Happy Father’s Day to all the dads reading this!

Last year on Mother’s Day, I did a post listing my favorite movie and television moms, so this year I thought I would do the same with dads.

As with the moms on my list, I tried to chose dads that had some of the same special qualities as my late father who was the best dad anyone could ever ask for!

Instead of pictures this time, I’ve included links to some relevant YouTube videos for a few of these wonderful dads!

My Favorite Movie and Television Dads (in no particular order):

• Judge James K. Hardy from the Andy Hardy series of movies – played by Lewis Stone – Judge Hardy was a bit like my own dad in that he was stern when he needed to be but was really a softy at heart. One of my fondest memories I have of my dad is when he used to ground us and then 20 minutes later un-ground us and apologize for yelling at us.

• George Bailey from the movie It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – played by Jimmy Stewart – Of course I had to include my favorite actor on this list. Even through his fear and despair, you can see the love George Bailey has for his children in this touching scene from the movie.

• Stanley Banks and George Banks from the movie Father of the Bride (1950 & 1991) – played by Spencer Tracy & Steve  Martin – I love both versions and both dads for different reasons. It took them a while to come around to accepting that their daughter had grown up and was getting married, but ultimately they just wanted what was best for their “little” girl.

• Charles Ingalls from the tv show Little House on the Prairie – played by Michael Landon – Probably my favorite dad on this list, you can see the love Laura has for “Pa” in this sweet scene that I absolutely love.

• Howard Cunningham from the tv show Happy Days – played by Tom Bosley – Probably my second favorite dad, I was really sad when Tom Bosley died a few years ago. One of my favorite scenes from the show was when Mr. C consoled his son Richie after he missed a key free throw in an important basketball game.

• Mike Brady from the tv show The Brady Bunch – played by Robert Reed – One of my favorite episodes was when Marcia nominated him for a Father of the Year award. Probably the one and only episode where I actually cried. Watch this clip and tell me you wouldn’t cry, too.

• Steve Douglas from the tv show My Three Sons – played by Fred MacMurray – His role as a widower trying to raise three boys is how I first came to know Fred MacMurray, long before I watched him in an old movie for the first time.

• Tom Corbett from the tv show The Courtship of Eddie’s Father – played by Bill Bixby – This show was based on the movie of the same name from 1963, which starred Glenn Ford in the role of the dad. Another show about a widower raising a son, I loved the sweet relationship between Tom and his cute son, played by Brandon Cruz.

• (Uncle) Bill Davis from the tv show Family Affair – played by Brian Keith – As his name implies, he wasn’t actually the dad of the children in the show. He became their guardian after his brother died in an accident, but he loved them the same as a real father would. How could you not when Buffy and Jody were so cute.

• Cliff Huxtable from the tv show The Cosby Show – played by Bill Cosby – A loving, caring father with a great sense of humor, what a great combination! One of my all time favorite scenes that still makes me laugh to this day is when Dr. Huxtable teaches Theo about the value of money. The very end of this scene is priceless!

There are probably many more movie and television fathers I could add to this list, but those are just a few of my absolute favorites.

Who are some of your favorite movie and television fathers?