My Favorite TV Moms

[Gideon58]

Just a reminder that, as with my favorite TV dads list, these are not necessarily the best moms or the worst moms but my personal favorite moms and their entertainment value for me. Here we go with my favorite TV moms:

[Gideon58]

75.
Doris Martin, The Doris Day Show

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/The-Doris-Day-Show-Season-One.jpg

Even though her children became non-existent during the final season of the show, while they were around, Doris was a great mom to Billy (Philliip Brown) and Toby (Todd Starke).

[Gideon58]

74.
Veronica Loy, The Good Wife

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/thegoodwife/images/4/44/Channing.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130426204650

Award winning actress Stockard Channing has brought some deliciously entertaining moments to this canvas as Alicia Florrick's free-spirited and sexiaully uninhibted mother, who is constantly on Alicia to lighten up and makes no bones about her contempt for Alicia's philandering husband, Peter (Chris Noth).

[Gideon58]

73.
Katherine Avery, Grey's Anatomy

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/greysanatomy/images/1/1e/8x17-15.png/revision/latest?cb=20130420214051

Debbie Allen has reinvented herself as this larger-than-life character...a brilliant surgeon and mother of Seattle Grey doc Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams), who used her wealth and position to move her son into the position of hospital board president and still managing to keep him under her thumb and dealing with an on again off again relationship with Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.)

[Gideon58]

72.
Phyllis Stephens, Bewitched

http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsA/tve162-19690213-40.jpg

Mabel Albertson redefined the TV meddling mother-in-law playing the domineering mother of Darrin Stephens (Dick York, Dick Sargent). Phyllis saw a lot of strange goings-on in the Stephens household and just like Gladys Kravitz, she could never get husband Frank (Robert F. Simon, Roy Roberts) to believe anything she saw. It should be noted that Albertson pretty much played the same role as the mother of Don Hollinger on That Girl and Howard Sprague on Mayberry RFD.

[Gideon58]

71.
Maureen Robinson, Lost in Space

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/lostinspace/images/d/da/Forbidden_world_maureen.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20121011151837

June Lockhart made TV history as TV's first outer space mom who, no matter what adventures the Robinson family were going through, the welfare of daughters Judy (Marta Kristen), Penny (Angela Cartwright) and son Will (Billy Mumy) meant more to Maureen than anything else the family was going through.

[Gideon58]

70.
Victoria Barkley, The Big Valley

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OA1l8u3-q20/hqdefault.jpg

Cinema icon Barbara Stanwyck brought her larger-than-life screen persona to this precursor to Dallas which found Victoria Barkley running a large ranch as well as the lives of her four children (Richard Long, Peter Breck, Lee Majors, Linda Evans). Victoria was tough as nails and had the last word on everything.

[Camo]

Personally i don't like Veronica at all. She's really irritating, unfunny and selfish. I do like Stockard Channing, so I think it's more down to the writers there. Looking forward to the rest.

[Gideon58]

Personally i don't like Veronica at all. She's really irritating, unfunny and selfish. I do like Stockard Channing, so I think it's more down to the writers there. Looking forward to the rest.
Maybe my undying devotion to Stockard Channing as an actress has more to do with my liking the character than I realize. I just find Channing ALWAYS worth watching, no matter what she's doing.

[honeykid]

I don't know most of these, but I repped you for Stockard Channing just because she's brilliant in everything. :up:

[Gideon58]

69.
Kitty Foreman, That 70's Show

http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr01/2013/5/30/14/anigif_enhanced-buzz-2429-1369937763-4.gif

Debra Jo Rupp was very funny as the dotty but sweet-natured Kitty Foreman who worked herself to the bone to be the best mom she could to Eric (Topher Grace) as well as all of his friends and trying to get some appreciation from hubby Red (Kurtwood Smith).

[Camo]

Maybe my undying devotion to Stockard Channing as an actress has more to do with my liking the character that I realize. I just find Channing ALWAYS worth watching, no matter what she's doing.

I actually thought that may have been the case after seeing her performance in Grease and maybe a few others on your lists. I don't like Alicia's Brother either, but that's mostly because I think that the guy that plays him isn't a good actor.

[Funny Face]

69.
Kitty Foreman, That 70's Show

Debra Jo Rupp was very funny as the dotty but sweet-natured Kitty Foreman who worked herself to the bone to best mom she could to Eric (Topher Grace) as well as all of his friends and trying to get some appreciation hubby Red (Kurtwood Smith).

Love, love, love her laugh!

[Gideon58]

68.
Olivia Walton, The Waltons

http://showbizgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Screen-Shot-2014-02-16-at-15.22.08.png

On the surface, it may have appeared that daddy John (Ralph Waite) ran this house, but clearly mama Olivia (Michael Learned) was the one in charge.

[gbgoodies]

75.
Doris Martin, The Doris Day Show

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/The-Doris-Day-Show-Season-One.jpg

Even though her children became non-existent during the final season of the show, while they were around, Doris was a great mom to Billy (Philliip Brown) and Toby (Todd Starke).


I haven't seen "The Doris Day Show", but I love Doris Day in just about everything that I've seen her in.

I don't watch most of the other TV shows you listed. :shrug:

[Gideon58]

I haven't seen "The Doris Day Show", but I love Doris Day in just about everything that I've seen her in.

I don't watch most of the other TV shows you listed. :shrug:
The Doris Day Show was a curio because it couldn't settle on a format during its five seasons on the air, but Doris always made it worth watching.

[Gideon58]

67.
Bobbi Adler, Will & Grace

http://newnownext.mtvnimages.com/2014/05/Screen-Shot-2014-05-15-at-2.54.11-PM.png

Bobbi was the self-centered mother of Grace Adler (Debra Messing). See my "Favorite Recurring Characters" threads for further details on this character.

[Gideon58]

66.
Shirley Partridge, The Partridge Family

http://static.flickr.com/79/215586408_6ba4073bf4_o.jpg

Most moms would freak out at the thought of her children starting a rock band, but not Shirley Partridge...she became the lead singer! Despite their busy touring schedule, Shirley (Shirley Jones) always found time to help Laurie (Susan Dey) with her boy problems and growing pains, helping financial wiz Danny (Danny Bonaduce) to try and be a regular kid and keeping the ego of budding teen idol Keith (David Cassidy) in check.

[Gideon58]

65.
Sandy Hogan, The Hogan Family

http://www.tvsinopse.kinghost.net/v/valerie2_arquivos/tvsinopse1009.jpg

Technically, Sandy (Sandy Duncan) would be considered a stepmother, but she was terrific as the sister of Michael Logan (Josh Taylor) who moved in after the death of Michael's wife Valerie (Valerie Harper had serious contract disputes with NBC which led to her leaving the show in a very ugly cloud of lawsuits and litigations) and helped to raise those three boys (Jason Bateman, Danny Ponce, Jeremy Licht) like they were own, without ever trying to replace their mother.

[mistique]

69.
Kitty Foreman, That 70's Show

http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr01/2013/5/30/14/anigif_enhanced-buzz-2429-1369937763-4.gif

Debra Jo Rupp was very funny as the dotty but sweet-natured Kitty Foreman who worked herself to the bone to be the best mom she could to Eric (Topher Grace) as well as all of his friends and trying to get some appreciation from hubby Red (Kurtwood Smith).

