The Great TV Dad-Off

[inmyriadbits]

This is what happens when I start catching up on Hawaii Five-0, Castle, and Lie To Me all at the same time, and start thinking about how endearing all their prominent father-daughter relationships are.

THE QUALIFICATIONS

I limited myself to fathers whose kid(s):

a) are alive and interact with them on a regular basis on the show -- thus, no Leroy Jethro Gibbs (NCIS), Patrick Jane (The Mentalist), Casey McCall (Sports Night), Isaac Jaffe (Sports Night), Jed Bartlet (The West Wing), Toby Zeigler (The West Wing), Leo McGarry (The West Wing), Iroh (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Hakoda (Avatar: The Last Airbender), the Doctor (Doctor Who), Aaron Hotchner (Criminal Minds), Ted Earley (Life), nor several other people who are technically dads, even though I love all of these characters and their relationships with their children, rarely seen or not. I did made a small exception for John Winchester, though.
b) exist on TV -- no movies, because clearly John McClane would shoot everyone in the face and win; no books, because Aral Vorkosigan.

I didn't list any sitcom or soap opera dads, because I don't watch any sitcoms or soap operas. Sorry. Have a write-in box! :)

[Poll #1677238]

Comments

[ignipes.livejournal.com]

But what do you MEAN by favorite? Who's the best dad, like somebody I would want to trade my dad in for (not that it would take much, um), or who makes for the best stories on TV?

[inmyriadbits.livejournal.com]

To me, "favorite" means the one that makes me the happiest, as a character. Like when someone asks me what my favorite movies are (which ALWAYS happens, every time I mention I majored in film studies), I'll usually say Casablanca and Amélie, and sometimes Singin' In The Rain -- all great movies, but I'd be reluctant to say they were the BEST, per se. They are my favorites, though.

I voted for Keith Mars -- I like him a lot as a person, I like his style as a parent, I like that he was always there for his daughter, that he worked really hard to make her happy and successful. I like that he's not perfect, and that his daughter's still kind of messed up even though he tries hard to balance it out. He just makes me really happy -- in a deep and abiding way, versus the cooing I do over Danny or Castle, or the interest I have in Bob Fraser or Walter Bishop.

I don't know what "favorite" means to you, but that's what it means to me. Does that help?