My completely unscientific analysis of the top 10 TV fathers, based only on my opinion and without the input of anyone else. Please add comments for those you feel I have omitted. For anyone upset over the dis-inclusion of the Brady Bunch dad or Beaver Cleaver’s father, please remember that I was born in 1978.
10. James Evans- Good Times: An old school dad who wasn’t afraid to take out that belt, yet also a caring and supportive father to his 3 children. Though he was always tired and often laid off, he never failed to show up for his family.
9. Dan Connor- Roseanne: Makes the list first and foremost for putting up with Roseanne. He is the archetype of a modern, beleaguered, working class dad. He is a mix of old and new school who navigated his way through fatherhood despite having a poor role model in his own absentee father. He was mellow yet always knew when to roll out the good advice or bring the hammer down.
8. Hank Hill- King of the Hill: He may be a cartoon but he is definitely a father force to be reckoned with. He flips the stereotype of the dumb, bumbling dad and navigates his son, through a world where everyone else is basically insane. He teaches us that it is possible to love and support our children, even when what they do makes absolutely no sense. Though often world weary, Hank was always there for his son, his niece and his friends, who were really more like children. In fact, I dare say that Hank was the only actual adult on this show.
7. Jason Seaver- Growing Pains: I must admit that many of these family shows from the 80s and early 90’s just blend together in my memory. I cannot readily distinguish the differences between shows like Who’s the Boss, Family Matters or that one with the John Stamos and the Olsen twins. I could go on and on. Though these shows, Growing Pains included, all run together, Jason Seaver sticks out to me. He was a giver of good advice, an active participant in the parenting game and seemed to roll with the punches instead of give them. He was able to walk the line between discipline and giving his children enough freedom to navigate the world in their own way.
6. Stephen Keaton- Family Ties: With 3 and later 4 children, it would be easy to lose it every now and then. Stephen never did, even though his children were as different as can be. He was the picture of a calm and supportive father. With his hippie ethics, he was both old fashioned and ahead of his time.
5. Lester Jenkins- 227: Lester, like Dan Connor, gets points for bringing a sense of balance to a wife with a larger than life personality. Lester was a supportive and caring father to his daughter. Yet he was more than this. Sometimes fatherhood is not defined only by our children but by the way our fatherly essence follows us in life. Besides Sandra’s man of the week, Lester was pretty much the only man in the building. It’s tough to be the only one but Lester pulled it off with class and dignity.
4. Henry Spencer- Psych: A more recent inclusion than most of the rest, which is heavy on 80’s and 90’s titles. Henry Spencer is a single dad, who demonstrates that a father’s job is far from over when a child turns 18. Henry best represents the father as teacher role. He is a patient and obviously tolerant father, who nevertheless can hold his own in any situation.
3. Rick Grimes- The Walking Dead: Rick is hardly a perfect father but it’s a zombie apocalypse, tell me how great you’d be in a zombie apocalypse? Though Rick doesn’t always get it right, his concern and love for his children and the adults he leads, is obvious. Though he lost his way for awhile, he best demonstrates that good fathers learn from their mistakes and need to accept help.
2. Mr C- Happy Days: Wise sage, patient father, loving husband, if these were his only qualities, Mr C would still make my list. He is only one who could come close to knocking off the undisputed champ, but why? The answer need only be one word long, Fonzy. Anyone trusted to give advice on life to the Fonz, has to be high on any list.
1. Cliff Huxtable- The Cosby Show: Could it be anyone else? He was the father we all wanted, caring, a good provider, creative and productively sarcastic. He was the father to his children and the whole neighborhood. He staged elaborate fantasy games to teach his children lessons and knew that raising children was best done, when discipline was mixed with a little bit of fun.
Coming soon, my completely unscientific analysis of the 10 worst TV fathers.