Love her :)

[Gideon58]

64.
Harriet Winslow, Family Matters

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B8cVSBCdRnA/Ul2FPjmkbcI/AAAAAAAABCU/HChcKbhOmHc/s1600/harriet1.png

Harriet (Jo Marie Payton) was originally introduced to television audiences as an elevator operator on the sitcom Perfect Strangers and garnered so many laughs there that ABC decided to spin her off into her own series, where we learned that Harriet was married to a police officer named Carl (Reginald Veljohnson), was the mother of Eddie (Darius McCrary), Laura (Kellie Shanyne Williams), and Judy (Jaimee Foxworth). Harriet's sister Rachel (Telma Hoppkins) also lived there with her young son Richie (Bryton James). Harriet was a strong-willed mother who took care of her children since Carl spent most of his time raising nerdy next door neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White). I guess Harriet dropped the ball at some point since after the first season, younger daughter Judy disappeared.

[Gideon58]

63.
Jane Burke, Grey's Anatomy

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130415032713/greysanatomy/images/thumb/f/f2/302JaneBurke.png/500px-302JaneBurke.png

Diahann Carroll played the icy and self-absorbed socialite mother of Dr. Burke (Isaiah Washington) who did everything she could to end his romance with Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and probably had a lot to do with Cristina freaking out at the wedding and leaving Burke at the altar.

[Gideon58]

62.
Colleen Donaghy, 30 Rock

http://25.media.tumblr.com/2fb01d3501aa9a9150d32dd79d8f6b88/tumblr_ml1p1jh1bo1qlxbgwo1_400.gif

As she always did, the late Elaine Stritch stole every scene she was in as the manipulative mother of Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), the only person who could bring Jack to normal size.

[Gideon58]

61.
Mary Campbell, Soap

http://newnownext.mtvnimages.com/2015/01/960x540.jpg

The late Cathryn Damon got laughs and won an Emmy for her work as Mary Campbell, the loving matriarch with the patience of a saint who had to deal with mentally fragile husband Burt (Richard Mulligan), romantically challenged son Danny (Ted Wass) and gay son, Jodie (Billy Crystal). This character deserves mention here just for holding onto her sanity for everything that was going on around her.

[Gideon58]

60.
Avery Brown, Murphy Brown

http://www.movieactors.com/photos-stars/colleen-dewhurst-when-stranger-08

The legendary Colleen Dewhurst actually won two Emmys for her work as the mother of investigative reporter Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen). Avery was such a driving force in Murphy's life that when Murphy had her baby boy, she named him after her mother.

[Gideon58]

59.
Valene Ewing, Knots Landing

http://img005.lazygirls.info/people/joan_van_ark/joan_van_ark_joan_van_ark_knots_landing_lAPk81K.sized.jpg

I'm not going to sugar coat it here...this character was a hot mess...originally introduced on Dallas as the wife of Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford) and mother of Lucy (Charlene Tilton), with whom Valene made so many mistakes that Lucy ended up living on Southfork with her grandparents (Jim Davis, Barbara Bel Geddes). When Valene and Gary were spun off to Knots Landing, their star-crossed romance resulted in the birth of twins who were kidnapped almost immediately after their birth. This event made Val a little nuts, but once she got those babies back, even though she was still a hot mess, Valene was a wonderful mother to Bobby and Betsy.

[Gideon58]

58.
Lois Whitley, Will & Grace

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/544/sp2.JPG

Though she only appeared on three episodes, the late Suzanne Pleshette made a solid impression as the long lost mother of Karen Walker (Megan Mullally), a con artist who wasn't much of a mother to Karen who had been sending Lois monthly checks just to keep Lois out of her life until Jack (Sean Hayes), in an attempt to give Karen a nice birthday present, tracked her down.

[Gideon58]

57.
Esther Clavin, Cheers

http://www.wtae.com/image/view/-/1281384/medRes/3/-/maxh/358/maxw/538/-/9702st/-/TV-moms---Cheers.jpg

Frances Sternhagen created the first of two manipulative TV moms in Esther Clavin, the mother of Boston mailman Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger). Cliff thought the sun rose and set on his mom and was blind to her manipulation.

[Gideon58]

56.
Sandra Green, Friends

http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7j16cE2d31rvn11po1_1280.png

Marlo Thomas was quite amusing as the flighty mom of Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), who always seemed more interested in being Rachel's friend than being her mother and if there was any sitcom character who REALLY needed a mother it was Rachel Green.

[Gideon58]

55.
Sophie Bremmer, Desperate Housewives

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/desperate/images/f/f2/SophieFlickman.png/revision/latest?cb=20120613113107

Lesley Ann Warren was wonderfully entertaining as the flighty and vain mother of Susan Meyer (Teri Hatcher) who, like Sandra Green, was more interested in being a friend to Susan than being a mother, primarily because it was a painful reminder to Sophie that she was actually aging.

[Gideon58]

54.
Martha Hartley, The Bob Newhart Show

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/707/ms1.JPG

Martha Scott was adorable as Martha Hartley, the smothering mother of psychologist Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart). Martha was sweet, but in her mind, Bob was still 10 years old, evidenced in the way she never used his name, she always referred to him as "Sonny."

[Gideon58]

53.
Sylvia Buchman, Mad About You

http://theredlist.com/media/database/films/tv-series/sitcom-and-soap/1990/mad-about-you/003-mad-about-you-theredlist.jpg

Cynthia Harris was very funny as the pushy and overbearing mother of Paul Buchman (Paul Reiser), who, though a loving parent and tolerant mother-in-law, pretty much only heard what she wanted to hear.

[honeykid]

Repped all the ones I knew apart from Val from Knots Landing. I just don't watch any of the other programmes you've mentioned. :( Mary Campbell was a great character. I used to love Soap. I don't remember Avery Brown, but I used to really like Murphy Brown, so I repped that one too. :up:

[Gideon58]

52.
Mona Robinson, Who's the Boss?

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jGO45NYTrWs/maxresdefault.jpg

Katherine Helmond provided perfect comic relief as the sexy mother of tightly wound advertising executive Angela Bower (Judith Light). It was Mona who actually found Tony Micelli (Tony Danza) and convinced him to take the job as Angela's housekeeper. Mona often made fun of her daughter for being a stick in the mud but never allowed that to keep her from having her own fun and quietly tried to make something happen between Tony and Angela.

[christine]

Used to love Barbara Stanwyck as Victoria in the Big Valley. She stood no nonsense!

[Gideon58]

51.
Gloria Pritchett, Modern Family

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LgJp6OlKwsc/T9hIfYWUSTI/AAAAAAAAAL4/Y5-jsGCNiKk/s1600/gloria.jpg

Though some might find Sofia Vergara's character over the top, there's no denying that she is a wonderful mother to Manny (Rico Rodriguez) if a little overprotective and is working hard to raise new son, Joe. I also love Gloria because she seems to genuinely love Jay (Ed O'Neill) and didn't marry him for his money. And if you stop looking and actually listen to Gloria talk, the woman does have a brain and a sense of humor.

