Who are your favorite TV mother characters ?

BrucetDuncan · 05-03-2005, 08:36 PM

With Mother's Day approaching soon (in some countries), who are your 4 - 5 personal favorite fictional TV mother characters (from any show) and please say WHY (because of the character, the actress who played her, or both) for each one/s named.

Alex Wagner · 05-03-2005, 09:49 PM

Joyce Summers - cause she was just so cool with everything.
Marie Barone - cause shes funny as crap
Julie Cooper - cause she is so evil you have to love her
Irina Derevko - I just like her cause shes evil and knows how to be it well
Lois Griffin - cause thats the best show and shes so funny on it.

Malcolm R · 05-03-2005, 10:38 PM

Sophia Petrillo "The Golden Girls"

Mixing old world charm, lots of love, and a stinging wit, she has no peer. 'Nuff said.

Jeff Willis · 05-03-2005, 11:02 PM

1) Martha Scott from the 6M$M & Bionic Woman ("Steve Austin's" Mom and "Jaime's" adopted Mom) Why? 'Cause I'm a "bionic" series fanatic and I like Martha Scott...she's been in a lot of giant movies (Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments to name a couple)

2) June Lockart from "Lassie" and "Lost in Space". She just had the knack of playing a "Mom" to perfection

3) Jane Wyatt from "Star Trek" original series. "Spock's" Mom. Perfect casting for that time and that part.

4) Dorothy McGuire from the miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man". Played "Rudy's" and "Tom's" Mom. Classic reconciliation with "Tom" (Nick Nolte) at the end of the miniseries.

5) Barbara Stynwick from "The Big Vlley". No one else could have played that combination of "tough" and "caring" at the same time. Her acceptance of "Heath" into the Barkley family was impressive given the time of this series (60's TV).

JohnMor · 05-03-2005, 11:43 PM

Quote:

1) Martha Scott from the 6M$M & Bionic Woman ("Steve Austin's" Mom and "Jaime's" adopted Mom) Why? 'Cause I'm a "bionic" series fanatic and I like Martha Scott...

Amen. She is also makes my list.

2. Doris Day in The Doris Day Show, even though the kids disappeared in the last 2 years, never to be referred to again. Picked simply because Doris is my favorite movie star, and it would have been cool to live in that great apartment in San Francisco over the Italian restaurant.

3. Lucy Ricardo. Would certainly laugh alot.

4. Laura Petrie. Coolest mother on the block in those capri pants.

5. Samantha Stephens, 'cause I LOVE Elizabeth Montgomery.

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David Williams · 05-04-2005, 03:58 AM

01. Irina Derevko (Alias) - Never has a mom been so caring and yet so ruthless.
02. Marjorie 'Marge' Simpson (The Simpsons) - The TV mom most like my mom. Even down to the worrisome 'hmmm' sound.
03. Samantha Stephens (Bewitched) - Best 60s Mom, hands down. Her 'cousin,' Serena, was out of this world.
04. Joyce Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) - She managed to love Buffy for who she was, even when Buffy had to fight evil.
05. TIE Edina 'Eddy' Monsoon (Absolutely Fabulous) & Susan Mayer (Desperate Housewives) - The Posterchildren for Bad (but funny) Mothers.

Jeff Willis · 05-04-2005, 09:37 AM

Quote:

4. Laura Petrie. Coolest mother on the block in those capri pants.
5. Samantha Stephens, 'cause I LOVE Elizabeth Montgomery.

I can't believe that I forgot these two

Thanks for adding 2 of the top "TV Mom's" of all time to the thread

AnnaMaria · 05-04-2005, 11:52 AM

1. Samantha Stevens (Bewitched), imagine having a mom who could wiggle her nose and do anything. And if you had a mom like that it's a good chance that you could do it too. Not to mention all those wild relatives that could take you to neat places.

2. Shirley Partridge (Partridge Family), if you were in this family you'd be in a band. Who hasn't wanted to be in a band?

3. Carol Brady (The Brady Bunch), Carol never lost her cool,loved everybody, and had a maid and a full cookie jar.

4.Martha Kent (Smallville, Lois and Clark), always supportive and a good person. You can't go wrong following in Martha's steps.

5.Susan, Brie, Lynette, (Desperate Housewives), these women are just sooooo funny.

Charles Ellis · 05-04-2005, 12:37 PM

Carol Brady was the first TV mom I grew up with, so she's on the top of my list. Besides, she loved all of her kids equally, which is something for a blended family on TV.

Next there's Marion Cunningham of Happy Days. She was the one person who saw the motherless child behind Fonzie's bravado and her always gave her the deepest respect. Besides, she was the first TV mom since Laura Petrie who actually got passionate with her husband onscreen. (Remember all the times she and Howard got "frisky"?) Even if she lost track of Chuck, she still made upstanding citizens out of Richie & Joanie.

Also, there's Lily Munster, who had to deal with a child (two, if you count Herman!) who could be a brat at times, and a niece with her "handicap". Marge Simpson always put her children's needs before her own and especially Homer's!

Then there are those who weren't really mothers but filled the void. The best example is of course Aunt Bee from The Andy Griffith Show, who seemingly took care of all of Mayberry (I think it was her fried chicken that did it!), Fran Fine of The Nanny, who finally became a mom by marrying her boss and adopting his kids.

On the dramatic side, Olivia Walton, Victoria Barkley, and even Carmela Soprano get high marks from me as they would do anything for their kids, even challenging their mates as Olivia and Carmela did.

BTW- sexiest TV mom? Hmmmm- a tossup between Laura Petrie and Natalie Lane (played by Jean Byron) from The Patty Duke Show. I'm still wondering how William Schallert wound up with a babe like that for three seasons!

And a special mention to Katherine Helmond who played hot moms on both Soap and Who's The Boss? where she set a new standard by playing a sexy grandma! As a "Soap" viewer during its original run, I used to call Katherine's character of Jessica Tate 'Jessica Tit' for obvious reasons!

Peter M Fitzgerald · 05-04-2005, 02:37 PM

1. Morticia Addams (THE ADDAMS FAMILY) - the coolest TV mom of all time.

2. June Cleaver (LEAVE IT TO BEAVER) - the nicest TV mom of all time.

3. Samantha Stevens (BEWITCHED) - the prettiest TV mom of all time.

4. (a tie) Mother Carlson (WKRP) and Endora (BEWITCHED) - the most evil TV moms of all time.

Lynda-Marie · 05-05-2005, 01:49 AM

1. Edith Bunker - she was a terrific, loving mother to her daughter. She also knew how to cut through Archie's blustering. Most of what I admired about Edith, however, was despite her lack of formal education, she had a LOT of common sense.

2. June Cleaver - a woman who vacuums her house in pearls. How can you NOT admire someone who can do that?

3. Louise Jefferson - like her neighbor Edith Bunker, she was a wonderful loving mother, and could hold her own against a blustering husband.

4. Lucy Ricardo - I don't know if I could have survived having a mom as amusing as this. Just the same, however, I admired her love of her child.

5. Holding in reserve until I can get my brain in working order!

Jack Briggs · 05-05-2005, 11:12 AM

I see not a single thing mentioned in this thread about DVDs, which is what the Software -- TV Shows section is devoted to. Nor does this really belong in the TV/HDTV Programming section. Ergo, have fun here in Polls.