Back in January I gave my list of Great Shows, Bad Characters. And now it's time to reverse that and name five great characters trapped in bad TV shows.

1. Hawk (A Man Called Hawk): Not only is Hawk (from Spenser: For Hire) one of the great characters of 80s television, he's one of the great characters of television history. And Avery Brooks...what a perfect actor for the role. No one else could have played Robert B. Parker's character like Brooks (see the later Spenser flicks for proof of that). But then they gave him his own show, moving him to D.C., and he started playing the piano and getting all mushy. Eh. Great character, bad show.