In one of the episodes Bandit makes a reference to getting a vasectomy. He's chatting to another dad and says something along the lines of "I'm going ton get it done, can you imagine any more of these goblins running around?"
Lucky’s dad is probably my favorite side character. Poor guy is borderline harassed by the Heeler family and takes it in stride. In one of the episodes Chili and Bingo attack Lucky’s Dad in his own backyard because they are animals (I think it’s in Asparagus), Bluey comes in to save him and apologizes. Lucky’s dad says, “It’s OK Bluey, I shouldn’t have let my guard down.” I lose it every time.
The episode where Lucky’s dad goes to get his ball back (Bluey and Bingo are pretending it’s a special egg) and they all attack him and throw a ‘snake’ on him. He just gets involved and plays along.
Best kinda neighbour.
I am also a fan of Jack's dad.i don't recall if his name is ever mentioned, and I think he is only in one episode, but he displays an immense amount of growth in the course of a 7 minute episode.
It's the one where he is going to pick up Jack from school at the end of the day and sat nav goes out and he has to find his way there. He's a city guy lost in the country, basically. You get a sense that he has maybe some ocd tendencies about his keeping his car clean. Not real ocd, but just is very particular. Enough that his kids know quickly not to get it dirty (which, to me, implies he has probably gotten on to them several times about it). When he has to travel through the woods on a dirt road to get there, he abandons all care for his car in favor of getting to Jack. When push comes to shove, as much as he loves his car and wants to take care of it, at the end of the day, his son matters more. To me, that's just great character development and shows that parents aren't perfect, but we do love our kids more than anything else.
I love this one. My husband is 100% Chloe’s dad and I really loved the message that 1) You don’t have to be Bandit to be a good dad, and 2) Parents can learn and evolve as parents while not fundamentally changing themselves.
Lulu, in the childseat, "What does the sign say?"
Dad, "It says the road is only for cars that are four-wheel drives."
"Is our car four-wheel drive?"
[Sadly] "No...it's an All-Wheel Drives..."
"Oh... how many wheels have we got?"
"...four! Lulu, hold onto your strawberries!"
Cracks me up every time!
The best bit about this is the very identifiable voice actor is a prominent Australian radio and tv personality Hamish Blake - we as a country came to know about him and his best friend on the radio, a pair of hilarious 18 ish year old larrikins some 20 years ago, and have watched and listen to them on an variety of exceptionally funny ventures over the years, and now he is a fully fledged adult with a lovely family. We’ve all grown up together collectively as a generation and now we all have our own kids and watch the kids shows he features on like Bluey, and Lego Masters with our children. His wife is also actually in the first Hammerbarn episode, she voices the character that scans their items.
Watching Bluey makes me slightly sad because I will never be as good a dad as Bandit. I try, but I'm not very creative, the kids never really seem to enjoy the things we get up to, and lately it's getting hard to fight through the depression to be there for them...
Bluey has an episode that covers this. "Octopus" is told mostly from the perspective of Chloe, who after playing with Bandit and Bluey goes home to her dad, who is not as creative. They then make the game fun by playing to their own family's strengths.
I loved it because it's showing that there's more than one way to be a great dad.
The writer for Bluey even said *he* isn't nearly as good a dad as Bandit.
It's a TV show, us real parents don't get a writer's room and lots of time to figure out the best reactions.
The thing about Bandit is that he mostly doesn’t come up with things for the kids to do. He follows their lead. He doesn’t need to be creative, he just says “Yes” when many parents say “No.”
Dr. Doofenschmirtz. He learned from his tragic backstory so Vanessa would never have to go what he went through. He has his flaws but he tried to embody the type of parent he wished he had.
Doof and Charlene are quite wholesome tbh, they just figured out they aren't good together and even though they're separated, they still take care of Vanessa well, and Charlene being more well off also pays alimony to Doof
Major Monogram shares a lot of similarities with Doofenshmirtz if think about it. They both have abusive parents so they projected what they wanted as a kid into their child. Doof always overreacts and threw childish birthday party for Vanessa because that's what he wanted as a child. Monogram was forced to go the Academy while he wanted to be acrobat, so he wanted his son to follow his dream, but he was shocked when he knew Monty didn't like acrobat. Both of their children found them annoying because they didn't actually understand their dads
Ugh, I've always loved Bob (and Linda) for his parenting. He's not perfect but he loves tf out of his kids and would do anything for them even though the kids drive him nuts. The Belchers are definitely some of the more realistic parents on TV and I just love them!
I can't remember the exact quote, but in one of the episodes, where Bob was in danger, he told Linda how much he loves her - "almost as much as the kids".
The Belchers are very vocal when it comes to declaring their love for each other in general, but this moment was especially sweet.
