Greg Phillips
5. Tim Taylor – Home Improvement
Being a father doesn’t mean being flawless. In fact, the Tool Man regularly bungled intra-family relationships. But he worked to fix whatever problems he created, because he loved his sons, he loved his wife and he was committed to making the family work.
4. Homer J. Simpson – The Simpsons
Like Tim Taylor, Homer will never be confused with the perfect dad. But what shines through about Homer, more often than not, is his heart. He’s made plenty of mistakes, but in the end he truly loves his wife and kids. And to me, seeing that love in a flawed character like Homer is so much more impactful than seeing it in a thousand Andy Griffiths.
3. Stefano DiMera – Days of Our Lives
Yes, I grew up watching Days of Our Lives. And while Stefano is unquestionably one of the great soap opera supervillains, he’s not without his good qualities. And foremost among those is his dedication to his family. Family is everything to “The Phoenix,” and no TV dad jumped through more hoops to protect (and, in fairness, manipulate) his children than the head of the DiMera clan.
2. Philip Banks – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The father of Carlton, Hilary and Ashley, everyone’s favorite California judge also served as the father figure to his nephew, Will. In addition to providing some of the show’s best laughs (by virtue of his food addiction and occasional lapse into vanity), Uncle Phil was the moral compass that guided one of the most enduring shows of its generation. He could preach without being preachy. He could joke without being a joke. He provided, in the show’s rare somber moments, some of the most genuine fatherly love ever shown on television.
Who wouldn’t want this guy as their dad? For starters, Cliff is undeniably hilarious. He’s got all the quick wit, sharp retorts and sage wisdom a father could possibly offer. Cliff made all of us feel like his own children, as he seemed to have answers for every question but maintained a humanity that was absent in most of the TV dads before him. Plus nobody ever captured that air of mischief that many fathers have quite like Dr. Huxtable.
Kati Price
TV dads often play a huge role in the lives of the other characters in the show in which they appear. In some cases, they are the main character and focus of a particular show, while in other instances they may be a supporting character who imparts his wisdom on his family. The following list is compiled of my favorite TV dads. While they are not perfect dads, their love and good intentions can be seen throughout their respective shows.
5. Stan Smith – American Dad!
There is so much to be said about this animated show, but to stay on topic, I will try to focus solely on Stan’s role in the Smith family. Stan Smith is a CIA agent and very outspoken in his extreme, right-wing views. Stan is husband to Francine, a “dumb blonde” housewife, who despite her best efforts, always goes back to the role of uneducated and often boring “trophy wife.” Stan’s two children, Hayley and Steve, often embark on their own adventures, but Stan is always there to share his…advice? Stan’s “advice” is typically just him forcing his conservative view points on his family. His young son is fairly easily persuaded, while his teenage rebel of a daughter frequently questions his views. The fights ensue. Throughout the show you will often see Stan and his daughter going to extremes to prove their point. In the end, Stan comes out with a better understanding and a greater tolerance, somewhat. Stan is by far not a perfect Dad, and he constantly makes poor decisions, but he does what he honestly feels is right and it is always out of love.
4. Jack Arnold – The Wonder Years
In this late 80s/early 90s show, Jack is not the main character. The show is a story of a boy growing up in the 70s as told by himself. Kevin, the main character, recalls growing up not very wealthy, but knowing that his dad worked hard to provide what they did have. Jack Arnold worked hard at a job he often hated to ensure there was food on the table. Jack was very frugal and often seemed a bit harsh. He is a no-nonsense type of guy who sees very little time for play. From time to time, the audience sees a glimpse of softness from Jack Arnold, and they are truly special. Kevin once asked his dad if he ever thought about his life; “If you had to write about it, what would you say?” Kevin was looking for a meaningful conversation with his dad. Instead, his dad replied “I get up at 5 in the morning. I fight traffic. I bust my hump all day, I fight traffic again, and I come home. Then, I pay my taxes. The end.” It’s a little sad to think that is all he saw his life as, but what he did was work hard to provide for his family. Kevin had a profound respect for his dad and his efforts to be a provider for the Arnolds.
3. Burt Hummel – Glee
Burt is the father of Kurt on the FOX show “Glee.” Burt’s wife has passed and he has raised Kurt alone. Burt has faced many issues while raising his son alone, but likely the most pressing is his son’s homosexuality. For me, the mark of Burt’s amazing parenting skills is his love and support for his son regardless. Burt does many things throughout the show to prove his support to his son. He is by no means wonderful at it, but his effort is endearing. He attempted to have “the talk” with Kurt. While it is clear Kurt finds the gay sex talk awkward, his appreciation for his dads effort is clear. It brings me to tears to see the speech Burt gives to Finn, calling him out on calling Kurt’s decorations “faggy.” He compared it to using the “n” word or calling people retards. Burt jeopardized his new marriage to stand up for his son. Likely, the most memorable act of support from Burt is his performance of Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.” Early in the series, when we see Kurt “come out” to his dad, his dad’s response is “It’s your job to be yourself; it’s my job to love you no matter what.” This sums up how Burt raises his son. What an amazing example of love and support in a world so full of hate.
2. Red Forman – That 70’s Show
Red Forman is the father of Eric and Laurie. Red continuously shares his fatherly advice with Eric and Eric’s friends. Of course, this advice is always some variation of his foot end up in their asses. Red is a war veteran with a very militant style of parenting. He tends to see his daughter as “daddy’s little girl” and is considerably more lenient on her than her younger brother. With constant sarcasm and insults, it may be difficult to see that he cares. I would like to think it is out of love though. He even took in one of Eric’s friends after his parents abandoned him. That was probably just so he could whip him into shape. I imagine underneath his hard exterior he is a nice loving man, but that just makes me a “dumbass.”
