The host's choice: Furley. I loved Mr. Roper, too, but he had a lot of baggage, and her name was Helen.

Plus, the Furley era had Jack's Bistro and more chest hair on Larry.

If you're tracing television ancestry, Roper's lineage would clearly go directly to Jack Benny. No one deadpanned like Norman Fell, except Benny.

Tracing Furley's forefathers is a tad more touchy. He's got a little of Paul Lynde in him, but damn if Knotts isn't a jiggling, turkey necked clone of Dr. Smith from "Lost in Space: during his best wig-out moments.

ok i liked the ropers.
helen was funny in her day!
always wanting to hump stanley
hubbahubba

Stanley hands down. RF was ambiguous at best about his sexual proclivities. At least Roper was married to a woman; albeit a beast of a woman with a tacky Maude wardrobe, but a woman nonetheless.

Stanley was wicked funny in a George Jefferson sort of way especially with the interplay between he and Helen who symbolizes George's Weezie. Furley was just a wormy, whiny pathetic little loser who in today's world would be asking whether that is a 3 or 5 day rental of that copy of "Shampoo" that is in every Blockbuster.

Stanley was the man!

Stanley and Helen, no contest. Helen was the female version of Jack -- self-assured and always on the prowl. Her sexual confidence scared the crap out of her husband, for pete's sake. You gotta love the [post?] middle-aged woman who still believes she's sexy and wants to get laid.

Helen rules.

It's really all about Mr. Furley's leisure suits. 'Nuff said.

Tough one. Each had their highs and lows on the show. While R.F. never got any, at least he wanted some. While Helen was confident and self-assured, she was quite annoying, and anything but sexy--she definitely takes points away from that team. When you take into consideration the broader career of each (impossible not to be prejudiced by that), You've gotta go with Furley--in 10 rounds.