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Top Ten TV Characters Whose Lives We Wish We Had

Annie Lloyd |
March 5, 2013 | 11:25 p.m. PST

Staff Reporter

Television provides the best kind of escapist entertainment. Week after week (or day after day if you're catching up on an old show) you can revisit the same world and characters. The mass quantity of episodes allows a world to develop to such a deep level that it's possible to know more about it than the real one. The escape can be anything from tense to hilarious to philosophical. Within each escape lives countless characters, each one as diverse as the shows in which he or she exists. This list concerns itself with a certain type of character: the awesome one with an even more awesome life. If we could trade our lives for a day (or forever), it would be with one of these great personas.

Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess (Tumblr)
Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess (Tumblr)
 

Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, "Downton Abbey" on PBS

Imagine a life where you strut around knowing you're superior to everyone around you, thanks to your lineage, wealth, and ability to pierce everyone with hilariously scathing quips? Only one character fits that description, and it's the magnificent Dowager Countess. The sassiest broad on television, she never fails to entertain (especially when her show does).

 

Jake and Finn (Tumblr)
Jake and Finn (Tumblr)
 

Jake and Finn, "Adventure Time" on Cartoon Network

Okay, so I'm cheating a little bit by having both characters on here, but how could I say no? What makes their lives so awesome is the fact that A) They get to hang out with each other all the time. B) They have the funniest and most insane group of friends ever. C) It's always "Adventure Time" for them, and most importantly, D) They get to make their arms wiggle. Just imagine getting to dance with such flexible limbs?

 

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope (Tumblr)
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope (Tumblr)

 

 

Leslie Knope, "Parks and Recreation" on NBC

When a word cloud of your most frequently emailed words includes love, friends, dream, and waffles, you know you have an awesome life. Leslie has unbridled confidence and enthusiasm and just happens to be one half of one of the cutest TV couples ever (I'm looking at you, Ben Wyatt). Her genuine, passionate nature makes everyone love her. And why shouldn't they?

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers (Tumblr)
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers (Tumblr)
 

Buffy Summers, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on The WB/UPN

First off, Buffy's life comes from Joss Whedon's sacred mind so it's automatically awesome. If you need more explanation, though, just look at the title of her TV show. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." What could be more incredible than that? Buffy's a strong, powerful, and sexy woman who has one of the most intense (-ly awesome) destinies in the history of television.

Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore (Tumblr)
Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore (Tumblr)
 

 

Rory Gilmore, "Gilmore Girls" on The WB/UPN

Rory's regular life includes being incredibly smart, making small-town life as unique and appealing as only television can, and having incessant and hilarious banter on life and pop culture with her mom. While not as exciting a life as some other characters on this list, she still manages to make it unforgettable. Dating Jared Padalecki, Milo Ventimiglia, and Matt Czuchry at one point or another probably helps, too.

 

 

Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer (Tumblr)
Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer (Tumblr)

 

Jack Bauer, "24" on Fox

Jack Bauer has become synonymous with no-holds-barred patriotism and power. Regardless of your politics, there's no denying this guy's appeal. Entire operations rest on his actions. He has strong convictions and a strong body, and his life is a non-stop thrill ride.


Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw (Pinterest)
Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw (Pinterest)
 

Carrie Bradshaw, "Sex and the City" on HBO

Carrie Bradshaw has the life the girls of "Girls" can only dream of. She's a smart, funny, sexy, and talented writer. Her outfits and Manolos never stop changing in order to live her crazy life in the style it deserves. Carrie has a close and dependable group of friends who stick with her through every relationship, providing an abundance of extra perspective and hilarious stories. What else would you ask for?

 

Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey (Pinterest)
Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey (Pinterest)
 

Neal Caffrey, "White Collar" on USA

Having eyes as mesmerizingly blue as Neal Caffrey's could be enough to want to trade places with him. But why settle for just that? Caffrey gets to employ his renegade past in order to solve the sleekest crimes the FBI encounters. He lives a life of suave mystery, but still has trusty Peter Burke to keep him grounded.

 

Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor (Pinterest)
Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor (Pinterest)

 

 

Coach Eric Taylor, "Friday Night Lights" on NBC/DirecTV

Eric Taylor has a beautiful and loving family and a huge heart to match. He coaches impressionable teenage boys in football and life, placing himself at the top of the good-person totem pole. He has many struggles in his career, of course, but they all luckily provide him with great life lessons. And I mean really, who wouldn't want to be married to Tami Taylor?

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen (Pinterest)
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen (Pinterest)
 

Daenerys Targaryen, "Game of Thrones" on HBO

Three words: Mother of Dragons. This girl has literally been engulfed by flames and lived to tell about it. She's wooed the strongest and most powerful Khal Drogo the Dothraki have ever seen. Her mind-blowing life can only get more intense, with her determination to regain the Iron Throne. "Game of Thrones" provides no shortage of incredibly awesome characters, but Dany's ability to avoid both incest and a beheading without cowering in fear puts her on this list. 

Reach Staff Reporter Annie Lloyd here. Follow her on Twitter here.



 

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