Mother’s Day is a special day that honors mothers, motherhood, and maternal bonds everywhere. Historically, women have endured many forms of discrimination, yet despite it all, they stand tall, and their contributions to society have made our world a better place. If one were to think about some of their earliest memories, their mothers’ wisdom, love, warmth, empathy, and support would likely have played instrumental roles in their development into functioning adults.
Despite being works of fiction, wedon’t exclude movieand television moms and their contributions to their families. Similar to most mothers in reality, many iconic mothers we’ve grown accustomed to seeing on our televisions and smart devices have influenced people worldwide. Whether it be a signature style of dress, hairstyle, catchphrase, or personality quirk, we’re confident some, if not most, of the mothers featured on our list, have nestled a way into our audience’s hearts.
To celebrate Mother’s Day, we encourage our readers to sit back, relax, and enjoy our list of the most beloved TV moms.
20Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (Modern Family)
Modern Familyis one of the most successful sitcoms to grace the silver screen — and for good reason. Boasting an all-star cast of some of television’s finest talent, well-written, sidesplitting jokes, and storylines that most ofModern Family’s audience could relate to, the twenty-two Primetime Emmy award-winning mockumentary solidified itself as one of the best, long-running shows of all time. As mentioned, one of the show’s greatest strengths is its cast of characters and the quality of talent that brought them to life.
Beloved Colombian-American actress Sofía Vergara portrayedModern Family’sGloria Maria Ramírez Pritchett(formerly Delgado) from the show’s pilot episode to its series finale to critical acclaim. Loving, resourceful, and eccentric, Gloria’s consistent support of her son Manny’s development from a boy into a young man is something many of us can relate to. Gloria’s husband Jay (Ed O’Neill) is typically hard on Manny to toughen him up. However, Gloria’s kind and thoughtful approach to parenting is what Manny responds to best and is something we’re sure many of our readers can relate to.
19Lisa Landry (Sister, Sister)
Sister, Sisterwas a nineties American sitcom that ran for six seasons and won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series. The show stared real-life twins Tia and Tamera Mowry as in-universe versions of themselves who often told jokesby breaking the fourth wall. Like many other sitcoms featuring teenagers,Sister, Sisterfollows the everyday shenanigans of the teens as they navigate school, family life, and dating.
Sister, Sisteris unique on our list as the show’s matriarch,Lisa Landry(Jackée Harry), was both a biological parent and an adoptive parent. Interestingly, despite being Tia’s mother, Lisa has more in common with Tamera, often agreeing with her more reckless and spontaneous solutions to problems. Despite this familial discrepancy, Lisa still treats the girls with respect and regularly encourages Tia and Tamera to be their best selves.
18Dr. Rainbow Johnson (Black-ish)
Kenya Barris’ beloved sitcomBlack-ishlasted eight seasons and introduced audiences to the Johnson family. For those unfamiliar with the sitcom, the Johnsons are an upper-class African American family navigating their personal lives and the politics of living in a predominantly White suburb. With the acting talents of some of comedy’s best actors and writers, it was refreshing for African American audiences to see a nuanced representation of a Black family living in America.
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Of the talented cast of characters,Dr. Rainbow “Bow” Johnson(Tracee Ellis Ross) is the matriarch of the Johnson family. Audiences might recognize the fun-loving, left-leaning Dr. Johnson for her vibrant smile and halo of an afro. Moreover, she’s nice to everyone around her, highly respected in the medical community, supportive of her husband, and instrumental in her children’s growth and development — especially that of her son Junior.
17Rosalie Rock (Everybody Hates Chris)
Everybody Hates Chrisis a beloved family sitcom set in 1980s Brooklyn, New York, and loosely based on the life of legendary stand-up comic/actor Chris Rock. Renowned for its catchy theme song, relatable subjects, and hilariously written characters,Everybody Hates Chrisprovided audiences with four seasons of quality entertainment. Moreover, it introduced us to at least one character who exactly like or almost like someone we know.
If you’re familiar withthe work of Chris Rock, it’s likely no surprise that he would come from a household full of bombastic characters and personalities. From an overworked yet perpetually broke father to a wildly overbearing mother, it’s safe to say Rock’s upbringing was probably the distinguished influence on his work.
Rosalie “Rochelle” Rock(Tichina Arnold ofMartinfame) is a stern, overbearing, and easily angered woman. However, despite these qualities, Rochelle is also a deeply loving and caring woman who wants her children to excel. Whether a person agrees with her parenting style, something went right, considering her son is one of the most beloved and successful professionals in entertainment.
