With Father’s Day around the corner, it’s time to not only celebrate our real-life dads, but to also celebrate those dads we loved on our TV screens growing up in the ‘90s. Whether they were teaching life lessons, or playfully bickering with their TV wives (let’s be honest, there was a lot of bickering!) , these dads were indispensable – their shows wouldn’t be the same without them. So let’s get down to it and take a look at 10 of the most memorable ‘90s sitcom dads!
What about the moms, you ask? Check out our other post: The 10 Most Memorable ’90s Sitcom Moms
Danny Tanner - Full House
Danny Tanner, played by Bob Saget, was a widowed dad raising his three young daughters on Full House, known for his obsession with cleanliness and for almost always having some good life advice. If you ever wanted an example of an everyday nice dad, Danny Tanner was the perfect specimen.
Tim Taylor - Home Improvement
Tim Allen starred as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor in Home Improvement, as a dad who hosts a tool show on local TV, and is obsessed with hot rods and giving anything and everything more power. Luckily, he has three young boys he can try to pass on his “manly” ways to – but he also had heart as well, which would come out when the more serious moments would pop up.
Philip Banks - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Though he was “just” Will’s uncle and not his dad, Uncle Phil on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, played by James Avery, was way more of a father to Will than his own dad. He’s one of the strictest dads on this list, but also one of the most caring. Though he seems to hate Will at first, eventually he comes to love him as one of his own kids.
Al Bundy - Married... with Children
While most of the dads on this list are ones to admire and look up to, Al Bundy from Married… with Children is, well, not. But you can’t deny that, as played by Ed O’Neill, he’s one of the most memorable sitcom dads, not only from the ‘90s, but probably of all time.
Carl Winslow - Family Matters
Portrayed by Reginald VelJohnson on Family Matters, Carl Winslow is a police officer in Chicago, raising his three children with his wife Hariette while also dealing with the antics of the one and only Steve Urkel. Like a number of the dads on this list, he can be a bit too into the whole “I’m the man of the house” thing sometimes, but in the end he always comes around.
Alan Matthews - Boy Meets World
Want some classic life lessons? Then look no further than Boy Meets World. While a lot of the lessons were doled out by Mr. Feeny, Alan Matthews, played by William Russ, also got some good pieces of advice in there too.
Dan Conner - Roseanne
A working class dad, Dan Conner was the more laidback of the two parents on Roseanne. Would Dan be as memorable of a character if he wasn’t played by John Goodman? We don’t want to know.
Nick Russo - Blossom
Here we have another single dad in the form of Nick Russo on Blossom, played by Ted Wass. Nick was a musician raising three kids on his own, with a variety of different issues facing each one. Blossom was all about Very Special Episodes, and Nick got to give out some memorable advice in a lot of them.
Frank Costanza - Seinfeld
Though Frank Costanza wasn’t a regular on Seinfeld, he sure made a huge impression every time he was around thanks to his antics as well as his portrayal by Jerry Stiller. He has a prominent role in some of the series’ most memorable episodes, and as the originator of the infamous “Serenity now!”
Martin Crane - Frasier
As the father of Frasier and Niles, Martin Crane, portrayed by John Mahoney, was a retired police officer on Frasier who gets injured on the job and has to move in with his son Frasier as he can’t live alone. He’s not only memorable for his relationship with his sons, but also his companionship with his dog Eddie. While his sons may be ultra-pretentious, Martin is definitely not, and this difference between father and sons was often a main source of the comedy and drama on the show.
Who is your favorite ‘90s sitcom dad? Let us know in the comments!
- Bob Saget and Paul Reiser were Full House creator Jeff Franklin’s top choices for the role of Danny Tanner, but at the time Saget was under contract for another show, and Resier chose to go with My Two Dads. The pilot was originally filmed with John Posey in the role, but once Saget was available, he took over.
- On Home Improvement, Tim Allen stopped grunting as the seasons progressed due to the strain it started to cause on his throat.
- The character of Carl Winslow first appeared on Perfect Strangers before getting his own show with Family Matters.
- John Mahoney did not have to audition for his part on Frasier. Mahoney was the producers first choice for the part of Martin, and NBC agreed to approve him for the series without reading for the part.
- One of the creators of Married… with Children said Ed O’Neill was cast because during his audition, he was required to simply walk through the front door into the Bundy home. But, right before he opened the door, O’Neill let out a deep breath and slumped his shoulders, as if going home was a defeat, and they knew he got the essence of the show.
- Bob Saget and Paul Reiser were Full House creator Jeff Franklin’s top choices for the role of Danny Tanner, but at the time Saget was under contract for another show, and Resier chose to go with My Two Dads. The pilot was originally filmed with John Posey in the role, but once Saget was available, he took over.
- On Home Improvement, Tim Allen stopped grunting as the seasons progressed due to the strain it started to cause on his throat.
- The character of Carl Winslow first appeared on Perfect Strangers before getting his own show with Family Matters.
- John Mahoney did not have to audition for his part on Frasier. Mahoney was the producers first choice for the part of Martin, and NBC agreed to approve him for the series without reading for the part.
- One of the creators of Married… with Children said Ed O’Neill was cast because during his audition, he was required to simply walk through the front door into the Bundy home. But, right before he opened the door, O’Neill let out a deep breath and slumped his shoulders, as if going home was a defeat, and they knew he got the essence of the show.
