Our picks for the 50 coolest fathers on television.by John Kubicek
#50 Frank Reynolds, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
He’s mean, cruel, and has a temper as short as his stature, but there’s something undeniably cool about a dad who is willing to act as immature as his son.
#49 Al Bundy, Married…with Children
Have you ever scored four touchdowns in a single game at Polk High? Al may be a pathetic shoe salesman, but once upon a time, he was the coolest kid around, and in between visits to the Nudie Bar and meetings with NO MA’AM, there’s still some slim traces of his former coolness.
#48 Ricky Underwood, The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Ricky is certainly too cool for school, setting his sights on every girl wearing a skirt and moving in for the kill. This “sex first, questions later” approach didn’t pan out when he accidentally got Amy pregnant, but now he’s a bad boy dad playing by his own rules.
#47 Hal, Malcolm in the Middle
Hal is cool because, like a child, he finishes everything he starts, no matter how ridiculous. If you’re looking for someone to build a scale replica of Pearl Harbor, Hal will go into painstaking detail and spend countless hours with you to make it perfect.
#46 Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
He might choke you, and he’ll probably forget your saxomophone recital, but Homer is always there to be taken advantage of. Also, he is a Grammy winning former astronaut, so that has to carry some cool points.
#45 Michael Bluth, Arrested Development
Sometimes Michael tries to act a little too cool, but his intentions are sweet and he’d be a cool dad to have anyway.
#44 Jack Carter, Eureka
He may not be the brightest guy around, but Sheriff Carter can hang out with the best of them, using his charm and street smarts to save the day.
#43 Sam Bennett, Private Practice
Having a hot doctor as a dad would certainly earn you a ton of female friends, though you shouldn’t tell them that beneath his attractive exterior is a somewhat nerdy asthmatic.
#42 Tom Scavo, Desperate Housewives
Having three sons brought out the inner man-child in Tom Scavo, and when he’s not buying mid-life crisis sports cars or opening pizzerias, he’s a big lovable goofball.
#41 Philip Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
We’re not sure if Uncle Phil is to blame for Carlton’s overall nerdiness, but we know this successful proud papa is a loving man who welcomes one and all into his family.
#40 Charles Bing, Friends
This might be awkward, but if you’re looking for the world’s most fabulous father, look no further than Chandler’s drag queen father, hilariously played by Kathleen Turner.
#39 Martin Crane, Frasier
Most kids would love a dad who loves to sit back with a beer and watch sports. What makes Martin Crane doubly cool is that he still finds ways to love his neurotic, overly analytical sons.
#38 Robbie Ray Stewart, Hannah Montana
Between down-home sayings and country-fried goodness, Robbie Ray is a dad who will join the fun while still playing the role of father and manager to his incredibly successful daughter.
#37 Luke Danes, Gilmore Girls
Somehow his daughter became a genius, but Luke is at his coolest when he’s the surly proprietor of greasy food and bottomless cups of coffee.
#36 Harry Wilson, 90210
Having your dad be the principal of your high school might be weird at first, but luckily Harry isn’t your typical dad, knowing when to back off and when to be an involved parent.
#35 Steve Brady, Sex and the City
I’m not sure if Steve is a cool dad or if Miranda is just such an annoyingly awful mother that, by comparison, Steve is the coolest man alive. Either way, his son is very lucky to have at least one parent who won’t binge eat or flip out over the smallest problem.
#34 Hulk Hogan, Hogan Knows Best
There are certainly benefits to having your dad be a professional wrestler. You’ll always be the coolest kid in school, and no one will mess with you.
#33 Red Forman, That ’70s Show
Red was the last of a dying breed, a real man’s man who doesn’t put up with whiny nonsense. The fact that we was still able to put up with all the hippie bologna that went on with his son’s friends is a testament to how cool he really is.
#32 Walter Bishop, Fringe
He’s not always reliable, but having a mad scientist for a dad is very cool, because you never know what he’ll say or do. Also, it’s cool to have a dad who will go to an alternate reality to bring back an alternate version of his son after his real son died.
