Last week NBC brought together some of tv's favorite families for reunions. Some of them I liked, some I did not. Thought I would put together a list of my top 15 tv families. Some I watched when they aired, some I have seen in repeats or on DVD. Each of these families at one time or another, I either enjoyed watching or dreamed of being a part of. When things were rough as a kid, I often dreamed of being a member of a family of any family other my own. (I no longer feel that way BTW). What are your favorite tv families? Please share!
The Abbotts: The Young And The Restless
Favorite Abbott: Traci
Least Favorite Abbott: Jack (ass)
I thought I should add at least one Daytime family. Even though I am not a regular viewer of daytime soaps, there are times when I DVR The Y & R (although it has gotten down right stupid lately...) Who would not want to belong to a family where at one point you could have spent your summers watching Brad (Don Diamont) shirtless cleaning out your pool...nuff said!
14: The Sumners: Knots Landing
Favorite Sumner: Laura
Least Favorite Sumner: Greg
I wanted to add a family from Knots Landing but it was hard. Those Ewings were pretty screwed up and Karen Fairgate gets on my last nerve. My favorite characters on Knots were Diana and Laura so I went with Laura's second Knots family 'The Sumners'. Constance McCashin was a gift to prime time tv the producers seemed not to see. Her first marriage to Richard was a unique one from prime time, so ahead of it's time. Her marriage to Greg was not nearly as interesting, but Laura always was one of tv's most interesting women.
13.The Carringtons: Dynasty
Favorite Carrington: Fallon (as played by Pamela Sue Martin)
Least Favorite Carrington: Fallon (as played by Emma Samms)
I was not a huge fan of Dynasty, but watching the early seasons on DVD has been enjoyable. Interesting the three biggest things about the show (Linda Evans, Joan Collins and John Forsyth) are the least favorite parts of my watching. Pamela Sue Martin and Pamela Bellwood, not to mention Gordon Thompson are providing me with much of my entertainment.
12. The Lacey's: Cagney & Lacey
Favorite Lacey: Harvey
Least Favorite Lacey: Michael and Harvey Jr I guess...
One of the first marriages I saw well written on tv featuring a working mother, a cop no less, and a father who did equal or more of the parenting. Tyne Daley can do no wrong to me and John Karlen was wonderful.
11. The Cunninghams: Happy Days
Favorite Cunningham: Marion
Least favorite Cunningham: Chuck (Is he still upstairs).
Thanks to repeats I got my nightly dose of Happy Days at 6pm for most of my childhood years. Howard and Marion were great parents, understanding, strong and loving.
10.The Chase Family: My So Called Life
Favorite Chase: Angela
Least Favorite Chase: Danielle (by default)
One season, one great show. Would so have loved to have been able to have watched this family for a few more years. Boo ABC!
9.The Jeffersons: The Jeffersons
Favorite Jefferson: Louise
Least Favorite Jefferson: Lional #2
Another Norman Lear family sit-com, this one in an East Side Apartment in the sky. The opening song is one of tv's best and so is this tv family. Got to love all the cracks from Mother Jefferson to Louise! I would have tossed that old hag off the balcony.
8: The Bunkers: All In The Family
Favorite Bunker: Edith by a mile
Least Favorite Bunker: Archie I guess
Edith Bunker, as played by Jean Stapleton is one of tvs best female characters ever. Some see her as an emotionally abused wife, I see her as an amazing strong woman. I still have yet to see all of All In The Family, but thanks to DVD I can look forward to more!
7.The Mannings/Sammler's: Once and Again.
Favorite Manning/Sammler: Lily
Least favorite Manning/Sammmler: Jessie
For two seasons these two families were forced together by their parents who were going to marry. In the end they were together because they wanted to be. Once And Again was a show I only discovered thanks to DVD and I am still awaiting season 3.
6. The Suarez family: Ugly Betty
Favorite Suarez: Hilda
Least Favorite Suarez: If I had to pick, Betty, but I love them all.
Such a real family, loving yet raw. A combo not all shows can blend well, but Ugly Betty does it so well.
5.The Fishers: Six Feet Under
Favorite Fisher: Ruth
Least Favorite Fisher: Nate
One of tv's best families ever.
4. The Bradfords: Eight Is Enough
Favorite Bradford: Nancy
Least Favorite Bradford: Tommy
I have not seen all of Eight Is Enough (DVD anyone?) but as I kid, I saw enough reruns to make me dream of belonging to a huge family like the Bradfords. Now that I am older I am happy I don't have 8 siblings. Many people think it is great for people to have tons of brothers and sisters for support, but many of us know that siblings don't always offer support...The also offer problems and many only call when they need cash. You take the good, you take the bad (oops, that's another show).
3. The Gilmores: Gilmore Girls
Favorite Gilmore: Emily hands down
Least Favorite Gilmore: Rory
If your read the blog much you know I love this show. It is my feeling the writers of Gilmore Girls created one of the most unique and complex mother daughter relationships ever...and I am not talking Lorelai and Rory, I am talking the most interesting relationship on the show, Larelai and Emily. There scenes together were touching, heartbreaking and most of all uncomfortable...what most strained relationships usually end up being.
2. The Walkers: Brothers & Sisters
Favorite Walker: Hard choice, but in the end Nora
Least Favorite Walker: Easy choice, Tommy
The Walkers are my current favorite TV Family. This underrated shows on the surface has a soap opera look, but if you are a watcher of the show you know there are small moments woven into each episode which set it apart from most family dramas. Each of the family members have their own unique relationship which the writers allow us to explore each week.
1: The Ewings: DALLAS
Favorite Ewing: Lucy: She just seemed like she would be a great friend.
Least Favorite Ewing: Jock: Seemed like an old Ass
Dallas was one of those show that helped define my life. It aired from 1978-1991 and was the only show my parents sat down to watch together each week. It was always in my life. It always seemed like I was being put to bed before Dallas started, asking to stay up late to watch Dallas with my parents, or ensuring the VCR was taping Dallas before I went out on Friday night. I began watching as a kid and continued into my early teens. I caught up on the early seasons I was too young to watch when the show re aired on TNN a decade or so ago.
Just Because:
In researching TV Families I seem to have issues with some families that most writers put on their lists. From The Keatons's from Family Ties to The Ingalls on Little House On The Prairie not to mention the Waltons. The two families who came out on top of many lists however were the Huxtables and The Brady's. For different reasons I disliked both of these families. I enjoyed both of the shows, but the Huxtables I found overall one of tv's most annoying families. The only sibling I remotely liked was Denise, and the show saw fit to write her off for most of the latter part of the series. The Brady's sort of freaked me out for some strange reason. Could be the sexual tension between some of the siblings, or could have just been Cindy....
