10 TV Characters' Lives I Am Seriously Jealous Of, And 9 You Couldn't Pay Me To Lead

Say it with me: Bonnie deserved better!

Do you ever watch a TV show and think what if I could have their life? Well, I have, more times than I could count.

NBC

But let's be honest, the thought of having some characters' lives makes you immediately want to run for the hills.

E4

So I have compiled some characters whose lives I would want in a heartbeat, and some I wouldn't want even if the world depended on it.

1. Arnold Jackson from Diff'rent Strokes – Want

NBC

I'm sorry, but Arnold knew how to live it up as soon as he stepped through the door to Mr. Drummond's house. Obviously, Arnold and Willi's moving to Mr. Drummond's house wasn't under the best circumstances, but getting taken in by a rich family isn't so bad by the looks of things. Did you not see the horse they had stored in that closet just for Arnold? It would be wrong for me to not indulge in what the rich could possibly offer me. Also, I think I've mastered Arnold's facial expressions for his iconic catchphrase "Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" so I'll be ready at any given moment.

youtube.com

2. Ginny Miller from Ginny & Georgia – Don't want

Netflix

Now don’t get me wrong, Georgia has sacrificed a lot to make sure Ginny has the best life, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Ginny silently suffers. For one, she’s used to moving around a lot which means she hasn’t had the opportunity to create healthy friendships or even take a moment to smell the fresh air. Everything is always new, she never seems to comfortably settle, and we’ve been witness to this numerous times throughout the series. I want to feel comfortable and establish who I am as a person before anything else gets sprang on me, so Ginny’s life would simply not fit the lifestyle I want to live.

youtube.com

3. Hilary Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – Want

NBC

I can’t be the only one that has dreamed about living a rich lifestyle. Hilary was so different from me, and because of this, that made me want to live the rich girl lifestyle even more. Yes, she grew up spoiled and privileged, but all-day shopping? It sounds like music to my ears!

youtube.com

4. Bonnie Bennett from The Vampire Diaries – Don't want

The CW

Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie, where do I start? Whether you like it or not she carried this show on her back, even though she got dealt a bad hand time and time again. Her character was indeed strong and prevailed, even after her grandmother and her boyfriend Enzo died, but enough was enough! How many times could she get done dirty and not receive any happiness in return? Respectfully, I could not deal with that at all.

youtube.com

5. Jamal Turner from On My Block – Want

Netflix

From Jamal’s hilarious parents to his random friendship with Abuelita, how could I not want his life? Unlike the other characters, he was on a quest for adventure and made sure to never take his eyes off the prize. You never knew his next move, and I would want that kind of mystery for myself.

youtube.com

6. Tariq St. Patrick from Power Book II: Ghost – Don't want

Starz

If you’ve watched this series, then it should be very clear as to why I wouldn’t want Tariq’s life. To put it quite simply, there was just too much death involved. Whether it was in the hands of Tariq or someone else, it just felt like a rollercoaster of events I couldn’t come back from. Tariq getting involved in the drug game is even more toxic, cause once you’re in it it’s hard to come out of that life. So I would prefer to have a simple life with no bullets coming my way, please and thank you.

youtube.com

7. Joan Clayton from Girlfriends – Want

UPN

Looking at Joan’s life at face value I can think of a lot of reasons why I want it. To name a few reasons, she was the hostess with the mostess that had a beautiful house, a glamorous job, great friends, and her life was full of surprises. She had sky-high aspirations, whether it was helping her friends, opening her dream bar, or getting the man she wanted. Easy wasn’t in Joan’s vocabulary and for some that can be daunting, but for me, I love the rush of fear and excitement that is waiting for me at the end of the tunnel.

youtube.com

8. Alex from Maid – Don't want

Netflix

This series was insightful to watch as we got to see what it was like for a struggling young mother who just wanted the best for her daughter, but I didn’t enjoy watching Alex suffer at all. She was getting pulled in different directions and couldn’t really depend on anyone but herself. Her relationship with her dad was dysfunctional, her mother was unreliable, and on top of all of that, she was trying to escape an abusive relationship. Even when we started to see some light at the end of the tunnel things would take a turn and as a viewer, you would want to scream into your pillow with frustration.