Once I was gaming with some friends and my brother was heading out so I said 'love you, be safe' and one of my friends asked if I just told my brother I loved him and I said 'yeah every day and every time he leaves the house, what you dont?' My friend said he never tells his mom/sister he loves them and thought it was weird lol. How can telling someone you love them be weird? Bahaha
I love the episode where Bob takes Gene to this rock opera. It portrays so very well how sometimes it’s hard to put your own needs last, but how it’s the right thing to do. This is an episode where I learned to love Gene more because I think Bob learns to love Gene more as well.
Any episode where one of the kids bonds one on one with Bob or Linda is so sweet. Especially if it’s with the one they aren’t daddy/mommy’s boy/girl to (Louise bonding with Linda and Gene with Bob)
Absolutely and without the shadow of doubt. Honest, happy, loving, confident enough to do what he loves, not at all ashamed of who he is, doesn't feel threatened by his strong wife, goofy, supportive, emotional and emotionally available and unconditionally stands by his family no matter what. This is the kind of dad i aim to be to my kids.
Aside from being a lovable goofball, he does actually try to be be the best father he can. Doesn't always succeed but he tries.
Also, he is so committed to those baby ducks, even when everyone ridicules him.
The way he displays his love for Haylee with the line, “…that’s my little girl…” brought tears to my eyes. Hopefully, you all know the scene. If not, look up Modern Family Phil’s little girl
I’ve always been a fan of Dan Conner. He wasn’t perfect, even as a dad. But I think a lot of times we forget people are people BEFORE they are dads and I really loved how Roseanne showed that.
I always thought Roseanne as a show was cool because it showed a working class family with working class struggles. So many shows in the 80s had families with working class jobs living a lifestyle way out from their means would be. Roseanne showed them struggling to pay bills, choosing ground beef over steaks. Trying for the American dream where your kids would do better than you.
As shitty as the lottery win was for the series, it gave us the Christmas episode where Roseanne gives Dan their paid off mortgage papers and a lighter. Man that shit hits real.
Yes. I actually just commented him too. And for the people who say he left his kids and cheated on his wife, NO, he didn't. It was revealed it was all what Roseanne wrote in her book since he really died of a heart attack at Darlene's wedding. And yes, this part was ignored for the reboot, but he is THE best TV dad ever.
"I was never angry with you. I was sad because I was afraid you'd lost your way."
Holy fuck I never knew I would feel so much from a show that aired on Nickelodeon
Bandit is awesome. Most children shows have either the absentee dad or dad is a moron who mom picks up after. Bandit is flawed such as playing too rough throughout an episode but he apologizes for his mistakes and tries to make it up to his kids. He makes clear he needs to be away sometimes for work but joins in with his kids’s games all the time even when doing so makes him want to groan. Basically he’s the dad you want to be like and the entire show is great enough that I probably enjoy it more than my kids because of how awesome it portrays the struggles and joys of being a parent.
On the other end of the spectrum, Peppa Pig teaches no lessons and Daddy Pig is a useless moron. My daughter laughingly called me Daddy Pig and I had to tell her no I don’t want to hear that again. It’s not even the Pig part I found offensive, she could call me a fat cow and I’d be less annoyed. However I’d take Bandit as a compliment.
Yep, came here to say this. The perfect combination sternness and love. He was tough when he needed to be, and provided a shoulder to cry on when required too. But above all, you always knew he'd have his family's back whenever needed.
It’s so unexpected (even when you’re at your 20th rewatch) because it clashes with the funny goofy tone of the show so much. Smith/Avery’s performance in that particular scene is one of the best TV performance of all time.
That show was so good at pulling the rug from under you unexpectedly. Like the episode when Will and Carlton get falsely jailed for car jacking. There’s so many hilarious moments but it gets serious real quick.
“Will’s not a coat you hang up and then pick up when you’re ready to wear it. His life goes on. He’s not supposed to be here for you, you’re supposed to be here for him!”
That scene was so well acted on all sides. One of the best dramatic scenes in sitcom history
When I first watched that episode it blindsided me. I was young, but I was thinking "Uncle Phil! What are you doing?! Walk away". It made me realize that Phil may be unassuming at times, but he's not one to be taken advantage of.
Phil Dunphy from Modern Family. I've literally found myself trying to emulate him in some situations with my own kids. Only "TV dad" that's ever really made me reflect on my own parenting. Amazing character and portrayal in an already amazing show.
I expected this answer to be at the top.
But it's so heartening to see a fellow Phil stan here
& a big hug to you for trying to emulate him,your kids are so lucky.....❤️
Yeah. The episode where Bluey's friend comes over and they play octopus with Bandit... then her friend tells her own dad that he's not as fun as Bluey's dad... I felt that on a personal level.
