4 Television Shows with 4 Main Characters

In theater productions, a "four-hander" is a show with a small cast of four that carries the whole show. This allows the ensemble cast to have different character traits and personalities, bouncing off of each other with 15 potential combinations of interaction in addition to appearing solo. There are some great four-handers in 1980s and 1990s television. Here are some of the best and most beloved live action television shows from the 80s and 90s with four main characters.

The Golden Girls

Summary

“The Golden Girls” was an NBC sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired from 1985 to 1992. It follows the lives of four older women living together in a house in Miami. The show explores themes of aging, friendship, and social issues. With its witty writing and positive, progressive representation of older women in media, The Golden Girls has become an American cultural icon.

Characters

Each star earned at least one Emmy Award for their performances of their adored characters.

Dorothy Zbornak

Played by Bea Arthur

Characteristics: sarcastic; witty; intelligent

Dorothy was a divorced substitute teacher who often dealt with challenges in her life regarding her ex-husband, grown children and career. Yet, her strong personality, pragmatism, sarcasm and quick wit helped her to traverse through her situations with the support of her mother Sophia and friends Blanche and Rose.

🙈Did You Know? Emmy and Tony Award winning actress Bea Arther didn’t like watching her own performances on television or film.

Rose Nylund

Played by Betty White

Characteristics: naive; ditzy; sweet

Rose was from the fictional small Midwestern town of St. Olaf, and often spins yarns about her quirky town. Her naivete and featherbrained nature often led to humorous situations with her housemates. Although seemingly dimwitted, she often surprised her friends with her intelligence and wisdom.

⌛Did You Know? Betty White was the oldest of the four actresses but outlived each of them.

Blanche Devereaux

Played by Rue McClanahan

Characteristics: clever; promiscuous; charming

Blanche was a former beauty queen and often on her way out the door for frequent dates with men. Blanche had no qualms about being sexually active and was open and flirtatious about it. With a youthful nature, she often struggled with the challenges of aging.

🦅Did You Know? Rue McClanahan used first lady Rosalynn Carter as inspiration for Blanche Deveraux’s southern accent.

Sophia Petrillo

Played by Estelle Getty

Characteristics: feisty; sharp; spirited

Sophia was Dorothy’s mother who moved in with the girls after her retirement home burned down. She was spunky, spirited and had no fear of speaking her mind, usually with quick-witted one-liners. Originally an immigrant from Sicily, Sophia often shared stories and perspectives from her youth there.

🌱Did You Know? Although Estelle’s character Sophia plays Dorothy’s mother, Estelle Getty is actually over a year younger than Bea Arthur.

Sex and the City

Summary

If the Golden Girls went back in time to the beginnings of their middle age, they might not be much different from the four main characters from “Sex and the City” which aired on HBO from 1998 to 2004 and spawned two feature films. Based on the book of the same name by Candace Bushnell, the show followed the lives of four trendy friends living in New York City and is known for its candid and open discourse about sex, relationships, and women's issues.

Characters

Sex and the City was the first cable series to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and all four actresses were nominated for Emmys.

Carrie Bradshaw

Played by Sarah Jessica Parker

Characteristics: stylish; creative; independent

Carrie Bradshaw was a freelance writer who narrated the show through a weekly newspaper column, “Sex and the City”, exploring subjects of friendship, romance and career. She was very stylish with an affinity for designer shoes, but often had turbulent romantic relationships.

🚷Did You Know? Sarah Jessica Parker was the only one of the four main actresses with no nudity scenes, which was a stipulation in her contract.

Charlotte York

Played by Kristin Davis

Characteristics: prim; traditional; romantic

Charlotte was proper with conventional values compared to her friends. She desired marriage and family but struggled with relationships. Unfortunately, Charlotte discovered she suffered from infertility. However, her desire for family was strong so she adopted a baby girl from China.

👰Did You Know? Although her character Charlotte firmly desired marriage, actress Kristin Davis has never been married.

Miranda Hobbes

Played by Cynthia Nixon

Characteristics: successful; pragmatic; skeptical

Miranda was a gangbuster lawyer and originally hesitant to commit to a serious relationship. However, she eventually got married and had a child. Mirinda was often the voice of reason among the friends. She was complex and identified with women’s issues of balancing career and motherhood.

🤑Did You Know? Cynthia Nixon has gone on record saying she didn’t like the materialist aspect of the show.

Samantha Jones

Played by Kim Cattrall

Characteristics: confident; sexy; outrageous

Samantha was a sundry public relations executive. She had bold fashion and explored sexual relationships with men of all ages and types, and she is unapologetic about her desires. Samantha was powerful, opinionated and was often intimidating to men in her male-dominated industry.

