Top 10 Favorite TV Dads
In honor of Father's Day (I know, it's a little late now, but gimme a break. I was spending the day with my dad and grandpa!), my list of favorite TV dads. Not necessarily the best TV dads I've ever been familiar with.. just my favorites.
10.
Character: Alan Matthews
Show: Boy Meets World
Played by: William Russ
What can I say? He was like the quintessential TV dad for after-school specials: a smart, decent, family man with a strong, supportive wife heading up a household of quirky kids. He was always there for his kids and had a sense of humor to boot, but he wasn't the most memorable to me, so he makes it in only on the end of this list. I like to think he shares this spot with Mr. Cunningham, from Happy Days, and Carl Winslow from Family Matters, because all 3 were honorable family men from after-school-special-type-shows that acted as father figures not only to their own kids but to their kids' friends.
9.
Character: Phil Margera
Show: Jackass, Viva La Bam
Played by: Phil Margera
My only non-character on the list, Phil Margera really deserves to be here. He gets pelted with things on a regular basis, has his home invaded by rowdy 20-somethings, his vehicles wrecked, his vacations ruined, and even had to put up with a forced diet once when his son went around town warning everybody to not feed him. Granted, he wouldn't have a nice house or car or go on all those swanky vacations if his son hadn't made his unfortunate parents the victims of his torments almost a decade ago. Personally, I think that Phil and April Margera secretly love the redneck antics they pretend to loathe on the show, because it's made them filthy rich. Phil and Ape just seem like cool parents, and Phil gets serious #1 Dad cred alone for raising Bam Margera without beating the hell out of him.
8.
Character: Philip Banks
Show: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Played by: James Avery
I actually had an Uncle Phil in the 90s, but seeing as he's lived in Arizona my whole life and divorced my aunt years ago, I actually know Fresh Prince's Uncle Phil better than my own, sadly enough. He's gruff, he's no-nonsense, he's stingy, he's always frowning, and he often loses his temper, but if I had a houseful of kids like his, I probably would not be too jolly myself. Nonetheless, Phil was an honorable and upstanding man, who welcomed his nephew into his house like he was his own son and that earns some respect!
7.
Character: Homer Simpson
Show: The Simpsons
Played by: Dan Castellaneta
Sure, he's a fat, lazy, stupid drunk who occasionally strangles his son, but you all know you love Homer Simpson! Face it, when it comes right down to it, Homer Simpson is capable of being the best dad in the world, and it's been proven plenty of times over the past 20 years that he loves his family. He's also the only animated dad in my top 10.
6.
Character: Michael Bluth
Show: Arrested Development
Played by: Jason Bateman
Actually, both generations of Bluth fathers should be on my list, but only Michael Bluth really deserves it, since George Bluth is sort of an abysmal father who raised most of his children incredibly poorly, and it's only a fluke that Michael Bluth turned out alright! Still, George Bluth is hysterical, and everything he did really was for his family. Michael is the one we love to see though, struggling to provide a decent upbringing for his son amidst the hopeless insanity and selfishness of his family, and despite an awkward crush on his maybe-cousin-Maebe, I think we can all agree that George-Michael turned out pretty damn alright, so Michael must have been doing something right!
5.
Character: Sandy Cohen
Show: The OC
Played by: Peter Gallagher
Sandy Cohen was an idealistic lawyer who took a hapless kid from the wrong side of the tracks into his Newport home on a whim and made him one of the family. There was never a doubt in our mind or his that it would 100% pay off; clearly Sandy had some serious 'dad intuition' going on. He saw the best in people and he brought out the best usually. By the end of the show he had raised two decent sons and just started to raise a daughter, whom he would no doubt have spoiled. He was a center of moral guidance with a commanding presence, due partially to Peter Gallagher's imposing manly eyebrows, but he wasn't immune to the embarrassments of 'My Dad is So Lame' syndrome, and that made him endearing.
