Mose is a cousin of Dwight Schrute. He is so weird, that it is hard to predict what he will do when he is on screen. Because of how creepy and mysterious he is, he is hilarious in his unpredictability. He also happens to be played by Michael Schur, a producer and writer for The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Brooklyn 99.
#2 Andy - Modern Family
Andy started as a nanny working for Jay and Gloria. However, as his character has progressed, he has come to be a friend of Phil's. Andy is hilarious because he is exactly like Phil: he is ultra generous, very domestic, and incredibly honest. He is so nice and naive that it is hard to not like him as a character.
Bania is a funny character because he is Jerry's arch-nemesis. He is one of those guys who has no social tact or awareness, but everyone but Jerry seems to love him. He is a comedian trying to make it just like Jerry, and is always riding Jerry's coat tails. Funniest of all, Jerry cannot ever get rid of him, and Bania can never take the hint that Jerry doesn't like him.
#4 Dr. Leo Spaceman - 30 Rock
Dr. Spaceman (pronounced spuh-che-mihn) is funny because he is the most terrible doctor there is. His last name is Spaceman, but he doesn't pronounce it that way, and his advice and diagnoses for his patients is always hilarious. He is also played by Chris Parnell, a former regular on Saturday Night Live, and was great on that show as well.
The chicken is one of the most ridiculous concepts on TV, but gets funnier the more you see it. Every few seasons or so, the chicken will pop up in an episode, and will get into a death fight with Peter that usually lasts a good portion of the episode. Usually they destroy entire towns, blow up cars and ships, and kill many others in the process of their fight, but at the end of the day, Peter usually wins with the scene ending having the chicken open one eye. This tells you there will be further chicken fights in the future.
#6 Janice - FriendsJanice is a present character throughout the entire series of Friends. She is crazy annoying, and has a high pitched voice with a terrible laugh. However, what makes her funny is that, like Bania on Seinfeld, she has very little social awareness or tact, and cannot tell that she is annoying everybody, and that no one likes her. Chandler will run into her at the most inopportune times, and the meet ups progressively get more and more ridiculous.
Councilman Jamm's character is so pathetic and hilarious at the same time. He is a dentist, and is also one of the city councilman, and he doesn't care what happens in the city, so long as it is against Leslie's plans. He has no friends, and is incredibly lonely, but is also very self-confident, greedy, and boastful at the same time. His lines in the show are so hilarious, but his hair, and the fact that he always says, "You got Jammed" make him even funnier.
#8 The Midwives - The Mindy Project
The midwives are great characters because they represent every new herbal, natural, and organic trend on the market these days. They work right near the OBGYNs, and attempt to poach their customers on a regular basis. They act as Mindy's nemesis on the show, and they are hilarious because we all know people just like them.
I know, two characters from one TV show is a cop out. BUT, Jean Ralphio is my favorite person on this list. If his character is in the episode, I know I am going to love it. He is Tom's friend, loves money and partying, but is super lazy, dumb, and inadequate. He is always there when Tom needs him to help with one of his projects, and is willing to drop everything and give up all his money for anything Tom says. The way he talks is so ridiculous, he sings half of it, and he is just a really well written and hilarious character.
What other recurring TV characters are funny? Let us know at www.facebook.com/SimpleFilmCritics.