youtube.com

9. Lisa Landry from Sister, Sister – Want

ABC

Lisa was Detroit down to the bone, and I loved that she didn’t forget where she was from even after she moved in with Ray and Tamera. But let’s face it the upgrade was sweet! She had her own studio to create “Fashions by Lisa” and the focus was on her career most of the time since Ray paid all the bills. It sounds like a stress-free life that anyone would want to have, right?

youtube.com

10. Hero from You Don't Know Me – Don't want

BBC/Netflix

The opening of the series was enough reason for me to not want Hero's life. He was standing in front of a jury being accused of murder, and as the series progressed the evidence against him became more overwhelming. It was the thought of not knowing the outcome, and the lack of escapism that left a distaste in my mouth, to say the least. 

youtube.com

11. Betty Suarez from Ugly Betty – Want

ABC

Betty, the moment, the icon, the queen! From the very beginning, I knew that she was someone that I would love to be. She had the charisma, passion, and determination to reach success no matter how long it took. Also with that fabulous family behind her all the way who wouldn't want to be a part of the Suarez household?

youtube.com

12. Alisha Daniels from Misfits – Don't want

E4

It's no secret that Alisha had the worst power on Misfits. She literally sent people into a sexual frenzy whenever they touched her skin, so as you can imagine that isn't something to rave about. I feel like she could've had a more useful power that didn't involve anything sexual, but that's just me.

youtube.com

13. Cookie Lyon from Empire – Want

Chuck Hodes / FOX

Cookie was the boss of all bosses and didn't take shit from anyone. She mastered being a mother, stepmother, and grandmother while multitasking everything else that was going on in her life. Her main jobs were the protection of her family and establishing an empire for herself, so give me an array of fur coats and I'll be in Cookie's shoes any day.

youtube.com

14. Harold Steptoe from Steptoe and Son – Don't want

BBC 1

This series is a British classic that never fails to make me laugh when I'm having a bad day, but let's not ignore the fact that life was hard for Harold. He and his father, Albert, were extremely poor and had to wear coats in the house just to keep warm, plus there was no way Harold could escape his rude father. Whether it was at home or work, it was more problems than peace, so I wouldn't want to go through such hardship.

youtube.com

15. Tamera Campbell from Sister, Sister – Want

ABC

If we're being 100% honest here, Tamera makes her life what it is. It's filled with a lot of excitement, and the little sprinkle of chaos is what I need instead of focusing on the little things. Unlike Tia, she isn't thinking about the future, or what's next — she lives in the moment and pushes boundaries. 

youtube.com

16. George Costanza from Seinfeld – Don't want

NBC

I absolutely adore George as a character but his life seemed to be a bit of a struggle. He was never fulfilled within his love life, job, or general circumstances, and with that came a lot of insecurities and bitterness. I'm the type of person that likes to uplift the people around me whether I'm in a good position or not, but George seemed to sink into a corner and want everyone to come down with him.

youtube.com

17. Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote – Want

CBS

Who else still finds the theme song of this show delightful? Every time I hear it, it takes me back to all those times I was off sick from school and got fully immersed in the adventures of Jessica Fletcher. Solving mysteries is no walk in the park, but back then she made it seem so fun and interesting that it would make anyone believe that they were capable of anything. There was something so cool about people depending on you to solve a mystery and law enforcement even looked to her as hope which gave me major superhero vibes.

youtube.com

18. Moesha Mitchell from Moesha – Don't want

UPN

I always gave Moesha the side-eye because everything she did was always questionable and unpredictable. I can't see myself being friends with her, so how could I possibly be her? She was bratty and spoilt, and I especially didn't like how she treated her friends Kim and Niecy. Instead of supporting and uplifting them, she tore them down to make herself feel better.

youtube.com

19. Sarah Jane Smith from The Sarah Jane Adventures – Want

CBBC

There’s no lie in the title, watching Sarah Jane was truly an adventure! I would want her life sorely because we both share a passion for investigation — the only differences being her super cool sonic lipstick and a giant alien machine. Her life was full of surprises yet so wholesome, and I think that’s the kind of satisfaction I want after fighting off aliens and defending the Earth.

youtube.com

Do you agree with my list? Let me know in the comments!