Art of Getting By

Dads

Who are your favorite TV dads of all time and why?

There are SO MANY! OK, the first one that popped into my head was Fred MacMurray on "My Three Sons." Nothing fazed him. In that vein, I'd add Mike Brady, from "The Brady Bunch." Six kids and he still had energy and a positive attitude (most of the time). Pa Walton and the father in "Apple's Way have to be named, as doesCliff Huxtable. And Mr. C ("Happy Days"). Mr. DeFazio (Laverne's dad on "L&S") makes the grade simply for being so entirely unlike every dad I knew up to that point. I never watched "Father Knows Best" or "Leave it to Beaver" bit Ozzie Nelson seemed ok (till I read a biography of Ricky Nelson).

If we include father figures, the colonels on MASH as well as the priest are tops.

Is it obvious that I stopped watching family dramas about 20 years ago?!