Teen TV is an interesting genre because it's not technically a genre at all. Instead, it's a qualifier that encompasses comedy, dramas, and the hybrid mix that's become known as dramedies. And yet, despite teen TV operating under its own rules, most shows find themselves borrowing beloved tropes from their adult counterparts. One of those tropes obvious in teen tv shows is the comedic relief character.
Audiences are sure to find a comic relief character in teen comedies. Still, they've also started to crop up in dramas and dramedies to add some lightheartedness to otherwise serious material. Comic relief characters always know when to turn on their charm and often become some of the most iconic characters on a show. After all, Steve Urkel helped put Family Matters on top. From making fun of themselves to drawing attention to the wacky situation they find themselves in, these teen comedic relief characters are well on their way to becoming stand-up comics.
Chelsea - That's So Raven
That's So Raven has gone down in history as one of Disney Channel's best shows of the early 2000s. Though Raven (Raven Symoné) had her fair share of comedic moments because of her untimely visions, Chelsea (Anneliese van der Pol) is the true comic relief character in the show.
While Raven and Eddie (Orlando Bloom) might not have found her jokes to be all the funny, audiences sure did. Chelsea also had a habit of not being too observant which meant doing things like gifting her prom date a mug with the wrong name on it.
Eric - Boy Meets World
When Boy Meets World first started airing on ABC in the '90s, Eric (Will Friedle) was Cory's much cooler older brother, who worried his brother's reputation would affect his. However, as the show went on, Eric became less cool and more odd, taking on the role of the comedic character.
Boy Meets World fans will never forget when Eric decided to put on a one-man show in the hopes of earning some extra cash or when he proposed to Topanga to get back at Cory for not making him his best man.
Felix - Love, Victor
Sometimes comedic characters are funny for the sake of being funny, and other times they are funny as a means to cope with their out-of-control world. Love, Victor's Felix (Anthony Turpel) is an excellent example of the latter since he uses comedy to cope with his mother's deteriorating mental health and his lack of close friends.
Still, he manages to bring the funny like when he gifts Victor a walkie-talkie to talk in the apartment complex despite the fact that they both have their own cellphones.
Jackson - Hannah Montana
A trend in teen TV seems to be making the siblings of the main characters be the ones who are tasked with being funny. At least, that was the case with Jackson (Jason Earles) from Disney Channel's iconic classic Hannah Montana.
Jackson is always bursting into random song and dance, frequently parodying one of his sister's iconic songs. He has an affinity for speaking in strange ways and he's usually on the wrong end of Rico's pranks, which always gets huge laughs from the audience.
Jamal - On My Block
Netflix's On My Block manages to blend humor and drama perfectly due to its incredible cast of young actors - which is why it's one of Netflix's best teen shows. While they all have their moments, Jamal (Brett Gray) wins the comedic character title.
Jamal is the type of character who hates disappointing people, which is why he fakes several injuries, including one that has him wearing an eye patch in season 1 to get out of playing football. He also gets sucked into an eccentric scavenger hunt that has him treating garden gnomes like real people.
JJ - Outer Banks
Netflix's Outer Banks quickly became one of the best teen shows of 2020 because of its unique story and characters. One of those characters is JJ (Ruby Pankow), the show's comedic character despite him having a traumatic childhood and home life.
Instead of wallowing in his misfortune, JJ chooses to live life to the fullest. This often leads him to think up wild plans that don't always go right. On top of that, JJ has some of the best and most hilarious one-liners in the show, like his go-to motto: "stupid things have good outcomes all the time."
Kimmy - Full House/Fuller House
While Full House might not be exclusively a teen TV show, one can't deny that the show had huge appeal to teen audiences because they got to grow up alongside DJ Tanner (Candace Cameron Bure) and her best friend, Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber).
Kimmy was more than just Tanner's wacky and loud neighbor; she was the show's comedic relief character. Whether she was airing her stinky feet out of the moving car's window or copying DJ's homework, including her name, Kimmy was always making someone laugh.
London - The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody/The Suite Life On Deck
When it comes to Disney Channel comedic relief characters, none is as iconic as London Tipton (Brenda Song) from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Suite Life on Deck.
As an heiress to a major hotel empire, London valued her money and appearance over her intelligence, which often meant she said and did silly things. One of her best comedic moments happens when Mr. Mosby is teaching her how to drive. In the scene, London refers to the gear shift as the "prindle," sending Mosby into a hilarious meltdown.
Megan - Drake & Josh
While most comedic relief characters are funny in a happy, silly way, Megan (Miranda Cosgrove) approached her comedy from a more sinister place in Nickelodeon's best original series from the 2000s, Drake & Josh.
Megan used her "innocence" to her advantage as the younger sister, constantly getting off the hook for pranks she pulled on her brothers. The results of her pranks are hilarious, like when she poured hot sauce on her brothers' food in the pilot or when she sabotaged Josh's science presentation in front of her classmates.
Reggie - Julie And The Phantoms
Netflix's Julie and the Phantoms not only gave fans an impressive season 1 full of phenomenal, original songs. But it also gave them a hilarious character to fall in love with. Of all the ghosts, Reggie (Jeremy Shada) is the one who embraces his "powers" the most.
He even helps Julie's little brother confirm that ghosts exist by messing around in the house while he's around. He's also the character with the most hilarious lines, like when he reminds the boys that they're not just nobodies but that they actually "have no bodies."