by Ginger Voight

Created on: September 30, 2010   Last Updated: March 28, 2011

Since television was introduced to the world in the early 20th century, fans the world over have been captivated by colorful characters who leave an indelible fingerprint on pop culture. Over the decades these characters have entertained us, informed us and – in some really amazing instances – broadened our horizons and our world view.

When making a top ten list the temptation is strong to lean more toward personal favorites and entire cast ensembles. It's hard to pick out the favorite “Friend”, or “Seinfeld” standout. Couples such as Maddie and David or Sam and Diane float to the top of the pile, but one could hardly credit one half without acknowledging the other.

Instead, this list will focus on the ground breakers – characters who altered the course of television history with quirky, irreverent, brilliant portrayals of characters we'll never forget. These pioneers altered the landscape of television while steering the course toward often progressive social change.

10. Ellen Morgan/"Ellen"

Though the windows quickly shuttered on “Ellen” after Ellen Degeneres outed her character and herself as a gay woman, one cannot refute the impact on pop culture when the star of a popular sitcom came out of the closet. Without “Ellen” there might not have been a "Will & Grace". Without “Ellen”, perhaps "Queer as Folk" would not have run for five seasons, introducing married, gay parents as part of the American landscape. Ellen took a stand, to be honest about being oneself, and lived through the consequences that followed. It is a testament to her charm and her staying power that Ellen Degeneres came back from the fallout, and dances her way right into the homes of middle America each weekday with her own talk show with nary a raised eyebrow.

9. Maude Findlay/"Maude"

Starring the incomparable Bea Arthur as the lead character, “Maude” was a spin-off of the popular sitcom “All in the Family”. Maude herself was the antithesis of her cousin, Archie Bunker. In the middle of the women's rights movement of the 1970s, "Maude" used the unapologetic strength of its heroine to tackle feminist issues such as gender equality, women's liberation and even abortion. Normal Lear fearlessly went where no one had ever gone before, and the series ran for six years until it ended in 1978. It remained in the top ten for the first four seasons, despite being dropped from 30 channels after

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