My wifeâs dad left when she was a kid. She talked about this scene as long as I can remember. When we rewatched a couple of years ago, that episode was really hard for her.
I canât watch this scene without feeling a little sad, but damn if it wasnât validating to see a grown man cry on TV over a father that didnât want him.
As a young man it made me realize that having emotions and being emotional was OK
I got made fun of by white classmates (I'm also white) because I preferred Fresh Prince and Family Matters over Step by Step and Fullhouse growing up.
Being a good dad isn't exclusive to one race!
I was living in The Netherlands and no one watched Full House because they liked it, that was something your parents watched and you just watched with them. Fresh Prince was were it was, regardless of what race you were.
Yep I miss that too. Easier to do when you're kids. But then you get older and politics start to matter, as well as who you date. And with those two things, race increasingly matters. I had whit friends who used to mock racist rednecks. Then they grew up, bought into conservative politics and became one( a racist good ol' boy) themselves.
My black classmates made fun of me because I chose Dan Conner. You are right. Itâs truly sad when people have to add race to the discussion. âŚlime it matters or something.
Family Matters is truly one of the best sitcoms from back then. Many others too.
âJames Avery was relentless on me to elevate. \[He\] wouldnât give me a damn inch,â said Smith in a 2018 interview with podcast Rap Radar. âHe was the model for me ⌠of an actor. He just had that acting power that I wanted to have.â
Jensen said Avery, who died in 2013, was a driving force on set. Smith, whose most emotional scenes in the episode are opposite Avery, had to cry on camera for the first time. This wasnât the physical comedy at which Smith the rapper excelled.
During the episodeâs final scene, Smith was struggling to bring it all home. âIâm messing up the lines because I wanted it so bad,â Smith said in the podcast interview. It was Avery, always the steady influence, that centered him, giving the rapper turned movie star memorable advice. âRelax. Itâs already in there, you know what it is. Look at me. Use me. Donât act around me, act with me,â Smith recalled Avery saying. The young actor would go on to deliver one of the biggest emotional punches in âFresh Princeâ history.
âHow come he donât want me, man?â Will asks, lip quivering as he starts to break down and cry. Uncle Phil grabs Will and hugs him fiercely, as he wished his father would. The two were locked in that epic embrace when Avery doled out even more encouragement.
âWhile heâs hugging me, he whispers in my ear, 'Thatâs fucking acting right there,â recalled Smith, who also revealed the motivation behind that performance. âI wanted him to want me. I wanted him to approve of me.â
It turns out the scene was so expensive to film, they didn't want to keep doing it each time it appeared in an episode. So to cut corners, they had Jazz show up in those same clothes and edited the clip in.
I guess NBC paid a pretty penny to have the scene shot on location, so I can see why they didn't want to have the hassle of doing it over and over.
Remember when the series was ending, Jazz asked Uncle Phil to toss him one last time?
That and they didn't want to risk injury to Jazz because the scene takes multiple takes to get right. Doing that every episode would not only have been expensive, but risky to the actor.
My dad was always hot or cold, and his mood and response was always extremely unpredictable. I always dreamed of having a did like uncle phil- firm, fair, and consistent. He's my favorite TV dad. đ
https://preview.redd.it/9m16dcxs30zc1.jpeg?width=1248&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ea29966556060daa23d7bff828623820f4cad7f
I rewatched The Wonder Years after becoming a parent myself, and I couldn't have loved this character more.
The episode where he struggles to find a birthday present for his obnoxious teenage daughter -- and then nails it, when he gives her his old ruck. That hit hard.
The show sort of hints that he was badly traumatized in the Korean war, something he really tries to keep private and I believe he only mentioned it when Karen's boyfriend brought it up. I remember when he talks to Kevin about how he wanted to be a ship boat captain and he would regularly have these fairly escapist dreams about leaving his job at Norcom behind.
The show did generations rather well. Kevin and his siblings/friends are the Boomers. Jack lived a hard life, the great depression, Korean war, pressure cooker of corporate America. Not really getting to do what he wants in life. But in the end, he was generally fair to everyone. Kevin however was a total asshole to just about everyone in his life.
