DISQUS

Andy · 1 year ago

Just so you know, Locke's dad was Anthony Cooper

I agree with all but two of the bad dads-

Al Bundy may have not have been very happy with where he was, but he sticks to his commitment. His wife and kids spend all his money, and show very little love to him or remorse for their actions. It would've been much easier for him to just leave, but he still, although begrudgingly, provides for his family.
I wouldn't call him a good dad, but definately not one of the worst.

Jack Bauer-
I'm not quite sure I agree with this one. In season one he was a bad dad, but he did put his own life on the line to save his daughter (who got into trouble by her own actions), and killed the woman who killed his wife. He is man enough to put his family on the back burner for his country. That, while at times bad for his family, helped millions of others, and indirectly saved his family multiple times.

Jack's dad on lost was pretty bad as well, along with sun's dad. The show just has issues with fathers I guess.

Also, charlie from Lost would be great example of a good dad.

Besides that, great list!

Brett McKay · 1 year ago

@Andy-

Yeah I had similar thoughts on Jack Bauer. It is admirable in many cases to put your family on the back burner to serve your country. When compiling the list I was thinking along the lines of "who would you want to be your dad?" I have to say it would be hard to have Jack as your dad. Many men serve tours of duty, but then return home. Their family is never in danger, and when the soldier is home, the family can be assured of their safety. Jack's fam doesn't/didn't enjoy any of those assurances. That's a lot of stress.

fathersez · 1 year ago

I have not seen all the shows and the dads you have listed. But my favourite is Dr. Huxtable.

And it is not because of his 5 kids...4 girls and a boy...just like we do.

I also think Mrs. Huxtable is great!

Stefan · 1 year ago

You missed the Dad's of the 80's:
- Mike Seavers, Growing Pains
- Steaven Keaton, Family Ties
- Jack Arnold: The Wonder Years

Dad from the 90s:
Hal from Malcolm in the Middle (ok, he was a little childish. But, he wouuld do anything for his family.)

peredecho · 1 year ago

Hmm, no Tom Corbett (Bill Bixby)? That doesn't seem right.

Andy Taylor +1

Mike Purvis · 1 year ago

I nominate Keith Mars as an excellent TV dad from recent years. Veronica Mars is one of the few dramas that successfully portrays a realistic, loving parent-teenager relationship without having to make the parent into an ultra-hip cool dude that's their child's best friend.

Thomas Petri Petersen · 1 year ago

I think Sandy Cohen from the O.C. should be on this list. He is a loving father (and husband) with a strong sense of what is right and while he isn't the strict disciplinarian in the traditional sense of the word he can lay down the law and act as the moral compass when he has to, which is quite often in this show. While he might not be the best dad he always tries to have his family in mind. He has some flaws, granted, but I like him even more because of that. It gets a little so-sweet-it-will-make-your-teeth-rot when the parents are just too perfect.

Justin · 1 year ago

But, what about Billy Ray Cyrus, father of Miley/Hannah? :)

Seriously though, great post and very timely.

Chad · 1 year ago

I think an overlooked Best TV dad was "Uncle Phil" from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. What I really liked about Phil was that he was your average dad. Sometimes he was clueless when it came to his daughters but most of the time he taught his children important life lessons and learning some himself in the process. However, what i think really made him stand out in the sea of TV dads at the time was the fact that when the time came, he was a father for his sisters son as well (will smith). And although their relationship was tested by Will's silly antics, he treated him with respect and love the same way he would treat his own children.

iamsofaking · 1 year ago

Red Foreman. You should be able to count on your dad to let you know when you are being an idiot.

Brett McKay · 1 year ago

@Stefan-Good call on those 80’s dads. Danny Tanner was a great 80’s dad too.

@Chad-Uncle Phil is an excellent addition. He kept it real and was a good dad both to his biological kids and as a father figure to Will.