1. Rick Grimes – The Walking Dead
Rick Grimes is the main character of the AMC series based on the comic books, “The Walking Dead.” Rick is the father of Carl and Judith. His wife died during childbirth in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. He could have run off and never returned and still won father of the year in my opinion. He didn’t run off though. In the current season, Rick steps back from his leadership role and tries to be more of a father and give Carl a real childhood. You don’t see him interact with Judith very often, but she’s a baby; not very interesting on camera. Rick struggles to find a balance between father and protector. He wants his son to have as normal of a life as possible, yet the extremes to which he will go to insure his safety know no bounds. In perhaps my favorite Rick and Carl scene, the prison is being overrun with zombies and despite not letting Carl have a gun and refusing to use one himself, he stands alongside his son, assault rifles in hand, cleaning house. In a world where everything is so chaotic and jaded, he still keeps a sense of family and tries to maintain his son’s innocence. Talk about doing the best you can with what you have to work with, Rick Grimes is the epitome of a great TV dad.
Dan McGinn
When Justin “volunteered” me to contribute to this article, it got me to thinking that ranking these men is really quite unfair. None of them hold a candle to the actual greatest television father in the history of television. (That makes sense right?) This man had strong family values, a wholesome disposition, an intoxicating laugh and a smile that could light up any darkened room.
I speak of course of my father. Seriously! Back when I was a lowly pimple-faced high school student, I appeared on a cable access classic in my hometown called “Talkin’ Sports.” You can imagine what we talked about on that program. Once a week from 7-9 p.m., Marlborough, MA enjoyed heated discussions about Drew Bledsoe and would the Red Sox ever win a World Series in any of our lifetimes. Ahh to be that young and naive again! Anyway, my dad was one of our only callers and he never hesitated to say how brilliant I was so he definitely gets the nod. As for the rest of this list, well gentlemen, you are playing for second place I’m afraid. Here we go!
5. Dave Barry – Dave’s World
If you were too busy watching other “popular” shows in the mid-1990s then you probably missed out on “Dave’s World.” Syndicated humor columnist Dave Barry lives in a suburb of Miami with his wife and two sons. Because Dave is a writer, the series-long joke is that he doesn’t have a real job so he’s always home to witness the antics of his family. Whether he’s installing a fancy new security system or trying to steal a popular toy from a charity bin, if it can go wrong it usually does for our hero. Played by Harry Anderson of “Night Court” fame, Dave is a charming and loving father in that socially awkward sort of way. This show was a hidden gem and hard to find but definitely worth it if you love to laugh!
4. Hayden Fox – Coach
One of my favorite shows growing up was Coach so by default the patriarch or head coach played by the incomparable Craig T. Nelson winds up on my list. Even though Hayden is supposed to be in charge of a Division 1 football program, inevitably the real drama in his life centers around his relationships with the two women in his life; his girlfriend/wife and his daughter. The series established the latter from episode one as Fox meddles in his daughter Kelly’s personal life when it is revealed she is dating a professor at Minnesota State. When Hayden confronts the man he suspects is dating Kelly, it turns out he intimidates the wrong guy. Aww Geez! Hayden always means well and admitted when he made mistakes… eventually. He might not be Father of the Year material but he’s an easy choice for #4.
3. Homer Simpson – The Simpsons
One of the greatest dads of all-time without question. The one thing that Homer has on any other television father is longevity. The Simpsons is one of the longest running programs in small screen history and Homer hasn’t aged a second in 25 years. He has iconic catch phrases like “Doh!” And “Why you little…” and you would be crazy too if you had family and friends like his. I’ll never forget when he tried to convince Bart not to become a daredevil and he winds up accidentally attempting to jump Springfield Gorge on a skateboard. Or when he became the hero of the power plant softball team with the help of his magic bat not to mention a well placed bean ball incident!
2. Vincent Kennedy McMahon – Monday Night Raw
Speaking of longevity! Of course Mr. McMahon was a tremendous television father and his show has lasted even longer than the Simpsons! Some would argue that VKM involved himself in too many storylines over the years but in the early days of the Attitude Era, McMahons equaled ratings! I will admit, Vince being on this list has more to do with the treacherous things he was allowed to get away with and most of the time at the expense of his own flesh and blood. Like when he was the “Higher Power” and he allowed his daughter to be kidnapped by the Ministry of Darkness. Or when he had an on-screen affair with Trish Stratus while his wife Linda was in a coma. And who could forget the loving words he had for his son Shane prior to their street fight at WrestleMania X-7 when he said he would bury him just like he buried WCW? If you think your father is bad, go ahead and watch Monday Night Raw from the this time period and maybe you’ll get your dad more than just a tie this Father’s Day.
1. Jack Bauer – 24
This seems like a no-brainer to me! He saves the world from assassination attempts, nuclear detonations on American soil, deadly viruses, sentox nerve gas, corrupt presidents, kidnappings and missile launches all within the confines of a single day! And to exacerbate the drama, he also had an idiot daughter throughout much of the run of the show. I mean she would get caught up in the wrong crowds, kidnapped by terrorists and even chased by a runaway cougar in the middle of the woods and it was always Jack who had to bail her out of those jams. Who has the time for teenage hijinks when a nuke is about to go off in Los Angeles? Jack Bauer that’s who! Plus he can handle any type of firearm, disarm explosive devices, operate a helicopter, break ankles with one swift kick and he’s not afraid of a little torture. Now you tell me who else in this article can say that.
So there you have it! The Mount Rushmore of television fathers if in fact Mount Rushmore had five faces. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s about time I call my own father and not hesitate to tell him how brilliant he is!
