Meet The Parents!

Today’s TV moms and dads may be breaking all the rules, but they still have a lot to teach us.

- Marc Berman

Gone are the days of the “perfect” TV mom wearing an apron and serving towers of pancakes (and waffles! and bacon! and sausage!) for breakfast. And the TV dad? He has more to offer than just stern lectures and a game of catch.In 2019, the parents we see on TV are a much more realistic depiction of the parents we see (and are) at home. To paraphrase a Free to Be … You and Me song, “Parents are people.” Some TV moms have jobs. Some TV dads stay home. Many of the families we see on our favorite shows are made up of beloved parental surrogates: siblings, godparents, friends, and neighbors.

And you know what? These small-screen families feel most like our own, only better, when they aren’t so “perfect.”

As we celebrate our parents on their annual days of thanks, we take a moment to recognize our current crop of favorite fictional mothers and fathers. Whether we’re tuning in live or streaming past episodes and preparing for their fall return, we toast the laughter and invaluable lessons they’ve given us.

Patience Is an Attainable Virtue

Mary Cooper Young Sheldon

“Lord, look after my son. Don’t let him get stuffed in a gym bag,” muttered Mary Cooper (Zoe Perry), the mother of child prodigy Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armit - age), as she took the 9-year-old to his new high school in the pilot episode of Young Sheldon. Mary Cooper was originally played by Perry’s real-life mother, Laurie Metcalf, on The Big Bang Theory; the character at both generational stages embraces what it is to parent a challenging son. (CBS; streams on CBS All Access.)

Be Nice to Your Sister

Clem FAM