[Gideon58]

50.
Estelle Costanza, Seinfeld

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/10/02/article-2442028-1878AA8E00000578-744_634x441.jpg

Estelle Harris cracked me up as the very loud and very overbearing mother of George Costanza (Jason Alexander) whose feelings about her son seem to change from episode to episode. Sometimes it seemed like Estelle liked George's friends more than she liked George but her contempt for husband Frank (Jerry Stiller) never seemed to change. My favorite Estelle moment was when she ended up in the hospital in traction after catching George pleasuring himself in the bathroom, the event that inspired "the contest."

[Gideon58]

49.
Rayna James, Nashville

http://www.etonline.com/media/photo/2012/11/23973546/1108_nash_640.jpg

Connie Britton plays a country and western superstar who, no matter where her career or love life take her, never puts ANYTHING above the safety and welfare of her two daughters.

[Gideon58]

48.
Carol Miller, The Millers

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/3532/the-millers-margo-martindale-2.jpg

Carol (Margo Martindale) was already the mother from hell to her TV reporter son (Will Arnett) and his married sister (Jayma Mays), but it became even worse when she and husband Tom (Beau Bridges) decide to divorce. I think time spent with Carol will make anyone's mom look like an angel.

[Gideon58]

47.
Abby Ewing, Knots Landing

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UViLGggDQP0/hqdefault.jpg

During the 14 years this show was on the air, Abby (Donna Mills) made a lot of shady business deals and slept with a lot of other women's husbands, but was a good mother and proved it during two specific storylines: When Abby learned that her daughter Olivia (Tonya Crowe) had murdered Peter Hollister (Hunt Block), Abby quietly sent her daughter home and went about to bury Peter's body under some cement...the sight of Abby in her white power suit dragging around Peter's body was textbook black comedy. We also saw a vulnerable side of Abby when she learned Olivia was doing drugs and was clueless as to how to fix it...eventual tough love did help but watching Abby's helplessness in the situation was still evidence of a good parent.

[Gideon58]

46.
Bunny McDougall, Sex and the City

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/L8OUkTRMa7U/hqdefault.jpg

Frances Sternhagen created another manipulative mother in Bunny, who, unlike Esther Clavin, had enough money and power to come between son Trey (Kyle MacLachlan) and Charlotte (Kristen Davis).

[gbgoodies]

49.
Rayna James, Nashville

http://www.etonline.com/media/photo/2012/11/23973546/1108_nash_640.jpg

Connie Britton plays a country and western superstar who, no matter where her career or love life take her, never puts ANYTHING above the safety and welfare of her two daughters.


I like Rayna, and I think she's a great Mom, but I can't stand her kids. I wish they would just write both daughters out of the show.

[honeykid]

I loved Bunny. She was a tremendous character.

[Gideon58]

I like Rayna, and I think she's a great Mom, but I can't stand her kids. I wish they would just write both daughters out of the show.
No argument regarding Rayna's kids...especially Maddie...she redefines the term "brat."

[Gideon58]

45.
Christine Campbell, The New Adventures of Old Christine

http://xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/tv/files/2010/06/OldChristine.jpg

Julia Louis Dreyfuss was amusing as an EXTREMELY overprotective mother who prevented her young son Ritchie (Trevor Gagnon) from doing anything other kids his age did because she didn't want him to get hurt, which caused a lot of trouble with ex-husband Richard (Clark Gregg) who feared Christine's treatment of Ritchie would make him gay.

[Gideon58]

44.
Lois Griffin, Family Guy

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/familyguy/images/e/ea/FGuy_Lois_Gen2012_R3Flat.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120905122108

Lois is the calming center in the highly dysfunctional Griffin family, who is a terrific mom to kids Chris, Meg, and Stewie (even though even Lois sometimes joins in on the Meg-bashing that seems to be law on this show).

[Gideon58]

43.
Bree Van de Kamp, Desperate Housewives

http://themodernparent.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/29547_37b92ac2-c4a5-458b-8eeb-bd92f3d12dc2-bree.jpg

Marcia Cross' crisp work as Wisteria Lane's tightly wound Stepford Wife was continually fascinating. With Bree everything was about appearances and propriety...when she learned her first husband Rex (Steven Culp) had a heart attack, she actually made up the bed before going to the hospital. She loved son Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) and daughter Danielle (Joy Jorgansen) with Mama Bear-like intensity, often doing the wrong thing for the right reasons in the name of protecting her children. When Andrew confessed to suspecting that he was gay, Bree sent him to a "camp" to have him "deprogrammed." When Danielle became pregnant by one of her teachers, Bree sent her away to have the baby and upon her return, agreed to raise the baby as her own. A one-of-a-kind television mother.

[Gideon58]

42.
Marie Barone, Everybody Loves Raymond

http://www.tribute.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mariebarone.jpg

Show biz vet Doris Roberts won multiple Emmys for her work as Marie Barone, a woman who wore her heart on her sleeve and didn't speak with a lot of filter when it came to her feelings about Raymond (Ray Romano) being her favorite son, much to the chagrin of son Robert (Brad Garrett), not to mention her disdain for daughter-in-law Debra (Patricia Heaton). I was not a huge fan of this show, but I was a huge fan of the work of Roberts and the late Peter Boyle as Marie and Frank Barone.

[Gideon58]

41.
Carol Lambert, Step by Step

http://www.momswithoutanswers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/carollambert.jpg

Suzanne Somers proved she was more than Crissy Snow when she created mad chemistry with Patrick Duffy in this sexy updating of The Brady Bunch...Carol was not only a caring mother and stepmother, but a woman deeply in love and sexually attracted to hubby Frank and always made time for him as well.

[Gideon58]

40.
Ann Romano, One Day at a Time

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/300_portrait/2012/09/bonnie_franklin_one_day_at_a_time_a_p.jpg

A practically unknown actress named Bonnie Franklin became a star via this sitcom from the mind of Norman Lear. Ann Romano was the mother of Julie and Barbara Cooper (Mackenzie Phillips, Valerie Bertinelli) who moves to Minneapolis after divorcing her husband Ed (Joseph Campanella). In addition to being a struggling mom, the character was given a strong feminist bent...she always insisted on being referred to as "Ms." Romano and insisted on her maiden name as well. Her divorce from Ed seemed to be pretty bitter because Ann kept most men at arm's length, including longtime boyfriend David (Richard Masur) until the final season of the show when she fell in love and eventually married her daughter's husband's father (Howard Hesseman). The only thing more important to Ann than her independence was her daughters.

[Gideon58]

39.
Jill Taylor, Home Improvement

http://nick.mtvnimages.com/nickatnite-assets/video/images/home-improvement/death-begins-at-forty-1.jpg

Actress Patricia Richardson more than held her own opposite the hysterical Tim Allen as Jill Taylor, the long-suffering wife of Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor, a so-called tool nut with his own TV show, who was not quite as skillful as he thought. Jill was another TV mom with the patience of a saint, who pretty much raised her three sons by herself. She also gets credit for putting up with Tim, who was not exactly the greatest husband in the world. She used to crack me up whenever something in the house was broken and she would warn Tim not to try and fix anything.