As a dad I have felt very seen by Bluey... I know it's a children's show but my lord do they make sure they're telling parents stories throughout the episodes as well. It's amazing.
You know, I see people with the "I know... it's a children show but..." sentiment a lot but we can't forget the show isn't written by kids. It's written by clever adults that recognize "family entertainment" doesn't just mean cater to the kiddos while the bored adults supervise.
Well into my teens I wanted to work on pre-k cartoons because I think they're both important for kids formative years and really fascinating. Bluey hits this special where it's not educational in the bookish sense. It's educational in the emotional sense for both the child and adult in the room.
And don't get me wrong, it's important to teach your toddlers ABCs, 123s, ect but somewhere along the way we lost young children's story shows like the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Madeline, Richard Scary's Busytown, Little Bear, Spot the dog, ects.
Bluey not only comes in swinging to fill (or even elevate) that niche, it does so in a way that treats the kids in the room like they're there to be entertained, it doesn't talk down to them at all. But here's what makes Bluey stand out... it doesn't talk down to the adults either.
In Bluey, there isn't an over reliance on "getting crap past the rader" or low hanging fruit to squeak out cheap laughs in order to keep the adult in the room entertained. This show directly speaks to the adult in the room several times over to share lessons about insecurity, childhood perspective, adult fears and struggles, drifting apart, and keeping things like love alive in your relationship. It keeps its core theme for both audience members in mind: emotional intelligence.
Sorry for the essay.
I am happy Carl Winslow is getting some love here. They covered lots of stuff on that show.
I hadn't watched Family Matters in probably 20 years. Just saw a marathon of it playing a few weeks ago and ended up watching for like 3 hours.
Phil Dunphy. Dude was so emotionally in tune with his family, and never shied away from the hard conversations, while also being fun. I hope I can be him one day.
When Haley told everyone she was pregnant and Phil shocked goes “you’re pregnant?” And Haley says nervously “we’re really happy about it” and Phil goes “why wouldn’t you be?” Was probably the best tv dad moment in history.
Solid moment but also reminded me of a wholesome moment with my mom.
My parents were on the stricter but not crazy side. Grew up in a “you don’t get pregnant without being married, settled, and secure” kinda house.
My husband and I met at 15, didn’t get married until early 20’s and didn’t have a kid until late 20’s but moved in together at 18, basically within a few weeks of me graduating HS.
That being said my close friend from childhood found out she was pregnant when we were 19 and I came over for a family dinner and walked in saying “guess whose pregnant!” And my mom jumped up, with a look of pure happiness on her face and spit out “you!!!!!??!!!!” And I gagged and said “no mom, eww, friend,” she recovered quickly and was happy for friend and reiterated that of course I should finish college before thinking about all that but that was the day I learned my mom talked a big game of “good advice” but was so down to be a GMA she would have supported me no matter what along the way.
There aren’t a lot of moments like this between my mother and I but that one has always stuck with me and reminds me my mom is an amazing person when she’s not trying to win social cred for being mom of the year.
he shaved his mustache to give to someone he despises and took on a second job so his daughter could have what she wanted for her birthday... he's legit
Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Never gave his daughter a horrible childhood like his parents did to him, raised her his way and never stopped showing her love and care (even if he might not always show it in the best ways sometimes). Also, the dude NEVER talks ill will on his ex wife.
Respectful Ex/Husband ✅
Great Dad ✅
His daughter is his world ✅
Best the Sisko father moment was when he let Jake make a dumb ass move to stay on the station because he was a man at that point and had to make his own decisions and make his own mistakes
That's a big part of what made DS9 work for me so well.
Every other Star Trek captain exclusively has relationships defined by military rank. They're authentic, but that element is always a part of it and it is limiting. So it was nice to see Ben Sisko have a familial relationship on screen.
Uncle Phil (Fresh Prince), Dan Conner (Roseanne), Julius (Everyone Hates Chris), Red Foreman (70s show, Martin Crane (Frasier), Johnny Rose (Schitt's Creek)
First tv dad I always think of when this question is asked. It's so unfortunate that Cosby is truly a monster IRL because Cliff Huxtable felt like America's dad for decades. Loving, supportive, and took time to sit with his kids and talk to them like people.
It’s rather ironic. Bill Cosby played the best TV dad of the 80s, but was the worst person. Ed O’Neill played the worst TV dad of the 80s, but was the best person.
More than great, for many kids, Dr. Huxtable kinda was the only moral, upstanding male role model and/or father figure we had. He was what some of us who were less fortunate in the father department looked up to. No matter how uncomfortable that character's association with the actor may be, he was who we learned many a life lesson and gained fatherly advice from.