Chad · 1 year ago

re: Hank Hill

I believe King of the Hill is actually set in the City of Arlen, located in Heimlich County

Josh · 1 year ago

Re: Archie Bunker

epitaph - a commemorative inscription on a tomb or mortuary monument about the person buried at that site.

epithet - a word, phrase, or expression used invectively as a term of abuse or contempt, to express hostility, etc.

trobran · 1 year ago

What about Pa Ingalls(Michael Landon)?

Eric B. · 1 year ago

Red Foreman: it's easy to be afflble with the kids when they are directed by screenwriters. Tough love is the best kind, and he's the only TV Dad who doles it out. Bonus points for a pathological hatred of communisim.

ChrisB · 1 year ago

I think Smallville's Jonathan Kent should be added to the list of good dads. He wasn't perfect by a long shot, but he loved his family, taught is son about integrity, and, well, raised Superman.

Ben · 1 year ago

I think all of the corrections that are listed above me for this aforementioned list should point to the possibility of recommending retirement for the two blog authors. Do more research next time, and then try and write something with a little bit more though put into it, and you may appear as qualified.

Art Gonzalez · 1 year ago

I would add Professor John Robinson of "Lost in Space". He was always viril, strong, ethical and protective of his family.

Many blessings,

Art Gonzalez
Check my Squidoo Lens at: Quantum Knights

Brett · 1 year ago

Chad and Josh- Thanks for catching that. We've made the corrections.

@troban- Pa was on the best dad list, but I wanted to keep each list down to 10 dads. He's a good one!

@Eric- I forgot about That 70s Show. He's another good dad. I agree.

@ChrisB- Anyman who raises a child with super powers to use those powers for good deserves to be on the list. Good edition.

@Ben- By "all the corrections that have been listed" , do you mean the two that Josh and Chad pointed out? If you expect perfection, go somewhere else. If by corrections you mean people we didn't include on the list, well that's the point of the comments- for people to discuss the dads they think should and shouldn't be on.

DravenX23 · 1 year ago

Al Bundy was a pretty good dad if you watched the show. He always got rid of Kelly's boyfriends and beat up people they tried to exploit his daughter. He even missed out on 1st oil when the Dog went missing so Kelly wouldn't cry.

If Homer is a good dad then so is Al.

Also Randy Marsh from South Park should be in here somewhere.

Kate McKay · 1 year ago

@Ben-We did about 20 hours of research and writing for this post. We don't do anything lightly and we read everything over multiple times. That being said, we're not professional writers or editors. So mistakes are bound to be made. Each and every day newspapers like New York Times print a "corrections" section to correct the numerous errors made. If the NYT makes mistakes, I hope amateur bloggers can get a little wiggle room too.

Brad · 1 year ago

Instead of Jack Bauer, how about his dad Philip Bauer?

Now that was a bad man.

E · 1 year ago

@Ben - just in case no one has told you today . . . you're an asshole.

Seriously.

Sorry to get off topic everyone. . . carry on.

Great post by the way, Kate.

jcard21 · 1 year ago

My Top 5 TV Dads:

#1: Ben Cartwright – Bonanza (TV series 1959-1973)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052451/
“The Cartwright's thousand-square-mile Ponderosa Ranch is located near Virginia City, Nevada, site of the Comstock Silver Lode, during and after the Civil War. Each of the sons was born to a different wife of Ben's; none of the mothers is still alive. Adventures are typical western ones, with lots of personal relationships/problems thrown in as well.”

[Quote] Ben: (to Luke Barnes) “Forgotten? The only worthwhile thing a man leaves when he dies are his children. What he was lives on in them. When people look at my sons, I want them to remember me well. How are they gonna remember you?” ~ Ben Cartwright to Luke Barnes, Mirror of a Man, Episode Number: 127, Season Num: 4, First Aired: March 31, 1963

#2: Daniel Boone – "Daniel Boone" (TV series 1964-1970)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057742/
“Frontier hero Daniel Boone conducts surveys and expeditions around Boonesborough, running into both friendly and hostile Indians, just before and during the Revolutionary War.”