[gbgoodies]

42.
Marie Barone, Everybody Loves Raymond

http://www.tribute.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mariebarone.jpg

Show biz vet Doris Roberts won multiple Emmys for her work as Marie Barone, a woman who wore her heart on her sleeve and didn't speak with a lot of filter when it came to her feelings about Raymond (Ray Romano) being her favorite son, much to the chagrin of son Robert (Brad Garrett), not to mention her disdain for daughter-in-law Debra (Patricia Heaton). I was not a huge fan of this show, but I was a huge fan of the work of Roberts and the late Peter Boyle as Marie and Frank Barone.


Marie Barone wasn't the best Mom when it came to Robert, but she was so funny. I didn't start watching "Everybody Loves Raymond" until it went into syndication, but once I started watching it, I watched every episode numerous times. I loved the show because it felt like they could have been my own family. (They even lived right here on Long Island. :) )

[Gideon58]

38.
Sophia Petrillo, The Golden Girls

http://newnownext.mtvnimages.com/2013/07/estelle-getty-1040ds0503101.jpeg

Estelle Getty was a major scene stealer as Sophia, the acid-tongued mother of Dorothy Zbornak (Beatrice Arthur) who held her tongue with no one. She had no trouble telling her daughter that she was a prude, that Blanche (Rue McClanahan) was a tramp or that Rose (Betty White) was an idiot. She also hated Dorothy's ex, Stan (Herb Edelman) with a white hot passion. There were only two words that had any power over Sophia: Shady Pines.

[Gideon58]

37.
Lois, Malcolm in the Middle

http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Lois-malcolm-in-the-middle-275412_258_400.jpg

Frankie Muniz may have played the title role on this sitcom, but Jane Kaczmarek ruled the show as Malcolm's mother. This character was so intimidating that even her own husband (Bryan Cranston) seemed afraid of her.

[Gideon58]

36.
Bonnie, Mom

http://www.cinedogs.gr/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/MOM.jpg

This sitcom is only in its sophomore season but Emmy winner Allison Janney has already made an indelible impression on the sitcom landscape with this complex yet always hilarious character. Bonnie is a self-absorbed, sexually promiscuous recovering alcoholic and drug addict who has moved in with her daughter, Christy (Anna Faris), also a recovering alcoholic and drug addict who are trying to stay sober while helping to raise Christy's daughter, who had a baby last season and gave it up for adoption and her son. Bonnie was not a great mother to Christy when she was growing up and frankly, is not doing much better now, but she is one of the funniest characters on network television right now. At last year's Golden Globes, there were only two acting nominees from network television and Janney was one of them.

[Gideon58]

35.
Peg Bundy, Married...with Children

http://www.writeups.org/img/fiche/5784.jpg

Definitely in the top three of Worst TV Moms ever, but also one of the funniest. Katey Sagal carved herself a place in television history with this entertaining and slightly pathetic character.

[Gideon58]

34.
Ida Morganstern, Rhoda

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/735/nw12.JPG

There have been a lot of TV moms who were really into laying guilt trips on their children, but no one did it better than Ida Morganstern (Nancy Walker). Daughters Rhoda (Valerie Harper) and Brenda (Julie Kavner) could see it coming from miles away, but seeing it coming was no defense...Ida was the Queen of Parental Guilt.

[Gideon58]

33.
Claire Dunphy, Modern Family

http://assets.wornon.tv/uploads/2013/11/claires-aqua-green-sweatshirt.jpg

The seriously underrated Julie Bowen has already won two Emmys for bringing this surprisingly layered TV mom to life on a weekly basis. There is so much more going on with Claire than just being a housewife and mom and Bowen has become the mistress of underplay in revealing all these layers with minimum scenery chewing. Claire is frightened that oldest daughter Haley (Sarah Hyland) is wasting her life and has hated every guy Haley has dated; she is intimated by brainiac younger daughter Alex (Ariel Winter) and is jealous of the relationship her son Luke (Nolan Gould) has with husband Phil (Ty Burrell). In addition to her kids, Claire also has serious daddy issues trying to be the son to her dad (Ed O'Neill) that her gay brother (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) never was and with her sexy stepmom (Sofia Vergara) who is closer to her age than her dad's and is clearly jealous of the woman's physical assets, yet seems to be oblivious of Phil's attraction to her. There's a whole lot going on with this character and does she verbalize it? No, you see it in those little interview segments between scenes and it's mostly in looks and body language. Bowen has become a one woman acting class with this character.

[Sexy Celebrity]

64.
Harriet Winslow, Family Matters

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B8cVSBCdRnA/Ul2FPjmkbcI/AAAAAAAABCU/HChcKbhOmHc/s1600/harriet1.png

Harriet (Jo Marie Payton) was originally introduced to television audiences as an elevator operator on the sitcom Perfect Strangers and garnered so many laughs there that ABC decided to spin her off into her own series, where we learned that Harriet was married to a police officer named Carl (Reginald Veljohnson), was the mother of Eddie (Darius McCrary), Laura (Kellie Shanyne Williams), and Judy (Jaimee Foxworth). Harriet's sister Rachel (Telma Hoppkins) also lived there with her young son Richie (Bryton James). Harriet was a strong-willed mother who took care of her children since Carl spent most of his time raising nerdy next door neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White). I guess Harriet dropped the ball at some point since after the first season, young daughter Judy disappeared.

So she is the reason Family Matters happened?!

I didn't know she first appeared on Perfect Strangers. Boy, she sure lost the lead role when she moved to Family Matters. That actress didn't even play Harriet in the show's final season and I think it's because she got fed up with the ridiculous plots going on, all revolving around Steve Urkel and Carl doing things like time traveling to the past and going to outer space. They were supposed to be a poor family struggling to pay the bills, like on Roseanne -- suddenly they were in outer space.

Anyway, I hope you'll have this woman show up:

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=21325&stc=1&d=1430336501

But I'm kinda worried she won't.

[Gideon58]

I have to confess Thelma Harper never entered my thought process as I began this list, but I would not place her on the list at this point, but she will definitely be an honorable mention.

[Gideon58]

32.
Elyse Keaton, Family Ties

http://static2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130813031750/family-ties/images/e/e6/Family-ties-meredith-baxter-birney-1.jpg

Meredith Baxter Birney lit up the screen as the aging hippie who struggled to raise four children and remain a 60's flower child at the same time, though the opposing political views between Steven (Michael Gross) and Elyse and son Alex P. became less important as the seasons progressed and more about keeping Alex's humongous ego in check.

[Sexy Celebrity]

I have to confess Thelma Harper never entered my thought process as I began this list, but I would not place her on the list at this point, but she will definitely be an honorable mention.

Mama's Family is one of my favorite shows. I have been watching it again lately because they've been finally bringing out the whole series on DVD.

[Gideon58]

Mama's Family is one of my favorite shows. I have been watching it again lately because they've been finally bringing out the whole series on DVD.
I loved the character on a limited basis as the occasional skit on The Carol Burnett Show, but putting the character at the center of a sitcom was like overkill to me. The character just didn't work as the center of a sitcom for me and I wasn't impressed with the supporting cast assembled behind the character either. Thelma didn't work for me without Eunice and Ed (Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman).

