World's greatest dads? No, but pretty good
The 80s seems a bit like the Lost Generation when it comes to truly great TV dads. We can't have Mike Brady ("The Brady Bunch"), Charles Ingalls ("Little House on the Prairie") or Howard Cunningham ("Happy Days"). Even Homer Simpson gave us just one good year in the 80s.
But we're also not totally bankrupt in the paternal department either. As we continue to build out our list of top TV shows of the 80s, here are some of the "honorable mentions" from TV-Land.
My top 3 dads from 80s television:
Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby, "The Cosby Show"): Not so much a role as Cosby himself. He even took one of his most memorable stand-up comedy routine zingers -- "I brought you kids into this world, and I can take you out!" -- into the show during a square-off with Theo.
Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill, "Married ... With Children"): He's going to lose any battle for parenting skills, but America's favorite shoe salesman was perhaps its funniest dad. And he somehow fathered Christina Applegate. So he's got that going for him. Which is nice. "Your happiness... sickens me.
Everybody but me is looking at good times. But for me it's been one
long continuous year since I got married. Actually, one long month.
Helluary."
Steven Keaton (Michael Gross, "Family Ties"): My dad was an easy-going, bearded old softie too, but he wasn't a liberal hippie who could tolerate a smarmy Reagan-loving son like the one played by Michael J. Fox. "Alex, parents are conditioned to put up with a few minor accidents when
they leave their children home alone. A broken vase, spilt milk on the
rug... There was a kangaroo... in my living room."
OK, who are we forgetting to honor here? Leave a comment with your favorite TV dad, and I'll add to the list.
Relive the music, movies and culture of the greatest decade ever with Times online editor Steve Spears. A teen during the decade, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.
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Did a great job with Dana Plato.
Posted by: Spears | May 21, 2008 at 02:39 PM
You're forgetting Philip Drummond from Diff'rent Strokes. He was a great dad. He was always doing his best to teach his kids values.
Posted by: Duminda | May 21, 2008 at 02:07 PM
Sherrie: George
Posted by: Walter Cox | July 27, 2007 at 05:04 PM
I have to enthusiastically second the nomination of Jason Seaver from "Growing Pains" as a great 80's dad! I had a crazy crush on Alan Thicke circa 1986 (now long diminished, what was I thinking?)and he had the whole Leo DiCaprio as a foster kid thing going for him. And wasn't the other guy from My Two Dads Greg Evigan from BJ and the Bear? Also, how about Webster's Dad, Alex Karas? (I can't remember his character name) He was a great Dad.
Posted by: Sherrie | July 27, 2007 at 04:48 PM
test
Posted by: ww | July 27, 2007 at 04:29 PM
Double your pleasure: the 2 dads from "My two dads" Paul Reiser and.........the other guy.
LOL
Posted by: Hamptune | July 27, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Wasn't Jason Seaver from "Growing Pains" a good dad? Can't remember, and didn't watch much of the show. And Jack Arnold from "The Wonder Years" was a little grouchy, but he seemed to be a good family man.
Posted by: Walter Cox | July 27, 2007 at 09:50 AM