by doomsday cult leader, Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, decides to start her life anew in New York City. Armed with an extremely bright outlook on life despite her prior life underground, Kimmy soon finds herself an apartment with a roommate (the hilarious Titus Andromedon) and a cool new job nannying for a down-on-her-luck socialite.
Name the doctor aboard the Planet Express on Futurama.
Over on the animated sitcom Futurama, the Planet Express crew is motley, to say the least. With accidental time travelling slacker, Fry; super focused, one-eyed captain Leela; ditzy rich girl, Amy; master limbo dancing bureaucrat, Hermes; cranky but brilliant Professor and alcoholic, womanizing robot, Bender all aboard, the Planet Express definitely finds its share of misadventures. But what’s a space crew without an experienced doctor? The Planet Express is home to an ever-so-slightly incompetent crustacean with a doctorate. Who remembers his name?
Name the new girl on New Girl.
Sometimes the simplest premise works best. In this case, “it’s about a group of friends,” (where have we heard that one, before?) worked brilliantly for seven hilarious seasons. All it took was for the titular New Girl to move in with a trio of thoroughly millennial males that included bartender Nick Miller, self-proclaimed ladies’ man, Schmidt, and former basketballer, Winston Bishop. Of course, New Girl would not worked without the titular New Girl. So, what was the New Girl’s name?
Name this character from Scrubs.
Intern John “JD” Dorian navigates the crazy world of Sacred Heart Hospital with a unique sense of humor and an extremely rich imagination. So, it’s a good thing that the attending physician overseeing JD’s training is his polar opposite and can keep his whimsy in check. This character is quite a character – stern, intimidating, and surprisingly hilarious. One of his running gags is that he refuses to call JD by his actual name, instead preferring to dub him lady names like Sandy, Shannon and Cindy.
Name the overly enthusiastic NBC Page on 30 Rock.
30 Rock gave us a backstage seat to all of the insane hijinks that unfold in crazy world of late-night television production. Featuring an all-star cast of comedy heavyweights that included a very brilliant Tina Fey as the frazzled producer, Liz Lemon; Alec Baldwin as the hard-nosed exec, Jack Donaghy; Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowsi as Tracy Jordan and Jenna Maroney, the completely bonkers stars of the comedy show, TGS; and Jack McBrayer as a dimwitted, but extremely enthusiastic NBC Page.
Name this character from The Simpsons.
You may remember this not-at-all washed up actor on The Simpsons from such high-profile film roles as The Boatjacking of Supership ’79, Give My Remains To Broadway, or Look Who’s Still Oinking. Or perhaps you remember him from such educational films as Alice’s Adventures Through The Windshield Glass, Fuzzy Bunny’s Guide To You-Know-What, or Here Comes The Metric System. Still need a clue? You may also remember this actor from his fake relationship with Marge Simpson’s older sister, Selma Bouvier.
Name these characters from Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Nobody ever said that being a teen witch was easy. Between feuds with frenemy Libby; making time for romance with boyfriend, Harvey; studying for her witch’s license; and making trips to and from the other realm in her linen closet, Sabrina Spellman of TV’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch had her hands completely full. And even though her parents were M.I.A., Sabrina thankfully had her two witchy aunts to lean on for guidance and support. Who remembers the names of Sabrina’s not-so-wicked witch aunts?
Name this character from Arrested Development.
Now the quiz question about a wealthy family who lost everything, and the one son with no choice but to keep the family all together. Arrested Development’s Michael Bluth was in the unenviable position of having to manage his father’s failing real estate development company while it was under the suspicious eye of the federal government and keep his absolutely crazy (and shallow) extend family from falling completely apart – all while trying to be a good dad to his teenage son, George Michael. Try as he might, he could never remember his son’s girlfriend’s name. What was it, again? Her? Egg?
Name the commanding officer on Brooklyn 99.
On Brooklyn 99, Andy Samberg plays Detective Josh Peralta, a hotshot cop with a devil may care attitude and the best arrest record on the force. But when a new commanding officer arrives at Brooklyn’s 99th precinct, Detective Peralta has to learn how to slow down and follow the rules. His new commanding officer – played to hilariously stoic perfection by Andre Braugher – is a serious fellow with something to prove. Everyone knows Andy Samber’s character, but who can name his commanding officer?