[Gideon58]

31.
Kate Lawrence, Family

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3zkRRRTdML4/hqdefault.jpg

Sada Thompson won an Emmy for her work as the quietly authoritative soul of the Lawrence family in this severely underrated family drama.

[Gideon58]

30.
Marian Cunningham, Happy Days

http://theredlist.com/media/database/films/tv-series/sitcom-and-soap/1970/happy-days/020-happy-days-theredlist.jpg

Marian Ross created one of television's most lovable mothers ever in this character. Marian was the devoted wife to Howard (Tom Bosley) and a wonderful mother to Richie (Ron Howard), Joanie (Erin Moran) and even the here-one-season-gone-the-next older son, Chuck, but if the truth be told, my favorite relationship that Marian had was the one that developed with the Fonz (Henry Winkler)...I loved when she would make him lunch and kiss him on the cheek and I loved that Marian was the only person Fonz allowed to call him "Arthur."

[gbgoodies]

30.
Marian Cunningham, Happy Days

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/assets_c/2012/05/hdmarionross-thumb-550x412.jpg

Marian Ross created one of television's most lovable mothers ever in this character. Marian was the devoted wife to Howard (Tom Bosley) and a wonderful mother to Richie (Ron Howard), Joanie (Erin Moran) and even the here-one-season-gone-the-next older son, Chuck, but if the truth be told, my favorite relationship that Marian had was the one that developed with the Fonz (Henry Winkler)...I loved when she would make him lunch and kiss him on the cheek and I loved that Marian was the only person Fonz allowed to call him "Arthur."


I expected Marian Cunningham to be much higher than #30. :shrug:

[Gideon58]

29.
Angela Bower, Who's the Boss?

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6052/6257509103_0eb86001ac.jpg

After winning two daytime Emmys for playing the tragic Karen Wolek on One Life to Live, Judith Light proved her versatility with a polar opposite prime time character...Angela is an uptight divorced mother of a son (Danny Pintauro) who works in advertising. At the advice of her mother, Mona (Katherine Helmond), Angela hires a hunk named Tony Micelli (Tony Danza) to be her housekeeper. Tony is a widower who wants to get his daughter Samantha (Alyssa Milano) out of Brooklyn and believes working in Angela's Connecticut home is a perfect idea. Angela was not only a good mother to her son but the mother figure that Samantha needed but initially resisted as well.

[Gideon58]

28.
Miss Ellie, Dallas

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/glkQDmzTLRY/hqdefault.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc444/baby_jane1/30.jpg

Probably the first name in TV matriarchs...Miss Ellie was the quiet driving force at Southfork and the only person for whom JR had unconditional respect. Barbara Bel Geddes left the show for a season for health reasons and was temporarily replaced by Donna Reed, who received such a cold reception in the role, from the cast and audiences alike, that Larry Hagman led a campaign to get Bel Geddes to come back and CBS was forced to pay Reed the full price of her contract even though she was unceremoniously fired.

[Gideon58]

27.
Maude Findlay, Maude

http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos/2007/01/19/maude.jpg

Though she loved to fight with daughter, Carol (Adrienne Barbeau), the fights were always out of love.

[Gideon58]

26.
Victoria Grayson, Revenge

http://rd1.ig.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/vic.jpg

Like Abby Ewing, Victoria was involved in a lot of nasty doings, but would walk through fire for her children, even if it left her severely burned. The death of her son Daniel may have been a breaking point for her though...Madeline Stowe brings this vividly entertaining to character to life every week and makes this over-the-top primetime soap a guilty pleasure.

[Sexy Celebrity]

I loved the character on a limited basis as the occasional skit on The Carol Burnett Show, but putting the character at the center of a sitcom was like overkill to me. The character just didn't work as the center of a sitcom for me and I wasn't impressed with the supporting cast assembled behind the character either. Thelma didn't work for me without Eunice and Ed (Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman).

Well, I disagree. The first two seasons weren't so great because the cast was different and Mama acted differently, but starting in season three, when it was Thelma (with kind of a new personality), Iola, Bubba, Vint and Naomi, I LOVE IT. Carol Burnett's character didn't really impress me. I thought Vicki Lawrence topped her.

[Gideon58]

Well, I disagree. The first two seasons weren't so great because the cast was different and Mama acted differently, but starting in season three, when it was Thelma (with kind of a new personality), Iola, Bubba, Vint and Naomi, I LOVE IT. Carol Burnett's character didn't really impress me. I thought Vicki Lawrence topped her.
You're certainly entitled to your opinion. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this.

[Funny Face]

36.
Bonnie, Mom

http://www.cinedogs.gr/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/MOM.jpg


I've liked all the characters I've seen Allison Janney play so far. I'll need to check out this show sometime.

[gbgoodies]

I've liked all the characters I've seen Allison Janney play so far. I'll need to check out this show sometime.


You should definitely check out "Mom". It's one of the funniest shows on television.

[Miss Vicky]

I've never been a huge TV watcher, but I'm really hoping Roseanne Conner makes an appearance.

[Funny Face]

You should definitely check out "Mom". It's one of the funniest shows on television.
I'll look for it next time I'm out- I don't watch TV very often, especially now since Parks and Rec has officially ended.

[gbgoodies]

I'll look for it next time I'm out- I don't watch TV very often, especially now since Parks and Rec has officially ended.


I never watched "Parks and Rec", but I highly recommend "Mom".

[gbgoodies]

I've never been a huge TV watcher, but I'm really hoping Roseanne Conner makes an appearance.


I'm pretty sure that Roseanne Conner will be high on the list.

[Miss Vicky]

I'm pretty sure that Roseanne Conner will be high on the list.

I hope so.

For most of its run, I think Roseanne was one of the most accurate depictions of middle class family life on TV.

[Sexy Celebrity]

Roseanne's probably #1.

Dan Conner was the #1 Dad on Gideon's TV Dads Countdown.

[Miss Vicky]

Roseanne's probably #1.

Dan Conner was the #1 Dad on Gideon's TV Dads Countdown.

Ah, I didn't see that countdown. :up:

[Gideon58]

You should definitely check out "Mom". It's one of the funniest shows on television.
I have definitely added Allison Janney to my list of actors who are always watchable, rarely make a wrong move onscreen, and just does no wrong...she has entered Stockard Channing territory for me.

[Gideon58]

25.
Helen Seinfeld, Seinfeld

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/seinfeld/images/f/f2/Del_boca_vista.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130929174514

Liz Sheridan was wonderful as Jerry's doting Mom, who thought the sun rose and set on her son. Like Paul Buchman's mom on Mad About You, Helen pretty much only heard what she wanted to hear and don't even THINK about implying that someone doesn't like Jerry.

