The himbo exists on sitcoms to reassure audiences that women don’t really care what men look like. While also treating women to attractive men. Tricky!
-“Seinfeld” coined “mimbo,” in the ep where Elaine only grudgingly admits she’s dating rock-climber Tony for his looks. George, true to form, develops a mildly homoerotic friend-crush on him as well. Elaine, who elsewhere claims to find the nude male body unattractive, embarrasses herself by turning out to be as shallow and visual as her male friends. There are other himbos, Puddy apparently, but also and most memorably (visually; although I don’t really see it on rewatches), the pro-life moving man.
-“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” has Mary coming to terms with dating a man because he’s pretty and for no other reason, but the show does not let them live prettily ever after.
-“Are You Being Served?” gives a cameo to an actor playing a golf pro from the department store’s sports department. This actor, a reader reminded me, also played a hottie bartender on a “Miss Marple.”
-On “The Bob Newhart Show,” Emily sees a tennis pro, and we all know what that means. He then goes to see Bob for therapy, for help with the problem of extreme handsomeness.
-“Sex and the City” is the only show I’m aware of with an extended himbo plotline. (UPDATE: a reader points out that Joey from “Friends” is one, which I will grant, despite ugh “Friends.” Another reminds of Josh from “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and omg yes, how could I forget.) As the other ladies mature into boringness, Samantha gets together with a Nordic-looking underwear model, not my type but good for her. And then the show punishes her for not being miserable. No wonder the actress who played her doesn’t want in on the remake.
-OK never mind, I’ve remembered the existence of Jung from “Kim’s Convenience.” A new and ongoing show, so off-topic in terms of reruns, but if ever a himbo there was…
-Not technically a sitcom, if largely one in spirit, but: on “Midsomer Murders,” all the Detective Sargents, with the exception of Troy, who’s too funny/silly, are himbo-ish in their combined inability to solve cases and ability to be the love interest wherever needed.
Jason Mendoza is the best
Still waiting for a sitcom to mine the terrain that "Broadcast News" discovered. A himbo who knows he's a himbo feels shame about it and works heroically to overcome his deficiencies.