TV from the 1960s was filled with memorable characters who fans fell in love with. Just think of Butch Cassidy from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” However, the decade didn’t only offer up characters fans loved and adored. There are plenty of examples of characters that audiences hate. To feature characters who audiences hate, scriptwriters have creative reign to make that happen.
Few things are worse than seeing a character who expects everything to come to them while going out of their way to ensure the worst for everyone else. That’s what happened with Mr. Howell in “Gilligan’s Island.” He was a lazy man, to say the least. He was always stirring up unnecessary drama on the island.
Fans also target characters who add little to nothing positive to the show. While he never had bad intentions, Hank Kimball in “Green Acres” always helped fellow characters when it came to farming. Other than that, he would go off on aggravating and annoying tangents. His constant rants would make him lose his train of thought.
“Bewitched” is another 1960s television show that people still have respect for today. As of now, fans still relate to having a boss like Larry Tate. All he cares about is profit – no matter what it costs his staff. In 2024, many people feel this way towards their bosses and upper leaders. For more 1960s content, click here to read about the top 20 foods that will take you back to this time frame.
To compile the list of the most hated TV characters of the 60s, 24/7 Tempo consulted entertainment sources. These include IMDb, Screen Rant, and Movie Web.
Marcia from “The Brady Bunch”
Played by: Maureen McCormick
“The Brady Bunch” was one of the most beloved shows in the 60s. It focused on blended family dynamics, and it was slightly ahead of its time. “The Brady Bunch,” which premiered in 1969 included a mother figure, a father figure, and several of their outspoken children of both genders.
The most hated character of all was the oldest daughter – Marcia. Marcia was a despised character because she was vain, self-centered, and full of herself. Her snobbish personality overshadowed anything else she brought to the table on the show.
Aunt Harriet from “Batman”
- Played: Lynne Marie Stewart and Madge Blake
In 1966, “Batman” premiered as an action-filled TV show for three seasons. Adam West is the beloved actor who took on the titular role. As the dark knight, he was constantly facing off against villains to keep innocent people protected. The most hated character from the lineup was Aunt Harriet.
Whenever she would make bold statements, her delivery was always off. Her constant use of outdated slang was beyond aggravating to stomach. To make matters worse, she was somewhat of a useless character who took up space. She regularly got in the way, created confusion, and became a kidnapping victim who needed to be rescued.
Jeannie from “I Dream of Jeannie”
- Played by: Barbara Eden
Sitcoms about magical entities have been around for decades. That includes “I Dream of Jeannie.” It landed on TV in 1965 starring Barbara Eden in the titular role. Interestingly enough, Jeannie was actually the most hated character from the show despite being the star.
Instead of exhibiting character growth or development as time progressed, she’d get caught up in the same shenanigans from Episode 1 until the finale. She took everything Dr. Bellows said literally, even when he was speaking figuratively. When she did that, it resulted in major issues for Dr. Bellows. Many people can agree that he was actually the true victim of “I Dream of Jeannie.”
Howard Sprague from “The Andy Griffith Show”
- Played by: Jack Dodson
Howard Sprague was a hated fictional character from “The Andy Griffith Show.” Jack Dodson was the man who took on the role after it premiered in 1960. Sprague was the type of character who knew exactly how to kill the vibe whenever he entered a room. He’d approach other characters in scenes where they were happy, laughing, and telling jokes.
As soon as he’d show up, the mood immediately shifted. Sprague was introduced to viewers of “The Andy Griffith Show” along with other characters like Warren and Emit in later seasons. He certainly didn’t add to the allure of the show.
Pearl Bodine from “The Beverly Hillbillies”
- Played by: Bea Benaderet
Pearl Bodine, played by Bea Benaderet, was the most hated character in “The Beverly Hillbillies” during the 1960s. The show premiered in 1962 and went on for nine conversation-starting seasons. Bodine was difficult to root for for a slew of reasons. She represented acquired situational narcissism based on her family’s new found an unexpected wealth.
She constantly tried to pursue Mr. Brewster, even though he had no interest in dating her whatsoever. She’d lay it on thick with the man, and it was always very cringeworthy. On top of that, she was a terrible musician who often tried to force others to listen to her obnoxious singing voice.
Prairie Dawn from “Sesame Street”
- Played by: Fran Brill and Stephanie D’Abruzzo
“Sesame Street” still exists today as a beloved TV show for children to enjoy. It’s highly respected because it’s full of educational messages kids can learn from. The most hated character from the show was a muppet named Prairie Dawn. Plenty of adults who’ve seen the show look back on her as being an insufferable killjoy who was unbelievably annoying.
When “Sesame Street” premiered in 1969, charming characters like Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, and Ernie were always well-liked. Prairie Dawn never quite received that level of love or acceptance. Fran Brill and Stephanie D’Abruzzo were the two voice actresses who handled the role.
Arnold from “The Flintstones”
- Played by: Don Messick
Arnold from “The Flintstones” is easily the worst character from the animated show. “The Flintstones” was adored after it landed on TV in 1960. Arnold wasn’t one of the reasons for its widespread admiration, though. He was constantly making Fred angry because he displayed the traits of an immature brat.
His annoying voice and off-putting behavior made him even easier to hate. Likable characters like Fred, Barney, Wilma, and Betty kept “The Flintstones” in a good position when it came to incoming opinions from audiences. Still, Arnold’s character remained problematic from start to finish. Don Messick is the voice actor who brought Arnold’s persona to life.
Mr. Howell from “Gilligan’s Island”
- Played by: Jim Backus
Sitting around and expecting other people to bring you survival necessities is an easy way to get on the bad side of your comrades. Mr. Howell on “Gilligan’s Island” was exactly that type of person. To make it even worse, Howell was known for participating in different schemes on the island.
His entitlement due to his wealth from the real world rubbed people the wrong way as well. He only talked about how great his life was before getting in the shipwreck, which meant he was living in the past. His character didn’t bring anything of quality to the show. It became easy for fans to hate Howell as “Gilligan’s Island” progressed.
Hank Kimball from “Green Acres”
- Played by: Jack Alvin “Alvy” Moore
There’s a stark difference between hating someone because they do bad things and simply getting annoyed at someone every once in a while. Hank Kimball never had bad intentions, but his lack of self-awareness caused viewers to grow annoyed and frustrated whenever he came on screen. The only thing the other characters could rely on him for was his farming advice.
While that was great because his insight was useful countless times throughout the series, Kimball always seemed to get side tracked. He’d waste time whenever he wasn’t helping with solid agricultural tips. What’s even worse is he didn’t realize how bad he was. Talk about a total lack of self-awareness. There was nothing wrong with Kimball at the core, which made him even harder to judge.
Larry Tate from “Bewitched”
- Played by: David White
“Bewitched” became known for featuring relatable characters throughout the show’s run. Larry Tate is remembered for being a greedy man who only cared about the bottom line of his business. Nothing else mattered to him. It’s understandable that someone who owns a business would care about profits, but not to the extent Tate showed during the show.
Tate had plenty of chances to put his own personal business obsession aside for the greater good of someone else, but he never did that. Tate’s selfishness struck a chord with fans when “Bewitched” first aired in the 1960s, and his attitude is still talked about today. If Tate ever did take the chance to right one of his wrongs, he might be looked at differently by fans. For more details on this decade, click here to uncover the celebrities who were total hippies in the 1960s.