#3: Andy Taylor – The Andy Griffith Show

#4: Luca McCain – "The Rifleman" (TV series 1958-1963)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051308/
“Lucas McCain can fire a round with his specially modified Winchester in three-tenths of a second. That and his resolve enable him to help the sheriff maintain order while raising his son Mark on a ranch near North Fork, New Mexico.”

#5: Ward Cleaver – Leave It To Beaver

30 days · 1 year ago

Hey - my favorite line from the festivus episode: "Stop crying and fight your father!" Yup - bad dad.

bmuls80 · 1 year ago

I'm sorry I agree with all the names people have mentioned, but for me there is one and only one ideal father in television history. I'm taking about a man who was a hard blue collar worker his whole life, and taught his sons to be better than he was, while remaining strong and powerful. A man who put family before everything else, he even took those unofficial members of his family as his own. That's right I'm taking the one and only greatest father ever....Alan Matthews from Boy Meets World.
Just think of some of Alan's best moments, it's hard not to. When he took his son Corey after an argument to the hardware store where his own father had mopped the floors everyday until he died so that he could have a better life, and that he was "Damn proud of that." Or the time when Sean, Corey's friend, comes to the Matthews house drunk after the death of his father and discovery of his non existent mother. Alan tells Sean that he is always welcome, and even offers to adopt him, to spite the fact that the Matthews are strapped for cash. Finally the great line when Alan says to the leader of a local cult trying to assimilate Sean: "Sean Hunter is the best friend my kid has ever had, and I would kill...to protect that. Not to mention the other great humorous and fatherly moments.

Neil · 1 year ago

That's right - Homer good and Peter bad. You won non-alienating points with that call.

Aaron · 1 year ago

What about Dr. Venture of "The Venture Brothers"? He practically despised his two sons and left all the fatherly duties to his bodyguard, Brock Samson. Once, when his only kidney was harvested during a visit to Tijuana, instead of transplanting one kidney from one of his sons, he transplant one kidney from each of his son, giving him two healthy kidneys and leaving both his sons with just one.

Mike · 1 year ago

My only addition (and I'm primarily thinking of it because I've been watch the series lately) is John Walton from The Waltons. He always knows exactly when he needs to allow his children to make their own decisions/mistakes, and when he needs to step in.

Zach · 1 year ago

Greatest line in tv history: (Leave it to Beaver)
June Cleaver to her husband Ward: "Don't you think you were a little rough on the beaver last night?"

Charles who · 1 year ago

I also like the Ozzie and Harriet show.. They seemed to be caring and competent parents.. Nice touch with some lessons learned each week sort of thing. Take care.

Bad Dad · 1 year ago

Regarding Jack Bauer... it's rough being his daughter because:

- mother was murdered by the woman Jack had an affair with.
- she was kidnapped several times (by terrorists and a survivalist) and stalked by psycho father she worked as a nanny for.
- she was hunted by a mountain lion.
- father chops off her boyfriend's hand (to save his life).

Yet after her nanny gig, she somehow has the qualifications to go work at the super-secure government agency with her father.

Shane · 1 year ago

Jack Arnold was one of the greatest TV Dads of all time. He is the quintessential hardass--a father in control of his children, a man in love with his wife, and a provider in command of his finances. Aside from his booming voice and authoritative nature, Jack Arnold (a very strong name, by the way) knew how to connect to his children and to his wife. He also brought a wealth of experience in leadership and camaraderie to the table from his service in the Korean War. That, plus his intense dislike of hippies and his unmatched ability to strike fear into the hearts of his sons with just a glance, certainly grants him merit among the greatest TV fathers of all time. Hell, he may even be their leader.

Addendum: Red Foreman is another good choice for many of the same reasons as Jack Arnold, however, Red is more comical in nature; his paranoia and temper are amplified from Jack's, while his concern for his family and respect for others are watered down.

Chantix · 1 year ago

The Brady Bunch dad seemed to be such a wonderful, loving and caring father in the show. Those two parents were so understandable. As for Mike's life offset, well that is a whole other story. Talk about polar opposites. I would not classify Peter Griffith as a good father, he is constantly making fun of his daughter Meg. It may be funny to watch on the television but no child would be laughing if their father really did treat them that way.

