The 15 Worst Main Characters In Classic Sitcoms

Since their beginning, sitcoms have been an integral part of people’s lives. Whether you’re tuning in to shows on primetime or binging classics on streaming services, chances are there’s a few sitcoms where you feel like you know the characters better than your own family. 

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Part of what keeps audiences coming back episode after episode are the characters. For the best sitcoms of all time, the dynamic between their casts has a magic that allows anyone to turn on a random episode and not miss a single joke. And yet, even though sitcoms live and die by their characters, it’s not uncommon for these characters to be rather unlikable. 

For these 15 main characters from classic sitcoms, spanning the early 1970’s to the late 2010’s, to say they’re bad people would at times be an understatement. It’s almost disappointing how often audiences will forgive their cruel behavior with each episode. However, if you met any of these character in real life, odds are you’d probably hate them. 

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It’s hard to understand how integral sitcoms were in the 20th century without understanding the success of “M*A*S*H.” Adapted from a film in 1970 chronicling a team of doctors stationed in South Korea during the Korean War, its method of creating humor out of a subject as tragic as war makes it one of the most important television shows of all time. And yet, even though it ran for a whopping 11 seasons from 1972 to 1983, the character of Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce, played by Alan Alda, is a real sleazeball. 

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As we at /Film wrote of the groundbreaking anti-war sitcom’s male lead, “Hawkeye’s a surprisingly complex sitcom character, by both 1972’s standards and today’s, but then again, no one in ‘M*A*S*H’ is two-dimensional.” Despite the very serious setting, Hawkeye spends most of the time when he’s not saving lives cracking wiseass jokes, womanizing his co-workers, and drinking heavily. However, the darkest moment in “M*A*S*H” comes from the finale, when Hawkeye recalls pressuring a Korean woman into smothering her own child to evade enemy soldiers hearing it, but at the very least, he shows remorse for it. 

Danny DeVito is obviously a modern sitcom legend thanks to his nearly 20-year-long stint on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” but he had earned his flowers decades earlier on “Taxi.” Airing from 1978 to 1983, “Taxi” follows the lives of a group of New York City taxi drivers, led by the short-tempered and slimy Louie De Palma, played by DeVito. It’s a role that was seemingly meant for DeVito, all thanks to an audition that could have ended in disaster. Thankfully, it didn’t, and DeVito ended up winning both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance as Louie.

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However, it’s a good thing that DeVito didn’t become inseparable from his character, because Louie is a real piece of work. Throughout “Taxi,” Louie is shown to be not only verbally abusive to pretty much every character, but incredibly selfish and manipulative. The only time Louie’s not his usual self is in the episode “Louie Sees The Light,” in which he promises to change his ways after a surgery, but of course this isn’t permanent. Not even the threat of death can keep Louie from being a grumpy and unpleasant person to work with. 

The theme song of “Cheers” might describe a place where everybody knows your name, but there’s at least one employee for whom that’s not a good thing. Rhea Perlman starred in the iconic sitcom as Carla, a cocktail waitress at Cheers who is notable for being nasty and rude to the customers. She even has a rivalry with fellow waitress Diane (Shelley Long), who was created to be the intelligent and kind foil to Ted Danson’s lead Sam Malone. However, Perlman’s character is responsible for one Sam and Carla moment that had Long upset behind-the-scenes. 

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On top of adding drama to the iconic Sam and Diane will-they-won’t-they, Carla broke television conventions by being so unpleasant, mean, and vitriolic towards patrons, and especially the other female characters. Perlman was so good at being despicable that, according to writer Kevin Levine, fellow writer David Lloyd used to end scenes in “Cheers” by writing, “Carla says something really crass and stupid here and we move on before the audience hates her.” They may have loved Perlman enough to shower her with Emmys, but Carla was definitely not lovable in the slightest. 

Can you imagine starring in a sitcom named after you, being a success with audiences for 9 seasons, getting revived over two decades later, and then getting fired and having the show continue on without you for almost as many seasons as the original show? If you can, then congratulations, you’re Roseanne Barr! The comedienne led “Roseanne” on ABC for 10 seasons before her character was killed off after Barr posted insensitive remarks on Twitter (now X). Judging by the critical response to its Roseanne-less spin-off, “The Conners,” it doesn’t seem like the character is missed.

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That’s likely because Roseanne Conner the character, much like Roseanne Barr the person, was pretty unlikable to begin with. Although she could prove herself from time to time to be a loving mother, she was often controlling and unpleasant, especially to her daughter Darlene, played by Sara Gilbert. That’s especially true of the character even in the season-long reboot, which features her punishing Darlene’s daughter by shoving her head under the sink, which is not just downright cruel, it’s also disrespectful of the character’s supposed growth in the original series. 

An argument could be made that each of the four main characters of “Seinfeld” deserve a spot on this list, because they all do pretty heinous things throughout the show whilst showing no remorse. However, few characters in TV history are guiltier of never changing than George Costanza, played by Jason Alexander. Throughout nine seasons of “Seinfeld,” George leaps from job to job (he can’t keep one down because he’s lazy), routinely lies to convince women to sleep with him, and is even relieved when his fiancée Susan dies from licking toxic glue on wedding invitations. 

