My goodness, there are so many classic TV mothers to select from when putting together a list of them for Mother’s Day.
Turn the clock back to the Golden Age of Television in the 1950s. Move the clock hands through the next few decades and you will find many motherly examples. A lot of memorable ones come from the world of sitcoms. It’s also worth noting that hour-long dramas presented solid examples of them, too.
When I sat down to come up with five specific examples, admittedly my thoughts turned to the funny side. All five of these TV mothers played integral parts in their shows. Some even set examples that future sitcoms would dip into for their storylines.
So, these TV mothers weren’t just pushed to the side to enlist other characters in the show. They played important roles… and didn’t spend all their time in the kitchen. These mothers had qualities, ones that fans still remember to this day. Current TV shows have strong mother roles on them (case in point: Zoe Perry, who has played Mary Cooper on Young Sheldon).
But Mary’s path to playing Sheldon’s mother was paved with earlier classic TV motherly gold.
Let’s get busy here and spotlight five TV mothers deserving of attention.
Lucille Ball Put Her Focus On Little Ricky
Television has had its fair share of “big events” that drew huge numbers in the Nielsen ratings. Yet one of the medium’s first “big” occurred when Lucille Ball’s Lucy Ricardo gave birth on I Love Lucy.
The show worked in her real-life pregnancy into its storylines. When it came time for Lucy to go to the hospital, that episode drew millions. Little Ricky started in a crib, of course. Then he started growing up, leading to Keith Thibodeaux playing the character.
Lucy was a devoted mother who made sure her son had everything he needed. Papa Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) also showed a lot of love and care for him, too. But we’re talking about classic TV mothers here. Who could forget the lengths Lucy went to make sure Superman made Little Ricky’s birthday party! Only a mother who loves her son would do such a stunt.
Some I Love Lucy fans might believe the sitcom lost some luster with a kid joining the regular cast, but the show kept on being a must-see sitcom on CBS.
Mary Tyler Moore Secures Her Spot With Laura Petrie
On The Dick Van Dyke Show, there was no need to have an episode dedicated to a child’s birth. He was a youngster in Ritchie Petrie (Larry Mathews) who Laura Petrie (Mary Tyler Moore) doted on a lot.
Making room for Ritchie was important. Show creator Carl Reiner (who played talk-show host Alan Brady) had a young son at home while working on Your Show of Shows, on which he based this sitcom. That young one was Rob Reiner, who would grow up and star in All in the Family.
Laura always made time to listen to her son. She might have to tell him to be quiet while listening to Rob Petrie (Van Dyke) talk a little bit. Yet Laura always wanted to make sure that her son was safe and fed. There were a lot of scenes with Ritchie sitting at the breakfast table before school.
Mary Tyler Moore committed herself to the motherly role quite well. Laura also could be very loving and attentive toward Rob, too. She seemed to have every box checked off the classic TV mom’s scorecard.
Florence Henderson: The Ultimate Classic TV Mother?
OK, hear me out for a minute. Could an argument be made that Florence Henderson’s Carol Brady could be the ultimate classic TV mother? It seemed as if she could do no wrong on The Brady Bunch.
Yeah, Carol starts out as a single mother to three girls. She meets up with Mike Brady (Robert Reed), who has three boys of his own. They hit it off and get married. Now, Carol has to deal with six children… three that aren’t her own by birth.
But Carol Brady loved her children. She would do whatever she could to help them. Carol and Mike loved one another and showed their devotion to each other on The Brady Bunch. Carol also had help in the kitchen and home thanks to housekeeper Alice Nelson (Ann B. Davis).
The Brady Bunch aired on ABC from 1968-73. The cast also went on to be part of a variety show in the 1970s, too, minus Eve Plumb (Jan Brady). Even in these shows, Henderson made sure some level of motherly love was shown. She nailed the TV Mother role to perfection.
Phylicia Rashad Loved Playing Clair Huxtable
A couple of things stand out when bringing up Phylicia Rashad‘s awesome performance as TV Mother Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Her character was a working mother, not spending all day over a hot stove.
This was an original idea from show creator and star Bill Cosby. He wanted to have a strong female character, so Clair fit that bill. Clair is quite intelligent, and don’t think you can get one over on her. She’s got some street smarts happening as well.
In the years since The Cosby Show originally aired, Rashad’s characterization of Clair has become more popular. Picking an argument with Clair will not work because she’s determined to win it. She’s quite maternal to the kids when it’s called for in the show.
Rashad talked about playing Clair in a 2020 interview on The Breakfast Club. It puts a bow on looking at this incredible character and actress. “People say, ‘Oh, oh! You’re just the perfect mother!’ And I look at them and smile and say, ‘Thank you,'” she said. “But you know it’s easy when you’re scripted and the children are scripted too. In real life, there are no scripts and there’s no handbook. It’s really something, it’s really something as a parent to come to that place where you understand, ‘Yes I’m the parent but, hey, I don’t know everything,’ and, ‘Hey, that is a mind and a human being and a spirit and soul in development.'”
Katey Sagal Plays Up Motherhood For Laughs
Putting a different spin on being a classic TV mother was Katey Sagal, who played Peg Bundy on Married… with Children. The Fox sitcom had plenty of fans and a number of enemies, too. Yet denying how well Sagal played her role would be shortchanging her.
Yes, Peg was outlandish. She wanted more attention from her husband Al (Ed O’Neill) than he delivered. Making sure her kids Kelly (Christina Applegate) and Bud (David Faustino) were fed mattered. They didn’t always like what was served. You could see them take food in their hands, delivering it to the family dog Buck.
Modern-day motherhood never looked funnier than with Peg Bundy. Sagal’s in-costume swagger, big-haired wig, and tight pants added to Peg’s look. Was she a good TV mother? Yeah, for the most part. Peg had her issues, especially with Al. But she also had quick comebacks ready to deliver all the time.
These days, Married… with Children has its special place in the world of reruns. The show was criticized a lot in its original run. But it has quite a devoted following, one that includes Katey Sagal.
Honorable Mention for TV Mothers
Classic TV mothers are plentiful and picking five leaves others on the sidelines. But I’m going to point out Barbara Billingsley (Leave It to Beaver), Donna Reed (The Donna Reed Show), Jane Wyman (Father Knows Best), and Marion Ross (Happy Days) for honorable mention. Feel free to add your own to this list.
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