[Gideon58]

24.
Jackie Florrick, The Good Wife

http://static.parade.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/cbs-the-good-wife-ftr.jpg

Actress Mary Beth Piel created a character who you giggle at one minute and want to strangle the next. Jackie is the mother of Peter Florrick (Chris Noth), now the Governor of Illinois and mother-in-law of Alicia (Julianna Margulies) who, like most TV moms, thinks the sun rises and sets on her son, despite Peter's checkered past and resented Alicia's initial distancing of herself from Peter after learning that he had been sleeping with prostitutes for years. Jackie has not been above using her son's political clout to further her own agenda and once used her grandchildren's trust funds to purchase a house that Alicia wanted to buy for her and her children. And it goes without saying that Jackie and Alicia's mother (Stockard Channing) aren't exactly BFF's either.

[Gideon58]

23.
Nora Walker, Brothers and Sisters

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/02/09/sallyfield1.jpg

Oscar and Emmy winner Sally Field returned to television playing this warm and vulnerable matriarch. Nora Walker was the widowed mother of four grown children who is trying to be there for her children while adjusting to the revelation that her husband was not the man she thought he was, evidenced in the appearance of her husband's long-time mistress (Patrica Wettig) and her daughter (Emily Van Camp). If Nora had one fault, it would be that she consistently put her own life and happiness on the back burner if her kids needed her, she was even there for her brother, Saul (Ron Rifkin), when he came out of the closet.

[honeykid]

I used to love Brothers & Sisters.

[Gideon58]

22.
Nancy Weston, Thirtysomething

http://peerie.adaptive.net/faces/full/4/36585-310354.jpg

Patricia Wettig won three Emmys for her work as Nancy Weston, a loving wife and mother of two who had to deal with a philandering husband (Timothy Busfield), her children, and cancer at the same time.

[Gideon58]

21.
Phyllis Lindstrom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/725/MTM410IsAFriendInNeed.jpg

Oscar and Emmy winner Cloris Leachman created a deliciously unique TV mom in Phyllis Lindstrom. Phyllis was flighty and self-absorbed and married to a dermatologist named Lars (who we never saw), but the funniest part of Phyllis' character was her relationship with her daughter, Bess (Lisa Gerritsen). Like a lot of previously mentioned TV moms, it was very important to Phyllis to be Bess' friend than to be her mother, but unfortunately Phyllis let it get way out of hand...she insisted that Bess refer to her as Phyllis instead of Mom and pretty much let the little girl do whatever she wanted. Phyllis took all her parenting techniques from self-help books and clearly was getting no help from Lars. In one episode, Bess threw a temper tantrum about wanting to stay with Mary instead of going home and Phyllis insisted that Mary keep Bess because that's what Bess wanted. Phyllis was not TV's greatest mom, but few women worked as sincerely at it as Phyllis did and made us laugh while she did it.

[Gideon58]

20.
Evelyn Harper, Two and a Half Men

http://i0.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/two-and-a-half-men-holland-taylor-2.jpg?resize=300%2C400

Holland Taylor was nothing short of brilliant as the self-centered and sexually uninhibited mother of Charlie and Alan Harper (Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer) who unlike a lot of TV moms, NEVER put the needs of her sons over her own. Evelyn spoke without filter and had no problem reminding Charlie what a man whore he was (pot calling the kettle so to speak) and Alan what a spineless loser he is. Evelyn was also convinced that her grandson Jake (Angus T. Jones) was borderline retarded. Evelyn seemed financially secure due to her work as a Malibu real estate agent and some most likely large settlements from a barrage of ex-husbands. Taylor created one of television's most memorable moms who stole every scene she was in and how this actress never won an Emmy for her work here is a mystery to me.

[Gideon58]

19.
Abby Bradford, Eight is Enough

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/713/Eight008.jpg

Betty Buckley was lovely as the stepmother of the century. After the death of his wife Joan (Diana Hyland, who had passed away IRL), Tom Bradford (Dick Van Patten) began seeing a teacher named Abby and their relationship eventually blossomed into a marriage that automatically made Abby stepmother to EIGHT children. Becoming an instant stepmother to one child is daunting enough, but Abby got eight, which is worthy of her being mentioned here. Handling the off screen death of a cast member had rarely been dealt with in such a classy manor

[Gideon58]

18.
Lynette Scavo, Desperate Housewives

http://www.tribute.ca/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/LynetteScavo.jpg

Felicity Huffman won an Emmy for her work as the complex, humorous and fascinating Lynette...Lynette was a former advertising executive who gave it up for marriage and children but now struggling with keeping her head above water with troublesome husband Tom (Doug Savant) and five children, Lynette was eager to get back in the rat race and at one point, Tom even agreed to stay home and be Mr. Mom so Lynette could go back to work. Don't get me wrong, Lynette loved her kids but found child rearing overwhelming sometimes and often looked for shortcuts to help her. At a time when she was unraveling, a business owner (Jason Gedrick) was attracted to her, but Lynette never broke her marriage vows...an amazing, funny, touching, and completely unpredictable character...and a great mom.

[Gideon58]

17.
Livia Soprano, The Sopranos

http://i.lv3.hbo.com/assets/images/series/the-sopranos/character/livia-soprano-1024.jpg

Nancy Marchand vividly brought to life one of television's most manipulative mothers...and she did a lot of it without ever getting out of her sickbed.

[Gideon58]

16.
Endora, Bewitched

http://lobablanca.com/blog09/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/endora.jpg

After decades as one of Hollywood's most dependable character actresses who received two Oscar nominations, Agnes Moorhead reinvented herself and created a whole new fan base for herself when she accepted the role of Endora, Samantha's powerful and controlling mother on Bewitched. Moorhead only agreed to do the role because she didn't think the show would run more than a single season. Moorhead spent the next eight years playing an extremely powerful witch who refuses to accept the fact that her daughter Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) has married a mortal named Darrin Stephens (Dick York, Dick Sargent) and has chosen to live her life as a mortal. Moorhead's resentment of Darriin manifested in her always referring to the man as "Derwood" and putting spells on him turning him into all sorts of animals, vegetables, and minerals. Ironically, one of Endora's funniest episodes had Endora losing her powers after contact with a Masadonian dodo bird, and has to humble herself with Darrin in order to get him to wait on her hand and foot because Endora finds herself completely helpless without her witchcraft. This was probably the definitive Mother-in-law from Hell.

[Gideon58]

15.
Nana Mary, Roseanne

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131014232632/roseanne/images/thumb/9/99/Shelley_Winters_as_Nana_Mary.jpg/500px-Shelley_Winters_as_Nana_Mary.jpg

Two time Oscar winner Shelley Winters was hysterical as the grandmother of Roseanne and mother of Beverly (Estelle Parsons). Mary was nothing like her daughter...she liked to drink Bloody Marys and call into talk radio shows. She was the only person who could put Beverly in her place and loved messing with Beverly's mind. She spent one episode pretending to be senile just to piss Beverly off. Unlike Beverly, the Conners were crazy about Nana Mary and asked her to move in with them, but she refused.

[Gideon58]

14.
Alexis Carrington, Dynasty

http://www.der-denver-clan.de/img/mdb/alexis041_5.jpg

She was an unscrupulous businesswoman and made life a living hell for ex-husband Blake (John Forsythe) and his current wife, Krystle (Linda Evans), but one constant about Alexis is that she loved her children Adam (Gordon Thomson), Fallon (Pamela Sue Martin, Emma Samms), Steven (Al Corley, Jack Coleman), and Amanda (Catherine Oxenburg, Karen Cellini), even though she sometimes had a funny way of showing it. Almost all of television's greatest villains had unconditional love for their children and Alexis was no exception.

