Forget the NFL Draft - here's our Daily Herald TV character draft
Two weeks ago I floated the idea that Mike Ehrmantraut, the enforcer played by Jonathan Banks on “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” had vaulted into the pantheon of TV's all-time great characters.
This weekend, the NFL Draft takes place in Chicago.
Those two unrelated things gave me an idea: What if a bunch of TV fans drafted a dream lineup of characters?
I asked 10 colleagues to participate in a double-blind draft. There are 11 players in a football lineup, so there are 11 characters in our exercise. Would we end up with a team full of critical darlings or personal favorites? The results appear below - and feel free to leave us a comment at dailyherald.com with your picks.
1. Dean Winchester, “Supernatural”
(Chosen by multiplatform editor Rhiannon Root)
A shocking first pick! Jensen Ackles has played the sexy, sardonic demon hunter for 11 seasons on The WB and The CW and helped to build a devoted cult of “Supernatural” superfans. You can see that fandom - and Ackles - in action Sept. 9-11 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont during the annual “Supernatural” convention.
2. Carla Tortelli, “Cheers”
(Chosen by multiplatform editor Brian Shamie)
Rhea Perlman's tiny cocktail waitress with a big mouth who gets even bigger laughs isn't often cited by critics as one of the great sitcom characters, but the four Emmys she earned in the '80s make a convincing argument in her favor.
3. Al Swearengen, “Deadwood”
(Chosen by digital editor Travis Siebrass)
Our list is officially R-rated thanks to Ian McShane's morally bereft, foul-mouthed brothel proprietor from HBO's near-legendary Western series. Based on a real person, Swearengen is another memorable anti-hero from a network full of them: Tony Soprano, Tyrion Lannister, Nucky Thompson - heck, even Larry David.
4. Veronica Mars, “Veronica Mars”
(Chosen by multiplatform editor Kathleen Danes)
Kristen Bell's teen sleuth solved cases for three seasons on UPN and The CW before a Kickstarter campaign for a “Veronica Mars” movie made revivals all the rage.
5. Benjamin Linus, “Lost”
(Chosen by multiplatform editor Sean Stangland)
Nebbishy, bug-eyed Michael Emerson doesn't look like anyone's ideal vision of a supervillain, but he turned what began as a guest-star stint into five memorable seasons (and one Emmy) on ABC's mystery show. Ben was a liar, a bad son and, oh yeah, a murderer, but even he found redemption in the show's polarizing finale.
6. Leslie Knope, “Parks and Recreation”
(Chosen by staff writer Doug Graham)
Amy Poehler played the cheerful civil servant for seven seasons on NBC, winning the hearts of comedy nerds with clear-eyed optimism and a sincere love for her friends. It's tempting to call her the most lovable politician in TV history, but another person on this list may beg to differ.
7. Walter White, “Breaking Bad”
(Chosen by Managing Editor Jim Baumann)
AMC's crime epic wouldn't have lasted more than one season if the audience merely didn't like Walter White - and it turns out we absolutely hated him. Credit the amazing Bryan Cranston and creator Vince Gilligan for making us care about the cancer-ridden chemistry teacher who becomes a murderous meth kingpin. I was almost sad to see him go after five seasons. (Almost.)
8. Murray Hewitt, “Flight of the Conchords”
(Chosen by multiplatform editor Melynda Findlay)
A fabulous sleeper pick from HBO's musical comedy. New Zealand funnyman Rhys Darby plays the incompetent manager of the titular band, and he also had a pivotal role in the best episode of this winter's “X-Files” revival.
9. Sarah Manning, “Orphan Black”
(Chosen by multiplatform editor Rick Kirby)
A genius choice, because it just might sneak extra characters onto this list on a technicality! Tatiana Maslany plays the central character(s) on BBC America's sci-fi series about a con artist who learns she is one of at least a dozen clones.
10. President Jed Bartlet, “The West Wing”
(Chosen by staff writer Melissa Silverberg)
Aaron Sorkin's beloved NBC drama was supposed to focus on the president's advisers, not the president himself - but then Martin Sheen wowed the audience in the pilot episode, and the rest is (alternate American) history. Bartlet is perhaps the ideal Democratic president: super-liberal, super-religious, supersmart and a just plain super guy.
11. Jaime Sommers, “The Bionic Woman”
(Chosen by Assistant News Editor Michelle Holdway)
The final member of our team is Lindsay Wagner's '70s superhero, who was spun off from “The Six Million Dollar Man.” Her remarkable strength and sensitive hearing make her a formidable foe or ally to any of the heroes and villains on our list.
Hey, maybe that's an idea for next week's column - what kinda crazy TV show would star all 11 of these characters?!?
Sean Stangland is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor. You can follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.