Sandy: Since the minute you were born, I knew I would never take another easy breath without knowing you were alright.
Seth: So I'm like asthma?
Sandy: Eyebrows are a sign of power, you know.
Seth: Then you must be the most powerful man on Earth.
4.
Character: Henry Spencer
Show: Psych
Played by: Corbin Bernsen
Seeing the Henry and Shawn father-son relationship develop over the course of the show has been one of the chief delights in watching. These two obviously had a fractured relationship before the show, but watching them interact you could hardly tell they were ever apart, they fit together so well. Henry is the no-nonsense worrier and former cop to his son's irresponsible wild card and they really warm to each other after getting over their differences, but they still keep the banter alive. Henry truly worries about and cares for his son, even harboring a 'dad crush' on Shawn by keeping clippings of his crime-solving successes secretly. He had Shawn's motorcycle towed after his son was in an accident, and while it may not be the most responsible way to respond, it proves he will do anything to protect his only kid.
Shawn: Gus, Henry vouched for me.
Henry: I did not vouch for you.
Shawn: You were bragging on me. You have a Dad-crush on me.
Henry: Shawn, I was not bragging on you! I merely restated stats about your track record that are in the newspaper.
Shawn: Let's hug it out.
Henry: Put your arms down.
Shawn: Give me a hug.
Henry: I'm your dad! Don't call me 'dude'!
3.
Character: Hal Wilkerson
Show: Malcolm in the Middle
Played by: Bryan Cranston
Though he may not be the most responsible, wise, or admirable man on my list, I have to give kudos to Hal for elevating himself to my favorite character over the course of this show. He's just something else. He starts off as a somewhat conventional father figure--occasionally stern, more often the 'good cop' to Lois's very, very bad/psychotic cop, a little foolish, hapless, maybe a little powerless. More layers are revealed as the show progresses. Hal seemed like the better parent in the eyes of his kids, but the more we see of his fleeting obsessions, his nuances and compulsions, his admiration for his wild youth, long past but still right there in his mind, and his utter inability to discipline his wild children, the more you realize the naughty Wilkerson boys are a product of both parents, not just their overbearing mother. Hal is just plain hilarious, but he'll do ANYTHING for his family, and his kids are ultimately good people, so he must have been doing something right.
Hal: You know those nature shows where a wasp paralyzes a caterpillar, then injects it full of larvae? It stays alive for weeks, completely aware, feeling every little bite as the larvae devour it from the inside. I sat in a cubicle every day envying that caterpillar, 'cause at least he got to be on TV.
Hal: Look at that sky, Malcolm. Just think, somewhere out there, all those stars and planets, there might be at this very moment a space dad who just got kicked out of his space trailer, who's looking down on us. Or would it be up at us? Or maybe sideways.
Malcolm: Trust me, dad, they're all looking down on us.
2.
Character: Red Forman
Show: That 70's Show
Played by: Kurtwood Smith
Of all the shows that featured put-upon fathers raising the whole neighborhood in addition to their own kids, Red Forman is probably my favorite. In a show where half of his son Eric's friends had at least one parent that abandoned them, Red unwittingly became a father figure to them all. It started with Hyde, whose absentee father and drunk mother both abandoned him, leaving him with no place to go but the Formans, who were already struggling with money. Donna's mother took off, and Jackie's dad ended up in jail and her mother took off. Fez was already there as a foreign exchange student, and he completed the transition to 'Honorary Forman' when he drunkenly married Red's spoiled slutty daughter Laurie. Red was short-tempered, constantly angry, loved the word 'dumbass' and the phrase 'foot up your ass', and always complained about how his house full of stray kids was keeping him from buying the dream car he'd always wanted, but he never hesitated to help those kids out by being their father, so he is truly awesome.
Red: If the U.S. Government decides to stick a tracking device up your ass, you say 'Thank you!' and 'God bless America!'
