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From cats and dogs to monkeys, horses, and even bears, animals have long brought both levity and an emotional resonance to TV shows. The latest example of a series making use of their unique ability to affect viewers is NBC's new comedy Animal Practice, which stars Justin Kirk as Dr. George Coleman, a veterinarian who loves animals but can’t connect with humans. The good doc is accompanied by his pet capuchin monkey, Dr. Rizzo, who is played by the same monkey that starred in The Hangover Part II. To get you ready for all the furry shenanigans (Animal Practice premieres tonight at 8 p.m.), Complex counts down The 25 Coolest Animals On TV Shows.
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25. Happy from 7th Heaven (1996-2006, The WB; 2006-2007, The CW)
While it was on the air, 7th Heaven was the most unrelentingly positive show on TV. The Camden family was chipper and optimistic to an almost nauseating degree as each member was a throwback to the Leave it to Beaver era of wholesome TV. But there is no denying just how adorable their dog Happy was. This shaggy white dog was the type of pooch that everyone wanted, and he ranked only behind Jessica Biel as the most attractive cast member on the show.
24. Vincent from Lost (2004-2010, ABC)
Lost was impenetrably frustrating for most viewers, but at least some of the more confused members of the audience could fall in love with Vincent, the island's resident pet pooch. Vincent spent much of his time in the background, going from one owner to another, and being absolutely adorable in the process.
He was most valuable to the team whenever the survivors were searching for supplies or food to help them endure their stint on this modern Gilligan's Island. He’s also in the show's last shot as he comforts a dying Jack, proving just how important he was to the whole production.
23. Sprinkles on The Office (2005-Prsent, NBC)
Honestly, Sprinkles only makes this list because of her death on the show. As the cat got older, it was in need of constant care and attention. But after Angela asked Dwight to go to her house to administer Sprinkles’ countless medications, he came to the office to inform her that the cat had died and that he had put her in the freezer to preserve her body. After Angela found claw marks on her bags of frozen french fries, she realized that Dwight had actually euthanized her. Ice cold.
22. Lucky from ALF (1986-1990, NBC)
On ALF’s home planet of Melmac, cats are equivalent to cattle, so when he goes to live with the Tanner family on Earth, he’s delighted to see Lucky, the family’s pet feline, lounging around the house. In nearly every episode, ALF tries to eat this poor cat, but despite his best efforts, cooking up kitty always fails.
And yet as ALF sits in the corner and plans his demise, Lucky just relaxes on the family’s couch without a care in the world. We can’t think of many other animals that would be able to stare death in the face on a daily basis like that.
21. Aristotle the octopus from The Addams Family (1964-1966, ABC)
The kids of The Addams Family had an array of strange pets in their house over the years, but none were as slimy or bizarre as Aristotle, Pugsley’s pet octopus. Whenever it was shown on screen, it was very obviously made of plastic, yet it still managed to creep kids out. And as if the family wasn't weird enough, Morticia and Gomez were often seen in their backyard giving Aristotle baths in the middle of the day. We’re not sure what that does to the property value of the house, but it can’t be good for their neighbors.
20. Fred from Baretta (1975-1978, ABC)
Fred was the pet cockatoo on the crime drama Baretta and is best remembered for the fact that he would often talk to the series’ protagonist, played by Robert Blake. He was usually seen perched on Baretta’s shoulder as he walked down the street or when he would go on a drive to survey the neighborhood.
Most impressive is that when Fred's original trainer first started to work with him, Fred could only speak Chinese. But before long, the cockatoo learned English and a whole array of other tricks, such as riding a bike and running on a treadmill.
19. Rowdy from Scrubs (2001-2008, NBC; 2009-2010, ABC)
The love between a man and his dog doesn’t stop when his four-legged friend reaches the pearly gates, and no pooch exemplifies this more than Rowdy, the stuffed dog from Scrubs. Strangely enough, when Rowdy was amongst the living, he never belonged to either J.D. or Turk; they simply found him at a garage sale and claimed him as their own.
They even treated him like he was alive, going as far as to feed him and perform copious leg humping with his stiff corpse. Still, Rowdy was in the middle of so many classic episodes of Scrubs over the years that it’s hard not to feel a connection with the preserved pup.
18. Elvis from Miami Vice (1984-1989, NBC)
As if Don Johnson's Sonny Crockett character couldn’t get any cooler on Miami Vice, he also owned a pet alligator named Elvis that he lived with on his houseboat. If that doesn’t sound like a sweet bachelor pad then we don’t know what is.
Elvis was tasked with watching the houseboat while his cop owner was on duty. But instead of actually doing his job, Elvis would often sleep, eat bags of dog food, or spend his time devouring Crockett’s collection of Buddy Holly records.
Unfortunately, towards the end of the series, Elvis inexplicably disappeared and was never mentioned again. Don Johnson always had such nice boots on the show, though. Makes us wonder what they were made of.