Andee · 1 year ago

John Walton was a great TV dad, as was Andy Taylor and Ward Cleaver. But, I also liked Tim Taylor of Home Improvement. He did a lot with the kids, was supportive and kind, and was a very good parent, while also being funny.

Robert J. Walker · 1 year ago

While I really enjoy "Everybody Loves Raymond," I have to admit that Ray Barone isn't exactly the best dad. I will say, though, that he's portrayed more positively than Tim Taylor on "Home Improvement." For example, Ray, at least, is smart enough to occasionally be right when he and Debra disagree. The formula for almost every "Home Improvement" episode was: 1) Tim does something stupid, 2) someone is upset at him for the aforementioned stupidity, 3) Wilson shows Tim the error of his ways, 4) Tim apologizes for being a moron.

Come to think of it, I wish Wilson had been the dad on "Home Improvement." Now THERE is a positive role model.

sir jorge · 1 year ago

Right on! Hank Hill is awesome, and definitely a great one.

Aaron · 1 year ago

I think of all the bad dads, the worst ever (in my book) puts them all to shame: Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito) from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". Even before he found out that he wasn't Dennis and Dee's real father, he was still pretty much the most evil, conniving man to attempt to raise children I'd ever seen. Of course, I also shouldn't leave out that his trip on acid in Season 3 was one of the funniest things I've ever witnessed.

Dave · 1 year ago

Homer may have his good moment, where indeed you think he is a great dad for saying or doing that. But there is absolutely NO way he's a good father in the end.

American Dad!'s Stan Smith is a better dad than he is.

Bill · 1 year ago

I second Dr. Venture's nomination. Though The Venture Bros. isn't as popular as many of the other shows, it's hilarious, due in no small part to Dr. Venture being a failure as a father, a super-scientist, and a human being.

Bill · 1 year ago

Just to clarify for folks who haven't seen the show, I meant Dr. Venture is a failure in the field of super-science, rather than saying he's super as a scientist.

Bryan · 1 year ago

There is one thing about Andy Taylor that sometimes made me uncomfortable watching the show as a kid, but that I really appreciate about the character now that I am a father -- the show allowed him to portray realistic anger with Opie.

Other TV dads got annoyed or kinda/sorta angry with their kids and this resulted in lessons taught and punishments given, but it seemed mostly contrived.

Maybe it was Griffith's acting or the writers pushing a bit further than most others, but when Andy was mad at Opie, you believed it and felt scared for the little guy. Sure, it was always reigned-in and channeled into something productive, but the conflicts between them always seemed more natural and real -- more like my own dad -- than any of the others.

Ryan · 1 year ago

Tim Taylor (Home Improvement) was definitely a great dad. Yeah, he was a little lost when it comes to deep philosophical questions and abstract history, but he loved his wife tremendously, and was a great father to his kids.

Jim · 1 year ago

Reading through all the entries, the one Dad that isn't mentioned is Dan Connor from "Rosanne". He was a devoted blue collar family man trying to get through life without alot of breaks, with the occasional brew to blunt the reality that was his life. He was absolutely in love with his wife and kids, and would ultimately do anything for them. My son has compared me to Dan Connor, a high compliment that made my Father's Day.

Alexa · 1 year ago

Dan Connor is my favorite TV dad too! I read each comment waiting for someone to mention him. I wish he'd been on the list.

Perry · 1 year ago

@jcard21 - You're right, Lucas McCain from the Rifleman was a terrific TV dad. Wasn't he another widower?

Andrea R. · 1 year ago

I can't say I agree with your choice to put Homer among the good dads. Too many examples come to mind where he failed to provide any meaningful advice or support to his kids.

Anyway, I feel that *at least* grandpa Simpson should have made it in the lousy dads' list.

Roomba · 1 year ago

Andy Taylor and Dr. Huxtable. The best.

