Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down The All-Time Best TV Dads

Person pointing remote at TV
person holding gray remote control
Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash

Perhaps the main thing that keeps people returning to their favorite tv shows is the characters.

Be it heroes we love to see in action, the villains who we love to hate, or the friend group we wish we were a part of, nothing brings people greater joy than being part of their world for 30 minutes to an hour each week, or devoting an afternoon to bingeing.

Indeed, it's often the family shows people tend to resonate with the most, sometimes wishing their family could be more like what they see on television.

Particularly when it comes to fathers.

Be it a carefree, fun-loving goofball like Modern Family's Phil Dunphy or a sensitive neat freak like Full House's Danny Tanner, TV dads have earned a special place in the hearts of viewers.


Redditor Immola0069 was curious to hear who people considered the greatest TV dad of all time, leading them to ask:
"Who is the best TV dad?"

Man's Best Friend, And Everyone's Favorite Dad!

"Bandit Heeler."- AlisonSandraGator

The Father Will Was Always Missing

"Uncle Phil."- Sagranda

"Uncle Phil."- N7-Rogue-Spectre

fresh prince of bel air uncle phil GIF by Nick At NiteGiphy

As Wise As He Is Kind

"Uncle Iroh."

“'I was never angry with you. I was sad, because I was afraid you had lost your way'."- briareus08

Determined To Take Over The Tri-State Area!

"Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz."

"Sure, he's evil, but he loves his daughter."

"He will spend decades hunting down a rare doll just because she once said that she wanted it."

"He'll also zap an older guy into another dimension for hitting on her."- TechyDad

Creepy, Cooky, Mysetrious, Spooky, And One Great Dad!

"Gomez Addams."- Back2Bach

"Gomez Addams from the original 'Addams Family' show."

"A devoted and passionate spouse."

"A loving and supportive father."

"Cheerful, creative and energetic."

"Never a bad word for anyone that I can recall."- ElectricHelicoid

Giphy

The Burgers Are An Added Bonus

"Bob Belcher."- International-Roll27

Realtor/Magician Extrodinaire!

"Phil Dunphy."- OakNogg

A Great Father In Any Galaxy

"Commander Adama."

"He would have stayed in that system forever to find his son." - Reddit

A Great Dad Before He Started Breaking Bad

"Hal from 'Malcolm in the Middle'."- PrincessBambi_2000

malcolm in the middle ifc GIFGiphy

Such A Great Dad, He Became The Main Character!

"Dan Conner."

"He gained so much respect from me when he stood up for Jackie when her boyfriend beat her."

"Plus, I just really love John Goodman."- daddyspader

Veronica's Source Of Inspiration

"Keith Mars from 'Veronica Mars'."- procrastinatorsuprem

Boldly Going Where No Dad Has Gone Before

"Captain Ben Sisko."- WARMASTER5000

Everyone's Favorite Whistling Sheriff

"'Andy Griffith'."

"Opie Tayler would never have turned into such a great kid without his Pa."- AtheneSchmidt

Andy Griffith GIFGiphy

No one can choose their parents, and thankfully, most people feel lucky with the parents they were given.

But every now and then, who doesn't wish their father was a joy inducing blue Dingo?

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Miriam Margolyes
David Levenson/Getty Images

'Harry Potter' Star Miriam Margolyes Offers Mic Drop Explanation For Why Respecting Pronouns Matters

Sometimes it is just that easy to make people happy. This is a lesson learned over and over in our lives, but that's because it's an important one.

Actor Miriam Margolyes shared how she learned to change her behavior to make others happier. Margolyes appeared on The Graham Norton Show recently and brought up a fairly polarizing subject in the United Kingdom: trans people.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk looks on during a public appearance, as the billionaire once again turns a newsroom style decision into a culture-war grievance broadcast to millions on X.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk Cries Racism After Associated Press Explains Why They Capitalize 'Black' But Not 'White'

Elon Musk has spent the year picking fights, from health research funding to imagined productivity crises among federal workers and whether DOGE accomplished anything at all besides leaving chaos in its wake.

His latest grievance, however, is thinly disguised as grammatical. Specifically, he is once again furious that the Associated Press (AP) capitalizes “Black” while keeping “white” lowercase.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk; Yale University School of Engineering and Applied Science
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images; Plexi Images/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Elon Musk Gets Brutal Wakeup Call After Claiming That Yale's Lack Of Republican Faculty Is 'Outrageous Bigotry'

Elon Musk—who has repeatedly whined about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—took to his social media platform to whine about a lack of conservative faculty at Yale University.

Musk shared data compiled by The Buckley Institute (TBI), a conservative-leaning organization founded at Yale in 2010. TBI found 82.3% of faculty self-identified as Democrats or primarily supporting Democratic candidates, 15% identified as independents, while only 2.3% identified as Republicans.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barry Manilow
Mat Hayward/Getty Images

Barry Manilow Speaks Out After Postponing Farewell Tour Dates Due To Lung Cancer Scare

"Looks Like We Made It" singer Barry Manilow is in the process of saying goodbye to the stage and meeting his fans in-person, but he has to press pause for a few months after receiving a jarring diagnosis.

On December 22, 2025, the "Mandy" singer posted on Facebook, explaining that a "cancerous spot" had been discovered on his left lung.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame, the last time audiences saw Captain America before his unexpected return was teased for Avengers: Doomsday.
Disney/Marvel Studios

Marvel Just Confirmed That Chris Evans Is Returning For 'Avengers: Doomsday'—And Fans Have Mixed Feelings

Folks, once again, continuity is more of a suggestion than a rule in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel has officially confirmed that Chris Evans is returning as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, and the internet has responded exactly how you’d expect: screaming, celebrating, arguing, and a very justified side-eye toward how Sam Wilson keeps getting treated.

The confirmation comes via a teaser now playing exclusively in theaters ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash. There is no official online release, despite leaks circulating. If you didn’t catch it on the big screen, Marvel’s response is essentially: sorry, guess you had to be there.

Keep ReadingShow less