The Blue Room cannot resist a challenge of this nature – especially one where it involves making a list within an interest area. So when Age regular David Dale constructed his on the subject – well this blog just had to follow suit. There was no alternative – it was a given.

Compiling such lists as I do, particularly at the end of a calendar year, can be, in DD’s words, ‘…intensely painful, but deeply pleasurable’, especially when excruciating decisions have to be made. What DD was attempting to do was a response to an American publication’s (‘Entertainment Weekly’) top characters on television ‘right now’. That revered mag duly ruminated and ultimately made its considered and weighty pontification. The ‘right now’ is a loose term as the resulting product encompassed the last twelve months or so – as did DD in his contribution. Our local scribe went on to break his down, as I will, into two sections – International and Australian. It seems it is implicit that only one protagonist from each small screen show can put in an appearance, thus DD’s angst. His quandary was whether to include Arya Syark or Tyrion Lannister from the monolithic ‘Game of Thrones’. I also enjoy that juggernaut – but it does not figure for me as a vehicle for idiosyncratic character. No, my ponderings were between the two leads in ‘The Bridge’ – the Scandinoir version of course. In the end I went with the Sara Norgen role – mainly because her partner-in-crime (solving), Kim Bobnia, who plays Rohde, in this tele-gem, didn’t like what was to happen to his character in the third season, so pulled up stumps. It remains to be seen how Ms Helin copes without her sidekick.

So – in your opinion, does what the Blue Room has produced measure up to DD’s? What would you, dear peruser, add and delete? Those list-addicted, like myself, might try your own hand at such a compilation. For those who know me, the first few are givens:-

International

1. Don Draper                               Mad Men                              Jon Hamm
2. Hank Moody                            Californication                  David Duchovny
3. Sara Norgen                            The Bridge                           Sofia Helin
4. Birgitte Nyborg                       Borgen                                 Sidse Babette Knudsen
5. Alec Hardy                                Broadchurch                     David Tennant
6. Frank Underwood                 House of Cards                 Kevin Spacey
7. Christopher Foyle                  Foyle’s War                        Michael Kitchen
8. Frank Tagliano                        Lilyhammer                       Steven Van Zandt
9. Lorne Malvo                             Fargo                                    Billy Bob Thornton
10. Nucky Thompson               Boardwalk Empire          Steve Buscemi

Home Grown

1. Nina Proudman                     Offspring                              Asher Keddie
2. Cleaver Greene                      Rake                                       Richard Roxburg
3. Janet King                              Janet King                             Marta Dusseldorp
4. Lucian Blake                          Dr Blake Mysteries             Craig Maclachlan
5. Lewis Crabb                           House Husbands                Gary Sweet
6. Luce Tivoli                              The Time of Our Lives       Shane Jacobson
7. Jack Duncan                          A Place to Call Home        Craig Hall
8. Ted McCabe                           Old School                             Sam Neill
9. Clarke                                       Clarke and Dawe                 John Clarke
10. Cora Benson                       The Moodys                           Jane Harber

David Dale article – Part 1 = http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/blogs/the-tribal-mind/these-are-the-best-international-characters-on-australian-tv-20140816-3dsxx.html

– Part 2 = http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/blogs/the-tribal-mind/the-10-best-australian-characters-on-australian-tv-20140823-3e6f0.html