Pathetic and puny sitcom characters

There are threads celebrating despicable sitcom characters, winners and losers, I think or there should be if there aren't. But I can't find any on just pathetic or puny and weak. I'm probably not talking Martin Bryce from EDC as he has some mettle about him despite his anal tendencies.

Manuel is possibly the classic sitcom doormat, a pathetic weakling put there for the sitcom monster to humiliate and Holly from Red Dwarf is another of the more prominent characters in this vein I can think of but I can't yet think of anyone more physically puny than Tucker in Citizen Smith who made me larfff with his quiet meek little voice dressed as a bad guy cowboy serving in a burger bar. Such characters can be very noticeable due to their meekness and are pretty handy side characters for a sitcom with an egotistical monster in the lead and I wondered how many there may be out there. Suggestions please.

Neil from The Young Ones was pathetic and constantly abused, although perhaps too tall to be puny.
Dian Bachar, the diminutive friend of the South Park creators is the epitome of pathetic and puny, though I don't know if he's done any sitcoms.
There's Milhouse on The Simpsons, similar to Fred Savage's sidekick played by Josh Saviano on The Wonder Years.
There was O'Reilly in Fawlty Towers, who was also the pathetic Albert Riddle in Robin's Nest.
There was also something called Erkel on a dreadful American sitcom a while back.

Quote: Kenneth @ 6th May 2018, 10:16 AM

Neil from The Young Ones was pathetic and constantly abused, although perhaps too tall to be puny.

View original

No he's a great example of the character, and very puny imo, didn't he fail to open a bag of crisps or something in one ep? An important part of the dynamic and made a fairly pathetic Rick look manly and without Neil would have been smashed in the head with cricket bats a lot more than he was.

Tucker must have made his mark with me as I haven't seen the series since it was first on.
But I remember the line where Wolfie asked him if he had a kid about 8
'bound to 'ave.

Howard and Smiler from LOTSW

Pike?

Don't tell him.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 6th May 2018, 11:09 AM

No he's a great example of the character, and very puny imo, didn't he fail to open a bag of crisps or something in one ep? An important part of the dynamic and made a fairly pathetic Rick look manly and without Neil would have been smashed in the head with cricket bats a lot more than he was.

View original

The packet of Roast Ox crisps he spends ages trying to open and when he finally does they go all over the floor. Sums him up perfectly.

Baldrick from Blackadder

Piers Fletcher-Dervish from The New Statesman

Vaughn from Perfect World played by Derren Litten. Not seen it for a long time but I seem to remember he was on the receiving end of a lot of abuse similar to Piers from The New Statesman was.

Todd Margaret.

Does it matter that characters aren't strong?

Spence Olchin played by Patton Oswalt in King of Queens.
Taken advantage of by everybody,generally geeky,lives with his mum....

Barry (Mike Grady) in Last of the Summer Wine.
I think he was bossed about by everybody especially the women.

Meg from Family Guy

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 6th May 2018, 2:28 PM

Don't tell him.

View original

Ha ha. Yeah Pike definitely who I always thought was one gene off being a Frank Spencer and I'll add Betty's beloved to the list, a strong sitcom lead as well. He must be the true king of pathetic sitcom characters.

Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 6th May 2018, 3:04 PM

Baldrick from Blackadder

Piers Fletcher-Dervish from The New Statesman

View original

Yes and yes. A nice little list building up.

George Dent in drop the dead donkey

Jennifer saunders character in Girls on Top

Frank Spencer, obviously.