Name Ashton Kutcher's character on Two and a Half Men.
Two and a Half Men was originally about a successful (and womanizing) jingle writer named Charlie who takes in his recently divorced younger brother Alan and troublemaking nephew, Jake. But when star Charlie Sheen’s life took a turn for the worse and he badmouthed the show’s creator and executive producer, studio executives decided to take the show in a different, Charlie-free direction. Enter Ashton Kutcher, who played a billionaire who buys Charlie’s Malibu home and lets Alan and son stay on.
Name Drew's flamboyant coworker on The Drew Carey Show
On The Drew Carey Show, the titular star leads an everyman kind of existence, getting by with the help of his friends Lewis, Oswald and Kate. Part buddy comedy, part workplace comedy, the show also focused on Drew’s life as a middle manager at Winifred-Louder, a Cleveland department store. No workplace is complete without a rival, and Drew met his match with a flamboyantly dressed and heavily made-up co-worker who always had a well-timed zinger to match Drew’s insults. Who remembers her name?
Name the dog on Frasier.
Frasier was the high-brow Cheers spinoff that focused on the trials and tribulations of syndicated radio psychologist, Frasier Crane along with his brother, Niles Crane and father, Martin Crane. When health issues force Frasier to take in his father, Martin doesn’t show up to the impeccably appointed apartment alone. In addition to a worn-in recliner that was as comfortable as it was an affront to Frasier’s stylish eyes, Martin also brings his best friend, a Jack Russell Terrier. Not a super fan of dogs, Frasier frequently finds himself getting into staring matches with the pooch.
Name Leslie's best friend on Parks and Recreation.
How to describe Leslie Knope’s best friend? She is so sweet and innocent and pretty. She is definitely the most beautiful nurse in the world. Not to mention, a beautiful tropical fish who’s as smart as a whip and cool under pressure. And even though it makes her uncomfortable, Leslie has definitely said that she is thoughtful, brilliant and her ambiguous ethnic blend perfectly represents the dream of the American melting pot. She’s definitely a beautiful, talented, brilliant, powerful musk-ox.
Name the butler on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Now this is a question all about how Will’s life got changed, flipped upside down. Everybody remembers the theme song that perfectly captured Will Smith’s backstory as a wayward youth from Philly who got sent to a gated community in Beverly Hills to live with his Aunt Viv and Uncle Phil. Will may have started out as the classic fish out of water, but he eventually finds his footing and gets used to living in a mansion complete with butler.
Name this character from Full House.
It is a truth, universally acknowledged that a family-oriented sitcom must be in need of a wacky neighbor, and 90’s sitcom Full House was no exception to the rule. D.J.’s best friend always hung around the Tanner house a little too much for dad Danny and Uncle Jesse’s liking. Her wardrobe was as loud as her personality, and who could forget the trouble she often got D.J. into. Like the time they got locked out of her brother’s car at a major intersection after playing a prank. Or the time she drank way too much at a college frat party and D.J. had to carry her home.
Name the alien living with the Smith family in American Dad.
American Dad follows the misadventures of ultra-conservative FBI agent, Stan Smith and the rest of his crazy family: his wife, Francine; his kids Hayley and Steve; a talking fish named Klaus and, of course, a very flamboyant alien with an insane number of alter egos. Not many families could get away with hiding an alien in their house, especially one prone to disguising himself with a wig and going by the name Betty Bea Getty McClanahan, but the Smith makes it work, somehow.
Name Miley's best girl friend on Hannah Montana.
On Hannah Montana, Miley Stewart may have had the best of both worlds, but juggling teen pop superstardom with being a regular school girl would have been completely impossible without the support of her Dad, Robbie Ray, older brother, Jackson and best friend. Her best gal pal even adopted a crazy alter ego herself so she could hang out with pop star Hannah Montana without normal girl Miley Stewart getting spotted. Now, that’s a true friend. Who remembers her name?