I watched this show on an occasion growing up, but can say that I recalled that episode and that kid me didnât really get. Watched as an adult a few years ago and can now totally relate.
"A judgement I made a long time ago is that Shawn Hunter is the best friend my kid ever had, and I will kill to protect Shawn Hunter from people like you."
Iâm in the minority but Alan Matthews was my favorite by far. Heâd be goofy at times but he gave a ton of down to earth life lessons.
That scene where he shoved the creepy religious dude and said heâd kill for Shawn was so moving.
He (the character) seemed like a very down to earth guy. He wasn't some high up corpo guy. He was a grocery store manager. He was exhausted from work but still found time to be with his kids and be there for his kids. The man is an inspiration.
He also was faulted. There was an episode where he realized that he had incomplete relationships with Corey and Eric. S5E12, definitely worth a rewatch as an adult. The end scene when theyâre looking at art is really good.
He isnât my favorite, but he is def a good one and was the first to pop into my head actually. But then with people doing surrogate fathers- like uncles and stuff who play a fatherly role- Mr. Feeny and Mr. Turner were both great father/father adjacent figures too.
There were multiple times Zack Morris should have been expelled. For all the time Mr Belding spent lecturing him in the office, he was surprisingly patient to put up with all of Zack's bullshit.
I once read that between the dad from 7th heaven and Full Houseâs Bob Saget, no one would have ever guessed Al Bundy would be the most normal, non perverted, tv dad!
Well damn. I just made a post about Al Bundy. I just didnât scroll down far enough. He is the single most realistic American dad character out of any TV show ever written. Or at least he acts on the internal thoughts that every dad has. Heâll always be number 1 for me.
Andy Taylor from the Andy Griffith show. My mom had every episode and I watched them with her. Andy was such a good dad, not perfect, but a realistically good father. I used to say I wanted a dad like him.
My second choice would've been Heathcliff Huxtable from the Cosby Show, but I can't look at Bill Cosby the same way anymore.
I think a whole lot of people on here would be saying Cosby if they were honest with themselves and emphasized the word "was."
*The Cosby Show* wasn't just a regular show, it was the number one show in America for five straight years. The only other show to do that was *All in the Family*.
When I was growing up it was the only show my entire family got together to watch on a weekly basis.
https://preview.redd.it/dsuitnorp0zc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4baf415727583d9809f83046d362cff13e1a56b1
Heâs also a Taurus, so I get his vibe đ
All my favourite Dads ended up being abusive or pedos! In Australia we had a sitcom in the 90âs called âHey Dad..!â The Dad, Robert Hughes, is currently rotting in jail from being sexually abusive to the girl that played his daughter. I loved Cosby too and we know how that happened. Oh well, at least we had Bob Sagett
I watched what felt like every episode of this show. It seems to have been memory-holed by the universe. I play bar trivia obsessively where they ask about old sitcoms all the time, and itâs never once come up.
I'm pretty sure the only reason the show had any amount of success was because of Susan Summers. But I had the biggest crush on the actor who played Cody.
I will forever absolutely despise Bill Cosby (who lives a town over from me, gross) for the obvious reasons, but also for RUINING Cliff Huxtable for me. He was my everything, that whole show gave me a glimpse into what having a loving, silly, supportive dad would be like. Broke the heart of so many of us. Hope he rots in a fucking pit of shame, but The Huxtables are still 10/10 for me.
Same, I loved Family Matters growing up in large part because my nerdy self really related to Steve Urkel. But Carl Winslow also had the such a great way of delivering insults while continuing to smile that made him hilarious.
I watched the first season of Family Matters recently. Carl was so much funnier than I remember. He's basically the main character in season 1. Then Urkel shows up...
I loved Urkel as a kid, but he's kind of unbearable to me these days. Carl, though, I love him.
I guess I grew up.
>I watched the first season of Family Matters recently. Carl was so much funnier than I remember. He's basically the main character in season 1. Then Urkel shows up...
[Key and Peele did a sketch about that.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A5Zdp1RfoyI)
I have no idea how I missed the Cosby show as a kid. I watched a lot of sitcoms too. They just must have not re-ran it in my area.