17. Bear from B.J. and the Bear (1979-1981, NBC)
It’s common knowledge that monkeys are cool. You can put them in any TV show or movie and it’ll instantly become a classic. How much better would it be if Rosebud was actually Charles Foster Kane’s pet orangutan or if the cast of Seinfeld were all baboons? That’s why Bear, the chimpanzee from B.J. and the Bear, was so vital to the show.
He added hilarity and cuteness to a series that desperately needed it because just watching a chimp-less B.J. battle it out with Sheriff Lobo would have been a major bummer. We sure hope Bear was compensated with a buffet of bananas and termites for all of his hard work.
16. Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2000, ABC; 2000-2003, WB)
Continuing in the grand tradition of talking animals on TV, Salem, the cat from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, brought a biting wit and true comic relief to a show that was usually sorely lacking in both. Salem was actually a warlock who was sentenced to 100 years as a cat with no special powers as punishment for his misdeeds, so he was a creature accustomed to immense respect, trapped in a feline’s body.
To get the character to work, the show’s crew used a combination of shots of real cats and animatronics when a scene required Salem to speak. He didn’t always look realistic, but he brought a different type of humor to the show than its human cast could provide.
15. Kitty Kat from The Addams Family (1964-1966, ABC)
Another “pet” that had somehow been domesticated in the Addams Family home was Kitty Kat, a fully-grown lion that wandered through their spacious mansion. Most of the time footage of the lion was just reused over and over again so the production didn’t have to bring this beast onto the set every time the script called for it, so it’s not like Kitty Kat did much during the show’s run. But the mere thought of a bizarre, gothic family having a lion on its property is more than enough to land it on this list.
14. Gentle Ben from Gentle Ben (1967-1969, CBS)
Bears are absolutely terrifying, and when you put one on a TV show with a young child—played by Clint Howard—you’re just asking for a televised mauling that would horrify a nation.
Luckily, Ben was a docile creature that was so adorably tame that you could trust a newborn with him. The plots on this show were pretty cookie cutter and harmless, but the fact that the production staff got a 650-pound black bear so trained that it could hang around humans all day without swallowing any of them is incredible. We shudder to think what would have happened if Ben had a bad day at the office.
13. Marcel from Friends (1994-2004, NBC)
For that brief eight-episode span when Ross had a pet capuchin monkey named Marcel, Friends managed to separate itself from the rest of the sitcoms on NBC at the time. How? Again, because monkeys are just so damn cool. Sure it was illegal for Ross to even have him in the first place, but that didn’t make the time he humped Rachel’s Curious George stuffed animal any less hilarious.
Eventually Ross had to give up the monkey after it hit puberty hard and heavy, but Marcel went on to have a prosperous acting career afterwards by starring in blockbusters alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme. And when you think about it, that’s more impressive than anything the cast members of this show wound up doing in real life.
12. Arnold from Entourage (2004-2011, HBO)
Arnold went from a caged Rottweiler that most of the Entourage clan was afraid of in his first appearance, to an integral background character on the show that was almost more popular than his human co-stars. The writers didn't use Arnold as often in the plots of the shows as others on this list, which made him seem like a real dog rather than a gimmicky cast member. He just hung out with his owners, slobbered a bit, and was occasionally used to pick up women at the local park. He was the ultimate accessory for the sex-crazed characters on the show.
11. Silver from The Lone Ranger (1949-1957, ABC)
Silver has the distinction of being the only animal on this list to be a true action hero. As the trusty steed of the Lone Ranger, this horse provided support and transportation for the masked vigilante as he brought justice to the old west. Before Batman and Superman hit the small screen in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the Lone Ranger was the quintessential comic book hero for a legion of fans, and Silver added to his mystique. It might seem a little corny now, but when The Lone Ranger debuted on TV, no animal could hope to be as cool as Silver.
10. The Chick and the Duck from Friends (1994-2004, NBC)
After Ross got rid of his monkey, Marcel, Friends debuted two new pets for the crew that became an even more memorable staple of the show: the chick and the duck. Adopted by Joey and Chandler during the show’s third season, these birds wound up providing hilarity in the background of the group’s lives for years.
Primarily, they are remembered for their habit of watching Baywatch and the time the duck swallowed Ross’ engagement ring. In a weird twist, the chick and the duck mysteriously disappeared during the series’ sixth season and were never mentioned again until the finale, when we learned that they had died, unbeknownst to Joey. Thankfully by that time they were replaced by a new bird duo.
9. Comet from Full House (1987-1995, ABC)
It was only natural for a show as cloyingly sweet as Full House to have an adorable Golden Retriever in the cast, and Comet fit the bill perfectly. He’s the type of dog that any perfect, blonde-haired TV family should own. He was cute, reliable, and always good for a laugh or two as the children on the show began to wear on your nerves.
Comet can also be viewed as one of the most successful animals to ever be featured on TV because the dog playing him then went on to star in the first Air Bud movie also. This little dude put in work.
