My Most Annoying TV Characters

My blogging buddy Rae posted a fun TV poll on her blog (inspired by fellow blogger, Just Jody) as to the Most Overrated TV Couple. Not surprisingly (to me, anyway...), the on-again, off-again relationship of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd garnered the most votes.

I think part of the reason for that lies not in the mind-numbingly predictable running hot and cold nature of the scripted soulmates, but that one half of that relationship is the drippy, whiny--let's not forget "twisty" Meredith Grey. And that's reason enough to wish they'd just please go away...Ah yes, Meredith Grey--all squints and grimaces as played by Ellen Pompeo. She has got to be one of the most annoying TV characters EVER.

And so I make this list. My list of TV characters that incessantly irritate me. I won't post character who are INTENDED to be annoying like Urkel or Screech (not that I watched those shows anyway...) or the entire cast of Seinfeld (about which I had an epiphany sometime during season seven--I don't like these people. I would never be friends with these people. Why in the world am I wasting a half hour every week to watch these people?).

So on with the list:

1. Meredith Grey, Grey's Anatomy - This was a no-brainer. How could a list of Most Annoying TV Characters NOT include the self-absorbed--er, I mean self-REFLECTIVE, damaged doctor. Would you let this woman operate on you? You could blame the endless grating on the writing--but it sure doesn't help to have the shallow pseudo-philosophicals delivered in that nasal, whiny voice. Remember the episode when Mommie Dearest woke up from her Alzheimer's to declare that Meredith was ordinary? She's worse than ordinary--she's BORING. Snore.

2. Ally McBeal, Ally McBeal - The David Kelley show chock full of quirky characters had Calista Flockhart as an angst-ridden woman child at its center. Unfortunately, Ally was as paper thin a personality as the actress who played her. Pouting, petulant and completely out of rhythm to the song playing in her head, I often wished her roommate and best friend played by Lisa Nicole Carson would give her a smack upside her head. Get over yourself, McBeal!

1. Allison Parker, Melrose Place - Ah, yes--another "Ally." This time the helpless, hapless Allison Parker. Sweet, small town girl trying to make it in big, bad ol' Los Angeles. Was I wrong to secretly delight in the constant smackdown of poor little Allison by the entirely evil Amanda? And remember Billy and Allison? There's one to add to your poll of overrated couples, Rae!

4. Susan Mayer, Desperate Housewives - Teri Hatcher may have originally been Desperate Diva Numero Uno, but this past season it seems like she's just a zero. Adorable klutzy Susan certainly got leftovers as far as storylines went and I for one breathed a big sigh of relief. How much high-pitched histrionics can one take? No wonder poor Mike was driven to drugs...

5. Logan, Gilmore Girls - I've been harshing on the ladies a bit so let's give the double X's a break. I despised the smug, self-satisfied rich boy character of Logan Huntzberger on Gilmore Girls. I'm sure it's every girl's fantasy to live in a penthouse apartment with their fabulously wealthy boyfriend, but I always thought Rory had more sense than that. Thankfully the writers got it right at the end and had Rory turn down his marriage proposal. I always wanted her to end up with Jess anyway....

6. Michael Vaughn, Alias - I know millions of women think Michael Vartan is an uber-hottie, but to me he looks like a ferret. Of course, I didn't care for Jennifer Garner's character of Sydney Bristow, either. She always looked like she was about to cry--deer caught in the headlights kind of thing...I stopped watching Alias after Season Two. I hear the writers killed off Vaughn eventually--good move!

7. Marin Frist, Men in Trees - I've heard that Anne Heche dated and broke the hearts of Steve Martin, Lindsey Buckingham as well as Ellen DeGeneres. I don't get what the attraction is. If she was a flavor, she'd definitely be vanilla. No wait--even blander than vanilla. She's watered down skim milk. Blech! As fish out of water city girl Marin Frist transplanted to Alaska, she's supposed to be the female version of Northern Exposure's Dr. Joel Fleishman. That is if Joel were blonde, bland and boring...

8. Nikki and Paulo, LOST - Remember in Season Three how the writers felt it necessary to introduce us to two new Losties (probably because they killed off hotties like Boone and Shannon and Libby...)? Remember how the fans HATED the useless, clueless newbies? Remember how the writers then appeased the irate fans by killing them off by having them be buried alive? That was awesome.

9. Maya and Alejandro, Heroes - Again two new characters introduced after the show was in full swing and generally despised by the fans. The writers have killed off one of the twins--unfortunately it was the smarter, less annoying one. Show of hands: How many of you are hoping Sylar finishes off the other half and eats her brain? I thought so...

10. The entire cast of What About Brian? - This J. J. Abrams misstep aired a total of 24 episodes before being canceled. In my opinion, that was 23 episodes more than was necessary.

So that's MY list...Anyone you think I should have included? Feel free to post your own suggestions in the comments.