Sitcom Character Archetypes

Like the Five-Man Band, there are certain character archetypes who just seem to fit together, a sort of Commedia Dell Arte Troupe, if you will. In any given Sitcom (especially an ensemble), you are likely to find at least two of the archetypes listed below.

As an example of how these characters mesh, consider the following sample, from Commedia Dell'Arte:


 * The Wisecracker: Arlecchino
 * The Bully/Charmer: Il Capitano
 * The Square: Columbina
 * The Dork: Il Dottore
 * The Goofball: Scaramuccia, sometimes Pulcinella

These archetypes generally work best when the characters have no familial relationships, as in a Dom Com; Dom Com characters, being family, tend to have a completely different dynamic to their relationships. On the other hand, nothing could (nor, really, should) prevent a Dom Com from utilizing any, or all, of these character types.

It is important to note that, unlike the Five-Man Band, it isn't strictly necessary for each show to have a representative member for each archetype. Keep in mind that, just as in Real Life, the world of Sit Coms is awash in many various and diverse personalities, of which this is hardly an exhaustive list; so there's no need to shoehorn characters into these categories. Some shows will utilize certain archetypes and leave out others, or may have characters who don't fit into any of the listed types.

And, of course, there's always plenty of room for overlap.

The Square -- Often the central protagonist, and usually The Everyman or the Only Sane Man. Essentially the Straight Man; this doesn't mean necessarily that The Square gets no funny lines, but a large portion of the comedy from such a character comes from his/her reactions to the situation or other characters. In a Dom Com, this role will usually be reserved for the Closer to Earth mother figure.
 * Tim Daly's character Joe Hackett in Wings.
 * Fred Savage's character in Working.
 * Cory Matthews in Boy Meets World.
 * the title character in Alice.
 * the title character in Father Ted.
 * Maya in Just Shoot Me.
 * Mary Richards in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
 * Monica Gellar in Friends.
 * Joel in Northern Exposure.
 * Greg in Dharma and Greg.
 * Debra in Everybody Loves Raymond.
 * Will the Straight Gay in Will and Grace.
 * Maxwell Sheffield in The Nanny.
 * Carly and Freddie in ICarly.
 * Yomi and Nyamo from Azumanga Daioh.
 * Kryten in Red Dwarf.
 * Marge in The Simpsons.
 * Lois in Family Guy.
 * Hayley in American Dad.
 * The title character in Malcolm in the Middle.
 * Kagami in Lucky Star.
 * Dave Nelson in News Radio.
 * Andy Travis in WKRP in Cincinnati.
 * Alex in Taxi.
 * Kyon in Suzumiya Haruhi.
 * Aiko in Magical Pokaan.
 * The title character in Barney Miller.
 * Jeffrey Fairbrother in Hi-de-Hi!.
 * Mike "Meathead" Stivic in All in The Family.
 * Dr. Mary Albright from 3rd Rock from the Sun.
 * Dan of Roseanne.
 * Leonard and Penny of The Big Bang Theory

The Wisecracker -- The domain of the Deadpan Snarker or the Pungeon Master. This character just lives to make fun of others (not usually mean-spirited, like The Bully) or to find the humor in any given situation. Is usually something of a thorn in the sides of the others, particularly in more serious situations. Expect this character to have an especially conflict-laden relationship with The Bully, though the two can be (and often are) good friends underneath. If the protagonist isn't a Square, s/he is most likely a Wisecracker.
 * Steven Weber's character Brian Hackett in Wings.
 * Chandler Bing in Friends.
 * Flo, and her various Suspiciously Similar Substitutes, in Alice.
 * Mama in Mama's Family
 * Murray Slaughter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
 * Jack (Just Jack!) in Will and Grace.
 * Dennis Finch in Just Shoot Me.
 * Dorothy Zbornak in The Golden Girls.
 * Jo Polniaczek in The Facts of Life.
 * Jerry in Seinfeld.
 * Shawn Hunter in Boy Meets World
 * Niles the butler in The Nanny.
 * Dave Lister in Red Dwarf.
 * Johnny Fever in WKRP in Cincinnati.
 * Brian in Family Guy.
 * Bart from The Simpsons.
 * Konata in Lucky Star.
 * Hawkeye Pierce in Mash.
 * Dr. Cox in Scrubs.
 * Kyon in Suzumiya Haruhi.
 * Beth in News Radio.
 * Jack and Stan in On the Buses.
 * Yukari from Azumanga Daioh.
 * Liru from Magical Pokaan.
 * Ted in Hi-de-Hi!
 * Daria: Daria.
 * Tommy from 3rd Rock from the Sun.
 * Roseanne: Roseanne and her daughter Darlene.

