Best TV Dads of All Time
In a photo released in 1992 of a scene in "The Cosby Show," Phylicia Rashad, portrays Clair Huxtable, left, Clarice Taylor, portrays Anna Huxtable, center, and Bill Cosby, portrays Dr. Cliff Huxtable. (1992) Credit: NBC
It's almost Father's Day, so it's a fitting time to honor all the dads we know, real and fictional. Throughout history, there have been books, poems, songs, movies and TV shows extolling the virtues of fatherhood, some idyllic, others not so much.
There was, of course, "Father Knows Best," starring Robert Young, which had a nice TV run from 1954-1960. Before my time, but I certainly watched my share of reruns. From there, all manner of dads have been represented and adored, from Mike Brady ("The Brady Bunch"), Archie Bunker ("All in the Family"), Fred Sanford ("Sanford and Son") and Al Bundy ("Married With Children") to Charles Ingalls ("Little House on the Prairie") and Cliff Huxtable ("The Cosby Show").
Today, we have doting dads Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett ("Modern Family"), surrounded by Hurry-up-and-call-Social-Services patriarchs like Peter Griffin ("Family Guy"), Homer Simpson ("The Simpsons") and Hank Hill ("King of the Hill").
My favorite when I was a little girl was "The Courtship of Eddie's Father." If you remember it, you know what I mean. If you're too young and never heard of it, keep it to yourself. It would be rude to point that out, and your Daddy raised you better than that.
Check out the theme song by Harry Nilsson, and several variations covered throughout the years (yes, that's Jodie Foster at the 1:00:00 mark).
