Picking Just 30
Yes, trying to narrow this list down to 30 is basically asking for trouble. But we're doing it anyway.
So, the question now becomes...Do you agree?
Lynda Carter
There may not be a more obvious place to start. Long before superhero movies took over Hollywood, Lynda Carter put on the red boots and became Wonder Woman. She was impossibly glamorous, somehow made that costume look completely normal, and became the TV crush of an entire generation in the process.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Farrah Fawcett
Yes, Farrah Fawcett only spent one full season as a regular on Charlie’s Angels. It barely mattered. That feathered hair, gigantic smile and famous red swimsuit poster turned her into one of the defining beauty icons of the 70s. One season of television was apparently all she needed.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Barbara Parkins
If you watched Peyton Place in the 60s, Barbara Parkins was awfully hard to forget. As Betty Anderson, she brought movie-star glamour to prime-time television years before that became the norm. Dark-haired, elegant and absolutely stunning, Parkins looked like she belonged on the big screen—even when millions were watching her from the couch.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Catherine Bach
The Dukes of Hazzard had car chases, jumps, crashes and an orange Dodge Charger flying through the air every week. Yet somehow Catherine Bach still managed to steal the show. Daisy Duke became such a pop-culture sensation that her signature denim shorts literally became known as “Daisy Dukes.”
Rob DiCaterino from Clifton, NJ, USA, Wikimedia Commons
Tina Louise
Gilligan may have spent years trying to get off that island, but plenty of viewers probably wondered why anyone was in such a hurry. Tina Louise brought old-school Hollywood glamour to Gilligan’s Island as Ginger Grant, looking remarkably camera-ready for someone supposedly stranded in the middle of nowhere.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
Dawn Wells
And then there was Mary Ann. Dawn Wells had almost the exact opposite appeal of Tina Louise’s glamorous Ginger, which is probably why people are still arguing about the two of them decades later. Mary Ann was sweet, beautiful and completely approachable—and for plenty of Gilligan’s Island fans, there was never really a debate at all.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
Jennifer Aniston
By the second season of Friends, Jennifer Aniston wasn't just a television star. She was a phenomenon. Women everywhere wanted “The Rachel,” plenty of men had a crush on Rachel, and suddenly a sitcom about six New Yorkers had produced one of the most recognizable women in the world.
Brett Cove at https://www.flickr.com/photos/brettdcove/, Wikimedia Commons
Julie Newmar
Several actresses have played Catwoman, but Julie Newmar set a ridiculously high bar. Her version on Batman was playful, clever, dangerous and impossibly glamorous. Adam West’s Batman was supposed to be stopping her crimes. Judging by his face half the time, he seemed to be reconsidering the entire plan.
John Springer Collection, Getty Images
Jaclyn Smith
All three original Angels were beautiful, but Jaclyn Smith had something different. She was elegant, effortlessly glamorous and somehow looked like she belonged in a shampoo commercial even while chasing criminals on Charlie’s Angels. She was also the only original Angel to remain with the series for its entire run.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Barbara Eden
It is difficult to believe Barbara Eden was already in her 30s when I Dream of Jeannie premiered in 1965. With the ponytail, the pink costume and that mischievous smile, she became one of television’s defining beauties. Honestly, Major Nelson never stood a chance.
NBC Television Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
Heather Locklear
If there was a glamorous television drama on during the 80s or 90s, Heather Locklear seemed to find her way onto it. Dynasty, T.J. Hooker and especially Melrose Place turned her into one of TV’s biggest stars—and one of the era’s most famous blonde bombshells.
Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Montgomery could have gotten by on charm alone. Then you add the eyes, the smile and that famous little nose twitch from Bewitched, and suddenly Darrin Stephens being completely obsessed with his wife makes a lot more sense. Samantha Stephens remains one of the most effortlessly beautiful sitcom characters ever.
ABC Television Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
Sofia Vergara
When Modern Family premiered, Sofia Vergara was already in her late 30s—and somehow spent the next decade looking like she had discovered a loophole in the aging process. Gloria could be loud, ridiculous and hilariously over-the-top, but there was no pretending Vergara wasn’t one of the most striking women on television.
Britt Bellamy, Wikimedia Commons
Jane Seymour
Whether you remember her from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman or one of her many other television appearances, Jane Seymour had the kind of classic beauty that never seemed tied to one particular decade. She looked stunning in the 70s, stunning in the 90s and, frankly, has made aging look suspiciously easy.