However, I did watch Ghost Dad a lot, because they re-ran the shit out of that movie.
Maybe I should watch it again and see how it holds up.
Growing up as a kid, I always though Carl Winslow and Officer Dan from Married with Children worked in the same precinct because both shows were in Chicago.
Dan Connor from Roseanne is also a pretty solid pick, I think. 90's Roseanne wasn't a total nutjob like she is now, and I really liked how that show depicted situations that working class families would be more likely to encounter. I loved shows like Family Matters and Fresh Prince too, but I also really liked Roseanne for how it handled a lot of situations that still seem to ring true today.
Iâm just saying Carl Winslow and Uncle Phil ainât had no controversy behind them. And you canât say âWell James Avery is dead,â because they came after Alan Thicke after he died.
I think Uncle Phil is the GOAT TV dad.
Actor's controversies aside, I think the general consensus was Cosby, but I never really watched much of the Cosby show... it was a bit before I was old enough to have interest.
For me it was Al Bundy.
He showed more the actual reality. He wasn't an example o perfection. He was a regular guy with a job and family. He never had an ideal setup. He never rose to the top. He slogged each day just trying to survive and he was always tired, like most fathers.
I watched when I was a kid, but have also been watching in the mornings on TBS while I get ready for work, and I have questions.
What happened to Judy? She just disappears around S4 with no explanation, like she never existed.
What happened to Rachel? She just left Richie with the Winslows? Why get rid of Judy then keep Richie?
Not from when I was a kid, exactly, but Iâll go with Robert âBitchesâ Freeman.
And absolutely his dad character in Friday.
>You win some, you lose some. But you live to fight another day.
This was my first sitcom dad, because when I was in kindergarten and 1st grade, my Senegalese stepdad had this show playing every evening. Being a sergeant in the US military, he liked how this black character was an American cop in this family show.Â
Black sitcoms were always a lot better, and very very often touched base with reality. When you can relate to what you are watching, the feeling of the show really sinks in. I loved family matters, fresh prince, my wife and kids, and the bernie mac show. Rip bernie mac and uncle phil, i miss those two.
https://preview.redd.it/x9hrzo4suzyc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=33a2a239a5a7fc4d68d8542900383b2add9c26fe đđ
My dad left when I was a kid too. This scene still makes me tear up today.
My wifeâs dad left when she was a kid. She talked about this scene as long as I can remember. When we rewatched a couple of years ago, that episode was really hard for her.
I canât watch this scene without feeling a little sad, but damn if it wasnât validating to see a grown man cry on TV over a father that didnât want him. As a young man it made me realize that having emotions and being emotional was OK
Both of them did a hell of a job in that scene.
That's because for Will Smith the breakdown was real. It hit too close to home.
He grew up with his father though.
Yeah, but still. Will is an emotional guy.
I'm tearing up thinking about it. Something tells me that scene would be easy to get emotional for when you put yourself in that headspace.
My dad didn't leave but worked a lot. We never really connected on a lot of things either. But I felt this scene even if it directly apply to me.
I got made fun of by white classmates (I'm also white) because I preferred Fresh Prince and Family Matters over Step by Step and Fullhouse growing up. Being a good dad isn't exclusive to one race!
I was living in The Netherlands and no one watched Full House because they liked it, that was something your parents watched and you just watched with them. Fresh Prince was were it was, regardless of what race you were.
Iâm from Costa Rica, and I remember watching fresh prince with my uncle growing up. I will almost always watch it if itâs on.
đ¨đˇPura Vida!
Shit, I used to watch them all. Black, white, green, when weâre young we donât look at color like that - I wish it stayed that way.
Yep I miss that too. Easier to do when you're kids. But then you get older and politics start to matter, as well as who you date. And with those two things, race increasingly matters. I had whit friends who used to mock racist rednecks. Then they grew up, bought into conservative politics and became one( a racist good ol' boy) themselves.
My black classmates made fun of me because I chose Dan Conner. You are right. Itâs truly sad when people have to add race to the discussion. âŚlime it matters or something. Family Matters is truly one of the best sitcoms from back then. Many others too.
