The Best TV Moms Of All Time

The Best TV MOMS. EVER!

If you could choose any one of these TV moms as your own, who would it be? Would you rather have a wacky, hilarious mom like Lucy Ricardo ('I Love Lucy') or a more grounded, serious mom like June Cleaver? Here are what we consider the BEST TV MOMS, in no particular order. Did your favorite make the list?

#1 June Cleaver

Leave It To Beaver

Barbara Billingsley's June remains unchallenged as television's most perfect mom, epitomizing the ideal of the warm, devoted mother who always has some kind words and fresh-baked cookies at the ready. Taking place in the 50's, she was spot on as the perfect stay at home Mom. And it's a good thing because what she had to deal with between Wally and Beaver was a lot to handle for any mother.

#2 Olivia Walton

The Waltons

Michael Learned, Olivia. survives polio in a 2-hour special at the end of the first season, and develops tuberculosis later in the series. She displayed budding artistic talent in high school and considered going to college on a scholarship but instead chose to marry John Walton when she was 16 and settle down as a homemaker. She is content that she made the right choice. But raising 7 kids and keeping care of in-laws during the depression was a task not many mothers could handle.

#3 Frances "Frankie" Heck

The Middle

Patricia Heaton, once another popular mom on Everybody Loves Raymond, Frankie Heck works hard. This supermom has to wrangle three of the quirkiest, but most lovable kids you've ever seen and a blue collar husband who's known for his tell-it-like-it-is personality more than anything else. When she's not running the household, she works at the local car dealership where she's their third best salesperson (out of three). She may not have everything figured out all the time, but her family loves her and she loves them, and together they get by.

#4 Carol Brady

The Brady Bunch

Here's a story about a lovely lady who oversaw a busy household of six kids and never once raised her voice with her blended brood. Thanks to Carol's cheery disposition, it was always a "sunshine day" at the Brady house. Three of her own and three of her husbands kids made for a big family for any Mom to deal with.

#5 Thelma Harper

Mama's Family

Vickie Lawrence's breakout role from The Carol Burnett Show, this spin-off was proof that seniors are amazing! Thelma had spent much of her time tending to the housework and nurturance of her loved ones, constantly engaged in cooking, cleaning, and providing loving support to her family. She ruled the roost with a smart mouth and snappy retorts; an explosively quick temper; and a brash, rough and abrasive manner. Mama solved most of her problems with a can of Budweiser; a purse whack; an object slam; a shove; a startling shout; and a healthy dose of wisecracking insults and criticisms.

#6 Marion Cunningham

Happy Days

Marion Ross Marion Cunningham on ‘Happy Days' is the definition of the classic 1950's mother. She gave up her secretarial job in order to become a stay-at-home mother and take her of her 2 sons, daughter, and overbearing husband. She always had a fun way of taking care of Richie and his friends, including Fonzie! Hey!

#7 Caroline Ingalls

Little House On The Praire

Caroline Ingalls (Karen Grassle), Little House on the Prairie, spent her days mothering seven kids, which is not for the faint of heart. Mothering seven kids on a prairie, before modern conveniences? Sainthood. A tireless worker, Caroline Ingalls kept it all together amidst frontier life. Through one daughter going blind, to deathbed illnesses, she pressed on as a wonderful mother.

#8 Edith Bunker

All In The Family

Edith Bunker "All in the Family"

Sure, Edith might not have had many political opinions, she may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed and she may have had a piercing singing voice. But her patience and natural sweetness made her a great mom, and a perfect foil for her curmudgeonly husband. Gloria may be a brat, but we're gonna blame that on Archie.

#9 Donna Stone

The Donna Reed Show

This show was the first TV family sitcom to feature the mother as the center of the show. Reed's character, Donna Stone, is a loving mother and wife, but also a strong woman, an active participant in her community, a woman with feelings and a sense of humor. The comedy was noted for depicting a better time and place. The show was in the top 10 from 1963 to 1965.

#10 Claire Huxtable

The Cosby Show

Mother of six, successful lawyer and devoted wife: Phylicia Rashad's Clair was a role model in every facet of her life, especially how she ruled the Huxtable household in a firm but loving manner. Even the guy who played her TV husband can't detract from Clair's enduring legacy. And, she always controlled things behind the scenes and won it over.

