Top 10 Best Sitcom Moms

“Leave It to Beaver” (1957-63)
The character of June Cleaver represents an old school archetype. It’s the sort of perfection ideal that went part-and-parcel with this image of 1950s “innocence,” but this takes nothing away from June’s capability as a mother. She’s a literal superwoman: able to raise a family, while also keeping up appearances to the standards of the day. These included, but weren’t limited to, keeping the house clean, having dinner ready and making sure those pearls are perfectly symmetrical at the end of the day. It may seem like a patriarchal relic to say such things today, but June Cleaver, alongside comparable sitcom moms like Donna Stone and Harriet Nelson, served as images of perfection for this bygone era of televised motherhood.

“Black-ish” (2014-22)
The generation gap between our tenth and ninth entries couldn’t be wider, or more profound. Dr. Rainbow Johnson represents a more modern ideal of motherhood. This is a mother who desires very much to play a central role in her children’s upbringing, but is also a career woman who shares the breadwinning status with her husband. Bow and Dre are a team, and wish to combine suburban comfort together with knowledge about the African-American experience to their children. As a result, Dr. Johnson is a great example of how T.V. mothers are depicted today. It’s not better than that aforementioned June Cleaver “ideal,” or worse. Just different.

“Happy Days” (1974-84)
The character of Marion Cunningham is an interesting one: a 1950s throwback appearing on a show that debuted during an era of social change. The fact that “Happy Days” was made in the ‘70s makes Marion’s character, as a result, feel quaint. The writers seemed to know this, and included episodes where Marion, a.k.a. “Mrs. C.” sought to break free from her domestic life, in search of a little freedom. Overall, however, what defines Mrs. C. is heart. She’s a loyal wife and mother, but with feminist ideas of her own. Marion never feels subservient to Howard Cunningham, and the pair takes joy in raising a family together. Marion Ross also played the character with superb comic timing, making Mrs. C. something of an OG “cool mom.”

“One Day at a Time” (1975-84)
“The Brady Bunch” creator Sherwood Schwartz was notably prevented by network execs from having his sitcom mom, Carol Brady, be divorced from her husband. This wasn’t the case only six years later with Ann Romano and “One Day at a Time.” A lot was changing with regards to progressive social and cultural attitudes, and Ann represents how the idea of a “traditional” family dynamic was changing along the way. Ann is a single mother, working to provide for her two daughters, and it’s the 1970s setting that enables “One Day at a Time” to tell this story in an engaging way. Ann’s situation, as well as those of Penèlope and Lydia in the remake, also don’t shy away from incorporating compelling drama.

“The Golden Girls” (1985-92)
It speaks volumes that the character of Sophia Petrillo didn’t only appear on the “Golden Girls,” but on no less than four other sitcoms! The lesson here may be to never underestimate the power of sass, but we’d argue that Sophia is more than just witty one-liners. The character’s history is colorful, with tales about jilted lovers, a large Sicilian family…and even potential mob ties?! Regardless of how much of this is true, Sophia remains a guiding force in the life of her daughter Dorothy. Her relationships with Blanche and Rose also showcase how well-intentioned and wise Sophia can be to those in her inner circle. We wouldn’t wanna mess with Sophia, or get on her bad side, but we love her all the same.

“Good Times” (1974-79)
The television programming of producer Norman Lear is legendary for deftly combining social commentary with comedy. “Good Times” was one of Lear’s most beloved hits, spinning off of “Maude,” which was spun off of “All in the Family.” Florida Evans was the matriarch of this show, and didn’t pretend for a moment that things were easy. So many sitcom moms provide to us the illusion that “everything’s ok,” but The Evans’ are struggling to make ends meet, while attempting to provide a better life for their children. Florida, throughout it all, is loving and compassionate. She’s strong and resilient, too, a rock for her family that celebrates both good times and bad with everyone close to her. Florida is truly one of a kind.

“The Addams Family” (1964-66)
The 1960s were in no shortage of supernatural families. Samantha Stephens from “Bewitched” was a mother to her own witchy daughter early on in that series, while Morticia Addams served as the matriarch of her own, all-together-ooky clan. Her love for husband Gomez is matched only by how she cares for her children, and Morticia keeps it all together, while always looking darkly stylish. She’s a woman of the world (Salem, Massachusetts, to be exact) and is fluent in the language of love. Morticia is also talented in the garden, and always even-tempered, able to keep all of The Addams Family chaos in check.

“All in the Family” (1971-79)
The character of Edith Bunker was another brilliant example of Norman Lear sitcom gold. Jean Stapleton won multiple Emmys and Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of Edith during the run of “All in the Family,” a character that couldn’t have been further from the actress’ own beliefs. Stapleton, a noted feminist, played Edith as a woman of two worlds. One, that of Mrs. Bunker, is largely left in the shadow of her husband Archie’s loud and confrontational demeanor. The other is that of an emotional rock and confidant. Said simply, The Bunker Family relies upon Edith in order to thrive. She tempers Archie’s negative nature with sweetness and a kind heart, but she’s also able to stifle him, should the need arise.

“The Cosby Show” (1984-92)
Clair Huxtable is an important character when it comes to the world of 1980s sitcom mothers. This was a lawyer, who was married to a doctor, who was raising a family without much financial worry. However, this doesn’t make her job as a mother easy. Clair always finds time to become emotionally involved with her family, while simultaneously bringing home the bacon. The character is not only a response to the “June Cleaver” archetype we mentioned earlier, but also a mirror image to the struggles of a Florida Evans. “The Cosby Show” never presents Cliff and Clair’s career success as an outlier, but instead normalizes it with regards to African-American representation on television. It also does this, while presenting Clair as someone dynamic and fully-actualized.

Before we name our number one mom, here are some awesome honorable mentions!

More Than Capable of Giving Red What For

Wife. Mother. Aunt.

That Redhead from Wanker County

Allison Janney OWNED This Role

A Hippie Mom For the Ages

“The Brady Bunch” (1969-74)
There’s a lot that goes into raising a family of one, never mind six. Carol Martin had three girls of her own before she married Mike Brady, and inherited his three boys. That said, Carol is among the most understanding and empathetic of all sitcom mothers. Her character feels like the kind of woman that always seems available and open to anything her kids have to say, and that’s so important. Carol’s relationship with Mike is also playful and romantic, representing the more permissive attitudes towards sexuality that helped define the 1960s and ‘70s. Carol Brady wears a lot of hats, but she does so with grace, wit and eternal charm.