The Top Ten Animated TV Dads…according to Patsy

The Top Ten Animated TV Dads…according to Patsy

So to tie in with our most recent episode, I decided that I wanted to do a Top Ten list of my personal favorite dads in animated television series. So let’s just get into the list, and please let me know YOUR thoughts and feelings on my list.

NUMBER 10: Fred Flintstone
Pretty much the original animated TV dad, and the template for just about every other dad on the list…in one way or another. He’s essentially just a parody of Jackie Gleason in the Honeymooners. His marriage to Wilma also set the template for many future animated dads, again thanks to his similarity to Jackie Gleason.

NUMBER 9: George Jetson
Another parody, but this time a parodic look at how people in the 60s believed society would evolve in the far-off time of 2062, just about 100 years from when the series premiered. It was imagined that everyone would drive flying cars and worked and lived in buildings on top of spires in the sky. George is not overly intelligent but he has a good heart and cares very much for his family.

NUMBER 8: Dave Seville
Remember, this is my list so I can choose anyone I want. Dave is one of the few characters who not only participates in an inter-species adoption program but also nurtures their gifts while maintaining his role as a disciplinarian and parental figure. He didn’t allow the Chipmunks’ fame to go to their collective heads.

NUMBER 7: Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture
Dr. Venture is a strange case. He had his own issues with his father, a sort of he-man scientist in the vein of Indiana Jones. Thaddeus has two children, Hank and Dean, although the way he treats them boils down to a very simple reason (which I won’t go into here because it’s a huge spoiler). He’s a tinkerer and an inventor and not a great father, but he is an intriguing character.

NUMBER 6: Rick Sanchez
Rick is an interesting one because he takes what Venture has done and turns it up to 11. Rick does basically whatever he wants because he can. He treats his family poorly, except for his daughter Beth, for whom he has gone to great lengths to show his love and affection – to the detriment of all else. He does occasionally show affection to others, but he always rationalizes it in some way that makes it seem like that serves him.

NUMBER 5: Stan Smith
Another parody, this time of right-wing conservatives, Stan Smith is a result of the success of Seth MacFarlane’s first animated series, Family Guy. Stan is a guy who loves his guns, loves Jesus and loves his traditional family values. He does love his family and does anything and everything his family needs, even if his methods aren’t always the best…and in all reality, he’s the one who caused the rift that needs to be repaired in the first place.

NUMBER 4: Professor Farnsworth
I know that he technically isn’t a dad, he’s the distant nephew of series protagonist Philip J. Fry, but he still fulfills that role on the show. He is the de-facto father figure of the Planet Express crew as a result of his age and experience and his ability to invent his way out of almost every situation. This and his penchant to deliver good news, everyone!

NUMBER 3: Robert Belcher, Jr.
As we mentioned on the show this week, we are high on Bob being a great dad. Unlike most of the dads on this list, he doesn’t have to clean up messes that he causes, he cleans up his family’s messes. He is willing to go to great lengths to make his family happy, even if it means his own health and happiness are sacrificed.

NUMBER 2: Peter Griffin
Based on his longevity, Peter has gone through some interesting character development. At first, he was basically an homage to Homer Simpson. He has a blue-collar job, has an attractive wife who is way too good for him, he drinks too much, and is a lazy slob who is a surprisingly adept hand-to-hand combatant. Although, he has gone through a few traumas that others on this list either did not experience or experienced it off-screen, such as the deaths of his parents.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

NUMBER ONE: Homer Jay Simpson
There could be no doubt that Homer would get the top spot on this list. Not only is he the template upon which several of the members of this list are based. He is based loosely on Fred Flintstone’s design (loves bowling, has a wife that’s out of his league, eats too much, etc.) and as a result of not only his longevity has drawn comparisons to characters who have come after him. As the Simpsons have been a part of my life for three decades, I found it difficult to pick anyone else for the top spot.