Red: Look, Eric. You know I'd love to help Steven; I'm a giver. But you can't squeeze blood from a stone, son.
Kitty: Well you know, we could--we could just pop over there just to check up on him--
Red: No I am not going over there. That is final. I am not Santa Claus!
Kitty: Well thank God you're not Santa Claus, Red. You'd scare the hell out of children!
(later)
Red: God [bleep] dammit! I am tired of being [bleep] Santa Claus! Steven, you get your [bleep] together, and you get your ass in the [bleep] car. We're going. [bleep] Now, [bleep]dammit. Move it!
Hyde: (terrified) Okay!
Kitty: You are just the sweetest man alive! (leaves)
Red: (alone, shakes fists in the air) [BLEEP]
(If I had video of just this scene, I would post it. It's so classic it's practically iconic. Unfortunately all I could find is the whole episode on YouTube)
1.
Character: Tim Taylor
Show: Home Improvement
Played by: Tim Allen
One of the reasons I love "Malcolm in the Middle" is for its similarities to my own family; the same was true of "Home Improvement" in the 1990's, during its hey-day. Growing up, I always felt like the Taylors were more like my family than any other sitcom family out there. They had a sense of humor, they were sarcastic, there was an intelligent, smart-alec kid, the mom was totally in charge... and the dad was totally accident prone. They were perhaps a little more white-washed than my family, to fit with TV standards, but they always felt so real, and it helped that they were Michiganders too. I loved watching his hapless attempts to connect with his kids, I loved his fence talks with Wilson, and his disatrous misinterpretations of his neighbor's advice when regurgitating it to his family, I loved his snarkiness aimed at poor Al, I loved that he wore Michigan college sweatshirts (and was totally psyched when, years later, I saw him with an Aquinas shirt!) Tim Taylor will always be one of the best TV dads out there, and any one I see today would be hard-pressed to compete with him.
Tim: Well, although we all can't be as spooky as Al, we can carve some pretty good jack o'lanterns.
Al: That's right; as the audience can see, I'm all finished with mine.
[he turns it on, and it's a picture of Bob Vila; the audience applauds]
Tim: Yeah, yeah; well, I could spend long boring hours chiseling it out with these, or I could put some excitement into the pumpkin-carving process - I would use what?
Crowd: MORE POWER!
Tim: You're darn right, more power; I've already chunked and chiseled this baby out, and now all I need is a small explosion to knock the pieces out.
Randy: Why does bad stuff always happen to me?
Tim: Hey, don't worry. Bad stuff happens to me all the time.
Randy: Yeah but you cause it!
Tim: I'm addicted to cars.
Jill: Well, duh.
Tim: I'm thinking of checking into the Henry Ford Clinic.
Honorable Mentions
(a.k.a. Actually, these dads are quite horrible, but I love them anyway)
- Ken Titus [Titus] played by Stacy Keach
He's a horrible drunk who raised two irretrievably stupid sons through fear and scare tactics and his favorite buzz phrase is 'Don't be a wussy!' but God love him, he's so funny to watch.
- Randy Marsh [South Park] played by Trey Parker
Every single parent on South Park is subject to the Stupid Parent rule. It's amazing any of those kids are alive with parents like those, but it's no wonder they get in so much trouble. Thank God they have more sense than their parents. Stan is my favorite just because he's so unbelievably stupid, it's too good to pass up.
- John Winchester [Supernatural] played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan
He's one fine lookin' daddy with two even-better-looking sons, but GOD what an awful father. Still, you gotta love the man, despite all the crap he put his kids through. If not for him, we wouldn't have the Winchester brothers we know and love.
- Walter White [Breaking Bad] played by Bryan Cranston
Hey, Bryan's on here twice! Quite the opposite of Hal, Walt is a brilliant man who finds himself in deep. The deeper he goes, the less human he acts, the more horrible a father he becomes to his son Walt Jr., but something must be said for his actions. He never would have gotten into dealing meth and leading the increasingly malicious lifestyle he's adopted if it were not for his innate need to support and secure the future of his family. Go Walt!
