Watching TV shows based on your profession can be a great way to refresh the mind. The punch lines, suspense, and romance can turn out to be relatable, joyful experiences.
There are TV shows about doctors, lawyers, politicians, and so on, but there are very few about accounting professionals. However, several accountant characters on popular TV shows have won our hearts through the years. Here we share five times accountants were in popular TV shows.
Kevin Malone, The Office
In The Office, the popular NBC sitcom, not one but three accountants won our hearts. The accounting trio—Oscar Martinez, Kevin Malone, and Angela Martin—had audiences laughing wildly with their hilarious punch lines.
Our favorite accountant from the show was Kevin Malone, played by actor Brian Baumgartner. His character attracted attention for inventing a new number called “Keleven” just to hide his mathematical errors.
Skyler White, Breaking Bad
A bookkeeper, Skyler was initially reluctant for her husband, Walt, to continue with his drug business. But faced with unprecedented financial challenges in her family, she eventually offers to launder Walt’s drug money. To this effect, she purchases the car wash where Walt had worked to start laundering the money.
Skyler’s interesting, bold character demonstrates how smartly accountants can mastermind mega financial transactions. (That doesn’t mean we approve of accountants who launder money!)
Barney Varmn, Parks and Recreation
Another one of the times accountants were in popular TV shows was in Parks and Recreation. John Balma played the character of Barney Varmn in this American political satire. The accounting profession is not often something that people feel passionate about, but Barney was full of passion. He loved numbers and puns. His joke that “the only thing that’s taxing is deciding what software to buy” is perhaps strikingly relatable. But his leadership, ethical behavior, and love for Ben Wyatt also draw our pure admiration.
If we were to choose a favorite accounting character from a TV show, it would surely be Barney. Who wouldn’t want to be like him?
Norm Peterson, Cheers
Norm Peterson, one of the main customers of the bar in the Cheers TV series, had us laughing with his one-liners and inexpressible hatred for his job. His entry into the bar was a running joke, with bartenders and the crowd greeting him with a “Norm!” greeting.
After losing his job at an accounting firm for protecting Diane from sexual advances from her boss, Norm struggled to work as an independent accountant. Eventually, he started working as a house painter. Even when out of work, he was still the bar’s best customer. For accountants who have changed their career paths, the character of Norm Peterson feels so real.
Louis Tully, Ghostbusters
Rick Moranis plays Louis Tully, an accountant in The RealGhostbusters, which was a follow-up TV series to the hit 1984 film. Always inviting clients to his lame parties and locking himself out of his apartment, Louis’s character will always be memorable. Once, when hosting yet another party, Louis is possessed by a demigod entity, the Keymaster. The Ghostbusters rescue him from the entity—and the first question he asks is, “Who does your taxes?”
Louis goes on to pursue a career as a tax attorney—a common career path for professional accountants—and even wins a case for the Ghostbusters team! Nobody could be more diligent than Louis.
There aren’t not many accountants in television, but the above characters perfectly capture what accountants go through in their daily lives.
