Sheriff Andy Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show
Despite being Mayberry's Sheriff, widower Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) is always there for his son, Opie (Ron Howard), teaching his son many life lessons.
Howard Cunningham, Happy Days
We're happy to add Happy Days' Howard Cunningham (Tom Bosley) to this list. Being the father of Chuck (Gavan O'Herlihy), Richie (again, Ron Howard) and Joanie Cunningham (Erin Moran) is not easy, especially with all the hijinks involving best friend Fonzie (Henry Winkler). Still, the Cunningham patriarch is a loving and understanding parent.
Randall Pearson, This Is Us
While there are many great parents on This Is Us, our favorite has to be Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown). The care he has for others, especially for his daughters, rivals no one. For instance, we will always remember Randall's supportive reaction when daughter Tess (Eris Baker) came out as gay.
Eric Taylor, Friday Night Lights
Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose, and neither can Eric Taylor's parenting style. Not only is the Friday Night Lights character played by Kyle Chandler a present and dedicated father to daughter Julie (Aimee Teegarden), he's also a surrogate father to many of the young men he coaches at Dillon High School.
Mike Brady, The Brady Bunch
It's not easy blending families, but father-of-three Mike Brady (Robert Reed) does his best upon marrying Carol (Florence Henderson), a lovely lady with three daughters of her own.
Philip Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Father's day is not just about biological parents! It's also a celebration for the father figures in our lives. So, we'd be remiss if we didn't take a moment to celebrate The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's Philip Banks (James Avery), the uncle and surrogate father to Will Smith's character. He's also an amazing dad to his own kids, Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro), Hilary (Karyn Parsons) and Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali).
Phil Dunphy, Modern Family
To some, Modern Family's Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) may be trying too hard to win his children's affection by being the cool parent. But, from our perspective, we see a fun-loving dad who will stop at nothing to bring joy and laughter into his home. Stay goofy, Phil.
Dan Conner, Roseanne
Roseanne (and later The Conners) patriarch Dan Conner (John Goodman) provides a sense of calm to a typically chaotic household. Rarely getting worked up by the antics of his wife and kids, Dan is always present with a witty remark or a shoulder to cry on.
Steve Douglas, My Three Sons
It's time to brush up on our TV history, because this next on-screen father is iconic. Fred MacMurray played Steve Douglas—a widower and father to, you guessed it, three sons—on My Three Sons for 12 years. And, during that time, we saw many sweet and hilarious moments.
Andre "Dre" Johnson, black-ish
Who doesn't want a whip-smart, hilarious dad? Which is why we have to include black-ish's Andre "Dre" Johnson (Anthony Anderson) on this list. Dre proves you can have it all: an impressive career, an A+ personality and five beautiful children.
Jason Seaver, Growing Pains
When Jason Seaver (Alan Thicke) moves his psychiatry practice into the family home so that his wife Maggie (Joanna Kerns) can go back to work, he soon realizes being the on-call parent is a lot harder than he realized. Nevertheless, Dr. Seaver rises in the face of these Growing Pains, providing constant love and support for his kids.
Ward Cleaver, Leave It to Beaver
Ward Cleaver is easily one of TV's most famous dads. Leading the Cleaver family in Leave It to Beaver, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) is known for dropping a moral lecture or two. If only kids Wally (Tony Dow) and Beaver (Jerry Mathers) ever listened!
Steven Keaton, Family Ties
Family Ties' Steven Keaton (Michael Gross) was certainly an unconventional TV dad in '80s, being a Boomer and a former hippie. Though Steven tends to be argumentative with his son Alex (Michael J. Fox), who is a Young Republican, he cares deeply for his family, providing nothing but support.
Tony Micelli, Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss?'s Tony Micelli (Tony Danza) is a great role model for daughter Samantha (Alyssa Milano), tackling gender stereotypes by taking a job as a housekeeper. He also serves as a step-in dad for Jonathan (Danny Pintauro).
Michael Bluth, Arrested Development
Despite his dysfunctional family, Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) is still a pretty solid dad to son George Michael Bluth (Michael Cera). He encourages his son to learn the value or a dollar, even if the rest of the family doesn't. Who can forget when Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter) thought a banana cost $10?
Joey Harris & Michael Taylor, My Two Dads
Before there was Modern Family, there was My Two Dads, a story of orphaned Nicole (Staci Keanan) being raised by two potential fathers Michael (Paul Reiser) and Joey (Greg Evigan). Think Mamma Mia, but in '90s sitcom form.
Danny Tanner, Full House
Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) may be a single, working dad, but he is always there when his daughters, D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) need him. There isn't an episode of Full House without some wise wisdom from Mr. Tanner.
Mitchell Pritchett & Cameron Tucker, Modern Family
Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) encourage their daughter Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) to be confident, witty and sassy. What is even more important? They are proud that Lily is adopted, taking the time to teach the youngster about her heritage.
Burt Hummel, Glee
Though Burt Hummel (Mike O'Malley) doesn't always understand Kurt (Chris Colfer), not a day goes by where he doesn't defend him. In fact, he risked losing his relationship with Carole (Romy Rosemont) when he threw Finn (Cory Monteith) out of his home for using a slur directed at Kurt.
Eddard Stark, Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones' Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) literally gave his life protecting his family. But before that, he encouraged all of his children to pursue the lives that they wanted. Case in point: He provided Arya (Maisie Williams) with a sword-fighting instructor when she found her lessons boring.
Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
This may be an unconventional choice, but we have to stan Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta). The Simpson patriarch works long hours to provide a good home for his family. Also, his work cubicle is filled with photos of his children. Don't believe us? Rewatch The Simpsons and look for evidence.