Top Ten TV Dads
by Sandy Mitchell on June 6th, 2008
In honor of Father’s Day, I offer my choices for the Top 10 TV Dads. In no particular order, they are:
1. Cliff Huxtable - The dad on the “Bill Crosby Show” (1984-1992) rarely raised his voice, was always available for his kids, and liberally shared his (slightly cliched, but still valid) words of wisdom.
2. Howard Cunningham - Richie’s dad on “Happy Days” (1974-1984) was as popular with neighborhood kids as he was with his own. “Mr. C,” played by Tom Bosley (pictured above) didn’t stand for any nonsense, but he was fair.
3. Danny Williams - The Danny Thomas character on “Make Room for Daddy” (1953-1964) was an early favorite TV dad. He had two children of his own and got married at the end of the show’s first season and adopted his wife’s daughter.
4. Steve Douglas - This televison dad, on “My Three Sons” (1960-1972), had natural sons, a foster son, and an adopted daughter. Plus, he never lost his temper (that just not natural!)
5. Ward Cleaver - How could you not include his iconic TV dad, played by Hugh Beauont on “Leave it to Beaver” (1957-1963) on this list?
6. Fred Flinstone - Pebbles’ dad on “The Flinstones” (1960-1966) may have been boisterous, but he loved his little girl.
7. Ben Cartwright - The patriarch of the “Bonanza” (1959-1973) clan was a loving, single parent to his three sons (by three different women, if you remember the story), long before that was common.
8. Jim Anderson - Another early TV dad, this character on “Father Knows Best” (1954-1960), played by Robert Young, defined the ideal 1950s-style dad.
9. Mike Brady - The dad on “The Brady Bunch” (1969-1974) kept his sanity in the midst of this blended family with six kids.
10. Charles Ingalls - The Michael Landon character on “Little House on the Prairie” (1974-1983) had enough energy to plow the fields, chop wood, and still have time to listen to his daughters’ adventures.
(photo © Newscom)
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