🤤Did You Know? Kim turned down the role three times before finally accepting. She was concerned if she could portray a 40+ woman as sexy.

Seinfeld

Summary

“Seinfeld” was an NBC sitcom that aired from 1989 to 1998 and starred Jerry Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself. Known as "the show about nothing" it followed the mishaps and shenanigans of Jerry and his friends as they navigate daily life in New York City. Seinfeld is widely considered one of the greatest sitcoms of all time.

Characters

Seinfeld won many awards, including three Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Jerry Seinfeld

Played by Jerry Seinfeld

Characteristics: witty; reasonable; finicky

Jerry was a standup comic, with humorous bits from his routines introducing the episodes. He was often the jocular voice of sanity and reason amidst the wackiness of his surroundings. Jerry's apartment was often the center of the show with his eccentric friends barging in unannounced.

💸Did You Know? Jerry Seinfeld was offered $110,000,000 by NBC for a tenth season but turned it down.

George Costanza

Played by Jason Alexander

Characteristics: mingy; scheming; sincere

George was neurotic, insecure, and always trying to exploit ways to improve his circumstances, often to the opposite effect. He sometimes resorted to manipulation and even impersonation to achieve his goals… again, to opposite effect. Despite his flaws, he was still beloved as amusing and loyal among his pals.

🏆Did You Know? Jason Alexander got six Emmy nominations for playing George but never won. Yet, he does have a Tony, something the other actors lack.

Cosmo Kramer

Played by Michael Richards

Characteristics: eccentric; jumpy; loose

“Kramer” was known for his wild hair and offbeat sense of fashion. He was Jerry’s quirky neighbor and the most frequent to barge into Jerry’s apartment without notice. Kramer’s antics were often slapstick in nature, providing physical comedy for the show.

👔Did You Know? All wardrobe items for Michael Richards were at least one size too large to make Kramer appear more insouciant.

Elaine Benes

Played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Characteristics: smart; sarcastic; obsessive

Elaine was Jerry’s ex, but they remained good friend. She was strong willed and sharp witted with a successful career as a writer. Elaine’s sarcasm and compulsive tendencies sometimes got her into trouble but also wins the respect and admiration of her friends.

🍀Did You Know? Elaine Benes did not appear in the pilot episode. As such, Julia Louis-Dreyfus has never watched it for fear of bad luck.

The A-Team

Summary

“The A-Team” was an adventure series that aired from 1983 to 1987. It followed a foursome of fugitive Army commandos turned mercenaries for good following a prison break for crimes they did not commit. Each iconic character used their unique skillset to help the needy and fight injustice. The A-Team is known for its mix of action and comedy.

Characters

Although The A-Team was nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys and 2 Golden Globes, including best performance in a TV series for George Peppard, the series did not win any of them.

Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith

Played by George Peppard

Characteristics: tactical; calculating; resourceful

"Hannibal" was the strategist and mastermind of the team. He was also a master of disguise with multiple personas. Although his catch phrase was, “I love it when a plan comes together”, he could also think quickly and adapt to unexpected circumstances. Hannibal also fought as well as he thought.

🚬Did You Know? Hannibal’s signature cigars were from George Peppard’s own personal stock.

Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck

Played by Dirk Benedict

Characteristics: suave; persuasive; slick

“Face” got his name because of his good looks and charm. He employed his winning features and smooth talk to con people provide equipment and information. Face was the quindecinnial a ladies' man, often keeping the company of beautiful women during the team’s missions.

😉Did You Know? Face was originally played by Tim Dunigan in the pilot but recast with Dirk Benedict as Dunigan was deemed, "too young and too tall."

Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock

Played by Dwight Schultz

Characteristics: cooky; unpredictable; loyal

“Howling Mad” Murdock got his name for his propensity to howl in intense situations during missions. Portrayed as mentally unstable, the other team members frequently broke Murdock out of VA mental institutions to act the team's pilot, flying them in and out of their operations.

👕Did You Know? Dwight Schultz designed all the t-shirts his character Murdock wore on the show.

Sergeant Bosco Albert "B.A." Baracus

Played by Mr. T

Characteristics: tough; menacing; technical

“B.A.” also stands for “Bad Attitude”, a good descriptor for the team’s mechanic and enforcer Basco Baracus. B.A. built and maintained the team’s iconic mission van. Tough and intimidating, Baracus sported a mohawk and an overload of gold jewelry to the awe of his enemies.

👮Did You Know? Laurence “Mr. T” Tureaud was an Army policeman in real life prior to entering show business.

There are four of the most iconic live action television shows from the 1980s and 1990s with 4 main characters. Can you think of more? If so, drop them in the comments below. With that, I leave you with this quote:

“Mental toughness is to physical as four is to one.”

— Bobby Knight