The Bully -- Despite the name, The Bully is oftentimes not an actual bully per se, but is usually a Jerkass, or sometimes a Jerk with a Heart of Gold. Typically more outright beligerent than The Wisecracker, The Bully will have the least patience with The Wisecracker (who isn't afraid to stand up to him/her) or The Goofball (who is more often than not oblivious to the animosity); on the other hand, if written as a complete Jerkass, The Bully may actively dislike all the other characters. If female, this will be the Alpha Bitch or the Rich Bitch. In Work Coms, The Bully will be excessively driven to climb the corporate ladder and/or dominate the others, whether a Pointy-Haired Boss or a co-worker.
 * Roy Biggins in Wings.
 * short-order cook Mel in Alice.
 * Lou Grant in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
 * Sam (who is also a Wisecracker in her less Jerkass moments) in ICarly.
 * Working
 * Liz.
 * Also, to an extent, Delaney.
 * Father Jack in Father Ted, when he's coherent enough.
 * Blair Warner in The Facts of Life is a a mild version to begin with, she mellowed out further as the series progressed.
 * Everybody Loves Raymond
 * Frank Barone.
 * Marie Barone is also a Bully, but is much more passive-aggressive in her tactics.
 * Stewie from Family Guy.
 * Reese and Lois from Malcolm in the Middle, the former also the Goofball.
 * The Simpsons
 * Nelson and Jimbo.
 * Homer often fills this role as well, especially during his Jerkass period.
 * Archie Bunker in All in The Family.
 * Frank Burns in Mash.
 * Bill McNeal from News Radio.
 * The Janitor in Scrubs.
 * Louie in Taxi.
 * Haruhi in Suzumiya Haruhi.
 * Blakey in On the Buses.
 * Tomo from Azumanga Daioh.
 * Harley Keiner from Boy Meets World. Also his underlings, Joey 'The Rat' Epstein and Frankie 'The Enforcer' Stecchino.
 * Pachira from Magical Pokaan.
 * Rich Bitch Karen in Will and Grace.
 * Daria: Helen (mother of Daria).
 * Seinfeld
 * Elaine fromin the later seasons.
 * George is this in terms of being the Jerkass. And there's Newman too. Other than Kramer, Seinfeld's whole cast basically qualifies.
 * (Lecy Goranson's version of) Becky from Roseanne.
 * Sally of 3rd Rock from the Sun.

The Dork -- A Hollywood Nerd/Geek. The Dork need not be stereotypically nerdy or geeky, at least not visually, but should be such relative to the other characters. In a cast full of such characters, The Dork will be the most obviously "dorky" of them. In shows with no obvious Goofball, The Dork may fulfill that role as well. And if a show needs a Butt Monkey, who better than The Dork?
 * Steve Urkel in Family Matters.
 * Tootie Ramsey started out this way in The Facts of Life, though she may have been closer to The Precocious.
 * Jon Cryer's character Alan in Two and A Half Men.
 * Jim Belushi's brother-in-law in According to Jim.
 * Big brother Robert in Everybody Loves Raymond.
 * Rhoda in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
 * Freddie in ICarly.
 * Les Nessman in WKRP in Cincinnati.
 * Stuart Minkus in Boy Meets World.
 * Steve from American Dad.
 * Meg from Family Guy.
 * Milhouse from The Simpsons
 * Matthew Brock from News Radio is this along with being The Goofball.
 * Ross Gellar from Friends.
 * J.D. in Scrubs.
 * Olive in On the Buses.
 * Soujirou in Lucky Star.
 * Hollywood Dateless Fag Hag Grace Adler in Will and Grace.
 * Daria: Daria's Father, Jake.
 * Jackie of Roseanne. David in later seasons.
 * Harry from Third Rock From The Sun.