[honeykid]

TBF, maybe she had a funny way of showing it because her children would change. Poor woman must've been forever fretting that the next time they came through the door they'd be someone else. :D

[Gideon58]

13.
Julia Baker, Julia

http://munaluchibridal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tumblr_mknholxJzD1qi72kdo4_400.jpg

Long before playing Jane Burke or Marion Gilbert on A Different World, Diahann Carroll made television history as the first woman of color to star in her own sitcom. Carroll played Julia Baker, the widowed mother of a young son named Corey (Marc Copage) who gets a job as nurse to a grumpy doctor (Lloyd Nolan). As important as her job was, nothing was important to Julie than Corey.

[Gideon58]

12.
Beverly Harris, Roseanne

http://showbizgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Screen-Shot-2013-04-18-at-01.39.48.png

Estelle Parsons played the mother of Roseanne and Jackie (Lauri Metcalfe) and the daughter of previous entry Nana Mary (Shelley Winters). See my "Favorite Recurring characters" thread for further details on the character.

[Miss Vicky]

Two time Oscar winner Shelley Winters was hysterical as the granddaughter of Roseanne and mother of Beverly (Estelle Parsons).

I think you mean grandmother. ;)

Loved Nana Mary. Couldn't stand Beverly.

[Gideon58]

11.
Florida Evans, Good Times

http://www.coupons.com/thegoodstuff/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/florida-evans.png

The late Esther Rolle created one of TV's most strong-willed mothers in Florida Evans, a character who was actually introduced on Maude. Florida was a no-nonsense mother and loving wife to husband James (John Amos) and always seemed to know exactly how to get through to children JJ (Jimmie Walker), Thelma (BerNadette Stanis) and Michael (Ralph Carter) without ever having them doubt her love for them.

[Gideon58]

I think you mean grandmother. ;)

Loved Nana Mary. Couldn't stand Beverly.
You're right, I did mean grandmother, changing it right now.

[Sexy Celebrity]

Loved Nana Mary. Couldn't stand Beverly

This explains everything.

Nana Mary was alright, but I could have lived if that character wasn't created.

Beverly, on the other hand, was a riot.

[Gideon58]

10.
Alicia Florrick, The Good Wife

http://media.salon.com/2011/02/good_wife_headline.jpg

Alicia (Julianna Margulies) resumed her career as an attorney when her cushy life as the wife of politician Peter Florrick (Chris Noth) fell apart after a nasty sex scandal and a short stint in prison. Throughout it all, Alicia's number one priority has always been the safety and welfare of her children, Zach (Graham Phillips) and Grace (Mackenzie Vega). Alicia zealously defended Zach when he was accused of marijuana possession and was on the front row of the gallery when Zach was questioned as a possible witness in the tampering of a ballet box. Alicia's parenting skills also shone through when Grace started practicing Christianity. A strict aethiest herself, Alicia never allowed her personal beliefs to affect Grace's but never pretended to be a Christian to appease Grace either. Despite an on again off again love affair with former boss Will Gardner (Josh Charles), this TV mom has one of the most solid moral barometers I have ever seen...at least where her children are concerned.

[Gideon58]

This explains everything.

Nana Mary was alright, but I could have lived if that character wasn't created.

Beverly, on the other hand, was a riot.
Most people loved Mary and couldn't stand Beverly, why did you hate Mary?

[Camo]

Alicia and Livia would make my top 10 :up:

[Sexy Celebrity]

Most people loved Mary and couldn't stand Beverly, why did you hate Beverly?

You mean why did I like Beverly? I didn't hate Beverly -- that's Miss Vicky's stance on Beverly.

I didn't hate Nana Mary, either. But, maybe like you (since Beverly is higher on your list), I appreciated Beverly's character far more than Nana Mary. The Nana Mary guest appearances didn't really thrill me. But I thought Beverly was constantly funny and amusing, even if she was an irritating person.

Nana Mary is like Honeykid and Beverly is like me. There's nothing really for Nana Mary to do if she didn't have Beverly to bother. She was just a hip, cool, take-it-easy kind of person. But Beverly could exist without her, providing amusement wherever she went. She may have been an old biddy, but she was Roseanne's mother and they never just dismissed her. She had her own surprises, like when she came out as a lesbian or when she was seen strutting around in an S&M leather outfit in that one fantasy sequence with David.

[Gideon58]

9.
Beverly Goldberg, The Goldbergs

http://static.east.abc.go.com/service/image/ratio/id/VDKA0_5kq35mk0/dim/1200.2x1.jpg?cb=0032

Another show only in its sophomore season that has produced, for my money, what will go down in television history as a classic TV mom. Wendi McLendon-Covey has created one of the most over-the-top, outrageous, but somehow believable mothers ever created for a sitcom. Based on the real mother of the show's creator, actor Adam Goldberg, Beverly wears motherhood on her sleeve and is completely blind to the faults of daughter Erica (Hayley Orrentia), son Barry (Troy Gentile) and especially her baby Adam (Sean Giambrone) and is completely unable to wrap her head around the possibility that her children are incapable of doing anything and will defend to the death just about any outrageous idea they might have and will encourage them until they themselves admit complete defeat. She is always on their side, even if the opposing side is her husband (Jeff Garlin) and her father (George Segal) and has no qualms about marching into her children's schools and making outrageous scenes when she feels they have suffered some injustice at school that have her children, the faculty, and other students cowering in shame, fear, and disbelief. The term Mama Bear has often been used when referring to the intensity in which a TV mother protects their young, but Beverly doesn't just redefine it, she stomps on it, rolls it around between her fingers, stomps on it again, and makes it her own with no apologies and no regrets.

[Gideon58]

8.
Samantha Stephens, Bewitched

http://lobablanca.com/blog09/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/samantha.jpg

The late Elizabeth Montgomery was absolutely enchanting as the centerpiece of what was probably my favorite sitcom of the 1960's. Samantha was a witch who met and, after a whirlwind romance, married a mortal named Darrin Stephens (Dick York, Dick Sargent) and after confessing about her powers on her wedding night, agreed to live with Darrin as a mortal. Of course, if that had worked out, there would have been no series. When Elizabeth Montgomery became pregnant IRL, Samantha also became pregnant and had a daughter named Tabitha (originally played by twins Erin and Diane Murphy, but eventually Erin played the role alone), but Samantha found more than she bargained for when Tabitha turned out to have powers as well and some of the funniest episodes revolved around Tabitha enjoying her powers and Samantha trying to get her to stop. During the final years when Dick Sargent was playing Darrin, Montgomery became pregnant with her third child and the pregnancy was again written into the show and Samantha ended up having a son named Adam who, to the relief of his parents, was mortal, but Samantha and Darrin loved him all the same, even if Tabitha had jealousy issues not being the only baby in the house anymore.

