TV dads

Ever since "Father Knows Best," dads have been part of American television.
Thanks to sitcom writers, they're often bumbling fellows with gorgeous, capable wives and cute-as-a-button kids. They can solve a problem in half an hour. They rise to any occasion. And they usually know exactly what to say.
We combed through television's family men, single fathers and divorcés to find a few examples.

Dan Conner, “Roseanne”
We like Dan (John Goodman) because he’s such a genuine person — a real guy, even though he’s not actually real. Of course, he’s not perfect. He seems to be out of work quite a bit, he sometimes hangs out with the guys too much, and he could certainly lose a few pounds. But he’s a concerned parent who can speak to his kids on their level, yet at the same time knows his role is more parent than friend.

Ward Cleaver, “Leave it to Beaver”
There are mixed feelings on this one. On the one hand, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) was so perfect, he made most real-life dads look like deadbeats. Always even-tempered, responsible and willing to offer sage advice to his sons, Ward was almost too good. (The guy wore a suit to dinner, for crying out loud!) Makes you wonder: Was he secretly a drunk? We suspect he might have been a robot. Still, he remains one of the all-time best TV dads.

Phillip Drummond, “Diff’rent Strokes”
The guy adopted his dead housekeeper’s sons. ‘Nuff said, right? He's a rich businessman, so you might think he's lost touch with the common people. You might even think he’s a pompous jerk. But you shouldn’t think things like that. First of all, it’s not nice. Besides, Phillip’s kids always came first. And even though he comes from a different background than his adopted kids (from the ghetto to the penthouse), he can relate to them, without neglecting his biological daughter. Too bad he couldn’t save the real-life kids, whose lives went down the tubes after the show.

Michael Brady, “The Brady Bunch”
So we know in real life that Robert Reed (Mike) thought the show was beneath him. And we know that his marriage to a woman demonstrated true acting ability. Still, he was a great TV dad and, the kids from the cast say, he was also a great father figure in real life.

James Evans, “Good Times”
You wanna talk about stress? Try living in Cabrini-Green, a public housing project rife with gang violence in inner-city Chicago. James (John Amos) also frequently deals with unemployment and poverty, making something as simple as Kool-Aid a bit of a luxury. And he constantly has to worry about the gangs that threaten to recruit or harm his kids. Yet — thanks, in part to his wife, Florida — he manages to keep it together and provide for his three kids.

Archie Bunker, “All in the Family”
Granted, Archie (Carroll O’Connor) always came through for his daughter, Gloria. And he even got teary-eyed when his son-in-law, whom he not-so-affectionately called “Meathead,” left the house. But his famed bigotry, name-calling and general grumpiness had to rub off in a negative way on his child. Perhaps he would have been better off single, rooming with Mel from “Alice.”

Peter Griffin, “Family Guy”
One of a score of oafish dads on TV, Peter Griffin draws an instant comparison with Homer Simpson. He’s childish, portly, greedy and not very bright. While Homer obviously dotes on his family, Peter often ignores his sons and always has an insult ready for his only daughter, Meg. Here’s one redeeming factor: He’s madly in love with his smokin’ hot wife, Lois.

Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, “The Cosby Show”
Bill Cosby’s much-loved sitcom broke ground in more than a few ways. It starred a successful black stand-up comedian, portrayed an upper-class African-American family with two working parents (an obstetrician and an attorney), and was filmed in New York — not L.A. Most importantly, the show set for the standard for decades of hideous “dad” sweaters. Shudder.

Dr. Katz, “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist”
Voiced by stand-up comedian Jonathan Katz, Dr. Katz is a divorced dad whose love for his slacker son, Ben, is palpable. They get on each other’s nerves occasionally, but in general their relationship is an easy, natural one — understanding mixed with gentle teasing.

Red Forman, “That ’70s Show”
This no-nonsense dad may be hard on his timid son, Eric — he frequently calls him “dumbass” — but he dotes on his daughter, Laurie. (“Daddy’s Little Girl,” as her brother knows, is actually a cruel, promiscuous flirt.) The show indicates that Red is actually trying to transform his teenage son into a tough, mature man. His methods just lack subtlety.

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Ever wonder about the salaries of TV's most popular pops? CNN does the math with this handy chart, showing the paychecks of every dad from Tim Taylor of "Home Improvement" to Ricky Ricardo of "I Love Lucy."

-- Pat. P and Sarah L.