Television has provided education and entertainment to children for nearly a century, creating many lovable and iconic characters along the way. This list of the 20 best children’s television characters of all time consists only of the most recognizable, inspiring, and fun-to-watch characters from kids’ TV. Only one character per show is included on the list. Characters are listed chronologically. The year included is the year the television show was released – not necessarily the year the character was introduced.
5Tom: Tom and Jerry, June 1965
Physical comedy at its pinnacle, Tom and Jerry tells the story of two anthropomorphic animals, Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse. Almost every episode consists of Tom trying to kill Jerry but being outsmarted by the mouse’s cleverness and agility. The show was so groundbreaking that it’s hard to pick which character deserves a spot on the list. However, Tom’s creative – and usually dangerous – methods of trying to kill the little brown rodent give him a slight edge.