[Gideon58]

7.
Carmela Soprano, The Sopranos

http://i.lv3.hbo.com/assets/images/series/the-sopranos/character/carmela-soprano-1024.jpg

Edie Falco won a mantle full of awards for her rich portrayal of this very complex character. As the wife of New Jersey mafioso Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), Carmela enjoyed all the perks that came with being a mob wife and usually found the perks to outweigh the dangers that each day brought to her home. Like a lot of previously mentioned moms on this thread, her moral barometer was questionable at times, but never when it came to children Meadow (Jamie Lynn Sigler) and and AJ (Robert Iler). Carmela was often going to the mats with Tony regarding him being softer on AJ than he was on Meadow and sometimes this was in Carmela's head but it all sprang from her love for her children and constant fear for their safety.

[Camo]

Carmela would be my #1 no question.

[Gideon58]

6.
Patty Hewes, Damages

http://nowhitenoise.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/glenn-close.jpg

Glenn Close commanded the screen as this larger than life character. Patty Hewes was a hard-as-nails attorney who controlled her personal life with the same icy authority that she handled the courtroom. Patty sprung into action when her son Michael (Zachary Booth) had an affair with an older woman (Wendy Moniz), which resulted in a pregnancy. Patty quietly paid the woman off to leave town and when Michael couldn't handle fatherhood, took in her granddaughter planning to raise her as her own. When Michael returned to town wanting to see his daughter, Patty took him to court to retain full custody of the child. And the award for mother of the year goes to...

[Gideon58]

5.
Edith Bunker, All in the Family

https://tribwtic.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/stapleton.jpg

Jean Stapleton created one of television's lovliest and funniest character in Edith Bunker, the ever patient wife of bigoted Archie (Carroll O'Connor), mother of Gloria (Sally Struthers) and the best mother-in-law in the world to Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner). Edith was a wonderful mother who though she would walk through fire for Gloria and her grandson Joey, found herself deeply conflicted whenever a situation meant her choosing Archie over the situation. Her conflict when she learned Gloria and Mike didn't want Archie to be Joey's legal guardian in case of their death was believable and moving. Edith was not only a wonderful mother and grandmother, but a wonderful wife to a man who didn't always deserve her.

[Gideon58]

4.
Carol Brady, The Brady Bunch

http://bestmomstv.com/files/2014/01/carol-brady.jpg

"Here's the story...of a lovely lady...who was bringing up three very lovely girls..."

[Gideon58]

3.
Claire Huxtable, The Cosby Show

http://cdn.styleblazer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Claire-Huxtable-Look.jpg

Claire Huxtable redefined the TV mom forever. Phylicia Rachad was entertaining, warm, vulnerable, and sexy as Claire, a TV mom of the new millenium...Claire was sophisticated, a working mother, and way smarter than her husband Cliff (Bill Cosby). Claire also had a keen instinct about when her children were doing wrong and trying to hide it. Loved the episode where Theo (Malcolm Jamal Warner) came home from school late one day and lied about what happened and Claire conducted a mock trial to get to the truth. "Let the record show", there was only one Claire Huxtable.

[Gideon58]

2.
Roseanne Conner, Roseanne

http://www.usmagazine.com/20-most-beloved-tv-characters/img/misc/character-06-xl.jpg

I'm sure a lot of you thought Roseanne was going to be #1 because Dan was my favorite TV dad and she was going to be when I began this list, but a new #1 materialized for me, but #2 is pretty good. I loved Roseanne because this was a woman who was serious about motherhood but didn't take it or herself too seriously. Roseanne had no problem telling her kids or husband (John Goodman) when they were wrong, but did speak with filter when confronting her mother (Estelle Harris), the only person who seemed to intimidate Roseanne, but rarely got the best of her.


Can't believe I got here...as usual, here are a few honorable mentions:

June Cleaver, Leave it to Beaver
Christy, Mom
Lucy Ricardo, I Love Lucy
Thelma Harper, Mama's Family
Marge Simpson, The Simpsons
Maggie Seaver, Growing Pains
Lily Munster, The Munsters
Debra Barone, Everybody Loves Raymond
Judy Geller, Friends

Drum roll please...My #1 TV mom....

[Sexy Celebrity]

No idea who it is. That mom on The Wonder Years?

[Gideon58]

1.
Karen Fairgate Mackenzie, Knots Landing

http://coolinthe80s.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/karen.jpg

As portrayed by the charismatic Michele Lee, Karen Mackenzie was the undisputed Queen Mother of television's most famous cul-de-sac. Karen was the mother of three children herself. Her parental radar went up immediately when her daughter Diana (Claudia Lonow) became romantically involved with a dangerous psychopath named Chip (Michael Sabatino). It also went up when several years later, older son Eric (Steve Shea) returned to the cul-de-sac married to a predatory female named Linda (Lar Park-Lincoln), who ended up drifting into an affair with Karen's younger son, Michael (Pat Petersen). She supported her 2nd husband Mack (Kevin Dobson) when Paige Matheson (Nicollette Sheridan) turned out to be his biological daughter and welcomed Paige's mother, Anne (Michelle Phillips) to the cul-de-sac as well. She also supported Mack's instincts when he believed a teenage boy (Thomas Wilson Brown) he met through the court systems was being physically abused by his father and Mack wanted to move him into their home. Abby's daughter Olivia (Tonya Crowe) considered Karen more of a mother than Abby (Donna Mills) and when anyone on the cul-de-sac needed a babysitter or parenting advice, Karen was the first person who they talked to. Karen was right at the side of gal pal Valene (Joan Van Ark) when her twins were kidnapped and when her other pal Laura Avery Sumner (Constance McCashin) died of cancer and it became clear that her father, millionaire Gregory Sumner, was in no shape to care for their daughter Meg, Karen agreed to take Meg into her home and raise her as her own. For me, Karen was the definitive TV mom.


Hope you enjoyed the list.

[honeykid]

Congrats on finishing your list, Giedeon. :) I didn't know a lot of them, but the last few in particular were very good choices. I've only just started watching The Goldbergs, episode 10 was tonight, and I agree that Beverley is already shaping up to be a classic TV mother.

[Sexy Celebrity]

See you tomorrow when you begin the next countdown.

[Miss Vicky]

Only number 2? Boo. :(

[mistique]

I was kind of hoping Cindy Walsh from Beverly Hills 90210 was going to make the list.
http://thedvrfiles.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/cindy-walsh.jpg

[Gideon58]

I was kind of hoping Cindy Walsh from Beverly Hills 90210 was going to make the list.
http://thedvrfiles.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/cindy-walsh.jpg
Cindy Walsh never moved me much as a TV mom.

[Camo]

Patty Hewes is an interesting choice, I never really think of her as a mother even though some of the most powerful storylines are between her and her son/granddaughter. Fantastic character and performance by Close anyway :up: . The rest I haven't seen or don't care for.

[Gideon58]

I'll look for it next time I'm out- I don't watch TV very often, especially now since Parks and Rec has officially ended.
I miss Parks and Recreation already and it's only been done a couple of months...one of the funniest shows ever, every single episode made me laugh out loud.

[Funny Face]

I miss it too but I was very happy with how the show ended instead of going downhill. That was one of the two shows I actively watched. The other is Sherlock but that's not going to be on for a while :(. At least now I've got your list for new shows to check out!