Favorite TV Dads of All Time TV Characters

Favorite TV Dads of All Time

original ranker TelevisionLife  19,539 views 60 items 42 followers
List of the greatest and most memorable dads from through television history. Which TV fathers were the most inspirational? Who taught you the most about growing up and becoming an adult? Which TV fathers were just the funniest and most entertaining? Any TV dads who fit these criteria are eligible for this list, an attempt to drill down into the definitive answer to the question: "Who's the world's favorite TV Dad?"

Vote: Favorite TV Moms of All Time

Classic sitcoms revolving largely around the family gave us a ton of Dads to choose from, and for the most part, they were traditionally good fathers. Guys like Rob Petrie, Andy Taylor and Howard Cunningham looked out for their kids, paid attention to their needs and gave them solid life and career advice.

Through the '80s and '90s, pop culture got a bit a bit more realistic or cynical, depending on who you ask, and TV Dads became more of a hodge-podge of responsibility and immaturity, reflecting the real, complex and often difficult job of being a father. Though there remain the shining examples of great TV dads like Cliff Huxtable from "The Cosby Show" and Dan Conner from "Roseanne," you now had alternative views of fatherhood, like Homer Simpson and the iconic Al Bundy.

But this list doesn't discriminate! If your favorite TV dads are likely to lose their kids at the mall, ignore them in favor of football and beer or forget their birthdays, vote for 'em anyway! Your old man would be proud.

List Criteria: Favorite TV characters who were fathers. (Not necessarily guys who were the BEST fathers.)

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Rank     Name
  1. 1
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    The Cosby Show
  2. 2
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    The Simpsons
  3. 3
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    Howard Cunningham

    Happy Days
  4. 4
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    Sheriff Andy Taylor

    The Andy Griffith Show
  5. 5
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    Roseanne
  6. 6
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    Married... with Children
  7. 7
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    Tim Taylor

    Home Improvement
  8. 8
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    Gomez Addams

    The Addams Family
  9. 9
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    Frank Costanza

  10. 10
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    Charles Ingalls

    Little House on the Prairie
  11. 11
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    Martin Crane

    Frasier
  12. 12
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    Arrested Development
  13. 13
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    Archie Bunker's Place, All in the Family
  14. 14
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    Philip Banks

    The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
  15. 15
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    Mike Brady

    The Brady Bunch Hour, The Brady Bunch
  16. 16
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    Ward Cleaver

  17. 17
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    Hank Hill

    King of the Hill
  18. 18
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    Herman Munster

  19. 19
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    Hal

    Malcolm in the Middle
  20. 20
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    Family Guy
  21. 21
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    Red Forman

    That '70s Show
    added by: JohnWarner
  22. 22
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  23. 23
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    Phil Dunphy

    Modern Family
  24. 24
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    Two and a Half Men
    added by: sheilas816
    John Cryer
  25. 25
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    Jed "JD" Clampett

    The Beverly Hillbillies
  26. 26
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    Carl Winslow

    Family Matters
  27. 27
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    Steven Keaton

  28. 28
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    The Sopranos
  29. 29
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    Down 43

    Rob Petrie

    The Dick Van Dyke Show
  30. 30
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    Eddard Stark

    Game of Thrones
  31. 31
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    The Jeffersons
  32. 32
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    Steve Douglas

    My Three Sons
  33. 33
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    Randy Marsh

  34. 34
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    Danny Tanner

    Full House
  35. 35
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    Eric Camden

    7th Heaven
  36. 36
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    Walter White

    Breaking Bad
  37. 37
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    Everybody Loves Raymond
  38. 38
    Up 19
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    Eric Taylor

    Friday Night Lights
  39. 39
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    Richard Castle

    Castle
  40. 40
    Up 14
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    Darrin Stephens

    Bewitched
    added by: AlysiaWilkinson
  41. 41
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    Frank Barone

    Everybody Loves Raymond
  42. 42
    Up 20
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    Seeley Booth

    Bones
  43. 43
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    Walter Bishop

    Fringe
    added by: ChangesDownClub
    Fringe
  44. 44
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    Phillip Drummond

    Diff'rent Strokes
  45. 45
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    Tony Micelli

    Who's the Boss?
  46. 46
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    Dexter
  47. 47
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    Tom Bradford

  48. 48
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    Dr Alex Stone

    The Donna Reed Show
  49. 49
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    Ozzie Nelson

    The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
  50. 50
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    Modern Family
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