Favorite TV dad?

[Bossy Monkey]

Most of mine were in the '60s when I was an actual child, and most are now hidden behind memory's merciful curtain. This is inspired though, by the moment earlier this afternoon when the History Channel was playing "The Caine Mutiny" while TCM was showing "Double Indemnity." So you had the rare opportunity of watching Fred MacMurray play a heavy twice simultaneously. All I could think was, "Steve Douglas, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

So whatcha say? Mike Brady? Cliff Huxtable? That shitheel Alan Thicke played? What?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

1. Al Bundy.

Married with Children was major family bonding time growing up.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

16. Hell... yeah!

A favorite scene of mine was a later episode when Marcy's boss (Pat Morita) wanted to buy Al's crappy Dodge. He refuses, telling Marcy:

"I love that car more than anything else!"

Bud, sitting next to him, says, "What about us, Dad?"

Al, without missing a beat, says, "You need a Q-tip?!?!"

[WritingIsMyReligion]

2. I absolutely LOVED "The Cosby Show" when it was on Nick@Nite

at 9 and 9:30 and then 10 and 10:30 about three years ago. I nearly cried when they finally bumped it up to midnight, in order to give Full House its timeslot.

So needless to say, I really love Cliff Huxtable. Bill Cosby is a truly funny cat, and a jazz-lover to boot.

[Deja Q]

3. Dan Connor

[Ptah]

4. Andy Griffith

[hickman]

9. Yes. Andy. He was the best.

I did love Uncle Bill in Family Affair though. I saw an interview with Andy Griffith once. He said that he based a lot of his character's relationship with Opie on Rance Howard's relationship with Ron.

[LiberalHeart]

5. Ralph Waite (I think that's his name)

The Waltons

[MissMillie]

14. Gets my vote too (n/t)

.

[bridgit]

6. Fred MacMurray...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_MacMurray

[HughBeaumont]

7. Take a WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILD guess, money!

The King of Kings. TV's Supreme Being. That whole thing about his 1982 death is a myth; he walks the earth in a Brooks Brothers suit, heals the sick, doles out money to the homeless and is currently secretly dismantling the modern Republican Party for ruining the good name of Dwight David Eisenhower. Entire religions should be based on his wisdom. J.R. "Bob" Dobbs, Jesus and Buddha rolled into one kindly, classic ex-Seabee dad of the century.

[quiet.american]

8. Lorne Greene - Bonanza. Perfect father. :) n/t

[sendero]

10. Donal Logue...

... as Sean Finnerty on "Grounded for Life".

[Frank Cannon]

11. Currently: Keith Mars from WC's "Veronica Mars"

Enrico Colantoni and Kristen Bell share remarkable comic timing, and his character radiates an honest sense of confidence in his unconventionally brilliant daughter while still being comfortably concerned for her. I definitely think he's the coolest dad on TV today.

[Fox Mulder]

12. Homer Simpson

[CBGLuthier]

13. Red Forman

From that 70's show. Not afraid to let his son know that his problems in life are because he is a dumbass.

[July]

23. I'll second that Red Forman. nt

[Broken_Hero]

15. Jonathan Kent...:)

aka John Schneider... My second would be Dan, from Roseanne.

[Vidar]

17. Steven Keaton (Micael Gross) from Family Ties.

[wickerwoman]

18. Hal Holbrooke from Malcolm in the Middle.

I can't remember the characters name though

[Bzzzz]

19. Archie Bunker...

reminds me of my own redneck, prejudiced, racist, teddybear of a father. He is a good Dem. But, somehow I turned out okay.

[ScreamingMeemie]

20. Ward!

he was almost as good a daddy as my own.

[The Wielding Truth]

21. Andy Tayler, Oppy's Dad. All around good guy

[BlueJazz]

22. What?? No Ward Cleaver? I always admired the Man.....

...for his kindness and insight.

[datasuspect]

24. rodney dangerfield in the movie "natural born killers"

in the spoof sitcom: "mickey loves mallory" or whatever it was.

funny as shit in a very sick way.

[calico1]

25. Andy Griffith was the best TV dad

in my opinion.

I agree about Fred MacMurray! Watch "The Apartment" if you haven't already. He plays a real sleaze in that one too! It's hard to imagine him playing bad guys after watching him Mr. Douglas in My Three Sons or in Disney movies like Flubber, but he actually did really well as a bad guy!

[bigwillq]

26. Dan Connor

from Roseanne

[ceile]

27. I'll second Dan.

One of the best sitcoms ever.

Right now though, I'm partial to George Lopez.