There are so many things that make a great television character. Comedic timing, dramatic impact, audiences love of the character. Perhaps most importantly a great television character is defined not solely on performance (although this is very important), or on awards, but on the impact the character had in popular culture. That being said here in my humble opinion are the top ten television characters of all time.
10) Fred Sanford - With his weekly heart attacks and scams Fred Sanford made "I'm coming home to see you Elizabeth" one of the more popular phrases on TV at the time. Even with all of his off set troubles audiences tuned in weekly to see what kind of a mess Fred was going to get himself into.
9) Al Bundy - Perhaps no character has ever made being a loser seem like so much fun. From having a terrible job, to not ever wanting to be with your wife Al Bundy seemed to have the worst life imaginable yet you can probably not find anyone in America who did not wish they had his attitude on life. I mean come on, he made being a loser the best way of life to have.
8) Andy Sipowicz - Sipowicz broke all the rules and audiences ate it up. NYPD Blue was the first show that incorporated swearing and nudity on prime time TV. No one else could have brought a hard nosed tough character like that to the small screen and made it work the way Dennis Franz did.
7) Hawkeye Pierce - No show in television history had more viewers then MASH did in its heyday. Perhaps the main reason for that was the love of all its characters. Yet of all the great characters on the show the obvious standout was Hawakeye who single handedly made you want to be a part of the war. His character hated being there but you wanted to fly to Korea and make trouble with him.
6) Kramer - Most people will agree that the entire cast of Seinfeld should be here and that you cannot single out one character. While the entire cast was phenomenal the audience tuned in to see a glimpse of Kramer. He was offbeat, very physical in his routines and was able to get a laugh even when there was not a laugh to be had. Besides Kramer always had a scheme going, never had to work, and always had money. Who would not want that life?
5) Homer Simpson - Never has being an overweight, drunk, slob had so much of America in a buzz. Everyone knows Homer is a loser yet they love him. He got the hot girl, has a good, albeit, unsafe job, and has a nice house. Perhaps his only downfall was Bart, lol. None of that matters though because Homer Simpson single handedly kept the FOX network on the air in its first few years.
4) Tony Soprano - Tony Soprano was a murdering, backstabbing, villainous lowlife. Even with all these shortcomings he had a soft side and never has there been another character on tv that has been so evil and at the same time you never wanted anything to happen to him. Whether he was murdering or cheating on his wife, millions of people wanted Tony Soprano to live forever. Perhaps thats why the finale let you decide for yourself what happens to Tony.
3) Cliff Huxtable - With the character of Cliff Huxtable Bill Cosby was able to reach millions more then any of his movies or stand up comedy ever did or would have. The Huxtable family was also one of the first all African American casts on TV. That in itself would unleash many more all African American cast that would also be wildly popular. Besides that Cliff Huxtable was soft spoken and used more expression and situation to get laughs rather then pure punchlines.
2) Archie Bunker - He was prejudice among many of his other faults yet America loved him. Archie Bunker ushered i a new wave of situational comedies when he talked about issues and said things that other TV shows would not dare touch. Even with all the censorship and all the bad press the show took, All in the Family spent 5 straight years as the number one show on television.
1) Lucy Ricardo - Being the only female on the list i think it is fitting that she is number one. Lucy brought comedic chops and timing that the industry had never seen before and may never see again. Many of the live audience laughter tracks from her show is still used today on other shows.
While this list is a matter of opinion I think it is well represented. I am sure you could make a valid argument about any of these top ten and probably any of the top three could be number one. This top ten was done according to the impact the characters had on pop culture, not necessarily ratings for the show or awards for the actor. It was tough to compile a top ten because there have been so many great characters on television at one time or another.