10 Best Fictional Preachers on TV

The death of Merlin Olson affected a wide variety of people. As I read the informative obituary in the March 12 edition of The New York Times, I was struck by Olson's range of talents. Devout sports fans remember him as the all-time leading tackler of the Los Angeles Rams. Casual fans probably recall him more as a broadcaster, who shared the NFL television booth with Dick Enberg for over a decade.

Olson also reached a huge audience outside of the sports field by acting in several television series. First he was big Jonathan Garvey, the kind neighbor of Charles Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie. Later he became the star of Father Murphy, a popular series that featured him as a caretaker of orphaned children.

I find it amazing that a Hall of Fame football player could become such a convincing actor. The fact that Olson was able to not only act, but also to portray the role of a man of God, increases my esteem for him. Few actors have even attempted such a sensitive role, as evidenced by how few shows there are featuring a clergyman.

I can recall barely a dozen TV series with a character who works for the church, and here are the ten most popular.

10. Ted Crilly in Father Ted: Dermot Morgan is the star of this British sitcom about a priest who heads Craggy Island' parochial house after being exiled for stealing money intended to be used for a children's church fund.

9. Ernest Frye in Amen: Sherman Hemsley took on the role of this frequently dishonest clergyman whose bumbling schemes filled each episode with laughs.

8. Reverend Luther Snow in Three's Company: Peter Mark Richman played this preacher, who was the father of Chrissy (played by Suzanne Somers). The idea of being the daughter of a preacher added a certain innocence to Chrissy's cutely naïve character.

7. Matthew Fordwick in The Waltons: John Ritter (who starred in the show listed above) played this young reverend in the popular series about an Appalachian family who took a long time to say "Good night" to one another each week for over ten years.

6. Reverend Eric Camden in 7^th Heaven: The family in this teen drama was guided by this very understanding father, played by Stephen Collins. Every real-life preacher should aspire to emulate his gentle approach to problems.

5. Guido Sarducci on Saturday Night Live: Comedian Don Novello created this priest who made frequent appearances on the Weekend Update segments of the popular series. He always wore shades, constantly smoked, and spoke with an exaggerated Italian dialect.

4.Sister Bertrille in The Flying Nun: This young woman played by Sally Field filled her time with zany antics that resulted in weekly comedy at her convent.

3. Robert Alden on Little House on the Prairie: The reverend of Walnut Grove, who spoke each Sunday to the Ingalls family and their neighbors, was played by Dabbs Greer.

2. Timothy Lovejoy in The Simpsons: Reverend Lovejoy (voiced by Harry Shearer) has to deal with a congregation featuring the extremely self-indulgent Homer and the extremely self-righteous Ned Flanders.

1. Francis John Patrick Mulcahy in MASH: Called "Padre" by Colonel Potter, this honest and forgiving priest (played by William Christopher) provided comfort and comedy amid the Korean War.