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Greatest sidekicks ever: Nos. 31-35
31. Garth Algar
Sidekick to: Wayne Campbell
He is the geeky naif-jester in the cable-access court of his best friend (and Illinois' prince of rock) Wayne Campbell. His serious fear of girls relegates him to second-air-guitar status, but underneath that meek exterior beats the heart of a loyal wingman (impersonating a cop to spy on Wayne's latest crush), a crafty partner in crime (expertly repositioning broadcast satellites to a record exec's limo), and a brave confidant (admitting an attraction to Bugs Bunny in drag). May you party on, most noble Garth! —Erin Richter
32. John Oates
Sidekick to: Daryl Hall
John Oates brought far more to white-soul hit machine Hall & Oates than just Tom Selleck's spare mustache and an uncanny ability to make Daryl Hall look tall. ''A lot of the hits have been generated initially by me, even though they've been collaborative efforts,'' he told an interviewer in 2003. The guitarist has fared less well on his own (The Onion dubbed his 2002 solo release Phunk Shui the year's ''least essential'' album), but could Hall have scored eight No. 1 hits without his guitar-playing partner in rhyme? No can do! —Clark Collis
33. Leonard ''Lenny'' Kosnowski and Andrew ''Squiggy'' Squiggmann
Sidekicks to: Laverne de Fazio and Shirley Feeney
An episode of Laverne & Shirley usually went something like this: Sitting in their Milwaukee apartment, Laverne and Shirley find themselves in a sticky situation that can only be resolved through a hare-brained plan. Sometimes involving cross-dressing. ''But where are we gonna find two idiots to help us?'' one of them wonders. Cut to the front door swinging open, followed by a moronic, nasal ''Hell-Ohh!'' They were the orginal dumb and dumber, and greasier than a garage floor. But while best pals Lenny and Squiggy may have lacked social and hygenic skills, they did genuinely care for the girls. Which is why, in many a episode, they found themselves stuck in the middle of a hare-brained plan. Sometimes involving cross-dressing. —Wook Kim
34. Barney Rubble
Sidekick to: Fred Flintstone
The Flinstones was conceived as the prehistoric Honeymooners, which makes Barney the Norton (see No. 7) to Fred Flintstone's Ralph — an easygoing goofball, willing to go along with whatever half-baked scheme Fred dreamed up. Barney (voiced by the great Mel Blanc, the genius behind Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck) was squat and had enormous feet, and you know what they say about big feet: It must be why he attracted such a cave-babe as his curvy wife, Betty. —Ken Tucker
35. Flo
Sidekick to: Alice
Without Flo, Alice's whole heart-and-soul-of-Mel's Diner routine would be one big yawn. Polly Holiday's sexy (not beautiful, and all the hotter for it) Southern belle was the much-needed spice in that Arizona greasy spoon known for its chili. Alice's chemistry never recovered when Flo left for her own ill-fated spin-off, despite the subsequent drawling bombshells who tried to take her place. Replace Flo? Her catchphrase (the mark of the most elite class of sidekick) says it all: Kiss my grits! —Jennifer Armstrong