16Peggy Hill (King of the Hill)
Running for thirteen seasons,King of the Hillis one of creator Mike Judge’s most recognizable projects. The show was popular among audiences for its animation and art style, quirky sense of humor, and beloved cast of Texans. Even though the show’s series finale premiered in 2010,the show’s impactwas so significant that reports of the show’s revival have made entertainment headlines recently.
Of the show’s characters,Margaret J. “Peggy” Platter Hillis not only one of the most notable but also well-received characters in the show. However, Peggy stands out from the other mothers on our list as she isn’t the most meek or humble woman. Unlike her husband Hank, Peggy is prone to being prideful and rarely admits when she’s made a mistake, this often leads to easily avoidable problems festering into serious ones. Nevertheless, Peggy is a loving mother to Bobby, her only child, and even extends her motherly love to Luanne and her child.
15Harriette Winslow (Family Matters)
Family Matterswas a family sitcom that featured the Winslows, an African American family, and showcased the nonstop shenanigans the members constantly found themselves in. The Primetime Emmy-nominated show ran for nine seasons and entertained families across America in the process. Although the show would eventually see the nerdy supporting character Steve Urkel’s prominence grow, the Winslows, especially Harriette, were the show’s backbone.
Harriette Winslowis recognizable for her no-nonsense demeanor and unwavering loyalty to her family. Whenever the family is at odds with a neighbor or each other, Harriette typically mediates with everyone involved and remains resolute in this role until things settle down. No matter what a person’s impression of Harriette is, her consistent involvement in her family’s lives and her commitment to her role as a member of the neighborhood watch tells us she’s a person who takes pride in caring for others.
14Roseanne Conner (Roseanne)
Roseannehad a ten-season run and a revival before ABC createdThe Connersin 2018. AlthoughThe Connershasn’t received the same praiseas its predecessor,Roseannereceived praise from critics and audiences for its sincere depiction of a working-class family and their struggles.Roseannewas notable for being a semi-autobiographical retelling of series star Roseanne Barr’s life.
One ofRoseanne’sdefining characteristics is her loud, nasally voice and bold attitude. Despite these potentially off-putting traits, Roseanne is a kind woman and a loving mother. On multiple accounts, Roseanne constantly offers her high-school sweetheart-turned-husband support and advice, and she’s a perpetually pleasant force in their children’s lives.
13Dee Mitchell (Moesha)
Moeshais an underrated gem of a family sitcom. Like other sitcoms geared toward African American audiences before its time,Moeshawas notable for depicting a functional, middle-class Black family and the struggles of their daily lives in a dignified manner. The show follows the titular Moesha, a high-school student, as she matures and tackles life’s challenges.
Whereas Lisa Landry inSister, Sisterwas the mother of one of the characters,Moesha’sDee Mitchellis the mother to neither Moesha nor her younger brother Miles. Dee married the kids’ father, Frank, sometime after his first wife passed away, and despite her relationship with them initially being rocky, they both warm up to her over time. Played perfectly by Sheryl Lee Ralph, Dee is notable for her calm and reassuring demeanor, classy approach to resolving conflicts, and unwavering love and support for her family.
12Lucille Esmeralda “Lucy” McGillicuddy Ricardo (I Love Lucy)
I Love Lucyis one of the most well-known American sitcoms to grace the silver screen. With a wildly fun cast of characters andan outrageous bevy of situationsour characters end up in, it isn’t hard to see why the show’s so beloved. The show follows the Ricardos and the Mertzs as they find themselves in and out of trouble.
Lucy Ricardois an interesting case as she isn’t the most loving or compassionate woman. Lucy tends to envy others, manipulate people into doing favors for her, and blame others for her shortcomings. However, after the birth of Little Ricky, we see Lucy gradually develop into a more selfless and compassionate woman.
11Didi Pickles (The Rugrats)
Rugratsis a seminal cartoon in any ’90s kid’s life. The characters were all likable, the scenarios were fun to watch, and the art style was vibrant and unique. Whether you were a child or not during the show’s original run, there was something in theRugratsfor everyone.
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One of the show’s strengths was its well-written adult characters. Despite the show centering around the adventures of a few babies, each child’s parent was unique and fun to watch. All the mothers inRugratswere amazing, but we specifically choseDiane “Didi” Pickles, Tommy and Dil’s mom, because most viewers likely associated their mothers with her. Loving and compassionate, Didi always put her children first and never hesitated to look after the other children either.
