Top 15 geeks in TV and film

9 April 2013

The Big Bang Theory Season 5 DVD

With the our favourite four geeks set to return this Thursday (11.04.13) in new series of The Big Bang Theory on E4, we thought it was about time to address our obsession with geeks. Here is our list of the top 15 geeks for you to swoon over (not including our beloved Big Bang boys!):

Sherlock Holmes is probably one of the most famous detectives of our time. His intelligence and logical abilities are beyond measure, and he is well-known for being ahead of his time (late 19^th– early 20^th century) using forensic science to help him in solving his cases. The characters revival on the big and small screen have brought Holmes to the attention of the mainstream public – and it doesn’t hurt that he’s played by two very attractive men in Robert Downy Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Dr. Daniel Jackson is an archeologist and linguist in the Canadian-American army from the hit US series Stargate SG-1. He speaks 23 earthly and extra-terrestrial languages and is identified as the opposite of the rest of the Stargate soldiers, showing a more sensitive and culturally aware character. His awkward and geeky nature, in addition to his intelligence makes him attractive, not to mention he’s pretty good looking too.

Stargate SG-1 DVD cover

Whether your favourite Doctor is Matt Smith, David Tennant or even Christopher Eccleston, there’s no denying that Doctor Who is an attractive character. His intelligence coupled with his quick wit and compassion makes women swoon at the thought of him. Plus, the fact that he can regenerate gives you a whole host of options in the looks department!

Matt Smith as the current Doctor Who

Seth Cohen is one of the four core characters in American teen show The O.C. Appearing opposite the masculine Ryan Atwood enhanced the geeky side of his character, as did his witty comments, his inability to fit in, and his love for comic books, science fiction, video games and old movies. The fact that Seth is a charmer makes him appealing, and he’s pretty easy on the eye too.

Seth and Summer in The O.C

Yuki Reid was a Junior Doctor in British television series Casualty. Described as a genius and having a “brilliant mind, but [is] desperately socially unconfident”. This, in addition to his massive geek-glasses and his luscious curly locks makes him a cute guy that you just want to love!

Chuck Bartowski is the main character of American TV series Chuck. He started off as a member of the “Nerd Herd” at an electronics retail chain, before becoming a CIA agent. During the series, Chuck grows from a regular guy into a hero whilst maintaining his nerdy qualities. His sheer intelligence coupled with his heroic character makes him a real dish in the geek world, not to mention he’s been listed as one of the best TV nerds by UGO.com.

Chuck Season 4 DVD

Connor Temple is the technological brains behind the ARC (Anomaly Research Centre) on television show Primeval. He creates gadgets and writes software programmes for the organisation and began compiling a list of prehistoric creatures when he was 14. Trained as a paleontologist, he loves conspiracy theories and one of his ambitions is to be abducted by aliens. His geeky interests and intelligence make him one of the top geeks on TV.

Hannah Spearitt (Abby) and Andrew-Lee Potts (Connor) promoting Primeval

Greg Sanders is a night-shift CSI from television show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. His character is optimistic and cheerful and often chooses to dye his hair different colours and opt for different styles. His geeky nature comes out not only when he is working as a CSI but also when discussing the mob history of Las Vegas, one of his biggest interests; he even writes a book on the topic. His passion for his work, which requires quite a high level of intelligence, and his boyish good looks make him an ideal geeky crush.

Eric Szmanda as Greg Sanders

Tom Hansen is the lead character in movie (500) Days of Summer. He falls hopelessly in love with a girl called Summer who doesn’t return his intense feelings. A trained architect, Tom’s geeky side is clear but is his undying belief in true love that will make your knees quiver, not to mention that he is played by the rather attractive Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom in (500) Days of Summer

Maurice Moss, primarily known as Moss, is a member of the IT department of a large company in British sitcom The IT Crowd. He is a typical geek who loves all things computer related and is very awkward in social situations. Whilst being represented as an intelligent person, he is also seen to have no common sense, in one episode getting himself stuck in a claw crane grabber machine as he tries to retrieve an iPhone inside it. This lack of common sense and his innocent nature just makes you want to take care of him, with his adorable geek glasses and mad hair do.

Moss, Jen and Roy from The IT Crowd

Dr. Spencer Reid is a member of the elite Behavioural Analysis Unit of the FBI in television show Criminal Minds. He holds several degrees and is specified as a genius with an IQ of 187 and an eidetic memory. He is socially awkward and said to have a mild form of Asperger’s Syndrome, which is why he is so intelligent, but nevertheless, he’s a character that you just want to love!

Criminal Minds Season 6 DVD

Glenn Rhee from hit American TV show The Walking Dead melted our hearts as the ex-pizza delivery boy turned zombie killing machine. He starts out getting himself into all sorts of situations, like being kidnapped and held to ransom. But as the series progress we see Glenn grow into an essential member of the surviving group, aided by his relationship with independent farm girl Maggie. As a the dynamic of the group changes, Glenn still remains a geek at heart making us love him even more!

Glenn (second right) and other survivors in The Walking Dead

Jesse Eisenberg is an actor who has been typecast into the geek role within movies, the most famous of which is his portrayal of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. His other well-known geeky characters include James Brennan in Adventureland and Columbus in Zombieland. Claiming to be bullied at school because he was a geek, he turned this around being dubbed ‘The Sexiest Geek Alive’ by Entertainment Weekly in 2010.

Jesse Eisenberg

Michael Cera, like Jesse, has frequently been typecast into the geeky role. Arguably more deserved of ‘The Sexiest Geek Alive’ award after portraying more geeky characters than Jesse, his most famous roles include Paulie Bleeker in Juno, Evan in Superbad, Nick O’Leary in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Nick Twisp in Youth in Revolt, and Scott Pilgrim in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Michael Cera

And finally, this wouldn’t be a list of our favourite geeks without the king of the all, Professor Brian Cox. The particle physicist is almost a real life imitation of the boys from The Big Bang Theory after boosting the British public’s interest in physics and astronomy by making it accessible and easy to understand. The pop-star turned scientist, turned television presenter, has captured our hearts and made us wish we listened that little bit more at school.

Brian Cox