Jael McHenry at the Intrepid Media blog lists what she thinks are the best and worst TV names. On her best list: Bob Loblaw from Arrested Development, Brian from Family Guy, Veronica Mars, and Sawyer from Lost. I guess I'll let Brian slide because it's a funny name for a dog, but a basic name like Sawyer?!
Among her worst: Dr. Gregory House from House, Temperence Brennan from Bones, and Renee Rienne from Alias.
What's on your list of best and worst TV names? My favorites are Michael Vaughn (of course, not sure what's going on there...) and Arvin Sloane from Alias, Veronica Mars, Bob Loblaw and George Michael from AD, Donatella Moss on The West Wing, and Johnny "Drama" Chase on Entourage. Oh, and I think Stone Philips, Anderson Cooper, and Wink Martindale have cool names.
Worst name? Either Mariel Underlay from Invasion or Calleigh Duquesne from CSI: Miami.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-05-2005 @ 3:10PM
Dr.Funbags said...
Alltime best name: Cosmo Kramer
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10-05-2005 @ 3:18PM
MIke said...
Is he kidding? A lawyer named "blah blah blah"? I still laugh just thinking about it. Whoever came up with that name should get an award for creative thinking.
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10-05-2005 @ 3:28PM
Jonathan Carpenter said...
One of my favorites has been Donna Abondando from NYPD Blue (not sure about the spelling, but the name had a nice cadence to it).
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10-05-2005 @ 3:30PM
Vince said...
I totally agree with you Bob; the best names are Michael Vaugh, Arvin Sloane, Veronica Mars, Bob Loblaw, George Michael but I have to add all the characters on AD have great names GOB..Buster..Tobias..Maybe.."Loose Seal" Also Sark and Irina Derevko from Alias.
Also Harlan Judd(eyes)...Lucus Boyd(Point Pleasant)
BTW as much as I loved Point Pleasant most of the names on that show were awful..Ben Kramer..Paula Hargrove
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10-05-2005 @ 4:02PM
jen segrest said...
I have a dog named Gary. Swear to god. We got him as a stray and it was what he reacted to the best.
He's a little 20 pound white terrier/??? mutt BTW. Kinda looks liek a Corgy and Jack Russell had a puppy. Short and long.
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10-05-2005 @ 4:07PM
jen segrest said...
it was pronounced with east coast accent to make it better "Bahb Lahb-Law" So it really did read as blahblahblah more.
I think there are hundreds of "BobLoblaw's" in the internet forums now.
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10-05-2005 @ 5:09PM
Zod said...
Coolest Name? Jack Bauer has this indescribable coolness to it. I'd say it just sounds Baddasstical. Maybe because it's kind of a rip off on James Bond (Both are "JB's", simple, and to the point).
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10-05-2005 @ 5:23PM
Christina said...
Clearly, this person doesn't know that "House" was named to ound like "Holmes" and that the character on Bones is based on a series of books. Not that that makes the name any better.
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10-05-2005 @ 6:15PM
Lynn said...
It's really hard to top Bob Loblaw as the best name on TV currently, but the entire Bluth family and every other character on AD has a great name: Barry Zuckercorn, Gene Parmesan, Tony Wonder, etc.
I also love Veronica Mars, because it rolls off the tongue so well and everyone has to say her full name all the time: "I'll get you, Veronica Mars!!"
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10-05-2005 @ 6:49PM
elf said...
One more AD tidbit: The frequently seen newscaster "John Beard" is in real life a newscaster named John Beard. He's at the Los Angeles Fox affiliate, KTTV, where he has anchored the 10pm news for several years. It's probably just me, but I always though it was odd that his last name was "Beard," yet for years he was the only newscaster in Los Angeles who had a moustache. I recall he was also one of the first winners of the big prize in the California State lottery when it began with just scratch-off tickets, winning $10,000 or so, and the other anchors teased him about it on the air.
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10-05-2005 @ 9:09PM
Tim said...
What about Briscoe County, Jr.? That name rocks!
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10-05-2005 @ 10:27PM
Tim said...
What about Briscoe County, Jr.? That name rocks!
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10-06-2005 @ 3:45PM
Brent McKee said...
I disagree with you about Calleigh Duquesne. It just fits the character so well with that classic old South quality. It practically writes a story for itself about a highly respectable family (probably had a plantation and owned slaves and all) fallen on hard times but still keeping its traditions (minus the slaves) and giving their daughters old family names because they were old family names and who cares how stupid they sound. In a city and an office full of people who came from someplace else, her very names says she's a modern Southern woman without even needing to hear her speak.
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