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Not only is George frequently responsible for phrases and saying that exist because of “Seinfeld,” but he’s responsible for getting himself into impossible situations that he has to continue lying himself out of. The only time George’s lying doesn’t end poorly for him is “The Marine Biologist,” when his claim to be one to get a date results in him rescuing a beached whale from suffocation. Nevertheless, once you meet George’s parents Frank and Estelle… it’s easy to see where his bad behavior comes from. 

In 2017, a viral video showcased just how different Ross Geller appears as a character if you remove the laugh track from episodes of “Friends.” That probably speaks to the wonders of David Schwimmer’s performance, turning material that comes off as incredibly dark as ridiculously funny instead. The rest of the cast of “Friends” are likable to a fault, even Courteney Cox’s perfectionist Monica and Jennifer Aniston’s spoiled Rachel. However, Ross, the brother of Monica, might sometimes seem like a goofy nerd, but is capable of being a real jerk.

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Take, for instance, the infamous plotline in which Ross sleeps with another woman the day he and Rachel decide they’re “on a break.” But if that’s too divisive to convince you of Ross’ terrible-ness, then maybe take a gander at one of the worst episodes of “Friends,” “The One with Ross and Monica’s Cousin,” in which Ross tries to kiss his cousin Cassie (Denise Richards), assuming that she’s interested in him. Ross has a typically cringeworthy love life throughout the show, but that moment was a whole new low, even for him.

Even though “Will & Grace” may have centered on the titular characters played by Eric McCormack and Debra Messing, the real stars were Sean Hayes as Jack and Megan Mullally as Karen. The best episodes of “Will & Grace” often feature some unlikable moments from Mullally’s character, but no one can deny that her charm and sassiness kept her endearing to sitcom audiences. Although she works as Grace’s assistant, Karen is flushed with cash thanks to her husband Stanley, who never appears on-screen, which informs the character’s pretentious and often catty attitude.

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Grace herself even knows just how spoiled and selfish Karen is, and Will even nicknames her “Cruella” in reference to the iconically evil villain from “101 Dalmatians.” However, Mullally sees the character as a lot more morally grey than she comes off, telling The Huffington Post, “She’s just like a kid. She’s just happy as a clam, nothing gets her down. She’s just a happy-go-lucky, horrible, terrible sociopath.” Perhaps in today’s climate, a character like Karen would be real popular with the TikTok crowd that loves people like Karen. 

If you’re already a fan of the iconic British sitcom “Peep Show,” then you probably already know just how low it gets for a character like Mark Corrigan. The show ran for nine seasons, with David Mitchell’s insecure and hapless Mark going to great lengths to woo women, such as his co-worker Sophie (played by future Oscar winner Olivia Colman), only to retreat from her physical affection once they’re finally together in the show’s third season. By the time they’re set to be married, Mark goes as far as to actually hide from her, resulting in Sophie walking out on their wedding.

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Overall, Mark (as well as his flatmate Jez, played by Robert Webb) not only continues to face misfortune throughout the series, but it’s often as a result of his selfishness, cowardice, and self-loathing. Simply put, there isn’t much to redeem Mark in “Peep Show.” He’s clearly not as terrible as the best movie and TV villains, but his constant undermining of his own happiness, as well as others’, makes him hard to root for by the series’ final season. 

Neil Patrick Harris rose to mainstream fame on “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” but it was really his nine-season stint on “How I Met Your Mother” that cemented him as TV royalty. That being said, the character of Barney Stinson is as dated as it can get for 21st century television. “How I Met Your Mother,” which ran on CBS from 2005 to 2014, follows the misadventures of a friend group living in New York City, narrated by perpetually-heartbroken Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) as he regales his future children with the meandering story of, you guessed it, how he met their mother.

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Unlike the other four members of the friend group, Barney is a narcissistic womanizer who frequently goes to great lengths to seduce women, so much so that he has a literal playbook to get what he wants. Ultimately, his character starts to improve as he romances Ted’s ex Robin (Cobie Smulders), but even the show’s finale, labeled by many the worst episode of “How I Met Your Mother,” reverses this when the two suddenly and unceremoniously divorce. 

The gang of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” time and time again prove that they are some of the most despicable and unlikable characters to ever grace the realm of television sitcom. But even amidst all their flaws — Charlie’s stalking of the Waitress, Frank’s callous debauchery, and Dee’s blatant nastiness — none of them hold a candle to Glenn Howerton’s Dennis Reynolds. Not unlike Barney Stinson, Dennis is a serial womanizer and has devised his own system of manipulating and seducing them, the now-iconic “D.E.N.N.I.S. System,” which is the focus of one of the best “Always Sunny” episodes. 