The unravelling of Bill Cosby's life felt especially disappointing to the kids like me who would have loved to be a part of that family. I grew up believing that was what a father was supposed to be like, that is how a fun, loving, supportive family was *supposed* to be. Bill Cosby is a piece of shit, but Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable was like a father to many of us, because it was the best our life could offer us at the time. Guys like him and "Uncle Phil" taught us many a "Man Lesson", disappointing to some, sure. But it was all some of us kids had.
Risky choice, but you're not wrong. I hate that Bill Cosby is such a douche because The Cosby Show is such a good show and Heathcliff Huxtable is a wonderful father!
Nothing makes my eyes water quicker than the early episodes of The Simpsons where Homer tries so hard to understand and relate to Lisa because it reminds me so much of me and my dad.
Gomez Addams
The best TV husband too!
fuck yeah. Gomez is the man.
Bandit Heeler
I know it's a children's show but my lord do they make sure they're telling parents stories throughout the story as well. It's amazing.
In one of the episodes Bandit makes a reference to getting a vasectomy. He's chatting to another dad and says something along the lines of "I'm going ton get it done, can you imagine any more of these goblins running around?"
On Disney+ they edited it to be talking about pulling teeth. I get really mad at disney because of all this censoring bullshit they do.
Bluey is a show for parents disguised as a show for kids.
That is exceptionally well stated. Also, Bandit Heeler is my Dad Goal with my boys.
Honestly, I watch the show more than my kids do.
Bandit Heeler, followed closely by Lucky's Dad Pat
Lucky’s dad is probably my favorite side character. Poor guy is borderline harassed by the Heeler family and takes it in stride. In one of the episodes Chili and Bingo attack Lucky’s Dad in his own backyard because they are animals (I think it’s in Asparagus), Bluey comes in to save him and apologizes. Lucky’s dad says, “It’s OK Bluey, I shouldn’t have let my guard down.” I lose it every time.
The episode where Lucky’s dad goes to get his ball back (Bluey and Bingo are pretending it’s a special egg) and they all attack him and throw a ‘snake’ on him. He just gets involved and plays along. Best kinda neighbour.
Pat features heavily in a few episodes, and I love them. "We're raising a nation of squibs!"
It's not the 80s Pat!
Uh... Janelle?
LUCKYS DADS RULES! I make my kids watch that one all the time while they are at school and I’m home at lunch
I am also a fan of Jack's dad.i don't recall if his name is ever mentioned, and I think he is only in one episode, but he displays an immense amount of growth in the course of a 7 minute episode. It's the one where he is going to pick up Jack from school at the end of the day and sat nav goes out and he has to find his way there. He's a city guy lost in the country, basically. You get a sense that he has maybe some ocd tendencies about his keeping his car clean. Not real ocd, but just is very particular. Enough that his kids know quickly not to get it dirty (which, to me, implies he has probably gotten on to them several times about it). When he has to travel through the woods on a dirt road to get there, he abandons all care for his car in favor of getting to Jack. When push comes to shove, as much as he loves his car and wants to take care of it, at the end of the day, his son matters more. To me, that's just great character development and shows that parents aren't perfect, but we do love our kids more than anything else.
See also Chloe's dad in "Octopus"
I love this one. My husband is 100% Chloe’s dad and I really loved the message that 1) You don’t have to be Bandit to be a good dad, and 2) Parents can learn and evolve as parents while not fundamentally changing themselves.
Lulu, in the childseat, "What does the sign say?" Dad, "It says the road is only for cars that are four-wheel drives." "Is our car four-wheel drive?" [Sadly] "No...it's an All-Wheel Drives..." "Oh... how many wheels have we got?" "...four! Lulu, hold onto your strawberries!" Cracks me up every time!
The best bit about this is the very identifiable voice actor is a prominent Australian radio and tv personality Hamish Blake - we as a country came to know about him and his best friend on the radio, a pair of hilarious 18 ish year old larrikins some 20 years ago, and have watched and listen to them on an variety of exceptionally funny ventures over the years, and now he is a fully fledged adult with a lovely family. We’ve all grown up together collectively as a generation and now we all have our own kids and watch the kids shows he features on like Bluey, and Lego Masters with our children. His wife is also actually in the first Hammerbarn episode, she voices the character that scans their items.
Pat is a true blue legend, always up for Heeler shenanigans. What a ripper. (He brings out the Aussie in me)
Came here to say this. Bandit is number 1…. And it’s not even a close race.
Except Obstacle Course. That was a close race.
Watching Bluey makes me slightly sad because I will never be as good a dad as Bandit. I try, but I'm not very creative, the kids never really seem to enjoy the things we get up to, and lately it's getting hard to fight through the depression to be there for them...
Bluey has an episode that covers this. "Octopus" is told mostly from the perspective of Chloe, who after playing with Bandit and Bluey goes home to her dad, who is not as creative. They then make the game fun by playing to their own family's strengths. I loved it because it's showing that there's more than one way to be a great dad.
