25 loathsome TV characters everyone loves to hate

Fans didn't just love to hate Joffrey. They downright loathed him. There is not much to like when it comes to this spoiled, entitled brat who makes life horrible for those around him, especially Sansa. Then again, look what kind of family he comes from. Perhaps one major reason viewers can't stand Joffrey is how brilliantly Irish actor Jack Gleeson played him.

While it's easy to dislike Chuck — or just about any main character on Gossip Girl — he has one of the coolest names on television. As a teenage womanizer and alcoholic, the handsome and always well-dressed Chuck (Ed Westwick) appears to be getting a jump on his career. However, he also has some substance, especially when it comes to making money.  

Campbell is not as much mean as he is conniving and ruthless in the workplace. His relationship with and sometimes hard-to-admit admiration for Draper is one of the most intriguing parts of the show. Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) is far from the most loyal and reliable husband to Trudy, but his ambition seems enough to keep her content. 

The ultimate television "b—h." There's really no other word to describe the devilishly cunning and beautiful Alexis, and she wore the moniker with honor. Alexis (played brilliantly by the legendary Joan Collins) wanted nothing more than to destroy the life of ex-husband Blake Carrington and new wife Krystle while also controlling everyone and everything around her.

At first, Sheldon was charmingly nerdy and funny. But as this popular sitcom progressed, there were many who felt Sheldon (played by multiple Emmy winner Jim Parsons) just got plain annoying, specifically when it comes to his need to constantly let everybody know that he is more intelligent than they are. Of course, Sheldon's social inadequacies tend to balance out his intellectual arrogance, so that's enough to stomach him for a while. 

George (Jason Alexander) is harmless to viewers and certainly hilarious. But deep down, he is arguably the least likable of the Seinfeld Fab Four. Yet, our sides continue to split with laughter through syndication because his antics are so off the charts. We should still wonder if it's humanly possible for one person to be as inept and often incompetent as George. We can't help but embrace his moronic behavior while hoping we never meet a real-life version.

Let's face it: There are times we can't stand George Costanza, and if anybody has watched an episode of Curb, we know why. George was the alter-ego of David, Seinfeld's head writer and executive producer. But watching David in Curb can be downright uncomfortable because his actions seem George times 10. Funny? Most of the time but often a little too much and tough to root for.  

One of the great antagonists in television history, Danny DeVito's De Palma was a mess. The diminutive head dispatcher is loud, obnoxious, and downright mean while mouthing off from his caged perch overlooking the Sunshine Cab Company garage. Not to mention, he stole from the company, bullied the employees, and is inappropriate with his mouth. 

There might not have been a more popular and hated character on television in the late 1970s and first half of the '80s. Armed with a massive ego and sorry remorse, J.R. (Larry Hagman) is the conniving oil baron who was out to win at all costs, no matter who — family included — he has to take down. The infamous "Who shot J.R.?" is perhaps the most recognized storyline in network television history.

It's interesting just how much Ross (David Schwimmer) is demised as time goes on. No doubt, the nerdy paleontologist is the least funny of the six main characters on the show, and he's by far the most annoying. His whining and woe-is-me demeanor are tiring, especially regarding his relationship with Rachel. Come on, is Ross really in her league? He's also not all that nice of a guy. But it's pretty hilarious.

While Emily (Kelly Bishop) incessantly badgered daughter Lorelai the entire run of the show, she really was fun to watch — and even more, fun to hate. The only consistent antagonist in the series, Emily is all about status. She never can really forgive her daughter for making her look bad by becoming pregnant as a teenager and running away. She's a needed yang to the ying of pop-culture-infused Gilmore-speak that made the show a hit.

It's not entirely fair to call Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) a troublemaker, but her morality is certainly questioned during her time on the hit series. Her affair with Shane, thinking Rick was dead, was the start of her issues. The bottom line is that Lori never seemed as strong and self-assuring as she needed to be, and it was often uncomfortable to watch.

Viewers seemed to have a love/hate relationship with Girls fans, and creator and star Lena Dunham's Hannah is a big reason why. On one hand, there was an aspect of respect for how she had no shame, with an honest (almost to a fault) portrayal of a young woman trying to make it on her own. On the other, Hannah Horvath generally does not seem to be a likable character, regardless of what's going on inside her immature head.