Name the wise and unseen neighbor on Home Improvement.
Classic 90’s sitcom, Home Improvement, introduced us to grunting, super masculine handyman, Tim Taylor and his family It also introduced us to his heartthrob sons who would all go on to grace the pages of Tiger Beat Magazine. Raising three teenage boys is not easy, even for the handiest among us, but thankfully Tim could count on the advice of his wife, Jill and his hidden-from-the-fence-down next door neighbor. Everyone remembers Tim’s signature grunts, but who remembers the name of his wise neighbor?
Name Doug's father-in-law on The King of Queens.
On The King of Queens, comedic everyman Kevin James played Doug Heffernan, a genial IPS delivery driver who loved food, football and his wife, Carrie. It was too bad for Doug that his wife, Carrie was a package deal and her eccentric (to say the least) father soon moved into the basement of their Queens home. And while he may have been the bane of Doug’s existence, his father-in-law’s crazy antics and get-rich-schemes helped make the show a classic.
Name the parents on Malcolm in the Middle.
Malcom in the Middle was an offbeat comedy about an extremely dysfunctional working-class family. Malcolm, of course, was the star of the show – an ordinary kid who tested at genius levels and hated taking classes for gifted children. And his family was filled out with his two older brothers – dimwitted bully Reese, and former juvenile delinquent Francis – and younger brothers – eccentric little kid, Dewey and final season baby, Jamie. Everyone remembers the boys’ wild shenanigans, but who could forget their equally wacky parents?
Name the daughter on The Middle.
Fresh off the wildly successful television show, Everybody Loves Raymond, Patricia Heaton found herself playing another harried wife in a very different family on The Middle. Set in the fictional town of Orson, Indiana, the show followed the misadventures of lower-middle-class family, the Hecks. Headed up by Frankie and Mike (who you might recognize as the janitor on Scrubs), the family also included two sons – popular but lazy Axl and intelligent introvert Brick – and a daughter. Who remembers her name?
Name Molly's sister on Mike & Molly.
We all know Melissa McCarthy so well from her hit movies like Spy, The Boss, Life of the Party, Identity Theft, and the all-female Ghostbusters reboot, that it can be hard to remember a time when she starred on a television show. On Mike and Molly, she played Molly Flynn, a fourth grade teacher who finds love with police officer Mike Biggs at a Chicago Overeaters Anonymous meeting. Everyone knows Melissa’s character, Molly, but who among us remembers her hard partying sister?
Name the two Bundy kids on Married...With Children.
Love and unions go together like a horse and carriage. That is, unless you’re Al Bundy. The sad sack women’s shoe salesman and patriarch of the Bundy clan on the hit show was in a constant depressed state about his unfortunate domestic life. No wonder his favorite television show was “Psycho Dad.” Everyone remembers Al Bundy former Polk High School star football athlete, but who remembers the names of the two kids he had with wife, Peggy Bundy?
Name Earl's brother on My Name Is Earl.
My Name is Earl followed the misadventures of titular antihero, Earl, a petty thief and all around bad guy who realizes that he should probably work on his karma after he loses a winning lottery ticket. Armed with a list of every single person that he has ever wronged, and his dimwitted little brother slash trusted sidekick, Earl sets out to right each and every one of his wrongs, which is no easy feat. He certainly gets karmic credit for trying.
Name the butler on The Nanny.
On The Nanny, Fran Drescher played the flamboyant Fran Fine, a Queens native turned unlikely nanny to an upper crust, high-society family. While there were plenty of culture clashes, the Sheffield family grew to love Fran, the patriarch in particular – Maxwell Sheffield – had a will-they, won’t they love dynamic with the nanny. In the end, they ended up together and welcomed a set of twins. Of course, Fran and Maxwell weren’t the only will-they, won’t-they couple on the show. The series finale saw Maxwell’s butler and business partner tying the knot.
Name the eldest daughter on Family Matters.