The Goofball -- This role is typically filled by The Ditz or the Cloudcuckoolander, but the character could also be generically zany or a Blithe Spirit rather than outright ditzy. Could also be a Pollyanna, with naivety serving as the defining trait; if so, expect this to be the youngest character (see also The Precocious) or a Naive Newcomer. In Dom Coms this can be an air-headed child -- typically a daughter -- and a (sometimes) milder incarnation can take the form of a Bumbling Dad.
 * Wings had two: Fay Cochran and Lowell Mather.
 * Father Ted has both Father Dougal and Mrs. Doyle.
 * Friends has Phoebe and Joey.
 * Vera in Alice.
 * Spencer and Gibby in ICarly.
 * Kramer in Seinfeld.
 * Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls.
 * Eric Matthews in Boy Meets World.
 * Ted Baxter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
 * Jack in Will and Grace.
 * Arden Myren's character Abby in Working.
 * Dharma in Dharma and Greg.
 * Daphne in Frasier.
 * The Cat in Red Dwarf.
 * Jerry Stiller's character in King of Queens is a dangerous combination of The Goofball and The Bully.
 * Haruhi from Suzumiya Haruhi is the same, but on top of that, she's also Mikuru also shares this status.
 * Dewey in Malcolm in the Middle, sometimes Hal as well.
 * Homer in The Simpsons.
 * Peter in Family Guy.
 * Francine in American Dad.
 * Tsukasa in Lucky Star.
 * Matthew Brock in News Radio.
 * J.D. in Scrubs.
 * Reverend Jim, Tony and Latka in Taxi.
 * Osaka from Azumanga Daioh.
 * Yuuma from Magical Pokaan.
 * Edith Bunker in All in The Family.
 * Dick from 3rd Rock from the Sun.

These basic archetypes can be supplemented with:

The Charmer -- This character comes in two varieties: First, the Casanova, the lover, the player. Enough said. Second, a more classically refined character, someone who is a devout adherent to old-fashioned politeness, grace and decorum (but not nearly so uptight or demanding of others as The Stick).
 * Eric Matthews in the earlier seasons of Boy Meets World and Shawn Hunter in the later ones..
 * Blanche Devereaux in The Golden Girls combines both aspects.
 * Neil Patrick Harris' character Barney in How I Met Your Mother.
 * Roz in Frasier.
 * Charlie Sheen in Two and A Half Men.
 * Bobby Wheeler in Taxi.
 * Ryoko Asakura from Suzumiya Haruhi.
 * Joey Tribbiani from Friends is definitely the Casanova version.
 * Brian Hackett on Wings is also the Casanova variation.
 * Daria: Daria's little sister Quinn plays this in addition to The Precocious.
 * Dan Fielding on Night Court.

The Stick -- Crank The Square up to eleven, and you have The Stick. This character is extremely uptight and stuffy, a stickler for the rules if you will, a stick in the mud as it were. Usually humorless, often humorously so. Not unlike The Square, the humor from The Stick generally results from his/her dismay or outright horror at the antics of the others, and s/he may frequently insist (usually to no avail) that everyone should adhere to his/her mile-high standards. Oftentimes The Stick can overlap with The Bully, or even The Dork. On those shows wherein The Stick co-exists with The Square, The Square is more likely to be the central character.
 * Felix in The Odd Couple.
 * Friends
 * Ross.
 * Monica, on countless occasions, had outright stifled any fun being had by bombarding everyone else with rules.
 * Frasier was The Stick in Cheers; but Niles took over this role in Frasier, relegating Frasier to The Square. This is why Niles is a Replacement Flat Character. But Frasier would become the Stick again whenever playing off against his father.
 * Bishop Brennan in Father Ted.
 * Amy MacDougall's parents, Hank and Pat, in Everybody Loves Raymond.
 * Lisa Miller in News Radio.
 * Topanga Lawrence in Boy Meets World after they ditch her Granola Girl persona.
 * C.C. Babcock in The Nanny.
 * Arnold Rimmer in Red Dwarf.
 * Stan in American Dad.
 * Post-Flanderization Flanders in The Simpsons.
 * Charles Emerson Winchester III in Mash.
 * Dr. Kelso in Scrubs.
 * Bob in The Oblongs.
 * Nagato in Suzumiya Haruhi, though she doesn't enforce it.
 * Hank on King of the Hill.
 * Sheldon of The Big Bang Theory.
 * Al Borlin of Home Improvement.
 * Roseanne: Roseanne's mother Beverly.
 * Angela of Whos the Boss.
 * Diane on Cheers.

