In a recent Parents Television Council study, it was reported that 83% of all prime-time family sitcoms involve some form of father-child relationship. If you do the math, that's a whole lot of TV dads.
The study showed that, as a whole, television shows are increasingly showing more fathers who are involved in their children's lives. According to the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI):
- Fathers who live with their children are more likely to have a close, enduring relationship with their children than those who do not.
- Twenty-four million children (34 percent) live absent their biological father. Children who live absent their biological fathers are, on average, at least two to three times more likely to be poor, to use drugs, to experience educational, health, emotional and behavioral problems, to be victims of child abuse, and to engage in criminal behavior than their peers who live with their married, biological (or adoptive) parents.
- Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors such as drug use, truancy, and criminal activity compared to children who have uninvolved fathers.
With the history of television already spanning more than 50 years, there certainly are some fictional fathers that have struck a chord with audiences. But which ones? And why?
Another study conducted by askmen.com applied a number of criteria to find out which are TV's most memorable dads. The criteria areas follows:
· The character must primarily be known as a father;
· The main purpose of this character is to be a father figure;
· The show must appeal to men in general (so Danny Tanner from Full House is out)
· The show may, or may not, currently be on the air
So which prime-time daddy's made it on the list? Here are the results:
