Did Your Favorite Make the List? Our Picks for the Best Characters From TV 1980-2000

6) Thomas Magnum

Who is handsome, smart, practical, and flashy all the same time? If you guessed Magnum then you are correct. With foresight and determination, Magnum always gets the job done while looking rugged and stylish. And, that mustache should have been trademarked (if it wasn’t been already). Magnum P.I. was one of the best action shows on TV in the 80s. Tom Selleck made more than a few ladies swoon with this character!

7) Captain Piccard

Demanding yet fair, Captain Piccard on Star Trek: The Next Generation was a figure of importance for the crew, but also for viewers at home. Piccard radiated the kind wisdom combined with kindness that made you wish he could have been a neighbor on your street. Always considering the facts on the periphery and coming up with new ideas, he was a commander not to be reckoned with.

8) Zack Morris

The heart-throb of choice for tens of thousands of girls in the 80s and 90s, Zack Morris was cool and likable at the same time. With his unpopular friend, Screech, they forge a group that is the heart of Saved By The Bell. Bright colors, hooded vests, and suspenders worn in an un-ironic way made this show trendy in the fashion department. While looks were important, the heart of the show lay in the important lessons about time management, friendship, and young adult troubles-to-come that were learned every single episode.

9) Julia Sugarbaker

Sweet a pie, but sharp as a tack, Julia Sugarbaker was a strong role model for women and girls on Designing Women. Running her own interior decorating business, Julia is an executive with a Southern belle trapped inside. We always loved her smart comebacks, her (mostly) realistic interpretations, and her never-give-up attitude. She had amazing hair and was pretty funny for a boss lady, too.

10) Kevin Arnold

Our favorite kid character, Kevin was awkward, sweet, rambunctious, and he made you feel a little bit less terrible about all the awkward conversations you didn’t know how to have as kid. We also loved Winnie and Paul, but Kevin and his quirky family were the best. Equal parts good writing, excellent acting, and good timing made The Wonder Years one of the most iconic shows from the 80s. We’re nostalgic about a show that is about nostalgia! Go figure.

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