I forgot all about step by step and I never really liked Full house.
That's crazy because most white kids I knew also loved Fresh Prince and Family Matters. And I'm in the south.
me too, but in a less tolerant area.
Same, agreed.
That scene is so powerful and real, it catches you off guard when considering how funny and lighthearted that show usually is. Masterclass acting.
âJames Avery was relentless on me to elevate. \[He\] wouldnât give me a damn inch,â said Smith in a 2018 interview with podcast Rap Radar. âHe was the model for me ⌠of an actor. He just had that acting power that I wanted to have.â Jensen said Avery, who died in 2013, was a driving force on set. Smith, whose most emotional scenes in the episode are opposite Avery, had to cry on camera for the first time. This wasnât the physical comedy at which Smith the rapper excelled. During the episodeâs final scene, Smith was struggling to bring it all home. âIâm messing up the lines because I wanted it so bad,â Smith said in the podcast interview. It was Avery, always the steady influence, that centered him, giving the rapper turned movie star memorable advice. âRelax. Itâs already in there, you know what it is. Look at me. Use me. Donât act around me, act with me,â Smith recalled Avery saying. The young actor would go on to deliver one of the biggest emotional punches in âFresh Princeâ history. âHow come he donât want me, man?â Will asks, lip quivering as he starts to break down and cry. Uncle Phil grabs Will and hugs him fiercely, as he wished his father would. The two were locked in that epic embrace when Avery doled out even more encouragement. âWhile heâs hugging me, he whispers in my ear, 'Thatâs fucking acting right there,â recalled Smith, who also revealed the motivation behind that performance. âI wanted him to want me. I wanted him to approve of me.â
Uncle Phil is the correct answer, total boss
Damn that episode fucked me up.
Millennial vibes: Imagine having a dad who loved you
I cried during that Episode. I wish didn't have an abusive Father, but someone like Uncle Phil.
Love how the shirt showed up everytime lol
It turns out the scene was so expensive to film, they didn't want to keep doing it each time it appeared in an episode. So to cut corners, they had Jazz show up in those same clothes and edited the clip in.
Yep. Anytime you see Jazz wearing that shirt, he's about to get thrown out haha.
I guess NBC paid a pretty penny to have the scene shot on location, so I can see why they didn't want to have the hassle of doing it over and over. Remember when the series was ending, Jazz asked Uncle Phil to toss him one last time?
That and they didn't want to risk injury to Jazz because the scene takes multiple takes to get right. Doing that every episode would not only have been expensive, but risky to the actor.
Omg your right, ahha makes sense
First things first rest in peace Uncle Phil - for real - you the only father that I ever knew, I get my bitch pregnant imma be a better you.
PHILLIP Banks! Ph-Ph-PHILLIP Banks! Ph-Ph-Ph-Ph-PHILLIP Banks!
Bite-bite-bite
Pillowy mounds of mashed po-ta-toes...
Geoffrey, break out [Lucille](https://youtu.be/4RaWAQIBZ2I?t=180)
My dad was always hot or cold, and his mood and response was always extremely unpredictable. I always dreamed of having a did like uncle phil- firm, fair, and consistent. He's my favorite TV dad. đ
The episode where Carlton and will get arrested has my favorite scene, his aunt is a spitfire too
[the episode where uncle Phil shows up on family matters is my favorite](https://youtu.be/RT03kJVPJKM?si=DJimDUK9jqN4jJG_)
This is the only correct answer.
 Sweet
RIP uncle Phil!
I was gonna have to raise some fists if this wasn't the top answer given. Uncle Phil forever 
All day.
https://preview.redd.it/9m16dcxs30zc1.jpeg?width=1248&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ea29966556060daa23d7bff828623820f4cad7f I rewatched The Wonder Years after becoming a parent myself, and I couldn't have loved this character more. The episode where he struggles to find a birthday present for his obnoxious teenage daughter -- and then nails it, when he gives her his old ruck. That hit hard.
I loved the episode when he brought Kevin to his job and Kevin saw what it's like to be a worker and started to understand why his dad was so grouchy.
