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Father’s Day: Top 50 TV Dads of All Time

Posted on May 17, 2014

The Internet Movie Database lists Bill Cosby from the 80s hit The Cosby Show as the top TV dad. Here are the others on its list. The TV Dads from Modern Family, The Middle, and a few other more recent ones are missing. Who else should be there? Comment below.

2.Ben Cartwright -Bonanza (1959 TV Series), Lorne Greene

3.John Walton -The Waltons (1971 TV Series), Andrew Duggan

4.Charles Ingalls-Little House on the Prairie (1974 TV Series), Michael Landon

5.Danny Williams-Make Room for Daddy (1953 TV Series), Danny Thomas

6.Jim Anderson-Father Knows Best (1954 TV Series), Robert Young

7.Steve Douglas-My Three Sons (1960 TV Series), Fred MacMurray

8.Sheriff Andy Taylor-The Andy Griffith Show (1960 TV Series), Andy Griffith

9.Howard Cunningham-Happy Days (1974 TV Series), Tom Bosley

10.Ray Barone-Everybody Loves Raymond (1996 TV Series), Ray Romano

11.Eric Camden-7th Heaven (1996 TV Series), Stephen Collins

12.Steven Keaton-Family Ties (1982 TV Series), Michael Gross

13.Dan Conner-Roseanne (1988 TV Series), John Goodman

14.Mike Brady-The Brady Bunch (1969 TV Series), Robert Reed

15.Tom Corbett-The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963), Glenn Ford

16.Dr. Alex Stone-The Donna Reed Show (1958 TV Series), Carl Betz

17.Forrest Bedford-I’ll Fly Away (1991 TV Series), Sam Waterston

18.George Lopez-George Lopez (2002 TV Series), George Lopez

19.Herman Munster-The Munsters (1964 TV Series), Fred Gwynne

20.Tim Taylor-Home Improvement (1991 TV Series), Tim Allen

21.Ozzie Nelson-The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet (1952 TV Series), Ozzie Nelson

22.Rob Petrie-The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961 TV Series), Dick Van Dyke

23.Tony Micelli-Who’s the Boss? (1984 TV Series), Tony Danza

24.Archie Bunker-All in the Family (1971 TV Series), Carroll O’Connor

25.Sandy Cohen-The O.C. (2003 TV Series), Peter Gallagher

26.Doug Lawrence-Family (1976 TV Series), James Broderick

27.Michael Kyle-My Wife and Kids (2001 TV Series), Damon Wayans

28.Ward Cleaver-Leave It to Beaver (1957 TV Series), Hugh Beaumont

29.Jack Bristow-Alias (2001 TV Series), Victor Garber

30.Chester A. Riley-The Life of Riley (1949 TV Series), Jackie Gleason

31.Det. Andy Sipowicz-NYPD Blue (1993 TV Series), Dennis Franz

32.Lucas McCain-The Rifleman (1958 TV Series), Chuck Connors

33.Tom Bradford-Eight Is Enough (1977 TV Series), Dick Van Patten

34.Philip Banks-The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990 TV Series), James Avery

35.Homer Simpson-The Simpsons (1989 TV Series), Dan Castellaneta

36.Rick Sammler-Once and Again (1999 TV Series), Billy Campbell

37.Dr. Jason Seaver-Growing Pains (1985 TV Series), Alan Thicke

38.Prof. John Robinson-Lost in Space (1965 TV Series), Guy Williams

39.Martin Lane-Roseanne (1988 TV Series), William Schallert

40.Will Girardi-Joan of Arcadia (2003 TV Series), Joe Mantegna

41.Jim Walsh-Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990 TV Series), James Eckhouse

42.Fred Sanford-Sanford and Son (1972 TV Series), Redd Foxx

43.Dr. Andrew ‘Andy’ Brown

44.George Jefferson-The Jeffersons (1975 TV Series), Sherman Hemsley

45.Joseph ‘Rocky’ Rockford #2-The Rockford Files (1974 TV Series), Robert Donley

46.Michael Steadman-thirtysomething (1987 TV Series), Ken Olin

47.Bernie Mac-The Bernie Mac Show (2001 TV Series), Bernie Mac

48.Paul Hennessy-8 Simple Rules (2002 TV Series), John Ritter

49.Graham Chase-My So-Called Life (1994 TV Series), Tom Irwin

50.Captain Benjamin Sisko-Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 TV Series), Avery Brooks

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BumpNews

“The Middle” to be syndicated on The Hallmark channel

Posted on February 27, 2014

So… remember that time back in 2012 when I blogged about how much I love that ABC show The Middle and declared it Must. See. TV!?

The half hour comedy is about an average middle class family in a mid-sized town in middle America, Indiana, with three children: the eldest an under-motivated and cynical teenager, who does well in sports but not in academics Axl (Charlie McDermott), middle, an enthusiastic young teen, but chronically unsuccessful and socially awkward Sue (Eden Sher) and youngest, an intelligent but introverted compulsive reader with behavioral quirks and socialization problems Brick (Atticus Shaffer).

