My Top 10 today is Top 10 Neighbors! My caveat for this one is they couldn't also be the lead characters. For example, Joey and Chandler are neighbors to Monica and Rachel on Friends, but they all share equal billing as leads of the show. These are neighbors who are secondary characters.
Close Calls:
Eddie Haskell - Leave it to Beaver
Larry, Darryl & Darryl - Newhart
Winnie Cooper - The Wonder Years
One of the classic characters who we never fully see, Wilson provided Tim Taylor lots of sage advice from the other side of the fence and made "Howdy Ho, Neighbor" a common saying.
9. Lenny & Squiggy (Michael McKean & David L. Lander) - Laverne & Shirley
They were so bizarre and sometimes annoying but Lenny and Squiggy were funny neighbors. They provided some really great comedic moments on the show and made Laverne and Shirley look less crazy by comparsion.
8. Phyllis Lindstrom (Cloris Leachman) - The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The busybody and landlord from downstairs, Phyllis was not in a ton of episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show but always made her presence known as her character took over every scene she was in (in a good way).
7. Barney and Betty Rubble (Mel Blanc & Bea Benaderet/Gerry Johnson) - The Flintstones
The Stone Age version of Ed and Trixie Norton, Barney and Betty were slightly off-kilter but also so familiar. They were supportive and kind neighbors who also weren't afraid to get into sticky situations.
The Dick Van Dyke Show had so many great characters so Millie and Jerry Helper weren't needed as much as they might have been on other shows. But they always made for great episodes, especially Ann Morgan Guilbert's delightfully daffy Millie.
5. Howard Borden (Bill Daily) - The Bob Newhart Show
"Hi Bob" is probably the first thing you think when you see Howard Borden's name. The pilot who lived next to Bob and Emily Hartley was always in a bit of a state of arrested development but about as loyal of a friend as you could find.
4. Gladys and Abner Kravitz (Alice Pearce/Sandra Gould & George Tobias) - Bewitched
The ultimate nosy neighbor, Gladys Kravitz as played by Alice Pearce was so manic and delightful in the first two seasons of Bewitched. The character lost some of her bite after Pearce's death prompted a re-cast but she was still a good foil for Samantha and her long-suffering, deadpanning husband Abner.
3. Marie and Frank Barone (Doris Roberts & Peter Boyle) - Everybody Loves Raymond
Not just neighbors but also in-laws? You can't ask for a better comedic set-up than that. Debra Barone lived through the nightmare of her very judgmental mother-in-law living right across the street and Marie and Frank brought so much comedy due in large part to their proximity.
2. Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper) - The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The neighbor and the best friend. Valerie Harper liked to say that Mary Richards was who you always wanted to be but Rhoda Morgenstern was probably who you were. The friendship of the two opposite personalities provided so much comedy in Mary's cozy Minneapolis apartment.
Could there be any other neighbors in the top spot? The best friends of the Ricardos, the Mertzes were just an integral to the success of I Love Lucy. Whether they were conspiring together, pitted against each other or just doing life together, they are the best examples of perfect neighbors.
Tomorrow: A One Season Wonder Look at The Faculty!
Next Tuesday: Top 10 TV Pets!
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