Greatest TV Good Girls

Coming in at #10 is everyone's favorite little sister, Valerie Bertinelli, who co-starred on One Day at a Time. Premiering in 1975, the show was something of a tribute and testament to single women who wanted to find themselves. It was topical and relevant, and star Bonnie Franklin showed millions of viewers that a woman can not only stand on her own and take care of herself, but of her children as well. In a time when many of America's women were struggling to learn who they were, the character Ann Romano showed them how it could be done. The struggles she faced with dating, employment, and raising her daughters were poignant, heartfelt, and real.

As younger daughter Barbara, Valerie was sweet, pretty, and almost disgustingly perfect in every way. She was the All-American girl with the bright smile and the do-no-wrong behavior. Barbara's good-girl image was a sharp contrast to older sister (and wild child) Julie, played by McKenzie Phillips.

And while it was Julie's trials ad tribulations that made One Day at a Time a success, good girl Barbara became everyone's TV little sister as a result. Young Valerie Bertinelli charmed us with her pigtails and roller skates, her bright smile and unerring "good girl" antics. Where Julie was bad, Barbara was good. It was the stuff of TV perfection.

The show ran for nine years on CBS, with Bonnie Franklin in the lead as Ann Romano, single mother to two teenage daughters. When the show began, Mackenzie Phillips was 17 and Valerie Bertinelli, 15. They were perfect in the role of teenagers because they were teenagers - and a successful show named One Day at a Time was born.

After the show ended in 1984, Bertinelli went on to other projects that included enjoying her marriage (which occurred in 1981, to Eddie Van Halen). Bertinelli was featured on many made-for-TV movies and other appearances on cable network Lifetime, and was never able to shake that good-girl image. She landed a role on Touched By an Angel in 2001, but has appeared in no other TV series since the show's cancellation.

As of 2005, everyone's favorite little sister was divorced from the former rock star. But Bertinelli's star shines on, as she gets regular roles in TV movies and sometime guest appearances. No matter what else she does, most of us will remember her as Barbara Romano, good girl and little sister for us all.