There’s nothing like TV dads to set an example for how a dad should be (or shouldn’t).
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Updated 11 months ago,June 12, 2024
Fathers Day is almost here, and were celebrating with the best TV dads in TV history.
Whether we openly acknowledge it or not, dads are an important part of almost everyones lives, providing some much-needed guidance, helpful advice, and a healthy supply of cheesy jokes throughout our childhoods.
The Simpsons / That ’70s Show
Lightening the mood with their affable good humor yet also supplying a shoulder to cry on when facing a difficult situation, dads are used to supporting their families through thick and thin, perhaps even sacrificing their own happiness for the sake of their loved ones future.
As an extension of their real-world counterparts, television dads retain most of the core qualities people associate with kind-hearted fathers.
Though these TV dads might scream or shout at their rambunctious children, theyre also ready to put their lives and limbs on the line for their kids well-being.
Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
To this day, its hard to think of a TV dad whose fame or popularity surpasses the donut-loving patriarch of the Simpson family, Homer Simpson.
A lazy, absent-minded, middle-class dad whose idea of a fun time is either spending a night out at Moes Tavern or cramming his head with mindless television shows, Homer nevertheless demonstrates love and dedication to his family whenever they need him most.
Whether settling into a job he despises for his childrens future or preventing his boss from stealing his youngest daughters favorite toy, Homer perhaps isnt the most doting father in all of pop culturebut the love he holds for his family is beyond reproach.
Fox
Tony Soprano (The Sopranos)
Dont get us wrong, were not going to go ahead and describe Tony Soprano as an altogether good person.
Like virtually every character onThe Sopranos, Tonys inner nature is torn apart by inner conflict, leading this New Jersey-based crime boss to alternate between paternal warmth at home and unfeeling callousness in the office.
But if the road to hell is paved with good deeds, Tony is the ultimate bricklayer on that ever-expanding highway.
HBO
Though capable of performing monstrous acts of cruelty in his professional line of work, Tonys entire life revolves around his family, with few things rivaling the endearing love he holds for his wife and two children.
Andy Taylor (The Andy Griffith Show)
The archetypical TV dad for a generation of viewers, almost every fictional father in the decades followingThe Andy GriffithShowowes a debt of gratitude to Griffiths smooth-talking, small-town sheriff.
The widowed father to a young son and a pillar of support for his community, Andy Taylor always appeared ready with a kind word and cathartic piece of advice for anyone who seemed to need it.
CBS
From ruminating about the facts of life with his son Opie to listening to his best friends rambling stories, Andy personified the down-to-earth father figure of the 1960s, right down to his undying love for fishing and quirky recurring lines.
Archie Bunker (All in the Family)
In contrast to the compassionate personal philosophies of Andy Taylor, Archie Bunker came across as the complete antithesis of his fictional predecessor.
Whereas Taylor was known for his worldly perspective and sympathetic point of view,All in the Familyushered in a far grouchier version of the middle-class father figure with the infamous curmudgeon, Archie.
CBS
A foul-tempered Baby Boomer often at odds with the counter cultural movement of the 1970s, Archies cynical worldview providedAll in the Familywith many of its most pointed laughs.
Though he was quick to dispense mocking words when it came to his in-laws left-wing politics, Archie also routinely showed a softer side to his character, even if he had trouble expressing it openly to his surrounding family members.
Phil Dunphy (Modern Family)
The heart and soul ofModern Familys Dunphy brood, Phil Dunphy is a man who clearly loves his familyalmost, perhaps, to a fault.
ABC
A fun-loving real estate agent who prides himself on his energetic sense of humor and knowledgeable parenting skills, Phil is the kind of guy who puts his family before everything else in life.
Immediately dropping everything whenever his kids or wife came calling, Phils heart was always in the right place, with this California-dwelling dad taking every chance to spend quality time with his familyeven if his attempts to do so often backfired, causing only further embarrassment for his loved ones.
Frank Costanza (Seinfeld)
With parents as dysfunctional as Frank and Estelle, its no wonder George Costanza grew into the shallow, self-centered, anxiety-riddle adult we know and love inSeinfeld.
NBC
While Estelle certainly stunted her childs growth with her lack of maternal affection, Frank probably deserves more of the blame for just how horribly George turned out in the long run.
An eccentric New Yorker prone to violent fits of rage, whenever Frank appears onSeinfeld, its only a matter of time before hes dramatically throwing up his hands and screaming his head off in anger.
Whether bickering with his wife or awkwardly describing the logistics behind bra sizes to his middle-aged son, Frank takes the cake for the most memorable father of 1990s television, terrorizing audiences throughout the decade.
Fox
Red Forman (That 70s Show)
On the surface, Red Forman is the kind of dad most people would never want to have.
An overly-strict, straight-faced authoritarian known for keeping his emotions bottled up, Red appears as the iron-willed symbol of conservative parenting inThat 70s Show,forever striving to keep his kids out of trouble.
For all his threatening words and harsh punishments, however, beneath Reds coarse, frowning surface is a parental figure who truly loves and cares for his children and their closest friends.
While he rarely says I love you to his teenage son Eric, Reds heartfelt actions speak louder than mere words alone.
