Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory
Many viewers of The Big Bang Theory are convinced that Sheldon is asexual. He doesn't overtly come out as asexual on the show, but many fans think he is. He is one of the few characters who never talks about even fantasizing about sex. Even when he does have a girlfriend, he shows no interest in making the relationship sexual. In episode 23 of season 3, Sheldon is set up with his "perfect match". The women bluntly states that "all forms of physical contact up to, and including, coitus are off the table". After she says that, Sheldon seems more interested in her and they hit it off. There is also an episode (episode 6, season 2) where the main characters discuss what Sheldon's orientation is and they conclude that he doesn't like men or women. While there is no conclusive evidence that Sheldon is asexual, even the idea that Sheldon could be asexual is a huge step for the asexual community. This is one show that hasn't debunked the idea of asexuality or depicted insulting misconceptions about the identity.
Poppy in Huge
In the ABC Family original series, Huge, a character openly comes out as asexual. A camp counselor came out to a co-counselor in episode 5 of season 1. This is the only show I could find that features a character overtly coming out as asexual. This demonstrates just how little presence asexuality has in pop culture.
Sherlock Holmes
Many fans speculate that the character of Sherlock Holmes in the TV series is asexual. He never comes out as asexual in the series, but scenes like this lead the fans to believe that he is. However, the writer of the series says this is not true. "It's the choice of a monk, not the choice of an asexual. If he was asexual, there would be no tension in that, no fun in that – it's someone who abstains who's interesting.", says Moffat. This statement outraged many viewers. Most main characters tend to be highly sexualized. Perhaps this is because it is appealing to viewers and it creates conflict which is dramatic and entertaining. However, sex isn't the only way to create conflict. Whether Holmes is or isn't asexual, there are other ways to create tension and fun' in a series other than over-sexualizing the main character.
House
In an episode of House, a couple came into the clinic as asexual. This episode caused a major controversy, especially among members of the asexual community because House proves that the man had a tumor in his pituitary gland that caused his lack of sexual desire and he wasn't really asexual. House states that asexuality isn't a real identity and the show depicts it as a disease that can be cured. Wilson does state that asexuality is a true orientation that 1% of the population identify with, but that is simply one sentence that is overshadowed by the main case. It is upsetting that this is one of the few times asexuality is featured in a major TV show, and it gets handled so poorly. This demonstrates how little people actually know about asexuality and what we do know is not necessarily true.