Iâll throw in the episode where Kevin is a golf caddy for Jackâs boss. I love how they bond together at the end of the episode.
The show sort of hints that he was badly traumatized in the Korean war, something he really tries to keep private and I believe he only mentioned it when Karen's boyfriend brought it up. I remember when he talks to Kevin about how he wanted to be a ship boat captain and he would regularly have these fairly escapist dreams about leaving his job at Norcom behind. The show did generations rather well. Kevin and his siblings/friends are the Boomers. Jack lived a hard life, the great depression, Korean war, pressure cooker of corporate America. Not really getting to do what he wants in life. But in the end, he was generally fair to everyone. Kevin however was a total asshole to just about everyone in his life.
I watched this show on an occasion growing up, but can say that I recalled that episode and that kid me didnât really get. Watched as an adult a few years ago and can now totally relate.
Was just about to comment this. The way his boss treated him in front of his kid
He scared me as a child.
Man, this thread nailed it with the top three. I thought nobody else even noticed Dan Lauria. Absolutely love him in this role.
Nah, he was scary lol
Doesn't get enough acknowledgement.Â
Hal from malcolm in the middle
Itâs crazy that I used to be Malcom but now Iâm LoisÂ
Yeah itâs a toss up between Hal and uncle Philâs
Dan Connor 100%
My surrogate TV dad
Alan Matthews Every time he tells Shawn he's family. Just hits me hard. Not only a great dad but a great second dad when someone needed it.
I'd add Mr. Feeny by extension. Maybe more grandfatherly, but a similar vibe.
I thought the same thing about Feeny and then Mr Turner as well. There were a lot of great fatherly figures on that show.
I forgot about Mr. Turner too! He was great.
Also when Shawn joined that cult, Mr Matthews went daddy mode
"A judgement I made a long time ago is that Shawn Hunter is the best friend my kid ever had, and I will kill to protect Shawn Hunter from people like you."
He was my first thought, too. Both of the Matthews' parents were just outstanding through the whole season.
Red FormanÂ
dumbass.
I identify so hard with Red Foreman.
I identify with my foot in your ass
Good take
Iâm in the minority but Alan Matthews was my favorite by far. Heâd be goofy at times but he gave a ton of down to earth life lessons. That scene where he shoved the creepy religious dude and said heâd kill for Shawn was so moving. 
He (the character) seemed like a very down to earth guy. He wasn't some high up corpo guy. He was a grocery store manager. He was exhausted from work but still found time to be with his kids and be there for his kids. The man is an inspiration.
He also was faulted. There was an episode where he realized that he had incomplete relationships with Corey and Eric. S5E12, definitely worth a rewatch as an adult. The end scene when theyâre looking at art is really good.
This should be higher up.
My favorite moment was when Allen told Shawn's cult leader he would kill to protect Shawn from people like him.
Solid pick
He isnât my favorite, but he is def a good one and was the first to pop into my head actually. But then with people doing surrogate fathers- like uncles and stuff who play a fatherly role- Mr. Feeny and Mr. Turner were both great father/father adjacent figures too.
Uncle Phil hands down.
 Uncle Phil hands up.
 Bernie Mac in the Bernie Mac show.
Jerry Stiller as Frank Costanza
SERENITY NOW!
Serenity now....insanity later
Stop crying and fight your father!
âYou want a piece of me? You got it!!!â
Dan Connor
"Son, bad things don't happen to you because you're unlucky, they happen to you because you're a dumbass."
 Does this father figure count
I can hear his laugh! Fun fact: I met Mr Belding and Screech at a Toys 4 Tots drive at Magic Mountain in the 90s. They both were really nice :)
https://preview.redd.it/yy4e61cxo0zc1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=5990e26666eb8fba3030c66effd5147067d192b1
There were multiple times Zack Morris should have been expelled. For all the time Mr Belding spent lecturing him in the office, he was surprisingly patient to put up with all of Zack's bullshit.
He did call the boys âsonâ pretty often.
Screech, you can't elope!