The Sage -- Usually an older character, this person acts as a sort of Mentor to the main characters, dispensing advice and An Aesop or two. Though close to the main group, The Sage generally exists outside that group, for example a neighbor, or an authority figure such as a teacher. In Sit Coms of old this position was typically filled by a wise, calm-voiced father figure, but that character type has been largely supplanted by the Bumbling Dad. Indeed, The Sage himself is becoming a forgotten character type these days, as the main characters tend to share the Aesop-dispensing chores rather than get them from a singular source.
 * Wilson in Home Improvement.
 * Ward Cleaver in Leave It to Beaver.
 * Mike Brady in The Brady Bunch.
 * Mr. Drummund in Diff'rent Strokes.
 * Mrs. Garrett in The Facts of Life.
 * George Feeney in Boy Meets World.
 * Alex is also often the Sage in Taxi.
 * Itsuki in Suzumiya Haruhi.
 * Dr. Cox in Scrubs.
 * Jimmy James in News Radio manages to be the Sage and the Goofball simultaneously.
 * Sakaki from Azumanga Daioh often fulfills this role.
 * Rosario in Will and Grace.

The Bigmouth -- A (sometimes) softer, less-hateful alternative to The Bully, The Bigmouth is an annoying, um, bigmouth. Whether s/he is a Know-Nothing Know-It-All, an overbearing egotist like the Ted Baxter, or an intrusive Nosy Neighbor, The Bigmouth just has a knack for getting on everyone's nerves (with the possible inclusion of the audience!). Much much humor is milked from the fact that The Bigmouth isn't nearly as smart as s/he presumes to be. Oftentimes crosses over with The Dork.
 * Cliff Claven in Cheers.
 * Ted Baxter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
 * Tomo from Azumanga Daioh, and to some degree, Kagura as well.
 * Paul Kinsey in Mad Men. Joan, the smoking-hot girl Friday, even tells him this to his face in one episode.
 * Peggy, Dale and, later, Kahn in King of the Hill.

The Precocious -- The (usually) youngest, cutest member of the cast (this character really flourishes in Dom Coms), this sweet, adorable little angel's principal reason for existence is to make the audience go "awwwww" (not to imply the tyke doesn't deserve it, natch). Usually fulfills the Pollyanna, Kawaiiko or Moe Moe role, but can get in a few sharp quips as well. Also, this kid's pure innocence can bust through the toughest Aesops imaginable.
 * Rudy, and later Olivia, in The Cosby Show.
 * Tina in Still Standing.
 * Michelle in Full House.
 * Mikuru in Suzumiya Haruhi, resident Moe Blob and ironically oldest member of the cast. Kyon's little sister is another example from the same series.
 * Bobby and Cindy (more usually Cindy) in The Brady Bunch.
 * Dominic, Logan and Sammy in Yes, Dear; most especially Dominic, the only one of the three old enough to handle dialogue with the adults.
 * Dewey in Malcolm in the Middle.
 * Miyuki in Lucky Star.
 * Maggie in The Simpsons.
 * Morgan Matthews in Boy Meets World.
 * Cheerful Child Chiyo is the obvious choice in Azumanga Daioh, but Sakaki also fills this role.