Hate might be a strong word. How about, we love to dislike Janice? Chandler's on-again, off-again girlfriend is more annoying than anything. From her nasally voice to her machine-gun laugh, Janice (Maggie Wheeler) is like nails on a chalkboard. No character in the show could stand her, but we, as viewers, couldn't get enough.

The leader of the "Others," Ben was far from likable early on, mostly because of his cryptic nature and inability to be trusted, though he warmed up as the show went on and proved serviceable. The thing with Ben (Michael Emerson) was it always seemed he had an ulterior motive and remained hard to trust, which can be an anguishing and unattractive experience for the viewer. 

He's the weaselly president who took credit for stopping terrorist attacks that Jack Bauer was actually was responsible for. The inept and cowardly Logan (Gregory Itzin) was part of the conspiracy that killed one of the greatest TV presidents of all time — David Palmer. Logan also had one of the greatest Secret Service agents in TV history killed, Aaron Pierce, but was outsmarted by his "crazy" wife. He tried to outsmart Bauer and live to tell the tale. Logan did live but with permanent brain damage.

Evil incarnate "Black Jack" Randall punished most of the Scottish Highlanders he encounters, but none more sadistically and frequently than Jamie Fraser. While fans of the books and show certainly hate him for this torture, actor Tobias Menzies' talent makes sympathizing with Black Jack's personal demons easier. Fans felt he got what he deserved in the end, though, when Jack met his fate on the battlefield at Jamie's hand.

From his days as an attending to his time as chief of staff at County General Hospital, Romano (Paul McCrane) was a pain. Dr. Romano is sarcastic and plain mean. He not only flaunts his intelligence, but he also has little trouble making those around him feel inferior. Perhaps he got what he deserved when that helicopter fell on him. 

Jonah (Timothy Simons) is downright annoying but amazingly funny because of his antics. His high self-value is obviously Jonah's least desirable trait, from the White House liaison to Vice President Selina Meyer's office to his run for the presidency. Jonah is a buffoon and makes the viewer cringe with some of his actions. But while we can't stand him, we can't stop laughing at him.

At the end of the day, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) is generally harmless. Yet his constant sucking up to Michael is certainly humorous but gets old and annoying after some time. His character draws a casual dislike, perhaps because it's easier and more entertaining to make fun of him than completely loathe his character. 

JAG was an underrated primetime drama during the 1990s and 2000s, and Lt. Singer (Nancy Chambers) was underrated as a heel-stepping go-getter. It was all about advancement for the attractive and cunning lawyer who made no bones about letting everyone know she'd do whatever it took to become a Supreme Court justice. In the end, she probably got what she deserved — but created a spinoff (the NCIS franchise) in the process.

The matriarch of the Soprano crime family, Livia (Nancy Marchand) was passive-aggressively ruthless to her own family, driving the bus over any blood relative who got in the way. Perhaps that's how Tony became the man he was. Tony was subtly ruthless in his own right, but he knew who ran the show. Don't mess with the family, especially when Mrs. Soprano is still alive.

We only knew Oliver for a short time, but that didn't stop viewers from seeing what a giant weasel he was. Obsessed with Marissa, spoiled brat Oliver (Taylor Handley) went to extremes to have her. Oliver had some mental and emotional issues, but he was just straight-up rotten. 

Tyson was always one step ahead of Richard Castle and Kate Beckett. This diabolical psychopath outsmarted the 12th precinct on several occasions until he pushed Castle too far. Even if his scheme was found out, he was creative in framing Castle for murder. Actor Michael Mosley's "every guy" look makes it hard to believe he's an evil serial killer.

One-half of the "Minnesota Twins," Brenda (Shannen Doherty) wasn't a mean girl, but she was hardly a saint. She defied her father's orders to see bad boy Dylan McKay, had a pregnancy scare, and ran off to Mexico with him — not to mention her love-hate relationship with bestie Kelly Taylor. But mostly, Brenda liked to play the victim even if her trouble was self-inflicted.