What Better?? Best Friends of 80s Sitcoms
 

Here is another edition of my "What Better?" In the past I brought you What Better?? Kevin Arnold's Girlfriends - Front Office Football Central , What Better?? 80's Sitcom Families - Front Office Football Central , What Better?? Girls of 90210 - Front Office Football Central , and What Better?? Rocky's Opponents - Front Office Football Central .

So we've covered a lot of aboot 80s sitcoms. I was thinking and debating with my friends the other day "Who was the cool best friend of the main character?" So I formulated a list and I present it to you today for the men and women of FOFC to decide.

I intentionally left out the following: Kramer, Balki, and Steve Urkel because in my mind they were pretty much main characters in the sitcoms. I'm looking for a more behind the scenes type of person. So here are your choices:

Buddy Lembeck - Buddy was Charles' best friend in the TV Show Charles In Charge. Charles was always trying to shoe Buddy away so he could get in Gwendolen's pants.



Kimmy Gibbler - Kimmy was DJ's best friend in the TV show Full House. You always knew Hijinx would ensue when she came over.



Richard "Boner" Stabone - The best friend and neighbor of Mike Seaver in the show Growing Pains. Boner was always getting into trouble with Mike due to his lack of intelligence and common sense. On a side note, the episode where he leaves to join the Marines is one of the best ones of this entire show.



Skippy Handelman - Skippy was the best friend of Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties. Skippy had a bit of a crush on Alex's sister Malorie (who didn't).



Paul Pfeiffer - Paul was the nerdy neighbor and best friend of Kevin Arnold in the TV Show Wonder Years. His constant sneezing from being allergic to everything cause him problems with the ladies.



Al Borland - Tim the toolman Taylors best friend in Home Improvement. Some would say Al actually carried the "Tool Time" show.



Samuel "Screech" Powers - The definition of ackward is Screech Powers. He was quite the whipping boy for Zach Morris in Saved by the Bell but he was also always there for him.



Woody Boyd - The naive Hanover Indiana native was just the fix for Sam Malone after the sudden passing of Coach Ernie Pantso . He was the butt of a lot of jokes but in the end he got the last laugh as he won public office.



Vinny Delpino - Vinny was the yang to Doogie Howser's ying....he helped keep him young and who can forget who he would enter Doogie's room through his bedroom window. Actually now thinking of it, that's kind of creepy.

it's gotta be one of screech/skippy/boner in some order there

Use that one vote wisely

That's quite a lineup. I'll have to think about this.

Woody's the best character, but I'm not sure he is the best friend exactly.

Since you are splitting decades. I'd vote for Larry Dallas from Three's Company.



Larry was always setting Jack up with a piece of ass. What more could you ask from a best friend?

FYI

Home Improvement was on from 1991-1999

oops...oh well

I debated between Vinny and Paul and went with Vinny. I think Woody is the funniest, but I tried to vote in the spirit of how I felt in the 80's. Back then I probably didn't get half of Woody's jokes.

No Cockroach?

I've never seen a single episode of the Wonder Years. Is that weird?

CRAP! I knew i forgot someone from the Cosby Show.

Cockroach was the first one that I thought of, too.

I voted for Paul Pfeiffer. In addition to being an awesome friend, the butt of jokes, and a supreme cockblocker, his emergence allowed people my age to call anyone with dark hair and glasses with the nickname: "Pfeiffer." :)

Balki Bartokomous

Also Uncle Jesse/Uncle Joey on Full House.

Paul wasn't as much a cockblock as it seems. Kevin still pulled hot ass without him and Paul, I think, more than anybody else on this list, represents the kind of best friend we'd like to have for life.

Toss up between Vinny and Paul, went with Paul... probably because I am drawing more memories from the Wonder Years than Doogie.

i dunno guys...Screech built robots and shit. And he always went to the mat for Zach.

Cockroach is a terrible oversight. Or what about the fat white kid from Cosby Show? Peter?

That would fall under the OTHER category...

I have vague memories of thinking Kimmy was cute. It seems early puberty can cloud ones judgment.

This.

Holy shit.. that is a chick? I thought it was a male figure skater.

I think she actually grew out of her awkwardness to some extent.

I'll go with Paul. I recently got the entire Wonder Years series on DVD online. I'm only on season 2 right now, but after re-watching all of these things there isn't a doubt in my mind that Paul deserves the top spot.

Ooooooohhhhhhhhhhh, contrband!

Andrea Barber (Kimmi Gibbler) actually looks pretty good these days.

Bud, as the friend of Rudy was another good friend on Cosby.

Paul Pfeiffer, cause he's Marilyn Manson. Right????!

I voted for Boner. Just because I'm immature.

I thought that was the kid from Mr. Belvedere? Kevin?

lol, my wife just said she likes boner

No, it's supposed to be the kid from the robot daughter show, isn't it?

No, Small Wonder became rapper T.I.

That's a pretty pathetic grouping up there. I loved Cheers and watched Family Ties, but the rest are pure dreck.

MWC debuted in 1987, so my vote goes to Steve Rhoades.

Woody for sure.

Oh the days of Charles in Charge!

I like how Josh Saviano (Paul) went to Yale and is a now a Manhattan lawyer in real life.

And Jason Hervey (Wayne) hangs out with Scott Baio and part of went HealthSouth blew up in its scandal.