Top 10 Great Characters in Horrible TV Shows

Early on in its run, "Gotham" was a bit of a mess and relied heavily on recognizable comic villains to make up for the often limp storytelling. While most villains were just okay, Jerome stood out as a delightful interpretation of the Joker mythos. Raised in a circus and having committed matricide at a young age, Jerome is everything "Gotham" should have been: larger-than-life, unpredictable, and utterly compelling. This proto-Joker was so clearly superior to his villainous peers on the show, "Gotham" continued to find reasons to bring the character back, as no other evildoers could come close to rivaling The Great Rodolfo's showmanship.

#9: Julie De Longpre “Allen Gregory” (2011)

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This short-lived animated comedy follows a gifted home-schooled kid who is forced to attend public school. With a protagonist that tries to be adorably strange but ends up just coming across as predictably obnoxious, "Allen Gregory" makes for a rather unpleasant viewing experience; luckily, the cynical and done-with-this-crap Julie makes this animated sitcom easier to digest. Introduced as "the worst" by the titular character who really should not be flinging any rocks, Julie is the only likable, occasionally funny, and somewhat human character on the show. Now, in all fairness, Julie probably benefits from being surrounded by a cast of caricatures who would be rejected by "The Simpsons" at its lowest.

#8: Ivy Lynn “Smash” (2012-13)

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A TV musical centering around a Broadway production about Marilyn Monroe, "Smash" starts rather promising - but quickly drowns amidst a sea of inconsequential plot threads that seemingly sought to render every character boring, unlikeable or both. As a veteran performer yearning to make the jump from secondary to primary roles, the lively Ivy is an obvious character to root for. Ivy's prolonged campaign to usurp Karen for the Marilyn Monroe role enables the character to display a range of emotions – from sass and selfishness to self-doubt and ambition. The Broadway singer is somewhat relatable, even if Ivy's storylines get progressively worse the longer "Smash" goes on.

A continuation of Cartoon Network's 2006 movie "Re-Animated," "Out of Jimmy's Head" was the channel's first attempt at a series that incorporated live-action with animation a la "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" However, the show is considred to be quite simply bad and is largely populated by characters who are too stupid to function. The only exceptions are Jimmy and his bossy sister Yancy - who also happens to be an alien because why not? While Jimmy is a bit of a doormat, Yancy's mean older sister routine does at least bring a few laughs to the viewing experience. We hesitate to call her the show’s saving grace, but she’s definitely the closest thing to it.

Despite having its moments and finding some rhythm in its final two seasons, "The Cleveland Show" never managed to escape the long shadows cast by "Family Guy" and "American Dad”. Many of the comedy's characters feel similar to other MacFarlane creations, and the same can be said about Rallo, whose 'kid with the mind of an adult’ shtick is blatantly inspired by "Family Guy's" Stewie. Even so, Rallo's wannabe gangsta persona, daddy issues, and fledgling rap career led the small child to become "The Cleveland Show's" breakout character, even during the lackluster first season.

"Two and a Half Men" was never high art, but some seasons were enjoyable enough for a casual distraction. The sitcom's later years, however, seemed to go out of their way to ruin every character. As Jake grew less fun and Alan weirder, Berta endured as the only character to survive unscathed. Part of the housekeeper's longevity can be credited to Conchata Ferrell's charm, but Berta always existed to poke fun at the Harpers and later Walden. So, when "Two and a Half Men" started to falter, Berta could just continue to do her thing without ever really missing a beat.

#4: James ‘Big Jim’ Rennie “Under the Dome” (2013-15)

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Stephen King adaptations tend to be hit or miss. And while "Under the Dome" starts fairly promising with its first season, it ultimately overstayed its welcome with two more seasons of nonsensical plots and illogical character decisions. Out of Chester’s Mill's absurdly numerous citizens, Dean Norris' Big Jim stands out as a truly great villain, one who genuinely believes himself to be on the right side of history. Much like the rest of the show, Jim is at his best in the opening season, but the councilman's progressive descent into pure and unadulterated evil remains a joy to watch even long after the rest of the series has taken a nosedive.

In the same year that “M*A*S*H” went off the air with the most-watched TV episode ever, "AfterMASH" debuted as a spin-off centering around the returning characters of Sherman T. Potter, Maxwell Klinger, and John Mulcahy. While "AfterMASH's" new faces are forgettable, Potter, Klinger, and Mulcahy are still as endearing as they were on the original series, despite continuing to feel like secondary characters. Although the idea of exploring the trials of a post-war America in the 1950s held promise, "AfterMASH" never quite found its tone and ended up feeling like a dated rehash of its far superior predecessor. The spin-off is really only worth watching as a final hurrah for the recurring “M*A*S*H” cast members.

Playing out like baby's first "Game of Thrones" but in space, “Inhumans” follows the arrogant and superpowered Black Bolt as he seeks to regain Attilan's throne after his brother, Maximus, leads a rebellion that results in the Inhuman Royal Family being banished to Earth. While the show’s heroes are considered poorly established, seldom interesting, and were initially fine with overseeing an oppressive regime, Maximus' self-serving revolutionary act produces a couple of interesting moments. Stripped of any powers and jealous of playing second-fiddle to Black Bolt, Maximus’ transformation from the savior of the downtrodden to a power-hungry dictator is foreseeable but nevertheless entertaining.

After a series of home run shows, "Iron Fist" represented a jarring drop in quality for the Netflix branch of the MCU. While "Iron Fist's" first season struggles to establish its mopey protagonist as a character worthy of your attention, Colleen picks up Danny's slack by kicking ass as a martial artist, vigilante, and love interest. Colleen arguably also has better chemistry with the majority of the supporting cast, especially whenever "Luke Cage's" Misty joins the team. Netflix must have recognized the character's awesomeness, as "Iron Fist's" second season elevates Colleen to deuteragonist alongside a much-improved Danny.