#11 Harriet Nelson

The Adventures of Ozzie And Harriet

One of the original Best TV Moms, Harriet Hilliard was married to Ozzy in real life. The Nelsons began a domestic-comedy series for radio, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. It was highly popular and made a successful transition to television. It was one of the stalwarts of the ABC-TV schedule from 1952 to 1966. The Nelsons' two sons, Ricky and David, were featured continuously on the show and proved she could handle two rag tag boys and a crazed husband who acted worse than the kids.

#12 Elyse Keaton

Family Ties

Alex P. Keaton might be one of TV's most iconic characters, but he could also be a pretty obnoxious guy. Part of what made his so lovable was how his down-to-earth mom (Meredith Baxter-Birney) kept him in line, including brokering peace between Alex and his sisters. Birney always stepped in to referee her 3 kids problems as well as handling the goofy antics of her husband.

#13 Lucy

I Love Lucy, Here's Lucy, The Lucy Show.

Lucille Ball's iconic redhead broke barriers for TV moms in a major way: She was the first character to ever be shown pregnant on the small screen.

Beyond her status as a TV legend, Lucy was also just a fun mom. She always encouraged her son Little Ricky's music talents and often ended up on stage performing with him.

In Her Other sitcoms she had 2 children in both series. The last, "here's Lucy" featured her real life kids, Lucy Arnaz and Desi Jr.

#14 Roseanne Connor

Roseanne

Roseanne Conner "Roseanne"

Down-to-earth is an understatement here. Roseanne and the Conners dealt with the same things everyone deals with: money, obesity, unemployment, life. She wouldn't take crap from anybody, but still offered a lot of sage advice when given the opportunity. And, she was supportive of her kids when it really mattered. Winning the lottery ruined her as a mother and a character.

#15 Florida Evans

Good Times

Esther Rolle as Florida Evans, the mom to JJ, Thelma, and youngest son Michael on the hit 70's sitcom Good Times. A spin-off of the show Maude, the show portrayed the life of a family living in an urban slum. The show was one of the first to offer realistic depictions of concepts like racial discrimination, street crime, low income life, and other scenarios not seen in many shows of its day. Luckily for the kids (and us), we had Florida to let us know everything was going to be okay at the end of every episode.

#16 Laura Petrie

The Dick Van Dyke Show

In the role that made her famous, Mary Tyler Moore shined as Rob Petrie's wife Laura in the classic Dick Van Dyke Show. A stay at home mom to son Ritchie, the show mainly focused on her husband's job as head writer of the fictional "Alan Brady Show", a first to portray the inner working of creating a television program. Laura's role as the nervous wife who has to deal with her husband's misadventures in addition to receiving the same treatment from son Ritchie.

#17 Marie Barrone

Everybody Loves Raymond

Doris Roberts Marie Barone on ‘Everybody Loves Raymond' Sarcastic, passive-aggressive and judgmental, Marie Barone has one difficult personality to put up with. Her tell-it-like it is comments and "not done raising her son" attitude makes it hard not to love her. She is the typical mother who just loves her sons and doesn't want them to grow up and leaver her alone with their father.

#18 Kate Lawrence

Family

Sada Thompson, was noted for her portrayal of matriarch Kate Lawrence on Family won her the 1978 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and garnered her three nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama. Kate was depicted as the practical, rational and realistic voice of the show. Kate always stood by her opinion and was motivated to do what was right, even if it made her unpopular... and it often did.

#19 Sophia Petrillo

The Golden Girls

Estelle Getty Sophia Petrillo on ‘The Golden Girls' is one of the funniest characters of all time, Sophia Petrillo is best known for her wisecracks and put-downs. However, despite her sharp criticism of her daughter, Dorothy, and the other girls, she always had a way of making the silver lining shine through that dark cloud by the end of the show.

#20 Claire Dunphey

Modern Family

Julie Bowen Claire Dunphy on ‘Modern Family' is determined to not allow her kids have the same wild and rebellious lifestyle she had as a teen; and in order to implement these rules she becomes a bit overbearing. Her over the top rules and regulations make for some great mothering of her 3 children and oddly riotous husband.

#21 Nora Walker

Brothers and Sisters

Sally Field Nora Walker on ‘Brothers and Sisters' is the epitome of overbearing. Nora Walker cannot help but meddle into her children's life, but at least it is all out of love. She cannot stand the thought of leaving her children to fend for themselves... but eventually she had too by series end.