Music, TV shows, movies, video games, comic books, and all things Screen Rant are often considered 'nerdy' but fortunately, that is no longer a bad thing. Nowadays it is considered cooler to admit how obsessive with a fandom than it was just a couple of years ago. Reflecting their own fans, television shows are full of similarly savvy characters.
Whether these characters just enjoy a good Netflix binge as much as everyone else, watch cult classics, listen to every imaginable rock song or are just absolutely obsessed with everything to do with geek culture, they are more relatable than ever.
Dean Winchester - Supernatural
Supernatural's Dean may ridicule his little brother Sammy about being a nerd but he is arguably just as geeky. While Sam's hobbies are more academic, Dean's nerdiness comes from his pop culture references and his encyclopedic knowledge of rock music. And in some of Supernatural's most meta episodes, the audience learns just how nerdy Dean can be - whether it's obsessing over his childhood show Scooby Doo or admitting his guilty pleasure of Dr. Sexy.
He adores cowboy films, knows the lyrics to every single classic rock song in existence "backwards and forwards," and according to Sam in the finale of season 14, Dean watches Jeopardy! every night. He makes at least one reference per episode to a beloved film (Star Trek or Star Wars) or TV show (Game of Thrones or Looney Tunes). While it took Dean a while to admit his nerdy side, later episodes show that he is not afraid to let his geek flag fly.
Dustin Henderson - Stranger Things
Stranger Things is full of 1980s nostalgia and pop culture references - from Ghostbusters to Dungeons & Dragons. The main circle of friends are classic nerds - the kind that get bullied in school for admitting they like comic books. The most pop culture savvy is definitely Dustin, not least because he knows all the lyrics to "The Neverending Story."
He is the most scientifically-inclined member of the group and often saves the day with his technological know-how - like his ham radio named Cerebro after the X-Men gadget used by Professor X. Obsessed with D&D, he names their Upside Down enemy after The Mind Flayer and comes up with the clever name 'Demo-dogs' for the young Demogorgons. With Stranger Things season 4 airing later this year, hopefully season 4 will bring many more classic '80s pop culture references.
Pat Rollins - Raising Dion
Raising Dion is full of comic book and superhero references, the second season even ends with a tantalizing post-credits scene reminiscent of every film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show's pop culture references are always either by the titular Dion or his mentor in all things nerdy, Pat Rollins. While Dion is fairly knowledgeable, Pat taught him everything he knows.
Pat loves Stranger Things given it is his ringtone. Even when faced with The Crooked Man, Pat can't help but slip in a classic X-Men reference to Moira McTaggert. There's no doubt that Pat, armed with his knowledge of everything super, will be a handful in future seasons - especially given the aforementioned post-credit scene where Pat looks like a modernized version of the classic Fantastic Four villain Dr. Doom.
Lorelai Gilmore - Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls was all about the mother and daughter relationship - whether that was between Emily and Lorelai or Lorelai and Rory. Fast-talking Lorelai even passed on her love of pop culture and coffee to her daughter. While Rory is very studious and loves to read great works of literature, Lorelai's knowledge of pop culture remains steadfast to music, movies, and TV.
As a show from the early 00s, some of the pop culture references in Gilmore Girls are a little dated now and may confuse new viewers. Lorelai even names her dog Paul Anka after the Canadian singer. Gilmore Girls, and especially Lorelai, remains a masterclass in pop culture references.
Elena Alvarez - One Day At A Time
One Day At A Time's Elena Alvarez is a fan-favorite for her commitment to social issues and her love for all things nerdy. Elena is obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was in love with Kristen Stewart from Twilight, and has even dressed up as Tom Baker's iteration of the Doctor from Doctor Who.
When she finds Syd, it is a match made in nerd heaven. Rapidly Elena and iconic nonbinary character Syd became an item. They both share an affinity for X-Files, Wynonna Earp, Harry Potter, and video games. While Syd is just as nerdy, Elena had a longer tenancy on the show which explored her love for pop culture even more.
Tony DiNozzo - NCIS
Though Tony DiNozzo hasn't been on NCIS for a number of years now, he remains a fan-favorite character and is often referenced by McGee or Palmer. This special agent was obsessed with movies in particular, a habit he got from going to the cinema with his mother before she passed away.
Often playing the part of comedic relief - whether through a movie reference or Gibbs slapping the back of his head - he eases the high-stakes tension of the drama with much-needed levity. His impressions and trivia make him all the more beloved and while on the show he made sure to let his colleagues and found-family know how much he adores movies at least "several times a day."
Cisco Ramon - The Flash
Cisco Ramon is in geek heaven when he is suddenly surrounded by superhero shenanigans in The Flash. Almost breaking the fourth wall with his love of pop culture his references and his graphic tees, he is the epitome of a fanboy. Cisco often represents the show's comic-loving audience as The Flash's resident pop culture aficionado.
Often depicted as the goofy but lovable sidekick, Cisco is also wickedly smart with added depth and a soft side. This fan-favorite character has watched a number of much-loved films and shows from The Princess Bride to Back to the Future to Friends. He's even a nerd about his own life, getting excited over meeting other superheroes and getting to name Team Flash's enemies, making him the most relatable character in the show.
Liz Lemon - 30 Rock
30 Rock showcases some of the best homages and most obscure references, making it difficult to pick just one of the many 'nerds' starring in this show. But the honor must go to Liz Lemon, played by Tina Fey, who is a socially awkward and geeky TV writer. While she adores several TV shows from Lost to Heroes to anything and everything with Oprah, she is undeniably obsessed with Star Wars more than anything else - except maybe food.
She compares moments in her daily life to Star Wars films and has repeatedly dressed up as her idol Princess Leia - during jury duty and her wedding. She also has been known to play D&D, owns Hulk gloves, and adores The Muppets - she even had a childhood crush on Kermit. Unknowingly, when she married Criss Chros she was even marrying X-Men alum James Marsden (aka Scott Summers/Cyclops).
Abed Nadir - Community
Though Community had more than a few ups and downs, namely "the gas leak year," Abed's love for pop culture never wavered. Several episodes have even been based around or have been taken over by the lovable goofball's affinity for movies and television, such as the beloved season 2 finale in which Abed turns the paintball war into a "Star Wars thing."
Abed knows everything there is to know about pop culture, from the contemporary classic Batman films starring Christian Bale to his unusual love for Courtney Cox's show Cougar Town - of which he even starred in an episode. Most heavily referenced and adored is the show's parody of Doctor Who known as Inspector Spacetime, his cosplays and reenactments of this make-believe show are brilliant and fans only wish it were real as well.
Sheldon Cooper - The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is full of pop culture references. While all the members of the gang reference pop culture - from Penny's knowledge of reality TV or Raj's love of romcoms - Sheldon is easily the most pop-culturally aware of the show and his passion leads to some of the best nerdy scenes in The Big Bang Theory.
His eidetic memory allows him to remember every plotline, lyric, and quote from anything he's ever heard, seen, or read. And that's a lot. Sheldon is a member of every conceivable fandom which he displays proudly on his t-shirts, he visits his local comic shop on more than just a weekly basis, and, thanks to Penny, he managed to expand his knowledge to include the Kardashians and Taylor Swift.