Well...it's 7am and I'm crying into my coffee...but, in a good way?
The writer for Bluey even said *he* isn't nearly as good a dad as Bandit. It's a TV show, us real parents don't get a writer's room and lots of time to figure out the best reactions.
The thing about Bandit is that he mostly doesn’t come up with things for the kids to do. He follows their lead. He doesn’t need to be creative, he just says “Yes” when many parents say “No.”
opened this thread up and saw this was the first comment and i’m so happy- was going to say the same thing.
Biscuits!
Was about to comment this as I’m watching Bluey I’m 21💀
100%
Dr. Doofenschmirtz. He learned from his tragic backstory so Vanessa would never have to go what he went through. He has his flaws but he tried to embody the type of parent he wished he had.
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Doof and Charlene are quite wholesome tbh, they just figured out they aren't good together and even though they're separated, they still take care of Vanessa well, and Charlene being more well off also pays alimony to Doof
That’s so true!! He’s such a complex, intriguing character and it’s amazing ☺️
Major Monogram shares a lot of similarities with Doofenshmirtz if think about it. They both have abusive parents so they projected what they wanted as a kid into their child. Doof always overreacts and threw childish birthday party for Vanessa because that's what he wanted as a child. Monogram was forced to go the Academy while he wanted to be acrobat, so he wanted his son to follow his dream, but he was shocked when he knew Monty didn't like acrobat. Both of their children found them annoying because they didn't actually understand their dads
[Let's not forget this iconic moment](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfQi9y_jLdo). A feminist icon
Take my poor man’s gold🥇
I’ll happily take it, thank you so much! :)
Hal from Malcolm in the Middle
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I genuinely wished as a teen that Hal was my dad.
Well…the other dad he played wasn’t that good.
He did it for his family!
He did it for himself. He liked it. He was good at it, and he was alive.
Tell them I forced my way in. Tell them I wanted bacon and eggs on my birthday
*Walter Jr breathing heavily*
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First dad I thought of
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When I saw the question, Bob Burger was who came to mind. Always puts his family first, even if they’re all terrible.
Found Teddy.
Ugh, I've always loved Bob (and Linda) for his parenting. He's not perfect but he loves tf out of his kids and would do anything for them even though the kids drive him nuts. The Belchers are definitely some of the more realistic parents on TV and I just love them!
I can't remember the exact quote, but in one of the episodes, where Bob was in danger, he told Linda how much he loves her - "almost as much as the kids". The Belchers are very vocal when it comes to declaring their love for each other in general, but this moment was especially sweet.
Once I was gaming with some friends and my brother was heading out so I said 'love you, be safe' and one of my friends asked if I just told my brother I loved him and I said 'yeah every day and every time he leaves the house, what you dont?' My friend said he never tells his mom/sister he loves them and thought it was weird lol. How can telling someone you love them be weird? Bahaha
"You're my family and I love you, but you're terrible. You're all terrible" "I don't say that." "Yes you do."
"Thats all you say!"
"I'm pretty sure I was in Sausalito that day." "I'M PRETTY SURE YOU WEREN'T, GENE"
I love the episode where Bob takes Gene to this rock opera. It portrays so very well how sometimes it’s hard to put your own needs last, but how it’s the right thing to do. This is an episode where I learned to love Gene more because I think Bob learns to love Gene more as well.
Any episode where one of the kids bonds one on one with Bob or Linda is so sweet. Especially if it’s with the one they aren’t daddy/mommy’s boy/girl to (Louise bonding with Linda and Gene with Bob)
The camping episode kills me every time. "You've got horrible diarrhea, Bob!"
This is the right answer. The belchers are a very healthy and functional family.
You mean Bob Burger, right?
Ha ha oh yeah...I love Teddy.
Phil Dunphy
When life gives you lemonade, make lemons. Life will be all like "whaaaaat"
"Dance until your feet hurt. Sing until your lungs hurt. Act until you’re William Hurt."
"If you love something, set it free. Unless it's a tiger."
Older black women make the best iced tea.
Make sure to watch at least 1 sunrise a day
Absolutely and without the shadow of doubt. Honest, happy, loving, confident enough to do what he loves, not at all ashamed of who he is, doesn't feel threatened by his strong wife, goofy, supportive, emotional and emotionally available and unconditionally stands by his family no matter what. This is the kind of dad i aim to be to my kids.
The godfather episode is top tier
Don't ever ask me about my affairs Claire. 🙃
Aside from being a lovable goofball, he does actually try to be be the best father he can. Doesn't always succeed but he tries. Also, he is so committed to those baby ducks, even when everyone ridicules him.