John Locke's dad. That was a funny add.

Although I am a huge Simpson's fan, I think he would be average at best.

Loki · 1 year ago

Steven Keaton from Family Ties definitely belongs on the list - he was very much the Howard Cunningham of the Eighties.

And besides, there should be a least one good Dad who votes Democrat :)

James · 1 year ago

Gotta say the treatment of Al Bundy seems a bit harsh. True, he was stuck in a dead end job, but really, just to support an ungrateful family. He didn't divorce Peg even though she was pretty awful.

Point 2, in the episode where Bundy and family find themselves playing football against the Devil, Al is offered an out where he gets to go back and live his dream... if only he'd sacrifice the family by dropping his own pass. Guess what, he comes up with the pass.

All in all, I think Al's doing a fairly good job with the hand he was dealt. A loser for sure, but to say the character is without redeeming qualities? That's a bit too far.

Matthew · 1 year ago

Phillip Banks Should have taken the number two spot, not Homer. Phillip Banks was brought up on a dirt poor farm, went to Yale became a very successful LA lawyer, then judge. And provided all the opportunities for his family that he never had as a child. And he showed another manly trait. He learned from others. He wasn't always right and he admitted that and learned from every mistake and life experience. He deserves to be close to the top of this list.
I also agree that Tim Taylor should have been in there too. He made klutz mistakes sometimes, but always ended up on the right side. His decisions were based on how to better the family.

Al · 1 year ago

I would add Dr. Alex Stone (Carl Betz) from the Donna Reed show

Mis · 1 year ago

Ummm hello, you seriously missed THE absolute best tv dad of all time!!!!!!!!!! DAN CONNER from Roseanne!!!!!! WTF He was like the perfect dad to me! What every dad should be like. Completely in love with his wife and kids, soooo sweet and funny and just a wonderful person all around. This list is horrible without Dan Conner!!!!!!!! He is my aboslute favorite tv dad ever!

DCY · 1 year ago

What about James Walker on Good Times? He deserves props.

HW · 1 year ago

I have to agree that Alan Matthews from Boy Meets World really is the best TV dad ever. Y'all should kick Homer off and put him on there!

Doug Back · 1 year ago

What about Ben Cartwright on Bonanza (another widower raising three sons)? I also admired the character played by Brian Keith on Family Affair back in the late 60s. Here was a successful bachelor uncle who takes on the responsibility of raising his two nieces and nephew.

kress · 1 year ago

Brett,
I think that Paul Hennessey from "8 Simple Rules" deserves a definite shout-out for TV's best dads. He was a stay at home/work from home dad, totally invested in his kids, not a bumbling idiot, competent, and absolutely trying to do the very best for his family.

tiffany · 1 year ago

alan mathews was a superb father! he should totally be on the list, along with danny tanner (really all of the full house men were great father figures).

and i love the arrested development nod! job is my favorite horrible father! "i've made a huge mistake"

nice work!

Sonny Crockett · 1 year ago

Al Bundy was one of best written characters in sitcom history. 20 years from now, they'll look at Ed Oneil's portrayal, call him a genius and sit him right next to Carol O'connor and Jackie Gleason. Most of these "dads" were created to make people laugh or be entertaining. If you look to Cliff Huxtable for moral guidance (and you may find some), you're missing the point.

Peace,
Sonny

niel · 1 year ago

What about Michael Bluth from Arrested Development?

Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman): Tries to be a good and caring father to his child (even when he fails, for such is comedy), instills in his son the value of hard work, and overall tries to be an asset to his family.

-NJJ-

Brett · 1 year ago

@niel -
Great add!

Eric · 1 year ago

Why is Jerry Stiller on the list in two different places? I'd just combine him and free up another slot. He played George Constanza's father on Seinfeld, and the dad on King of Queens.

Jay · 10 months ago

How in the hell can you hate on Jerry Stiller?

les · 9 months ago

I would also nominate Chuck Conners from The Rifleman. The show is 50 years old of course, so I can see why it would be overlooked.