10.
Character: Alan Matthews
Show: Boy Meets World
Played by: William Russ
What can I say? He was like the quintessential TV dad for after-school specials: a smart, decent, family man with a strong, supportive wife heading up a household of quirky kids. He was always there for his kids and had a sense of humor to boot, but he wasn't the most memorable to me, so he makes it in only on the end of this list. I like to think he shares this spot with Mr. Cunningham, from Happy Days, and Carl Winslow from Family Matters, because all 3 were honorable family men from after-school-special-type-shows that acted as father figures not only to their own kids but to their kids' friends.
9.
Character: Phil Margera
Show: Jackass, Viva La Bam
Played by: Phil Margera
My only non-character on the list, Phil Margera really deserves to be here. He gets pelted with things on a regular basis, has his home invaded by rowdy 20-somethings, his vehicles wrecked, his vacations ruined, and even had to put up with a forced diet once when his son went around town warning everybody to not feed him. Granted, he wouldn't have a nice house or car or go on all those swanky vacations if his son hadn't made his unfortunate parents the victims of his torments almost a decade ago. Personally, I think that Phil and April Margera secretly love the redneck antics they pretend to loathe on the show, because it's made them filthy rich. Phil and Ape just seem like cool parents, and Phil gets serious #1 Dad cred alone for raising Bam Margera without beating the hell out of him.
8.
Character: Philip Banks
Show: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Played by: James Avery
I actually had an Uncle Phil in the 90s, but seeing as he's lived in Arizona my whole life and divorced my aunt years ago, I actually know Fresh Prince's Uncle Phil better than my own, sadly enough. He's gruff, he's no-nonsense, he's stingy, he's always frowning, and he often loses his temper, but if I had a houseful of kids like his, I probably would not be too jolly myself. Nonetheless, Phil was an honorable and upstanding man, who welcomed his nephew into his house like he was his own son and that earns some respect!
7.
Character: Homer Simpson
Show: The Simpsons
Played by: Dan Castellaneta
Sure, he's a fat, lazy, stupid drunk who occasionally strangles his son, but you all know you love Homer Simpson! Face it, when it comes right down to it, Homer Simpson is capable of being the best dad in the world, and it's been proven plenty of times over the past 20 years that he loves his family. He's also the only animated dad in my top 10.
6.
Character: Michael Bluth
Show: Arrested Development
Played by: Jason Bateman
Actually, both generations of Bluth fathers should be on my list, but only Michael Bluth really deserves it, since George Bluth is sort of an abysmal father who raised most of his children incredibly poorly, and it's only a fluke that Michael Bluth turned out alright! Still, George Bluth is hysterical, and everything he did really was for his family. Michael is the one we love to see though, struggling to provide a decent upbringing for his son amidst the hopeless insanity and selfishness of his family, and despite an awkward crush on his maybe-cousin-Maebe, I think we can all agree that George-Michael turned out pretty damn alright, so Michael must have been doing something right!
5.
Character: Sandy Cohen
Show: The OC
Played by: Peter Gallagher
Sandy Cohen was an idealistic lawyer who took a hapless kid from the wrong side of the tracks into his Newport home on a whim and made him one of the family. There was never a doubt in our mind or his that it would 100% pay off; clearly Sandy had some serious 'dad intuition' going on. He saw the best in people and he brought out the best usually. By the end of the show he had raised two decent sons and just started to raise a daughter, whom he would no doubt have spoiled. He was a center of moral guidance with a commanding presence, due partially to Peter Gallagher's imposing manly eyebrows, but he wasn't immune to the embarrassments of 'My Dad is So Lame' syndrome, and that made him endearing.
Sandy: Since the minute you were born, I knew I would never take another easy breath without knowing you were alright.
Seth: So I'm like asthma?
