There are only three cartoon characters on the EW list. There are no roles that appeared outside American television. How did Basil Fawlty not make the list? There are baffling omissions (How is Sherman Helmsley’s George Jefferson not on the list? Barney Miller?), and even more baffling inclusions (Jimmy Smits? Sure, he’s awesome, but I certainly don’t consider any of his roles ‘iconic’.) There are four characters that originated outside of television, who have far longer-reaching careers in other media. Yes, Charlie Brown and Batman are two of the perfect fictional creations, but they aren’t really TV characters. They’re characters that dabbled in TV during their lengthy careers. None of TV’s great Western characters make the list. There are no slots for behind-the-scenes personnel. (I would have put Aaron Spelling on the list.) Bob Hope is on the list, and his TV work was limited to hosting the Oscars. It’s a weird list.
