Top 10 TV Pantomime Baddies

In the original DC Comics, the Man of Steel tends to get pitted against just one Luthor, but Superman early-years series Smallville served up double trouble by introducing Lionel (John Glover) to the fold. Schooling son Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) in tough love and hostile business tactics, Lionel is a puppet-master of the finest Machiavellian tradition, always packing at least one hidden agenda. The show continues into its tenth season.

Hunched, balding and 2-D, Montgomery Burns – voiced by Harry Shearer (and previously Christopher Collins) – is the epitome of cartoon evil. Creator Matt Groening and The Simpsons’ makers introduced Mr Burns when the series first began in 1987 and, as the show’s popularity increased, so did the evil millionaire tycoon’s. Burns has established himself as the regular nemesis of Homer Simpson and, frankly, all of Springfield.

Stalking the hallways and sports fields of William McKinley High School, Glee’s Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) is the latest pantomime villain to hit TV screens. Nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance, Lynch’s biting sarcasm and sharp, acidic character cuts through the rest of Glee’s happy-go-lucky musical backdrop. Never short of a brutal put-down, she’s the teacher you love to see hating on the kids.

Cueing more than a few of the show-ending drum-beats, Dirty Den (Lesley Grantham) played havoc in Walford for a total of seven years – his first stint (1985-1989) ending with a canal and a bunch of daffodils. Grantham’s personal life was at least as colourful as his character’s: serving a 10 year sentence for murder when he was 20, and being booted off his second stretch on the soap (2003-2005) when an internet sex scandal reared its ugly head.

Played by Larry Hagman, Southfork’s amoral oil baron JR Ewing powered several cliff-hangers for the hit American soap Dallas, not least in the summer of 1980, with the legendary “Who Shot JR?” storyline. Long before the internet, speculation over which character fired the gun – and there were several candidates – raced round the world; the rise in ratings allowing Hagman to haggle a huge salary to stick with the show.

“What has two thumbs and doesn’t give a crap?!” That would be Bob Kelso (Ken Jenkins), in the hit comedy series Scrubs. One doctor who should definitely not be allowed to practice medicine on unsuspecting patients, the emotionally challenged M.D. of Sacred Heart is frequently described by colleague and antagonist Dr Cox (John C McGinley) as “the Devil himself” or, more simply, “pod person”. There hasn’t been a better bad guy in the hospital yet.

Famous for his straight-talking, no-holds-barred approach on UK talent show The X Factor and American Idol in the States, Simon Cowell carved out a “no more Mr Nice Guy” reputation right from the get-go. An A&R executive who rode up and down during the 80s but made it big in the 90s, Cowell has reduced hopefuls on both shows to tears with his icy comments, and feuds with fellow judges have been all part of the panto too.

Forget Cybermen, Daleks, or even their creator, Davros – the good Doctor’s all-time arch-nemesis is The Master. Most recently seen in the guise of John Simm, the nefarious Timelord has had almost as many facelifts as his enemy: Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley sported the famous goatee, Peter Pratt and Geoffrey Beevers donned decay make-up, Eric Roberts did the film, and Derek Jacobi joined Simm and William Hughes (as The Master aged eight) in the new series.

As the leader of a community called The Others, Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson ) aka Henry Gale has become synonymous with show’s darker storylines. Ben’s ambiguous intentions and manipulation of fellow islanders has proven popular with audiences since his first appearance, and – even with powerful forces at sway and surrounded by some really big egos – his cold-blooded streak runs very wide indeed.

In 2006, television welcomed a new femme fatale: Ugly Betty’s polished villain Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams). With her slick outfits and scowling face, Wilhelmina channelled Victoria Beckham on a bad day (a move parodied by Posh herself when she guested on the show), and her spineless scheming against Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius) provided a suspense-driven backbone to a series that sadly got the chop this year due to low ratings.