The Mount Rushmore of Sitcom Dads

In honor of Father’s Day (if you forgot, call now!) we posed the question, “Who would be on the Mt. Rushmore of T.V. Sitcom Dads. After much deliberation and spirited debate, we narrowed it down to just four. But first…the honorable mentions.

Andy Taylor- Opie’s dad was also kind of a father-figure for the whole town. As sheriff of Mayberry he always strove to be fair and was a believer in second chances…even if he occasionally ran an “undesirable” or two out of town.

Howard Cunningham- “Mr. C.” was a great dad not only to Richie and Joanie but also kind of a surrogate for The Fonz. Also, his oldest son Chuck. Chuck was in the first season of Happy Days but he disappeared by the second season. And NO ONE EVER SPOKE OF HIM AGAIN!

Ward Cleaver- The go-to “TV Dad” for at least a couple of generations. I think Ward suffered because “Leave it to Beaver” doesn’t get re-run as much as it used to and people younger than 35 don’t really remember it.

Also, Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, Hank Hill, Dan Conner and Phil Dunphy.

Now, here are our four characters on the Mt. Rushmore of Sitcom Dads:

1.) Herman Munster

Not only was he a strong male role model for his son Eddie, Herman also took in his niece Marilyn…and she was a hideous, deformed freak!

The Munster’s was such a screwball comedy, it’s easy to forget that most episodes had a “moral” and Herman would often deliver a very sweet, fatherly message. Here’s an example…and, keep in mind, this was in 1965! Herman was woke before being woke was a thing.

2.) Uncle Phil

Yes, we discussed the fact that Uncle Phil wasn’t Will’s dad on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But, he was the father of Carlton, Hilary and Ashley. Also, you can’t watch this famous clip of when Will’s actual father, Lou, walks out on him…AGAIN…and not realize that Uncle Phil was more of a father than Lou ever was.

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The hug at the end still gets me every time.

3.) Mike Brady

What a great dad! Not only was he busy with three boys of his own, he also loved his new wife’s three daughters and never showed a trace of favoritism. In fact, he was such of good dad that he once won the “Father of the Year Award”.

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What’s unclear, though, if that award was just for the Greater Los Angeles area or ALL of Southern California.

4.) Carl Winslow

Devoted husband, loving father and dedicated Chicago police officer (having relocated from Los Angeles following the traumatic terrorist attack at the Nakatomi Plaza).

It’s essential to remember that Carl was a police officer. That means that every time Steve Urkel came over and infuriated him, Carl always had a loaded gun nearby. And he NEVER used it. Not even once! What a great dad!