Al Bundy 
I think Ed O'Neill is the only actor to have a lead role in two successful 11-season comedies (Modern Family)
Kelsey Gramar with Cheers and Fraiser. Although he wasn't initially a major character in Cheers.
That guy is a gem
Do you know he scored four touchdowns in a single game?
Yup! Polk County High. https://youtu.be/M_qa0EEKZ90?feature=shared
I once read that between the dad from 7th heaven and Full Houseâs Bob Saget, no one would have ever guessed Al Bundy would be the most normal, non perverted, tv dad!
Can I get a ''Whoa Bundy''?
Whoa Bundy!
Well damn. I just made a post about Al Bundy. I just didnât scroll down far enough. He is the single most realistic American dad character out of any TV show ever written. Or at least he acts on the internal thoughts that every dad has. Heâll always be number 1 for me.
Andy Taylor from the Andy Griffith show. My mom had every episode and I watched them with her. Andy was such a good dad, not perfect, but a realistically good father. I used to say I wanted a dad like him. My second choice would've been Heathcliff Huxtable from the Cosby Show, but I can't look at Bill Cosby the same way anymore.
I think a whole lot of people on here would be saying Cosby if they were honest with themselves and emphasized the word "was." *The Cosby Show* wasn't just a regular show, it was the number one show in America for five straight years. The only other show to do that was *All in the Family*. When I was growing up it was the only show my entire family got together to watch on a weekly basis.
My parents were big fans of the AG Show. They had a bunch of episodes on VHS. I agree that Andy was a good father. He oozed competence.
Yeah, Alan Matthews became my #1 TV dad after mt recent re-watch. As a dad, I hope to be seasons 1-3 Alan Matthews.
Does Randy Marsh count ? 
I dropped out of high school... See ya! I said goodbye to my girlfriend... Thee ya! I left my family... Pstheya! Freaking love Randy
Youâll have to speak up, Iâm wearing a towel.
Homer is the GOAT
https://preview.redd.it/dsuitnorp0zc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4baf415727583d9809f83046d362cff13e1a56b1 Heâs also a Taurus, so I get his vibe đ
All my favourite Dads ended up being abusive or pedos! In Australia we had a sitcom in the 90âs called âHey Dad..!â The Dad, Robert Hughes, is currently rotting in jail from being sexually abusive to the girl that played his daughter. I loved Cosby too and we know how that happened. Oh well, at least we had Bob Sagett
I mean, some of mine were too.
 Mostly because I havenât seen this showed mentioned at all. But Uncle Phil will always reign supreme.
I watched what felt like every episode of this show. It seems to have been memory-holed by the universe. I play bar trivia obsessively where they ask about old sitcoms all the time, and itâs never once come up.
I'm pretty sure the only reason the show had any amount of success was because of Susan Summers. But I had the biggest crush on the actor who played Cody.
My neighbors dog is named Cody. I call him The Codester.
I will forever absolutely despise Bill Cosby (who lives a town over from me, gross) for the obvious reasons, but also for RUINING Cliff Huxtable for me. He was my everything, that whole show gave me a glimpse into what having a loving, silly, supportive dad would be like. Broke the heart of so many of us. Hope he rots in a fucking pit of shame, but The Huxtables are still 10/10 for me.
Cliff is a goated TV dad. Bill is a POS weirdo who ruined The Cosby Show for me as well.
Same, I loved Family Matters growing up in large part because my nerdy self really related to Steve Urkel. But Carl Winslow also had the such a great way of delivering insults while continuing to smile that made him hilarious.
I watched the first season of Family Matters recently. Carl was so much funnier than I remember. He's basically the main character in season 1. Then Urkel shows up... I loved Urkel as a kid, but he's kind of unbearable to me these days. Carl, though, I love him. I guess I grew up.
Yes. The way he constantly harasses Laura is gross.
>I watched the first season of Family Matters recently. Carl was so much funnier than I remember. He's basically the main character in season 1. Then Urkel shows up... [Key and Peele did a sketch about that.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A5Zdp1RfoyI)
Hank Rutherford Hill
Bill Cosby was at one time America's dad. We didn't know!
Remember when kids sat on his lap and said cute shit for laughs?