Steven Urkel was the breakout star of TGIF sitcom, Family Matters – pretty impressive for a character that was only meant for a one-off guest appearance. Before long, we were all asking, “Did I do that?” in our most nasal voice while doing the Urkel dance. And while Steven Urkel may have been a welcome presence on our television screens (at least for a few years in the 90’s), he was definitely a nuisance to the Winslow family. His deep, unrequited crush on the Winslow’s eldest daughter was anything but reciprocated.
Name the Dean on Community.
Fan favorite, Community, followed the misadventure of a study group of misfits that included disgraced former lawyer, Jeff Winger; activist Britta Perry; super nerd Abed Nadir; devout single mother, Shirley Bennett; former star high school athlete, Troy Barnes; naïve overachiever, Annie Edison; and kooky millionaire, Pierce Hawthorne. Despite their differences, the group ends up becoming good friends and are often looped into helping the community college’s crazy Dean who schemes to make the school appear more respectable. Who remembers the name of the Dean?
Name Karen's maid on Will & Grace.
Karen Walker’s maid was more than just a maid – she was Karen’s favorite verbal sparring partner and best friend – and the Will & Grace revival paid a sweet tribute to this beloved sitcom side character as Shelley Morrison, the retired actress who portrayed the maid declined to participate in the reboot. When Karen’s maid passes tragically due to complications during surgery, Karen takes the opportunity to turn her funeral into the quinceañera that she never got as a teenager and gives her best friend an absolutely moving eulogy.
Name Daria's popular and fashionable little sister.
High school is not easy when you’re awkward and brainy. It’s even worse when your kid sister is the super cute, super popular Vice President of the Fashion Club. Daria might not have it easy with a younger sister that popular and pretty, but at least she can count on her best friend Jane Lane to make the unmanageable high school experience a little bit more manageable. Ironically, it was Daria’s complete lack of popularity that made her so relatable and well, popular.
Name Jimmy's parents on Raising Hope.
Raising Hope follows the misadventures of the Chance family after son, Jimmy, finds out that a one night stand with a felon resulted in the birth of a little girl. Clueless about just about everything – including child rearing – Jimmy leans heavily on his family for support, especially his sometimes dimwitted but always well-intentioned (and hilarious) parents. They might not be perfect, but they can always count on each other when it matters the most. Everyone knows that the baby’s name is Hope, but who remembers the names of Jimmy’s parents?
Name the parents on Sister, Sister.
On Sister, Sister, real-life twin sisters, Tia and Tamera Mowry played separated-at-birth twins sisters who reunite after a chance encounter at a clothing store in the mall. The show’s Parent-trap inspired plot lead to plenty of sitcom shenanigans when the teens eventually end up living in the same house with their adoptive parents. Nobody could forget Sister, Sister’s stars, Tia and Tamera, or their annoying neighbor, Roger. But how many among us can remember the names of their polar opposite parents?
Name the youngest Solomon on 3rd Rock From The Sun .
3rd Rock From The Sun followed the misadventures of a team of extraterrestrials sent on a discovery expedition on Earth. To blend in, they shed their alien forms for human shells and pretend to be the Solomons, a completely normal, not at all strange family living in Rutherford, Ohio. Led by patriarch and physics professor, Dick Solomon, the family also included Dick’s siblings Sally and Harry, as well as his teenage son, played by future action movie star, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Name this character from The Brady Bunch.
Here’s the query of a lovely lady who was bringing up three very lovely girls and a man named Brady who was busy with three boys of his own. Then the one day when that lady met that fellow, they knew that it was much more than a hunch, eventually the group somehow formed a family and that’s the way they became The Brady Bunch. Everyone remembers the theme song, but who remembers the name of the family’s live-in maid?
Name Chloe's actor friend on Don't Trust The B- In Apartment 23.
Don’t Trust The B- In Apartment 23 followed Chloe, a self-obsessed New York party girl who scams potential roommates by asking for the rent money in cash up front and then acting out in completely obnoxious ways that send them running for the hills. Her schemes usually work, until she meets June, a wide-eyed mid-western transplant who proves more difficult to run off. Instead, the pair become unlikely allies, and June joins Chloe’s circle of friends, which includes a certain former teen television star playing a hilarious fictionalized version of himself.