America's Favorite TV Dads

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The Cosby Show

Cliff Huxtable is still our favorite TV dad. Credit: AP

Whether it was having time for horsing around or solving teenage issues with a few words of wisdom, television dads have triggered this thought in all of us: "Wow, why isn't my dad like that?" According to a 2009 Harris Poll, Bill Cosby's character, Dr. Cliff Huxtable, takes top honors. Read on for the complete list.

Top 15 favorite TV dads:

1. Cliff Huxtable of "The Cosby Show"

2. Ward Cleaver of "Leave It to Beaver"

3. Jim Anderson of "Father Knows Best"

4. Andy Taylor of "The Andy Griffith Show"

5. Ozzie Nelson of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet"

6. Mike Brady of "The Brady Bunch"

7. Howard "Mr. C" Cunningham of "Happy Days"

8. "Pa" Charles Ingalls of "Little House on the Prairie"

9. Ben Cartwright of "Bonanza"

10. Tim Taylor of "Home Improvement"

11. Danny Tanner of "Full House"

12. Archie Bunker of "All in the Family"

13. Steve Douglas of "My Three Sons"

14. Homer Simpson of "The Simpsons" and Al Bundy of "Married with Children" (tie)

Fun facts to know and tell:

• Those age 64 and older preferred Jim Anderson of "Father Knows Best" as their favorite.

• Only one television dad on the list is currently on prime-time television: Homer Simpson.

• Of the top 15 television dads, seven of them are from shows that originally aired in the 1950s or 1960s, while two were set in the 1950s or earlier.

How does your dad or your child's dad measure up?

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AdviceMama Says:
Start by teaching him that it is safe to do so.