So maybe Alan Alda can’t write prescriptions. And who cares if Andy Griffith never passed the bar? These actors can still say…

By Kimberly Garza
Photography by Adam Voorhes

We know that TV’s best doctors can do a mean simple interrupted suture. But our favorites have charm and grit along with the M.D. And if they come with a five o’clock shadow or a great bedside manner…but then, we repeat ourselves.

Top Doc: Hawkeye (Alan Alda), M*A*S*H
Surgeon Hawkeye Pierce was known as much for his medical skills as his scalpel-sharp wit. Sure, he was arrogant, mouth, and sometimes downright sanctimonious. But his ability to make us laugh even when the wounded had us in tears struck a chord with real doctors, too. In 1979, Alda gave the commencement address at Harvard Medical School.
Did You Know… Playing Hawkeye landed Alda 25 Emmy nominations and five wins, making him the first person to win Emmys in acting, writing, and directing for the same series.
He Said It: “I just don’t know why they’re shooting at us. All we want to do is bring them democracy and white bread.”
Episode to Rent: “The Grim Reaper,” season six, episode 12. Hawkeye throws a punch at a colonel and goes on to save his life. Peace reigns again over their little patch of Korea.

Honorable Mentions

	Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby), The Cosby Show. Did You Know… Cliff’s full name was given as both Clifford and Heathcliff during the show’s run. Episode to Rent: “The Day the Spores Landed,” season six, episode eight. Cliff dreams that he’s pregnant.
	Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), Grey’s Anatomy. Did You Know… Derek has four sisters, and all of them are doctors. Episode to Rent: “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” season two, episode 12. Derek comes clean with Addison.
	Dr. Quinn (Jane Seymour), Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Did You Know… Dr. Mike was nominated for Colorado Woman of the Year (1871) in season four. Episode to Rent: “For Better or Worse,” season three, episodes 28 and 29. Quinn and Sully finally say “I do.”

Not all our picks for best mothers come with a clean apron, winning meat loaf recipe, or even children of their own. A great TV mom epitomizes the unflappable multi-tasker who knows exactly what her husband and kids need—whether it’s a kiss on the cheek or a kick in the pants.

Dearest Mommy: June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley),
Leave it to Beaver
With her uncanny ability to greet her husband at the end of the day with a spotless house and a pretty dress, Mrs. Cleaver gets our pick for best mom. Women’s history scholars have written thousands of pages about this paragon of the quintessential housewife who wears pearls when she vacuums. But June’s wifery isn’t of the Stepford variety: She earned a college degree at State College before marrying Ward.
Did You Know… Billingsley says that she wore a pearl necklace all the time to cover an indentation on her sternum. We could have handled that.
She Said It: “That’s no way to talk, Wally. This is Sunday.”
Episode to Rent: “Brotherly Love,” season one, episode six

Honorable Mentions

	Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae), The Facts of Life. Did You Know… Mrs. Garrett had a previous job as the housekeeper on Diff’rent Strokes. Episode to Rent: “September Song,” season four, episode 11. Henry proposes to Edna.
	Peggy Bundy (Katey Sagal), Married with Children. Did You Know… Peggy scoffs at the kids’ studying and forgets their birthdays, all in one episode. Episode to Rent: “Peggy Turns 300,” season four, episode 19. Peg breaks Al’s bowling record.
	Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Arnold), Roseanne. Did You Know… She opened her own sandwich shop in season five. Episode to Rent: “Bridge Over Troubled Sonny,” season one, episode 13. Roseanne catches Darlene smoking.

A government experiment. An ancient prophecy. A sudden, confusing power. The best superheroes on TV don’t choose to be special, but they make the best of what they have by fighting crime, black magic, and self-doubt. When it comes to showing us their right hooks and their inner fears, our picks are aces.

Super Hero: Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar),
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Armed with super strength and the determination to save mankind from vampires and demons, the high schooler tackles finals and first dates along with mythical mayhem. But behind Buffy’s quips (“If the Apocalypse comes, beep me”) lays an odd vulnerability that drew 4.2 million viewers each week. A 2001 article in the Journal of Popular Culture called Buffy a forerunner in “the rise of the indomitable tough woman.” Even Superman can’t say that.
Did You Know… Gellar originally auditioned for the role of prissy teen-queen Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter).
She Said It: “Dates are things normal girls have, girls who have time to think about nail polish and facials. You know what I think about? Ambush tactics.”
Episode to Rent: “Graduation Day,” season three, episodes 21 and 22. Buffy’s battle against a massive demon invasion may cost her the vampire love of her life.

