4. Everyone (Except Barney) - How I Met Your Mother
This was a hard one, predominantly because Friends also exists. The reason I have come down on the side of How I Met your Mother is because I believe we get a better sense of the characters entire lives in that show. We know everyone's parents and their upbringings and their relationships and their hangups, except Barney. who just isn't real, and you know it. In fact I think the characterising of Barney is one of the weakest elements of the show and the reason it had such bad period. But those are just my thoughts on the subject. So let's see there's Ted obviously, the hopeless romantic, unlucky in love protagonist. His geekish inclinations and odd foray into martial arts all remind us of how much fun we would like to be and his knowing forays into patronising remind us of how annoying we can be. Then there's Lily, the teacher/artist who can get very angry but is very caring and giving, and her husband Marshall, the affable idealist who often finds himself compromised attempting to provide for his family. And finally Robin, for being eternally single and career driven. But not Barney, because he's not real. We may all wish he was, but he just isn't. And that's sad.