TV Talk: TV’s most memorable fathers

Just as TV seared decades of TV moms into our pop culture memories, so too do we remember TV’s most memorable dads. Let’s hop in Mr. Peabody and Sherman’s Wayback Machine and revisit some favorites, good and bad, via superlatives:

Wisest dad

Widower and single dad Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) had his plate full as sheriff of Mayberry on “The Andy Griffith Show,” but he always had time for son Opie (Ron Howard), dispensing life lessons on humility, respect, discipline and the value of friendship.

Best coach dad

Tough but caring Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) not only took good care of his immediate family but also served as a surrogate father to an entire football team on “Friday Night Lights.”

Grooviest dad

Full of wisdom dispensed in a calm but uncompromising manner, Mike Brady (Robert Reed) was even named “Father of the Year” after stepdaughter Marcia (Maureen McCormick) nominated him in a contest.

Best cranky dad

Sure, he probably didn’t need to call his son names so often, but war vet Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith) helped toughen up Eric (Topher Grace) while keeping “That ’70s Show” viewers laughing at his curt demeanor.

Most connected to his roots dad

Dre Johnson (Anthony Anderson) never shied away from teaching his kids about Black history and always encouraged them to take pride in their heritage on “Black-ish.”

Best blue-collar dad

Dan Conner (John Goodman), a proto­typical guy’s guy, always tried to do well by his children on “Roseanne” and eventually his grandchildren on “The Conners.” He didn’t always get it right the first time, but he usually got there eventually.

Best cartoon dad

A tie: Without Fred Flintstone of “The Flintstones” it’s hard to imagine Homer Simpson. They’re both loudmouth dads prone to ignorant bragging but in the end they usually did what was best for their families even if it was sometimes through dumb luck (see: Homer eeny, meeny, miny, moed his way to saving Springfield from a nuclear reactor meltdown on “The Simpsons.”)

Best sacrificial dad

If not for that damn Crock-Pot that sparked a fire that led to the death of Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia), there would have been fewer tears shed while watching “This Is Us.”

Best adoptive dad (earthbound)

Always concerned, ever-vigilant Randall (Sterling K. Brown) of partially Pittsburgh-set “This Is Us” welcomed troubled adoptive daughter Déjà (Lyric Ross) as one of his own, ultimately bonding with her over their shared but distinct adoption experiences.

Best adoptive dad (in a galaxy far, far away)

Just a few years ago, the “Star Wars” universe didn’t have a great father-son track record (see: Luke vs. Darth Vader). Then along came “The Mandalorian’s” Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) who took charge of his mischievous, baby Yoda-like ward, Grogu. In the show’s most recent episode Mando formally adopted The Child as his own son.

Best wealthy dad

Sure, Philip Banks (James Avery) was the uncle of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” played by Will Smith, but he was an understanding father figure, just what Will needed in his life.

Most macabre dad

His family was creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky, but Gomez Adams (John Astin), despite his unorthodox ways, was an attentive dad and with wife, Morticia (Carolyn Jones), provided a positive model to their children of a loving relationship.

Most tolerant dad

This one’s a tie between easy-going Louis Huang of “Fresh off the Boat,” who played second-fiddle to in-command wife, Jessica (Constance Wu), and poor Hal (Bryan Cranston), who was surrounded by constant chaos on “Malcolm in the Middle.”

Nicest widower dad

Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) on “Full House” had to raise his three young daughters after his wife died in an accident.

Best doofus dad

If there was ever a TV father emblematic of the “dad joke,” it was surely Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) of “Modern Family.” Usually less funny and more cringey than he thought he was, Phil’s heart was almost always in the right place.

Most understanding dad

Burt Hummel (Mike O’Malley), father to flamboyant Kurt (Chris Colfer) on “Glee,” didn’t understand homosexuality and hadn’t had much exposure to gay people when his son came out. But through Burt, audiences saw a father who was putting in the work to overcome his ignorance and prejudices for the love of his son.

Best penny-pinching dad

Julius (Terry Crews) on “Everybody Hates Chris” was devoted to his family through fiscal responsibility, even if it meant sweltering in the summer and layering up in the winter.

Best old-fashioned dad

Hard to choose between “Leave it to Beaver’s” Ward Cleaver (Hugh Beaumont) and “Father Knows Best’s” Jim Anderson (Robert Young), 1950s TV dads and definitive heads of their households who served as prototypes at a time when homes with TVs crossed the 50% mark in 1955.

Best Boomer dad

For a medium overflowing with slovenly, dumb dads, Steven Keaton (Michael Gross) of “Family Ties” was a counterweight: A hip (and seemingly former hippie) dad who dispensed sound, easy-going advice.

Best worst dad

Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) was racist, sexist and xenophobic but thanks to O’Connor’s performance – and writers who always put Archie in his place and taught him a lesson – the character remained somehow likable and a classic crank of the medium.

Funniest-turned-most-problematic dad

In a vacuum, Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) of “The Cosby Show” remains one of TV’s all-time greatest, funniest fathers. But for viewers who have a hard time separating art from the artist, Cosby’s misdeeds (that now-vacated sexual assault conviction) mar the memory of this fantastic TV character.

Worst bad dad

Walter White (Bryan Cranston) may have started with good intentions when he attempted to secure his family’s future after a lung cancer diagnosis but turning into a drug dealer ultimately made his whole family’s lives worse.

Worst mobster dad

Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) would do anything for and/or around his kids — up to and including killing a mob informant while taking daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) on college visits.

Worst media mogul dad

Withholding of love and approval, Logan Roy (Brian Cox) pitted his children against one another in the race to succeed him in “Succession.” Nothing good came from it.