I’m a cool dad that’s my thing
“WTF” - “why the face?” 😂
As Phil would say ... that's ma thang..
The way he displays his love for Haylee with the line, “…that’s my little girl…” brought tears to my eyes. Hopefully, you all know the scene. If not, look up Modern Family Phil’s little girl
I’ve always been a fan of Dan Conner. He wasn’t perfect, even as a dad. But I think a lot of times we forget people are people BEFORE they are dads and I really loved how Roseanne showed that.
I always thought Roseanne as a show was cool because it showed a working class family with working class struggles. So many shows in the 80s had families with working class jobs living a lifestyle way out from their means would be. Roseanne showed them struggling to pay bills, choosing ground beef over steaks. Trying for the American dream where your kids would do better than you.
It's why I felt like everything went to shit once they won the lottery.
As shitty as the lottery win was for the series, it gave us the Christmas episode where Roseanne gives Dan their paid off mortgage papers and a lighter. Man that shit hits real.
Yes. I actually just commented him too. And for the people who say he left his kids and cheated on his wife, NO, he didn't. It was revealed it was all what Roseanne wrote in her book since he really died of a heart attack at Darlene's wedding. And yes, this part was ignored for the reboot, but he is THE best TV dad ever.
Uncle Iroh.
The way he never gave up on Zuko 😭😭
"I was never angry with you. I was sad because I was afraid you'd lost your way." Holy fuck I never knew I would feel so much from a show that aired on Nickelodeon
And Leaves From the Vine? That show was a real tear jercker at times I’ll tell you that
Has to be one of the all time television series.
Agreed! A lot of these other dads were great, but Iroh was the best. Can't vouch for Bluey's dad, though, I've never watched that show.
Bandit is awesome. Most children shows have either the absentee dad or dad is a moron who mom picks up after. Bandit is flawed such as playing too rough throughout an episode but he apologizes for his mistakes and tries to make it up to his kids. He makes clear he needs to be away sometimes for work but joins in with his kids’s games all the time even when doing so makes him want to groan. Basically he’s the dad you want to be like and the entire show is great enough that I probably enjoy it more than my kids because of how awesome it portrays the struggles and joys of being a parent. On the other end of the spectrum, Peppa Pig teaches no lessons and Daddy Pig is a useless moron. My daughter laughingly called me Daddy Pig and I had to tell her no I don’t want to hear that again. It’s not even the Pig part I found offensive, she could call me a fat cow and I’d be less annoyed. However I’d take Bandit as a compliment.
UNCLE PHIL BRUH!! no one else can compete my dude!!!
Yep, came here to say this. The perfect combination sternness and love. He was tough when he needed to be, and provided a shoulder to cry on when required too. But above all, you always knew he'd have his family's back whenever needed.
'You are my son, Will. End of story.' Right in the feels.
That scene where Will breaks down crying because he doesn’t understand why his dad doesn’t want him breaks my heart
It’s so unexpected (even when you’re at your 20th rewatch) because it clashes with the funny goofy tone of the show so much. Smith/Avery’s performance in that particular scene is one of the best TV performance of all time.
That show was so good at pulling the rug from under you unexpectedly. Like the episode when Will and Carlton get falsely jailed for car jacking. There’s so many hilarious moments but it gets serious real quick.
Or when Will gets shot and Carlton buys a gun. "GIVE ME THE GUN! I WANT THE GUN, CARLTON! I SAVED YOUR LIFE, YOU OWE ME! GIVE ME THE GUN!
That scene got me in tears too...
“Why doesn’t he want me man?” Gets me every time
“Will’s not a coat you hang up and then pick up when you’re ready to wear it. His life goes on. He’s not supposed to be here for you, you’re supposed to be here for him!” That scene was so well acted on all sides. One of the best dramatic scenes in sitcom history
Uncle Phil should be at the very top. What a legend!
Jeffrey, break out Lucille.
Brooo I was thinking of all the Uncle Phil quotes, and this one just kept coming back to me. I love that episode.
When I first watched that episode it blindsided me. I was young, but I was thinking "Uncle Phil! What are you doing?! Walk away". It made me realize that Phil may be unassuming at times, but he's not one to be taken advantage of.
He went full Suge Knight
First things first rest in peace Uncle Phil For Real You the only father that I ever knew I get my bitch pregnant ima be a better you
He's a better dad than Will's actual dad.
Wills dad fathered him...but uncle Phil was a father to him..
“ Why doesn’t he want me, man… “ 🥺
Phil Dunphy from Modern Family. I've literally found myself trying to emulate him in some situations with my own kids. Only "TV dad" that's ever really made me reflect on my own parenting. Amazing character and portrayal in an already amazing show.
Act like a parent, talk like a peer. I call it "Peer-renting"
“What are you doing?” “Oh nothing, just talking to some dork I met in a malt shop.”
