One of the side benefits of TV’s continued renaissance is that more and more actors are opting for the small screen over the big one. As a direct result the general hotness of TV characters has risen about 64% just within the past decade (don’t ask where I got that last stat, it’s legit). Hell, Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) was everybody’s TV crush of the ’90s and she probably couldn’t even crack this list.
So here they are: our favorite TV crushes, split up by gender. All photos from Wikis unless noted otherwise.
Guys
5. Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), Parks and Recreation
He may be a calzone-obsessed nerd, but he’s our calzone-obsessed nerd.
(photo via Threads)
4. Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Mad Men
Obviously.
3. Troy Barnes (Donald Glover), Community
No one is more earnest, hilarious or as fantastic a cryer.
2. Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant), Justified
Sure he knows his way around a gun, but more impressive is how he knows his way around the English language.
(photo via TV Fanatic)
1. Robb Stark (Richard Madden), Game of Thrones
King in the North…and in our hearts.
(photo via TV Fanatic)
Gals
5. Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Game of Thrones
Daenerys is technically 17 but actress Emilia Clarke is 25 so we won’t be ending up on any FBI watch lists.
(photo via Fanpop)
4. Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler), Archer
Sure, she may just be an animated character. But if Aisha Tyler appeared on the show in the flesh, she’d still be on the list.
3. Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), Homeland
With her relative craziness and dogged dedication to her work, Carrie doesn’t get nearly enough credit for her sheer hotness.
2. Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks), Mad Men
Again, obviously.
1. Annie Edison (Allison Brie)
There are about 9,000 .gifs scattered across the internet that justify this choice.
(photo via Screened)