Top 10 television comedy geeks
From The Mighty Boosh’s Howard Moon to 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon, we salute the ten very finest comedy geeks ever to grace our TV screens...
Following an argument with a friend over who the funniest geek on TV was, I felt it was my duty to do some research and find out once and for all. And by my duty, I mean I hate losing arguments and couldn’t wait to rub his face in it with some facts.
I’ve therefore compiled a list of the top ten geeks from comedy television. If you disagree, feel free to leave a comment – we can discuss where you think I was wrong, then we can both, er, agree I was right. Enjoy.
10. Ross Geller – Friends
Ross is a pure geek. He likes dinosaurs, he used to study karate and he played the keyboard to try and impress girls when he was younger. Yet still he managed to date some incredibly beautiful women, and on many occasions showed very quick wit. He is also no doubt a top comedy geek and has provided some brilliant comedy moments throughout the years. My personal favourite geeky moment is when he resorts to some terrible dancing with Monica (another geek worth a mention) to get on TV…
9. Samuel Powers – Saved By The Bell
Okay, so I’m going old school here, but stick with me. While I was a fan of Saved By The Bell, undoubtedly the funniest character in it was Screech. He failed to fit in physically amongst the other good-looking characters and was only there due to his ability to do Zach’s homework, but always raised a laugh with his stupid ideas, and of course, comical voice…
8. Howard Moon – The Mighty Boosh
Okay, so geek checklist… Poetry? Check. Fan of Jazz? Check. Howard is clearly the geek of the pair that is Vince Noir and Howard Moon. Constantly getting ribbed for having no style and of course, for his small eyes, Howard is a rather unfortunate geek and most of his comedy comes from that. For example, he is notoriously bad with the ladies and it is usual for his best friend Vince to let him down in some way or other…
7. Spencer Olchin – King Of Queens
Probably the biggest loser on this list, Spencer or Spence has quite a few problems. He is short and stumpy, has no style, has no luck with ladies and worst of all is still living at home with his mum. What’s worse, they share the same room! He enjoys many fine geek things such as comic conventions and often has a very camp relationship with his friend Danny. While not a main character in King Of Queens, his appearances are always very funny, if sometimes painful to watch…
6. Will McKenzie – The Inbetweeners
Does anyone on the list get bullied more than Will? Not likely. Forced to hang around with friends who constantly make jokes about his attractive mother, and would rather be anywhere than hang out with him, he is also the frequent victim of the school bully, Mark Donovan. And unfortunately for Will, unlike most geeks, even his teachers hate him.
Another geek who has very little success with the ladies, Will has come painfully close to ‘sealing the deal’ on more than one occasion, only to mess it up through his own awkwardness. His comic genius, however, I think comes from his quick wit and master of sarcasm. If, for some crazy reason, you have never watched Will in all his glory in The Inbetweeners, here is a short clip of what to expect…
5. John Dorian – Scrubs
The geek more commonly known as JD is similar to Ross in that he is something of a cool geek. He is reasonably popular in his work, has a few good friends and has a good amount of success with the various women around Sacred Heart. However, his geek factor is confirmed by his love of Appletinis, his constant daydreaming, and his all-round immature behaviour…
4. Liz Lemon – 30 Rock
The first (and only) woman on the list, Lemon as she is called throughout the show by Jack, is as socially awkward a woman as they come. Her dress sense has led to people questioning her sexuality, and many of her comments make her seem racist, or offensive to someone, even though she makes it clear she isn’t meaning to be. She deserves her place on the list for her blatant love of Star Wars…
3. Tobias Fünke – Arrested Development
Anyone who watched Arrested Development will no doubt think that George Michael should have featured in this list. However, while he was, no doubt, a geek, he is a mere amateur in geekness compared to Tobias. A man so far in the closet, he could visit Narnia. He fails spectacularly at pretty much everything he tries, from parenting, to marriage, to a number of careers. It is these fails that make him such an important geek in the history of comedic TV in my opinion, and most of his brilliance comes from being able to make you laugh while only saying a few words. Check out this example…
2. Carlton Banks – The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Constantly the butt of jokes from Will about being short, Carlton is surely most famous for his hilarious, and geeky dancing. Carlton is a smart kid, but sadly for him he is also very annoying, as Will loves to point out. His love of all things Tom Jones nails home his geek status…
1. Dwight Schrute – The Office (American Version)
Dwight Schrute is undoubtedly the king of TV geeks. The character is pure comic gold and is of such importance to the show he has different relations with most of the main characters – there’s his ongoing battle with Jim, his desire to impress Michael, his contempt for Ryan as the temp and of course his love for Angela.
His geek credentials include loving Battlestar Galactica, Harry Potter, Lost and The Lord of The Rings. His belief in himself is what makes him so hilarious, as he believes he is a master of many things, including Karate. However he is normally mocked behind his back, mostly by Jim, and even Michael only resorts to his company when he has no alternative. Watch these clips of the Comedy Geek King and enjoy…
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