Sandy: Eyebrows are a sign of power, you know.
Seth: Then you must be the most powerful man on Earth.
4.
Character: Henry Spencer
Show: Psych
Played by: Corbin Bernsen
Seeing the Henry and Shawn father-son relationship develop over the course of the show has been one of the chief delights in watching. These two obviously had a fractured relationship before the show, but watching them interact you could hardly tell they were ever apart, they fit together so well. Henry is the no-nonsense worrier and former cop to his son's irresponsible wild card and they really warm to each other after getting over their differences, but they still keep the banter alive. Henry truly worries about and cares for his son, even harboring a 'dad crush' on Shawn by keeping clippings of his crime-solving successes secretly. He had Shawn's motorcycle towed after his son was in an accident, and while it may not be the most responsible way to respond, it proves he will do anything to protect his only kid.
Shawn: Gus, Henry vouched for me.
Henry: I did not vouch for you.
Shawn: You were bragging on me. You have a Dad-crush on me.
Henry: Shawn, I was not bragging on you! I merely restated stats about your track record that are in the newspaper.
Shawn: Let's hug it out.
Henry: Put your arms down.
Shawn: Give me a hug.
Henry: I'm your dad! Don't call me 'dude'!
3.
Character: Hal Wilkerson
Show: Malcolm in the Middle
Played by: Bryan Cranston
Though he may not be the most responsible, wise, or admirable man on my list, I have to give kudos to Hal for elevating himself to my favorite character over the course of this show. He's just something else. He starts off as a somewhat conventional father figure--occasionally stern, more often the 'good cop' to Lois's very, very bad/psychotic cop, a little foolish, hapless, maybe a little powerless. More layers are revealed as the show progresses. Hal seemed like the better parent in the eyes of his kids, but the more we see of his fleeting obsessions, his nuances and compulsions, his admiration for his wild youth, long past but still right there in his mind, and his utter inability to discipline his wild children, the more you realize the naughty Wilkerson boys are a product of both parents, not just their overbearing mother. Hal is just plain hilarious, but he'll do ANYTHING for his family, and his kids are ultimately good people, so he must have been doing something right.
Hal: You know those nature shows where a wasp paralyzes a caterpillar, then injects it full of larvae? It stays alive for weeks, completely aware, feeling every little bite as the larvae devour it from the inside. I sat in a cubicle every day envying that caterpillar, 'cause at least he got to be on TV.
Hal: Look at that sky, Malcolm. Just think, somewhere out there, all those stars and planets, there might be at this very moment a space dad who just got kicked out of his space trailer, who's looking down on us. Or would it be up at us? Or maybe sideways.
Malcolm: Trust me, dad, they're all looking down on us.
2.
Character: Red Forman
Show: That 70's Show
Played by: Kurtwood Smith
Of all the shows that featured put-upon fathers raising the whole neighborhood in addition to their own kids, Red Forman is probably my favorite. In a show where half of his son Eric's friends had at least one parent that abandoned them, Red unwittingly became a father figure to them all. It started with Hyde, whose absentee father and drunk mother both abandoned him, leaving him with no place to go but the Formans, who were already struggling with money. Donna's mother took off, and Jackie's dad ended up in jail and her mother took off. Fez was already there as a foreign exchange student, and he completed the transition to 'Honorary Forman' when he drunkenly married Red's spoiled slutty daughter Laurie. Red was short-tempered, constantly angry, loved the word 'dumbass' and the phrase 'foot up your ass', and always complained about how his house full of stray kids was keeping him from buying the dream car he'd always wanted, but he never hesitated to help those kids out by being their father, so he is truly awesome.
Red: If the U.S. Government decides to stick a tracking device up your ass, you say 'Thank you!' and 'God bless America!'
Red: Look, Eric. You know I'd love to help Steven; I'm a giver. But you can't squeeze blood from a stone, son.