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As the show has progressed into becoming the longest-running live-action sitcom, Dennis’ sexual proclivities have become more and more sinister, even implying that he’s secretly a serial killer. It seemed like some positive character development was in Dennis’ future when he leaves Paddy’s Pub at the end of season 12 to raise his newly-discovered son, but he’s back at the start of season 13 already having abandoned that promise. I guess at the end of the day, Dennis prefers scamming people and destroying the lives of his friends to starting a family. 

It’s difficult to judge the cast of “30 Rock” by normal moral metrics, given the show’s ingrained absurdity. Tina Fey stars as Liz Lemon, the head writer of a female-centric sketch series on NBC, whose authority is undermined by new network executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), who forces Lemon to hire an uncontrollable male comedian, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan), to the cast. Despite Liz being the grounded center of all these eccentrics, it becomes apparent that among an office full of lunatics, she’s the worst one.

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At times, Liz’s personality quirks might make her out to be a loveable foodie and “Star Wars”-obsessed geek, but in actuality she can be pretty nasty for no reason, whether it’s towards potential romantic partners, her co-workers, or even herself. For instance, there’s the season 3 episode “Reunion,” in which Liz discovers that despite what her memory might tell her, she was not the awkward, lonely girl at her school, but the passive-aggressive bully. While Tina Fey always knew “30 Rock” was courting cancellation, it’s not surprising that Liz’s behavior in the show courted the cancellation of “TGS.” 

Oh, Britta’s in this? 

Even though she’s not a bad person per se, it’s impossible to talk about the worst main characters in TV sitcoms without tipping our hats to the best at being “the worst,” Britta Perry from “Community”. Portrayed by Gillian Jacobs, Britta started off as a socially-conscious renegade who is the object of Jeff Winger’s (Joel McHale) affection. However, the first season episode “The Science of Illusion” proves that Britta’s a screw-up at heart, when her prank-gone-wrong against Chang (Ken Jeong) leading to a school-wide investigation that she frames Jeff for. 

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Furthermore, Britta is shown early on to be somewhat of a hypocrite, such as when she sabotages Annie’s (Alison Brie) relationship with her ex Vaughn (Eric Christian Olsen) out of jealousy, or when she pursues a forbidden romance with Rick (Travis Schuldt), the student spokesperson for Subway sandwiches. However, many fans agree that Britta went from being the best character on “Community” to the worst as the seasons went on, as she slowly became the show’s unfortunate punching bag. Especially after Britta discovers she wants to be a psychiatrist, she often uses her education to misdiagnose and act morally superior to her friends. 

The only person who doesn’t think that Kenny Powers is one of the worst people to ever grace television is probably Kenny Powers himself. The Danny McBride-led comedy series on HBO began in 2009, centered on the comeback of a professional baseball player through teaching middle school gym class, though by the second season Powers’ journey is already off the rails as he takes a job pitching for a Mexican baseball team, and later faking his own death to avoid the consequences of his own actions.

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However, the real victim of Kenny’s misadventures throughout “Eastbound & Down” is Stevie, a fellow middle school teacher who tags along with Kenny on his post-teaching adventures, slowly becoming more and more miserable as the show progresses. Some might blame Stevie for his own fall from grace just because of how obsessed he is with Kenny, but it’s not like the former baseball star does anything to dissuade Stevie from idolizing him. If anything, Kenny might be his own biggest fan. 

What happens when to add Julia Louis-Dreyfus, an incomparable sitcom legend who played a despicable person in Elaine on “Seinfeld,” with the world of mud-slinging politics? As it turns out, you get “Veep.” The HBO comedy series follows the now-iconic character of Selina Meyer, the vice president determined to make some kind of impact on the country while managing an office full of bumbling assistants and aides. Despite being one heartbeat away from the highest office in the United States, there’s never enough power for Selina, resulting in fits of rage, self-sabotage, and a handful of dirty political playing.

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As /Film wrote of the brutally cynical and hilarious political satire, “Selina is never a good person, but after constantly grasping defeat while in the jaws of victory, she grows more bitter and insatiable.” Despite being an ensemble sitcom, the spotlight is never taken away from Louis-Dreyfus, resulting in the actress having won six Emmy’s for playing Selina Meyer out of seven nominations. Sure, “Veep” is full of scumbag characters like Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons) and Dan Egan (Reid Scott), but it’s hard to top a character who’s as bad at politics as she is at being a mother. 

Part of what’s so impressive about Lena Dunham’s HBO comedy series “Girls” is how unlikable each and every character is, and yet the show is still so addictive to watch. Running for six seasons from 2012 to 2017, “Girls” centers on the lives of a friend group living in New York City, but the main focus is Hannah Horvath (Dunham), an aspiring writer who is cut off financially from her parents at the start of the show. The end of the pilot sees Hannah steal money from her parents’ hotel room, a proper introduction to the series’ unlikable and desperate protagonist. 

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In the show’s brutally realistic depiction of millennials trying to make it in the world, it’s usually Hannah’s own ego that keeps her from reaching success, as she’s typically spoiled and ignorant of other people’s feelings. However, the show’s final episode showcases some surprising growth from Hannah when she lectures a privileged girl running away from home, informed by her own new experiences as a mother.