Top 5 greatest TV dads of all time

Who is the greatest TV dad of all time? That’s the question the Must Watch podcast team, Nihal Arthanayake, Scott Bryan and Hayley Campbell set out to answer in a special Father’s Day inspired edition. 

So, with suggestions from 5 Live listeners, here’s what happened when they tried to find the greatest TV dad ever.

What do you think? Comment below with your thoughts...

5. Martin Goodman - Friday Night Dinner

Suggested by Nihal who says...

“Anyone who’s watched it and is not now calling their kids 'bambinos' has not been watching it properly. The one joke about ‘a lovely bit of squirrel’ he does at the dinner table every time always makes me laugh.”

4. Al Bundy - Married with Children

Suggested by 5 Live listener Paul who says...

“The poor guy he’s trying to do his best. It really makes me laugh - I don’t know if the younger generation have seen Married with Children but it was some great television.

“In lockdown, I’m starting to live the life of Al Bundy. I’m sitting on the couch saying to the kids, ‘yeah you want some money - here you go. Just leave me alone.’ And my wife’s doing the same thing.”

Nihal says...

“Paul’s suggestion brought a TV show back to me that I haven’t thought of for some time.”

3. Tony Soprano - The Sopranos

Suggested by Hayley who says...

“Not only is he a very protective father to his own children, to the point of questionable violence, but he is a great father to those ducks that flew away and broke his heart so bad he had a panic attack by the barbecue and needed therapy.

"The whole basis of The Sopranos is Tony being a father to those ducks.”

2. Daddy Pig - Peppa Pig

Suggested by 5 Live listener Dave in Liverpool who says...

“If only for all those dad moments I now recognise from my dad which I’m now doing for my kids. For example, taking toys apart to fix them only to render them completely useless and making pancakes and sticking them to the ceiling.”

Nihal says...

“Daddy pig is important, valuable and valid.”

1. Gomez Addams - The Addams Family

Suggested by Hayley, who says...

“I love him - he’s mischievous, he’s wildly enthusiastic, he will very quickly get swept up in other people’s plans no matter how stupid they are.

"Whatever the kids need, they get - if they want to play autopsy he will go to the kitchen and find them the sharpest knife. They’re spoiled in the most gothic ways imaginable.

"Gomez is actively interested and super supportive of both the kids and all of their mad creative endeavours - he’s constantly telling them how proud he is of them and he actually seems to want them around! The pilot episode of the TV series is all about him not wanting his kids to go to school and he says ‘what’s the point in having children just to get rid of them? I’m opposed to the whole nonsense.’

"So that was the set up for the whole of The Addams Family. Also, in all of these TV shows where husbands are cheating on their wives and leaving the family home - Gomez would never. He’s a doting husband to Morticia and he’s completely in love with her - especially when they speak French to each other."

Honourable mentions...

Ned Stark - Game of Thrones

Suggested by Scott, who says...

“If you look at the positives - slight spoiler here - his kids ended up ruling over the whole kingdom in some capacity. Sure, there was a bit of death along the way but overall he had good intentions and those have come through in his children.”

Homer Simpson - The Simpsons

Suggested by Scott, who says...

“You can’t talk about TV dads and avoid Homer Simpson. Although he’s not necessarily known for being the greatest father he has an every man appeal. I think every single parent can relate to that in one way or another."

This was taken from a special Father's Day edition of Must Watch Top 5 - which you can listen to here. 

Must Watch is available as a podcast every Monday evening from BBC Sounds, or through your podcast app.

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