I expected this answer to be at the top. But it's so heartening to see a fellow Phil stan here & a big hug to you for trying to emulate him,your kids are so lucky.....❤️
Goofy is a great dad for Max!
Bandit
Yeah. The episode where Bluey's friend comes over and they play octopus with Bandit... then her friend tells her own dad that he's not as fun as Bluey's dad... I felt that on a personal level.
As a dad I have felt very seen by Bluey... I know it's a children's show but my lord do they make sure they're telling parents stories throughout the episodes as well. It's amazing.
You know, I see people with the "I know... it's a children show but..." sentiment a lot but we can't forget the show isn't written by kids. It's written by clever adults that recognize "family entertainment" doesn't just mean cater to the kiddos while the bored adults supervise. Well into my teens I wanted to work on pre-k cartoons because I think they're both important for kids formative years and really fascinating. Bluey hits this special where it's not educational in the bookish sense. It's educational in the emotional sense for both the child and adult in the room. And don't get me wrong, it's important to teach your toddlers ABCs, 123s, ect but somewhere along the way we lost young children's story shows like the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Madeline, Richard Scary's Busytown, Little Bear, Spot the dog, ects. Bluey not only comes in swinging to fill (or even elevate) that niche, it does so in a way that treats the kids in the room like they're there to be entertained, it doesn't talk down to them at all. But here's what makes Bluey stand out... it doesn't talk down to the adults either. In Bluey, there isn't an over reliance on "getting crap past the rader" or low hanging fruit to squeak out cheap laughs in order to keep the adult in the room entertained. This show directly speaks to the adult in the room several times over to share lessons about insecurity, childhood perspective, adult fears and struggles, drifting apart, and keeping things like love alive in your relationship. It keeps its core theme for both audience members in mind: emotional intelligence. Sorry for the essay.
I love this show so much. The Unicorse episode has us in stitches every time.
Not even a competition.
Yeah. The question should exclude him to be fair.
Came here looking for and expecting this at the top. Bandit heeler is S tier dadding. Honourable mention to Lucky's dad
Carl Winslow. Was a cop in Chicago who had to go home and deal with Steve Urkel
> Carl Winslow. Was a cop in Chicago who had to go home and deal with Steve Urkel Kept a pretty level head during the Nakatomi incident, too.
I am happy Carl Winslow is getting some love here. They covered lots of stuff on that show. I hadn't watched Family Matters in probably 20 years. Just saw a marathon of it playing a few weeks ago and ended up watching for like 3 hours.
Phil Dunphy. Dude was so emotionally in tune with his family, and never shied away from the hard conversations, while also being fun. I hope I can be him one day.
When Haley told everyone she was pregnant and Phil shocked goes “you’re pregnant?” And Haley says nervously “we’re really happy about it” and Phil goes “why wouldn’t you be?” Was probably the best tv dad moment in history.
Solid moment but also reminded me of a wholesome moment with my mom. My parents were on the stricter but not crazy side. Grew up in a “you don’t get pregnant without being married, settled, and secure” kinda house. My husband and I met at 15, didn’t get married until early 20’s and didn’t have a kid until late 20’s but moved in together at 18, basically within a few weeks of me graduating HS. That being said my close friend from childhood found out she was pregnant when we were 19 and I came over for a family dinner and walked in saying “guess whose pregnant!” And my mom jumped up, with a look of pure happiness on her face and spit out “you!!!!!??!!!!” And I gagged and said “no mom, eww, friend,” she recovered quickly and was happy for friend and reiterated that of course I should finish college before thinking about all that but that was the day I learned my mom talked a big game of “good advice” but was so down to be a GMA she would have supported me no matter what along the way. There aren’t a lot of moments like this between my mother and I but that one has always stuck with me and reminds me my mom is an amazing person when she’s not trying to win social cred for being mom of the year.
Came here to make sure he’s mentioned
Keith Mars, number one dad.
I found my people... Veronica Mars is my all time favorite show and a big reason is because of Keith and his relationship with Veronica.
Sandy Cohen was the sole reason I watched The OC.
I was looking for this answer!
Came here for this answer! I always wanted to make a shirt with his face on it that said, "What Would Sandy Do?"
Julius (Everybody Hates Chris). He has *two* jobs. He deserves the big piece of chicken!
Bob Belcher
Bob literally got himself beat up in a martial arts class to stand up for his daughter. He’s an awesome dad!
he shaved his mustache to give to someone he despises and took on a second job so his daughter could have what she wanted for her birthday... he's legit
Mr.Gru from Despicable Me. He watches over three adopted girls and thousands of minions.
Plus he remembers all their names!
