Top 10 TV Moms

10. June Cleaver - Leave it to Beaver (Barbara Billingsley)

In these modern times, the name June Cleaver has become somewhat of an insult for women, bringing up images of subservient housewives slaving over a hot stove or sink full of dirty dishes. The perfect mom and housewife of the 1950s, June was what many today would call a slave, but, when you think about it, she was perfectly happy to dote on her sons and husband. She obviously did something right to raise such well behaved boys – sitcom mothers these days would have loved to deal with the troubles Wally and Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver go through. Her character may have become a bit of an outdated cliché, but June Cleaver remains one of the most enduring mother characters to appear on television.

09. Lois Griffin – Family Guy (Alex Borstein)

Helping to prove that Family Guy was more than just a Simpsons rip-off, Lois Griffin differentiated herself from the rest of the pack by being a bit of a wildcard. She’s stood in the face of oppression by a group of feminists who claimed that she was undermining herself and women like her by allowing Peter to subject her to his rule and declared that being a stay at home mother was her own decision, and yet it’s a decision that hasn’t kept her from enjoying the pleasures in life – perhaps a little too much at times.

She took her daughter out to a booze-filled romp through Florida during spring break and promptly forgot about all her responsibilities, and she’s even dropped hints about her past drug use, being able to swiftly calculate the value of some confiscated drugs. But Lois still somehow remains one of the more levelheaded members of the Griffin family – and Quahog in general. When you live in a town where it’s considered normal for a talking dog to lust after human women, her sometimes questionable parenting skills are probably the least of your worries. She also remains blissfully unaware of her infant Stewie’s once murderous disdain for her. Luckily for her, his simulation of what it would be like should he ever put his matricidal plans into action has proven that Lois is a formidable foe who’s not to be underestimated. She may not be the best or even one of the more responsible moms on this list, but she’s definitely one of the more entertaining ones.

08. Endora – Bewitched (Agnes Moorehead)

Samantha may have been the star, but she immediately lost the spotlight any time Endora popped in. Sam’s mother loves her daughter dearly, but she’s less than enthused about her daughter’s choice in husband, like most mother-in-laws of the day. Darrin just couldn’t live up to her expectations, and she often comically tormented him because of it. Endora learned to put up with him, though, if only because Sam loved him so much, and she even dropped a few hints every now and then that she was actually growing fond of her son-in-law, even though she couldn’t (or wouldn’t) ever get his name correct.

When Sam had her own children over the course of the series, it just gave more reason for Endora to come around to “help out” with her beloved grandchildren. She also – quite rightly – encouraged her daughter’s inherent ability to use magic, even though Sam had made a promise to Darrin not to. Without her constant meddling, Bewitched would have been a lot less fun, and though Agnes Moorehead had once said she felt trapped by her role as Endora, she still gave it all she had and gave Endora an endearing relish for mischief.

07. Kitty Forman - That 70’s Show (Debra Jo Rupp)

Who can forget the infectious nasal laugh of Kitty Forman? Evolving the mother/homemaker role pioneered in the idealistic 50s for the crazy 70s, Kitty takes the role of the ideal sitcom mother and gives it a neurotic twist while remaining just as sweet as her more nostalgic counterparts, allowing her to also become one of the funniest and most lovable moms on television. Though she was often sneaking cigarettes behind everybody’s back and was a known heavy drinker, Kitty was still able to prepare delicious family meals and bake cookies for her family – a family that came to include her nerdy son’s pack of goofball friends.

Despite her husband’s grouchy personality, her son’s dopey eccentricities, and her daughter’s slutty and dimwitted antics, Kitty loved taking care of everyone, and everyone loved her back – even the cynical Steven Hyde, who effectively became her adopted son. She’s even stood up to her husband, Red, and even once turned his favorite insult against him by calling him a “dumbass.” Kitty Forman is one of those moms the kids actually don’t mind hanging out with, and for that, she’s one of the best TV moms.

06. Carol Brady & Shirley Partridge - The Brady Bunch & The Patridge Family (Florence Henderson & Shirley Jones)

We have a tie! Both Carol Brady and Shirley Partridge were the quintessential moms of the 70s, both hip (for their times) and beloved by their children – and the children who watched their respective shows.

Carol continued the traditional mom role that had been made popular throughout the years, only updating it for the show’s time – she had a housemaid in Alice, who pretty much could have left Carol to her own devices, since the kids were essentially old enough to mostly take care of themselves, but Carol still had a hand in the daily happenings at the Brady house. Though her wisdom was often overshadowed by her husband’s sage advice, kids across the nation would always remember to never play ball in the house.

Soon after Carol’s introduction came another imitator who had her own twist on the formula. Shirley Partridge was a widowed single mother who, instead of marrying a man with a similar number of children (could you imagine the size of that family?), decided to tour the country with her children in their psychedelically painted bus. What kept the family together was love and music, and Shirley was their headstrong leader. Most kids would likely die of embarrassment at the kind of music their moms would make them perform together, but this hip mom was with it enough to propel the Partridge Family into a superstardom that rivaled that of Team Brady.