Honorable Mentions

	Batman (Adam West), Batman. Did You Know… The Caped Crusader’s Batmobile was a Ford. Episode to Rent: “An Egg Grows in Gotham,” season two, episode 13. Egghead deduces Batman’s true identity.
	Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia), Heroes. Did You Know… Peter is a certified hospice nurse. Episode to Rent: “Homecoming,” season one, episode nine. Our Heroes hero’s powers get tested in Texas.
	Steve Austin (Lee Majors), The Six Million Dollar Man. Did You Know… Steve met a $7 million man in season two. Episode to Rent: “Steve Austin, Fugitive,” season two, episode 22. Steve gets framed for murder.

TV’s best space commanders don’t mind that the fate of the universe rests on their broad shoulders. They tackle interstellar warfare, alien bullies, and bad directions without mussing a hair on their heads (if they have hair). And their diplomacy would qualify them for the State Department, if only they lived in our millennium.

Space Chief: Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart),
Star Trek: The Next Generation
True, Picard couldn’t beat Kirk in a fistfight. And he often urges senior officers to deal with off-ship crises, opting to stay in his nice, warm cabin. But Picard’s unshakeable calm and soothing Shakespearean voice kept Next Generation going for seven seasons (four more than the Kirk era) and helped Stewart land the job as the understated Prof. Xavier in the X-Men trilogy.
Did You Know… Picard was originally supposed to have hair. But after seeing Stewart with a toupee, supervising producer Robert H. Justman begged him to take it off. “It was just awful,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
He Said It: “Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.”
Episode to Rent: “The Drumhead,” season four, episode 21. Picard publicly challenges a bigoted admiral.

Honorable Mentions

	William Adama (Edward James Olmos), Battlestar Galactica. Did You Know… Olmos dons blue contact lenses to look more like the actor playing his son. Episode to Rent: “Exodus,” season three, episode three. Adama risks a rescue mission.
	John Robinson (Guy Williams), Lost in Space. Did You Know… The 1965 show had the Robinson family leaving Earth in the year 1997. Episode to Rent: “The Sky Pirate,” season one, episode 19. The group encounters a fellow Earthling.
	James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Star Trek. Did You Know… The “T” stands for Tiberius, a tough Roman emperor. Episode to Rent: “The Trouble With Tribbles,” season two, episode 15. Kirk handles fast-breeding furry creatures.

No objections here: TV’s best lawyers must have the forensic chops. Extra points go to those who can snoop for clues on their own and badger hostile witnesses into teary confessions. So what if they can’t sustain a personal relationship beyond the courtroom? Anyone who can stare down the scum of society earns the right to be as grumpy and flawed as he likes.

Lead Lawyer: Perry Mason (Raymond Burr),
Perry Mason
Quiet, clever ’50s defense attorney Perry Mason tracks down the real criminals to prove his clients’ innocence, much to the dismay of his adversary, Hamilton Burger. Mason’s trademark battering cross-examination can still be seen on shows like Law and Order. Even better, Burr kept in character even when doing fan interviews: When one woman demanded to know how he won every case, he replied smoothly, “But madam, you only see the cases I try on Saturday.”
Did You Know… Perry did lose one case. In 1963, his client refused to reveal the evidence that would save her. But Perry eventually found the real culprit, and his client was exonerated. Take that, Hamilton Burger.
He Said It: “When a man looks for things that aren’t there and finds them, we call him a detective.”
Episode to Rent: “The Case of the One-Eyed Witness,” season one, episode 23. Perry lodges a faux objection to expose a liar on the stand.

Honorable Mentions

	Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart), Ally McBeal. Did You Know… She has a daughter. Episode to Rent: “Boy to the World,” season one, episode 10. Ally defends a juvenile.
	Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston), Law and Order. Did You Know… Jack rides a motorcycle. Episode to Rent: “Trophy,” season six, episode 12. Jack’s old flame returns.
	Ben Matlock (Andy Griffith), Matlock. Did You Know… He has a hot dog addiction. Episode to Rent: “The Lemon,” season three, episode one. Matlock defends his new neighbor (Don Knotts).