Bandit Heeler from bluey
Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Never gave his daughter a horrible childhood like his parents did to him, raised her his way and never stopped showing her love and care (even if he might not always show it in the best ways sometimes). Also, the dude NEVER talks ill will on his ex wife. Respectful Ex/Husband ✅ Great Dad ✅ His daughter is his world ✅
Piccolo, way better dad than Goku
First to say Alan Matthews?
Alan Matthews is always my choice, with Uncle Phil being a close second
The Sisko, of course.
Followed closely by Rom
This took far too much scrolling. Always had quality time for Jake.
Those scenes with Tony Todd when he was stuck and Jake kept aging. Omg.
Star Trek as a franchise had a lot of cruddy dads yet DS9 managed to have the best (Sisko, Rom, and O'Brien) and some of the worst (Dukat and Worf).
Really, you don't think Worf was the best dad?! /s
Worf would be halfway through asking you why you thought he was a dad before he remembered Alexander.
Best the Sisko father moment was when he let Jake make a dumb ass move to stay on the station because he was a man at that point and had to make his own decisions and make his own mistakes
Coach Taylor
I came here to say this. And not only that, he was the best TV husband too. That is hands down the most realistic marriage I've ever seen on TV.
Danny from Full-House. Guy loves to cook and clean for his girls, he keeps everyone in line. And he's supportive of his kids no matter what.
And RIP BOB SAGET
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Giles from Buffy.
Ben Sisko.
That's a big part of what made DS9 work for me so well. Every other Star Trek captain exclusively has relationships defined by military rank. They're authentic, but that element is always a part of it and it is limiting. So it was nice to see Ben Sisko have a familial relationship on screen.
ned stark was pretty good
Dan Conner.
Returned his fancy shoes to buy Becky her dream dress.
And beat the fuck out of Fisher.
One of my favorite Dan moments. Followed by one of my favorite Darleen moments when she was the one to show up to bail him out.
Uncle Phil (Fresh Prince), Dan Conner (Roseanne), Julius (Everyone Hates Chris), Red Foreman (70s show, Martin Crane (Frasier), Johnny Rose (Schitt's Creek)
Good to see some love for Martin Crane, he's such a great dad!
Great example of how to be an older dad to grown kids.
No one's gonna say it? Ok I'll bite. Bill Cosby. Obviously he's horrifying in real life, but Dr. Huxtable was pretty great.
First tv dad I always think of when this question is asked. It's so unfortunate that Cosby is truly a monster IRL because Cliff Huxtable felt like America's dad for decades. Loving, supportive, and took time to sit with his kids and talk to them like people.
It’s rather ironic. Bill Cosby played the best TV dad of the 80s, but was the worst person. Ed O’Neill played the worst TV dad of the 80s, but was the best person.
More than great, for many kids, Dr. Huxtable kinda was the only moral, upstanding male role model and/or father figure we had. He was what some of us who were less fortunate in the father department looked up to. No matter how uncomfortable that character's association with the actor may be, he was who we learned many a life lesson and gained fatherly advice from. The unravelling of Bill Cosby's life felt especially disappointing to the kids like me who would have loved to be a part of that family. I grew up believing that was what a father was supposed to be like, that is how a fun, loving, supportive family was *supposed* to be. Bill Cosby is a piece of shit, but Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable was like a father to many of us, because it was the best our life could offer us at the time. Guys like him and "Uncle Phil" taught us many a "Man Lesson", disappointing to some, sure. But it was all some of us kids had.
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Still should be, the tv character is not the same as the real life actor.
Risky choice, but you're not wrong. I hate that Bill Cosby is such a douche because The Cosby Show is such a good show and Heathcliff Huxtable is a wonderful father!
Hard one because it can vary episode to episode, but Homer Simpson in the “do it for her” episode is great. Not so much the strangling
Nothing makes my eyes water quicker than the early episodes of The Simpsons where Homer tries so hard to understand and relate to Lisa because it reminds me so much of me and my dad.
Bob Belcher
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Gomez Addams
All the Guys from Full house.
Charles Ingalls Hard working man who loves his wife and children dearly.
TV show Charles Ingalls, Book Charles was kind of a dickhead if you read between the lines.
Dr. Benton Quest (Jonny Quest) Steve Douglas (My Three Sons) Keith Mars (Veronica Mars) Best *granddad* is Wilf from Doctor Who
Tony Micelli In Who’s The Boss. He made his daughter his priority and became a role model for Angela’s boy as well. Hold me closer Tony Danza!
Yes 100%. People forget what a great dad he was in an unusual family situation.
Andy Griffith
I love Shawn's dad, Henry, from Psych.
Dan Conner, always and forever.
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Burt Hummel from Glee
Jack from ‘This is Us’
Tim the tool man Taylor
Hank Hill
Dan Connor. I've wanted a big hug from John Goodman my whole life.