05. Lucy Ricardo - I Love Lucy (Lucille Ball)

While she didn’t become a mother until the show’s second season, Lucy quickly became everybody’s favorite wacky, paranoid mother. While the show has often been erroneously credited with depicting TV’s first pregnancy (that distinction goes to Mary Kay and Johnny, which also was the first show to depict the couple sharing the same bed), it did become infamous for CBS’s refusal to allow the show to mention the word “pregnant” on air, and the episode in which she first learned of her pregnancy was even titled “Lucy is Enceinte.”

Lucy’s slapstick predicaments carried into her motherhood, and Little Ricky often found himself in the middle of her antics, such as when she incorporated him into her raid on Ricky’s Indian-themed musical number. Still, Lucy proved to be a competent, loving mother, and fostered Little Ricky’s inherited musical abilities, despite her own lack of talent, by giving the polite little boy his own drumset, even risking her friendship with the Mertzes when his incessant banging became a nuisance. Lucy also famously went out on a ledge, quite literally, just to let her son meet his hero, Superman, for his birthday.

04. Roseanne Conner - Roseanne (Roseanne Barr)

Roseanne Conner may not have led the most ideal life out of all the moms on this list, but the influential, groundbreaking portrayal of her working class family resonated with many others across the nation. Roseanne wasn’t perfect, in looks or in parenting style. She was short, fat, and rarely filtered what came out of her mouth. But even with that acerbic wit and often sarcastic attitude towards her children’s constant issues, she managed to pull through for them alongside her husband, Dan, and managed to have a lot of fun along the way, including their famous Halloween celebrations. Though she may seem flippant about her responsibilities, viewers could hardly blame her with all the problems that constantly found their way into her life – just like in yours and mine.

03. Marie Barone - Everybody Loves Raymond (Doris Roberts)

Like Endora before her, Marie Barone was both a mother and a mother-in-law who had the uncanny ability to show up when she was least expected, let alone wanted. Marie made up for her lack of magical powers with her almost supernatural ability to meddle in the lives of her family. Nothing was ever good enough for her precious boys, especially for Raymond, who had married and had three kids with a woman Marie came to see as a competitor for her son’s attention.

If this Italian mother had one trick up her sleeve, it would be her prowess as a cook, something that not even her crotchety husband, Frank, and Raymond’s wife Debra, a notorious recipe butcher, could deny. But Marie was also an adept guilt-tripper and was well versed in the ability to insinuate to Debra that mother knows best, even when she’s being the grandmother to Ray and Debra’s children. They don’t hate each other, though. They just dislike each other… most of the time, but they have frequently broken down and admitted that they love each other, despite their differences. Still, nothing ever seems to keep this meddling but affectionate mother from messing with her family members’ lives.

02. Clair Huxtable - The Cosby Show (Phylicia Rashād)

Even though her husband was likely bringing enough money as a doctor as it was, Clair Huxtable wasn’t about to let her education go to waste. Clair came at a time when dysfunctional families were becoming the norm, and she regained the respect that all mothers should enjoy, even if they’re television characters. The mother of five children, all at drastically different stages in their lives, was an esteemed lawyer who somehow still managed to find time to keep that enormous house immaculately tidy. Perhaps it was her warm but commanding presence around her kids that inspired them to keep from tossing their stuff around as if they lived in a pigsty – though Theo’s own room was a notable exception.

Clair was Cliff’s equal when it came to parenting, though she was also often in charge of keeping her husband in order, too, thanks to his large appetite and child-like penchant for junk food. Of course, she wasn’t all rules and authority. She was also known for her grace, beauty, and loving qualities. … And, yeah, her attitude was a large part of the package, too, but it always came from a place of love, like when she confronted her future son-in-law, Elvin, about his misogynistic perspective.

01. Marge Simpson - The Simpsons (Julie Kavner)

The ever suffering Marge Simpson may be a cartoon character, and her adventures on the show may be a bit out of the ordinary, but she’s still one of television’s most famous and admired mothers, having endured more screen time as a mother than any other on this list, thanks to the show’s ongoing 20+ years on the air and even longer if you count the Tracey Ullman Show shorts. Over the years, she’s proven to be capable of being more than just a housewife (though she seems to cherish her role in that area just as much as the other roles she’s taken on). She’s joined the police force, started her own pretzel business, and has even proven to be more adept at working at the nuclear power plant than her husband, Homer!

Marge may be a bit gullible or naïve at times, but she loves her children and husband unconditionally. This is perhaps best exemplified by the many times she's forgiven her son, Bart, for his destructive actions, including the time when he killed a mother bird, and another when he shoplifted a video game from the Try-N-Save. Throughout both episodes, she remains hopeful that her son’s good nature will shine through and that he will redeem himself. Luckily for her, he loves her too much for her to remain disappointed in him… for too long.