8. Buck from Married… with Children (1987-1997, FOX)
Buck lands on this list because he didn’t simply spend his time being the lovable family dog of the Bundy’s. Instead, he hated his masters and spent almost every waking moment mocking them with his internal monologue. It’s said that pets take on the traits of their owners after a while, and Buck definitely adapted the cynicism and general mean-spiritedness of the family in his later years.
After Buck died during the show’s tenth season, he was reincarnated as Lucky the dog, who the Bundy’s then adopted to fill the void in their life. Call it karma, call it bad luck, but all we know is that this poor soul seems damned to be a part of the Bundy lifestyle for all eternity.
7. Rex from Inspector Rex (1994-Present; ORF, Sat.1, RAI)
That’s right, this show exists and it’s about as crazy as you would think. For almost two decades, Inspector Rex has focused on various police departments and their partnership with this lovable German Shepherd. During the series, Rex deals with all sorts of shady criminals, murder scenes, and various other police activity, even going as far as to convince a woman not to commit suicide.
He’s a flea-covered Swiss army knife for the police as he’s capable of handling just about anything for his partners. But being part of such a long-running series does have its somber side, and up until now Rex has been played by three different dogs, due to old age. But for the most part, it’s tough to tell the difference.
6. Eddie from Frasier (1993-2004, NBC)
No animal on this list has caused its owner more grief or frustration than Eddie, the lovable Jack Russell from Frasier. For a man used to the finest wines, arias, and all of the other clichés of high society, having to deal with his father’s mangy dog on a daily basis seemed to disgust Frasier Crane in nearly every episode. But Frasier usually found himself woefully outnumbered as Eddie was beloved by everyone who stepped foot inside of his posh apartment.
We have no idea how much grueling training the dog who played Eddie had to go through, but this little guy was a more disciplined actor than the entire cast of Twilight. With just a crooked stare and a well-timed whimper, Eddie brought plenty of classic moments to a show that was already one of the best sitcoms of the past two decades.
5. Murray from Mad About You (1992-1999)
Mad About You hit the air in the early ‘90s, when Seinfeld made it trendy to have a sitcom based on the humor that stems from everyday life. It wasn’t quite as successful as the legendary “show about nothing,” but when it was on the air, Mad About You managed to carve out its own niche.
One of the charms of the series was the interplay between Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt, and Murray, the couple’s border collie mix. Though not particularly bright, Murray was always around to provide a laugh when both Hunt and Reiser just weren’t getting the job done. He was a constant in every almost every scene in their apartment, and it would be hard to imagine the dynamic between the two stars without him.
4. Arnold from Green Acres (1965-1971, CBS)
He enjoys rolling around in his own filth, but Arnold, the pet pig from Green Acres, is undoubtedly the most talented animal on this list. Arthur could knock on doors, paint, watch TV, predict the weather, and attend school. Most of this was obviously done through camera trickery, but that didn’t stop him from appearing more intelligent and creative than the entire cast of Jersey Shore is now.
Fred and Doris Ziffel treated Arnold like the son they never had, and because of that, he had a cushier life than any of us could imagine. Meanwhile, Arnold was probably just happy to not end up on the family’s breakfast menu.
3. Mister Ed from Mister Ed (1961-1966, CBS)
It’s not a given that a show featuring a talking horse would become a cultural institution, but the combination of some sharp writing and imagination turned Mister Ed from a laughable gimmick into one of the most beloved TV shows of all time. The show’s premise focused on Wilbur Post and his talking horse named Mister Ed. The problem was that Ed spoke only to Wilbur—making his owner seem certifiably insane to everyone around him whenever he tried to explain himself.
Most of the credit for the show’s success has to go to the voice of Mister Ed himself, Allan Lane. All the producers had to do was play his lines over shots of Ed moving his lips slightly and it created one of the most lovable TV characters of all time. The simplicity behind such a winner is astounding, but sometimes that’s what works best.
2. Flipper from Flipper (1964-1967, NBC)
In an attempt to capitalize on the mega-popular Flipper movie, production began on a televised version of the character that wound up being even more popular than the big-screen one. Focusing on the exploits of the famous bottlenose dolphin, the show usually dealt with Flipper stopping criminals and saving his young friend, Bud, from harm.
You would think that these criminals would stop trying to commit these crimes so close to the water after a while, but Flipper isn’t about logic; it’s about a pretty resourceful dolphin. We know that the show was basically an aquatic version of Lassie but it totally worked despite being a blatant rip-off.
1. Lassie from Lassie (1954-1973, CBS)
After a successful stint in the movies, Lassie made the move to the small screen in 1954, and began what turned out to be the best career for an animal in the history of TV. The stories in each Lassie episode might seem quaint now, but at the time this was the perfect family-oriented entertainment to get people’s minds off of complete nuclear annihilation during the Cold War.
The basic plot of every episode was pretty similar: bone-headed Timmy would get himself into some sort of trouble and it was up to Lassie to get him out of it. But there was something about watching that dog save the day that captured the hearts and minds of a generation of viewers. The way Lassie was trained and filmed provided a blueprint for other studios on how to introduce animals into their series the right way.