Kitty: Well you know, we could--we could just pop over there just to check up on him--
Red: No I am not going over there. That is final. I am not Santa Claus!
Kitty: Well thank God you're not Santa Claus, Red. You'd scare the hell out of children!
(later)
Red: God [bleep] dammit! I am tired of being [bleep] Santa Claus! Steven, you get your [bleep] together, and you get your ass in the [bleep] car. We're going. [bleep] Now, [bleep]dammit. Move it!
Hyde: (terrified) Okay!
Kitty: You are just the sweetest man alive! (leaves)
Red: (alone, shakes fists in the air) [BLEEP]
(If I had video of just this scene, I would post it. It's so classic it's practically iconic. Unfortunately all I could find is the whole episode on YouTube)
1.
Character: Tim Taylor
Show: Home Improvement
Played by: Tim Allen
One of the reasons I love "Malcolm in the Middle" is for its similarities to my own family; the same was true of "Home Improvement" in the 1990's, during its hey-day. Growing up, I always felt like the Taylors were more like my family than any other sitcom family out there. They had a sense of humor, they were sarcastic, there was an intelligent, smart-alec kid, the mom was totally in charge... and the dad was totally accident prone. They were perhaps a little more white-washed than my family, to fit with TV standards, but they always felt so real, and it helped that they were Michiganders too. I loved watching his hapless attempts to connect with his kids, I loved his fence talks with Wilson, and his disatrous misinterpretations of his neighbor's advice when regurgitating it to his family, I loved his snarkiness aimed at poor Al, I loved that he wore Michigan college sweatshirts (and was totally psyched when, years later, I saw him with an Aquinas shirt!) Tim Taylor will always be one of the best TV dads out there, and any one I see today would be hard-pressed to compete with him.
Tim: Well, although we all can't be as spooky as Al, we can carve some pretty good jack o'lanterns.
Al: That's right; as the audience can see, I'm all finished with mine.
[he turns it on, and it's a picture of Bob Vila; the audience applauds]
Tim: Yeah, yeah; well, I could spend long boring hours chiseling it out with these, or I could put some excitement into the pumpkin-carving process - I would use what?
Crowd: MORE POWER!
Tim: You're darn right, more power; I've already chunked and chiseled this baby out, and now all I need is a small explosion to knock the pieces out.
Randy: Why does bad stuff always happen to me?
Tim: Hey, don't worry. Bad stuff happens to me all the time.
Randy: Yeah but you cause it!
Tim: I'm addicted to cars.
Jill: Well, duh.
Tim: I'm thinking of checking into the Henry Ford Clinic.
Honorable Mentions
(a.k.a. Actually, these dads are quite horrible, but I love them anyway)
- Ken Titus [Titus] played by Stacy Keach
He's a horrible drunk who raised two irretrievably stupid sons through fear and scare tactics and his favorite buzz phrase is 'Don't be a wussy!' but God love him, he's so funny to watch.
- Randy Marsh [South Park] played by Trey Parker
Every single parent on South Park is subject to the Stupid Parent rule. It's amazing any of those kids are alive with parents like those, but it's no wonder they get in so much trouble. Thank God they have more sense than their parents. Stan is my favorite just because he's so unbelievably stupid, it's too good to pass up.
- John Winchester [Supernatural] played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan
He's one fine lookin' daddy with two even-better-looking sons, but GOD what an awful father. Still, you gotta love the man, despite all the crap he put his kids through. If not for him, we wouldn't have the Winchester brothers we know and love.
- Walter White [Breaking Bad] played by Bryan Cranston
Hey, Bryan's on here twice! Quite the opposite of Hal, Walt is a brilliant man who finds himself in deep. The deeper he goes, the less human he acts, the more horrible a father he becomes to his son Walt Jr., but something must be said for his actions. He never would have gotten into dealing meth and leading the increasingly malicious lifestyle he's adopted if it were not for his innate need to support and secure the future of his family. Go Walt!