Not only does it pack non-stop humors knee slapping jokes in a short time, but I can always relate to the parenting challenges of the mom, Frances “Frankie” Heck (Patricia Heaton) and dad, Mike Heck (Neil Flynn).

And so, remember again recently earlier this month, when I couldn’t help myself but plug the show again and urge you all to go watch it?

Only this second time, I made the bold declaration that someone ought to syndicate the show so that future families will get to enjoy the episodes in perpetuity because it was that great a show?

Well guess what!?

Someone has! The Hallmark Channel announced recently that it will begin airing past seasons and episodes of the popular comedy about a working-class Indiana family of five that keeps it real and is so relatable because of the way the writers do not sugar coat reality.

Last week, I got the pleasure of joining some other bloggers and journalists and chatting with two of the stars of the Warner Brothers-distributed show: McDermott and Sher.

During the hour long press call, both actors made apparent their genuine love and appreciation for one another, personally and professionally, through playful banter and revelations of some behind the scenes nuggets of information like, for example, the roof of the family home is made of cloth and the walls are practically paper thin.

It wasn’t all cutesy jabs while providing insight into their careers and their feelings about the success of the show,. They each, Sher in particular, got serious at times, thereby showing that although they both play teenagers currently, they are very mature, introspective, conscientious and serious actors.

Good stuff.

I think I was the only reporter/blogger to ask a question that had them look at the downside of syndication. I wanted to know if there were any worries about being trapped in the character and being typecast for later roles.

In the past, child actors from successful shows like The Brady Bunch, Differn’t Strokes and other wildly successful hit syndicated shows have struggled to get casting directors who maybe have gotten used to seeing them all the time for decades in one role envision them playing a character that is totally different.

The impetus for the question was a special I had seen on the hit series Breaking Bad and how the show’s creator almost didn’t cast actor Brian Cranston in the role as the dark dying meth-cooking science teacher Walter White. The director and producer had to be convinced that Cranston could rise to the occasion despite the fact audiences had come to know and love him as the dad in another long-running Emmy-winning comedy about a wacky middle-America family, Malcolm in the Middle.

Both noted that their looks generally in real life are so substantially different than their characters that they felt they’d be able to be convincing when needed and wouldn’t be stymied by any potential typecasting.

McDermott said to be mindful of the fact we live in a different era with so many shows out now than in past decades when television viewing options were fewer and it was possible for audiences to associate one actor with one role in their minds in perpetuity. That is not the case now with the abundance of viewing options online and on TV.

Excellent point! I’m convinced.

The first 88 episodes will begin airing on the Hallmark channel beginning March 2014. I’m excited to rewatch them again.

Additional seasons will join the rotation as they become available. The first-run, off-network comedy is a perfect fit in Hallmark Channel’s line-up of family-friendly programming. The Middle joins ranks with such modern-day classics as The Golden Girls and Frasier which are already tremendous ratings successes for Hallmark Channel.

Get ready to tune in, folks! That is all.

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Friday Funnies: ABC’s “The Middle” is so relatable to all of our lives (VIDEOS)

Posted on February 7, 2014

It’s Friday!!!!!!!

This morning, my wonderful husband reminded me of how my frantic attempt to finish one of my kid’s projects I thought was due today while filling goody bags for another kid’s in class birthday party and making lunch and burning breakfast before resorting to the old standby, a Pop Tart, reminded him of last week’s episode of ABC’s The Middle.

So after I cracked up for 5 minutes straight because it was SO TRUE, I said to myself I’d share with you a clip from that episode. It is the one where the mom Frankie (Patricia Heaton Everybody Loves Raymond), in the comedy about the humorous everyday life of a a middle America family, joins a school drop off carpool but ends up having a tough time because she is always late, forgets Brick’s lunch and attempts to finish off his project right before the car pool pulls off! This is some Hilarious stuff.

Suburban moms and families can certainly relate to many of the funny scenes in each episode.

This show is THE BEST and reflects REAL LIFE and should be on the air forever. Like when it’s done and the stars have moved on, it should be in syndication for many more frantic families to reflect and relate to… um yeah! I mean like how my baby sister was born during the last years of The Cosby Show yet, she became a fan of the show when she went to college via syndication. Like that. Long live The Middle. woo!

Anyway, the clip and a few other select funny scenes to start your Friday off are below. Enjoy!

An episode that features Frankie going through her son’s book bag to discover a test and a test she never saw.. Then there is that “helping with homework” stress! I. Can. Relate!!

MORE and MORE CLIPS HERE!

Watch the latest episode clips at ABC.com HERE.

Purchase entire episodes on WarnerBrothers’s channel for $1.99 on YOUTUBE.

What is your favorite episode or Clip? I’ll see if I can get it up.

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