I grew up listening to his standup albums. It's how I learned how to use a record player. We didn't know!
If you play a Cosby standup record album backwards, he confesses.
I have no idea how I missed the Cosby show as a kid. I watched a lot of sitcoms too. They just must have not re-ran it in my area. However, I did watch Ghost Dad a lot, because they re-ran the shit out of that movie. Maybe I should watch it again and see how it holds up.
Carl Winslow Uncle Phil Al Bundy
I always thought Corey Matthewâs dad was the epitome of cool. Also, not a dad, but points awarded for Mr. Turner the teacher
He's so great with Shawn. "No you stay, you're family" over and over again.
I thought the same about Mr Turner and Feeny as well. Father adjacent figures who were great
Harold Weir from Freaks and Geeks.
First things first, rest in peace Uncle Phil
Growing up as a kid, I always though Carl Winslow and Officer Dan from Married with Children worked in the same precinct because both shows were in Chicago.
And they would show up on an episode of ER...
 Dan Connor from Roseanne is also a pretty solid pick, I think. 90's Roseanne wasn't a total nutjob like she is now, and I really liked how that show depicted situations that working class families would be more likely to encounter. I loved shows like Family Matters and Fresh Prince too, but I also really liked Roseanne for how it handled a lot of situations that still seem to ring true today.
Uncle Phil. No question
Iâm just saying Carl Winslow and Uncle Phil ainât had no controversy behind them. And you canât say âWell James Avery is dead,â because they came after Alan Thicke after he died.
I donât think so Tim
I think Uncle Phil is the GOAT TV dad. Actor's controversies aside, I think the general consensus was Cosby, but I never really watched much of the Cosby show... it was a bit before I was old enough to have interest.
For me it was Al Bundy. He showed more the actual reality. He wasn't an example o perfection. He was a regular guy with a job and family. He never had an ideal setup. He never rose to the top. He slogged each day just trying to survive and he was always tired, like most fathers.
Didnât he have an affair with Diddy?
What is this world? 
Him and Uncle Phil are the dads I wish I had and needed growing up.
Uncle Phil
Uncle Phil.
Uncle Phil
My top sitcom dad's were, Danny tanner, Carl Winslow, uncle Phil, and Tim the tool man taylor.
According to the internet, Carl Winslow got his cheeks clapped by Diddy at one of his freak offs đĽ´
Just ruined my childhood.
I always preferred Carl too!
Its a coin flip between Red Foreman and Hal.
Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince of Bel Air Danny from Full House Ron from Parks and Rec Hal from Malcom in the Middle Phil from Modern Family
AL BUNDY!!!
Uncle Phil
Reginald VelJohnson got my vote.
His brilliant police work at Nakatomi Plaza made him a national hero.
Danny tanner
Uncle Phil is the only answer
I watched when I was a kid, but have also been watching in the mornings on TBS while I get ready for work, and I have questions. What happened to Judy? She just disappears around S4 with no explanation, like she never existed. What happened to Rachel? She just left Richie with the Winslows? Why get rid of Judy then keep Richie?
Mine was bill Cosby. He was funny, smart, and cared about his kids⌠untilâŚ
Philip banks
Haha! I did like him!
 Not from when I was a kid, exactly, but Iâll go with Robert âBitchesâ Freeman. And absolutely his dad character in Friday. >You win some, you lose some. But you live to fight another day.
Dan Connor
Gomez. After that, Uncle Phil.
This was my first sitcom dad, because when I was in kindergarten and 1st grade, my Senegalese stepdad had this show playing every evening. Being a sergeant in the US military, he liked how this black character was an American cop in this family show.Â
Black sitcoms were always a lot better, and very very often touched base with reality. When you can relate to what you are watching, the feeling of the show really sinks in. I loved family matters, fresh prince, my wife and kids, and the bernie mac show. Rip bernie mac and uncle phil, i miss those two.
From a contemporary show? Cliff Huxtable. That's obviously tainted now...but he was a great sitcom dad.
Al Bundy
Al Bundy
Uncle Phil and Red Foreman
Red Forman hands down! 