The 25 Best TV Dads

With Father’s Day on the horizon, we’re giving TV’s finest fathers their moment. From wholesome to hilarious, stern to completely unhinged, these 25 small-screen dads have earned their place in pop culture history.

Whether they gave heartfelt advice or just grumbled from their recliner, these iconic characters helped define what it meant to be a “TV dad.” Here’s the list, presented alphabetically by first name.

• Al Bundy, Married with Children – The shoe salesman with a sharp tongue and even sharper sarcasm.
• Andy Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show – The gold standard for calm, wise parenting in Mayberry.
• Archie Bunker, All in the Family – Flawed, loud, and unforgettable.
• Bob Belcher, Bob’s Burgers – A burger-slinging dad who supports his quirky family unconditionally.
• Carl Winslow, Family Matters – Chicago cop, full-time dad, part-time neighbor wrangler.
• Dan Conner, Roseanne – A working-class dad with a big heart and better sense than he gets credit for.
• Danny Tanner, Full House – The clean freak with three daughters and the most wholesome hugs in the ’90s.
• Frank Lambert, Step by Step – Stepfamily chaos? Frank handled it with charm and a mullet.
• Fred Sanford, Sanford and Son – Always one faux heart attack away from getting out of an argument.
• Herman Munster, The Munsters – Frankenstein’s monster with a heart of gold.
• Homer Simpson, The Simpsons – The blueprint for animated dads everywhere: lazy, loud, and lovable.
• Howard Cunningham, Happy Days – America’s ideal mid-century dad with an open heart and front porch wisdom.
• Jason Seaver, Growing Pains – Psychiatrist by day, sitcom dad by night.
• Michael Bluth, Arrested Development – The only semi-functional adult in a sea of dysfunction.
• Mike Brady, The Brady Bunch – The original blended-family blueprint.
• Peter Griffin, Family Guy – Not the brightest, but always entertaining.
• Phil Dunphy, Modern Family – Dad jokes perfected.
• Philip Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – Uncle Phil to Will, but a father figure to all of us.
• Phillip Drummond, Diff’rent Strokes – A millionaire who opened his home and heart.
• Red Forman, That ’70s Show – Tough love and a foot poised for your rear.
• Steven Keaton, Family Ties – Liberal ex-hippie trying to parent a Republican teen.
• Tim Taylor, Home Improvement – Power tool enthusiast, parenting work-in-progress.
• Tom Bradford, Eight Is Enough – Managing a household of eight kids with calm dad energy.
• Tony Micelli, Who’s the Boss? – Housekeeper, baseball player, and Mr. Mom before it was a thing.
• Ward Cleaver, Leave It to Beaver – The OG classic dad, all pipe-smoking patience and timeless advice.

Did we leave your favorite off the list? Or include someone you think shouldn’t be anywhere near it? Sound off in the comments—but remember, even Homer’s trying his best.