Ilya Haykinson, Wikimedia Commons
Diana Rigg
Long before American audiences knew her from Game of Thrones, Diana Rigg was Emma Peel on The Avengers. Smart, stylish, cool and ridiculously beautiful, Peel became one of the defining television characters of the 60s. That combination of sophistication and danger was pretty difficult to top.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Alexandra Bastedo
Alexandra Bastedo may be less familiar to American viewers, but one look at her on the British series The Champions and the inclusion makes perfect sense. As Sharron Macready, she was elegant, striking and almost impossibly photogenic. Britain had plenty of gorgeous TV stars in the 60s, and Bastedo belongs near the top of that list.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Tiffani Thiessen
For an entire generation, Kelly Kapowski was basically the definition of the high-school crush. Tiffani Thiessen became a teen icon on Saved by the Bell, then completely changed gears as Valerie Malone on Beverly Hills, 90210. Zack Morris was definitely not the only one paying attention.
Eva Longoria
Desperate Housewives had plenty of beautiful women, but Eva Longoria’s Gabrielle Solis practically turned looking fabulous into a full-time occupation. Longoria combined glamour with terrific comic timing, making Gabrielle far more than the neighborhood knockout she initially appeared to be.
Harald Krichel, Wikimedia Commons
Angie Dickinson
Before television was packed with tough female cops, Angie Dickinson was leading Police Woman. She had already been a major movie star, but the NBC series turned her into a weekly television icon. Glamorous, confident and undeniably cool, Dickinson made Sgt. Pepper Anderson impossible to ignore.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Mädchen Amick
There were a lot of strange things happening in Twin Peaks. Mädchen Amick was not one of them. As Shelly Johnson, she had the kind of classic, almost old-Hollywood beauty that immediately stood out—even in a show filled with unforgettable faces, mysterious owls and possibly the weirdest town in television history.
Paul Jubenvill, Wikimedia Commons
Suzanne Somers
Three’s Company already had plenty of comic energy, but Suzanne Somers made Chrissy Snow a phenomenon. The blonde hair, huge smile and bubbly personality made her one of the biggest TV crushes of the late 70s. She could walk into a scene and immediately pull every eye in the room toward her.
Linda Evans
Dynasty practically required everyone on screen to look like they had just stepped out of a luxury magazine, and Linda Evans still managed to stand out. As Krystle Carrington, she brought a softer elegance to all that prime-time excess—and became one of the defining television beauties of the 80s.
McFadden, Strauss, Eddy & Irwin for Armstrong, the program's sponsor., Wikimedia Commons
Christina Hendricks
When Christina Hendricks appeared as Joan Holloway on Mad Men, it felt like television had rediscovered an entirely different kind of Hollywood glamour. The red hair, the confidence, the clothes...Joan could walk through the Sterling Cooper offices and make half the room forget what they were doing. Hendricks became one of the defining TV beauties of her era.
Raven Underwood, Wikimedia Commons
Donna Douglas
Elly May Clampett was supposed to be a country girl who suddenly found herself surrounded by Beverly Hills wealth. Donna Douglas somehow made the overalls-and-pigtails look work rather spectacularly. The Beverly Hillbillies got plenty of laughs out of men becoming instantly smitten with Elly May—and nobody watching questioned it.
ABC Network, Wikimedia Commons
Heather Thomas
Lee Majors may have been the star of The Fall Guy, but Heather Thomas certainly gave viewers another reason to tune in. As stuntwoman Jody Banks, she became one of the biggest television pinups of the early 80s and a familiar presence on bedroom walls across America.
Jeri Ryan
When Jeri Ryan joined Star Trek: Voyager as Seven of Nine, suddenly people who had never cared about warp drives were paying awfully close attention. The striking blonde hair, icy blue eyes and famously futuristic wardrobe made her an instant TV icon. But Ryan also gave Seven enough personality and depth to become much more than the attention-grabbing new character some viewers initially assumed she would be.
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia Commons
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano grew up on television in Who’s the Boss?, but by the time Charmed arrived, she had become one of TV’s most recognizable beauties. Phoebe Halliwell gave an entirely new generation a reason to tune in, making Milano one of those rare television crushes who managed to span multiple eras.
Tom Sorensen, Wikimedia Commons
Cybill Shepherd
By the time Moonlighting premiered, Cybill Shepherd had already been a model and movie star. Then she walked onto television as Maddie Hayes and reminded everyone why she had become famous in the first place. Glamorous, funny and perfectly matched with Bruce Willis, Shepherd made 80s television look considerably better.
Tinsley, Jeffrey Wayne 1947-2017, Wikimedia Commons
Stefanie Powers
As Jennifer Hart on Hart to Hart, Stefanie Powers somehow made solving mysteries with her millionaire husband look incredibly stylish. The show was part mystery, part romance and part weekly reminder that Robert Wagner’s character had done extremely well for himself.
Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore had that rare combination of beauty, warmth and comic timing that made viewers feel like they knew her. First came Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, then Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She wasn’t simply beautiful—she was the kind of television star people genuinely loved watching.
George Rose, Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons
Who Did We Forget?
And that’s 30. Now comes the part where you tell us who we forgot.
CBS Photo Division, Wikimedia Commons
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