We mapped out 50 unforgettable TV characters for all 50 states
See which fictional character comes from your home state.
Everybody comes from somewhere, even fictional people. Television has given us thousands of memorable characters, living in hundreds of places. Which got us thinking — who is the first character who comes to mind when you think of a state?
For some American states, it is a no-brainer. Mayberry's Sheriff Andy Taylor is North Carolina. It's hard to think of Minnesota without picturing Mary Richards tossing her tam into the air.
For other states, like Montana and the Dakotas, there were not many options, which is why we had stretch to include one real person (Lawrence Welk). We even included some cartoon characters. But when it comes to California and New York, where do you even start?
Well, you can see the results below. Which characters do you most associate with your state?
ALABAMA Dr. Hibbert, The Simpsons
ALASKA Chilly Willy
ARIZONA Alice Hyatt, Alice
ARKANSAS Jed Clampett, The Beverly Hillbillies
CALIFORNIA The Bradys, The Brady Bunch
COLORADO Mork, Mork & Mindy
CONNECTICUT Samantha Stephens, Bewitched
DELAWARE Jarod “The Pretender,” The Pretender
FLORIDA Dorothy Zbornak, The Golden Girls
GEORGIA Ben Matlock, Matlock
HAWAII Gilligan, Gilligan’s Island
IDAHO Dave Barrett, The Manhunter
ILLINOIS Bob Hartley, The Bob Newhart Show
INDIANA Woody Boyd, Cheers
IOWA James T. Kirk, Star Trek
KANSAS Marshal Matt Dillon, Gunsmoke
KENTUCKY Daniel Boone, Daniel Boone
LOUISIANA Benjamin Sisko, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
MAINE Hawkeye Pierce, M*A*S*H
MARYLAND Dana Scully, The X-Files
MASSACHUSETTS Sam Malone, Cheers
MICHIGAN Martin Payne, Martin
MINNESOTA Mary Richards, The Mary Tyler Moore Show
MISSISSIPPI Kermit the Frog, The Muppet Show
MISSOURI Fred Sanford, Sanford and Son
MONTANA Zefram Cochrane, Star Trek
NEBRASKA Penny, The Big Bang Theory
NEVADA Ben Cartwright, Bonanza
NEW HAMPSHIRE Constance MacKenzie, Peyton Place
NEW JERSEY Tony Soprano, The Sopranos
NEW MEXICO Lucas McCain, The Rifleman
NEW YORK Lucy Ricardo, I Love Lucy
NORTH CAROLINA Andy Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show
NORTH DAKOTA Lawrence Welk, The Lawrence Welk Show
OHIO Johnny Fever, WKRP in Cincinnati
OKLAHOMA Marshal Jim Crown, Cimarron Strip
OREGON Ramona Quimby, Ramona
PENNSYLVANIA Will Smith, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
RHODE ISLAND Thurston Howell III, Gilligan’s Island
SOUTH CAROLINA Ensign Harry Kim, Star Trek: Voyager
SOUTH DAKOTA Al Swearengen, Deadwood
TENNESSEE Davy Crockett, Davy Crockett
TEXAS Bret Maverick, Maverick
UTAH Wile E. Coyote, Looney Tunes
VERMONT Dick Loudon, Newhart
VIRGINIA Thomas Magnum, Magnum P.I.
WASHINGTON Laura Palmer, Twin Peaks
WEST VIRGINIA Jennifer Marlowe, WKRP in Cincinnati
WISCONSIN The Fonz, Happy Days
WYOMING Yogi Bear, The Yogi Bear Show
49 Comments
What in the WORLD makes MeTV that Sanford and Son took place in MISSOURI???? It's based in LA.
What in the WORLD makes MeTV that Sanford and Son took place in MISSOURI???? It's based in LA.