#31 Steve Bartowski, Chuck
At first glance, Steve is an awkward and nerdy guy. But when you find out he’s secretly Orion, suddenly Chuck’s dad becomes the coolest super spy around, with all the best gadgets.
#30 Jax Teller, Sons of Anarchy
Most dads go to an office and wear collared shirts filled with starch. Jax wears a leather jacket and rides a motorcycle. That earns him instant cool points.
#29 Max, United States of Tara
It takes a great man to put up with Tara’s multiple personalities, and Max does it wonderfully, giving in and learning to love the ride.
#28 Mitch Leary, Dawson’s Creek
Mitch Leery never had a perfect marriage but he always strove to be the perfect father. Through divorce, remarriage and so much more, Mitch never faltered in his love and devotion for his son Dawson. It’s a shame Mitch didn’t live to see Dawson’s film career blossom like he always knew it would.
#27 Emerson Cod, Pushing Daisies
How many dads would go to the lengths of writing a po-up book in order to send a coded message to his long lost daughter? This fast-talking private eye has the brains, brawn and wit to be one cool cat.
#26 Perry Cox, Scrubs
He might be rude and without compassion for any other living creature on the planet, but he loves his wife and loves his children, no matter how much he may deny. Sure he’s pompous, but what makes Dr. Cox cool is that he has the skills and long-winded speeches to back it up.
#25 Tobias Funke, Arrested Development
You probably wouldn’t want Tobias coming around when you’re with your friends, but there’s a certain charm and coolness factor to having a dad so out there that you can get away with anything and he’ll still think you’re sweeter than molasses. Also, he’s not afraid to paint himself blue or dress up like a British female nanny.
#24 Ozzy Osbourne, The Osbournes
He may be the Prince of Darkness, but it’s better to be the son of the prince. Imagine getting to tell your friends about the time your dad bit the head off a bat. That could be cool.
#23 Jesse Katsopolis, Full House
Nicky and Alex are two lucky twins to have a dad with hair that won’t stop. He may always be Uncle Jesse to most, but for those boys, he’s the coolest dad in the world.
#22 HRG, Heroes
He may not be Claire’s real dad, but that won’t stop HRG from doing anything to protect her. He may not have any powers, but that doesn’t stop this cool dad from taking down anyone who poses his family a threat.
#21 Peter Griffin, Family Guy
With the mind of a mentally retarded fourth grader, Peter is a simple man with simple pleasures, which makes him cool. Also, he hates Meg more than anyone, which makes him doubly cool.
#20 Jonathan Kent, Smallville
Sometimes the coolest dads are the ones who work hard and instill good morals to their kids. Clark Kent could easily take over the world with his super powers, but the strong work ethic and sense of morality that came from his devoted and hard-working father helped make him the man he is.
#19 Lincoln Burrows, Prison Break
Nobody wants a felon for a father, but Lincoln is a noble fall guy who is tough and nails and able to escape any situation. He may not be as brainy as his brother, but Lincoln makes up for it in raw power.
#18 Brian Darling, Dirty Sexy Money
How many dads would have their illegitimate son pretend to be a Swedish orphan to avoid messy questions? Reverend Brian Darling may not be a good man, but he’s a cool dad, as exhibited when he threatened one of his son’s bullies with eternal damnation.
#17 Snoop Dogg, Snoop Doggs Father Hood
Not only is having Snoop Dogg as your dad incredibly cool for the obvious reasons, but it also means you might get to play soccer with David Beckham and go out after for chicken and waffles. That’s a day most people can only fantasize about.
#16 Jack Bauer, 24
The number of laws Jack Bauer has broken to protect his daughter is staggering, almost as much as how undeniably awesome he is. Of course while he’s always been cool, Jack often struggles with being a father.
#15 William Adama, Battlestar Galactica
Admiral Adama might sometimes act disappointed in his son, but deep down, he has nothing but love and respect for Lee and everyone else. He’s an honorable man, and while building ships in bottles isn’t my idea of fun, he’s still cool.
#14 Rufus Humphrey, Gossip Girl
The coolest part of Rufus isn’t that he used to be a famous rock star, it’s that he’s able to make fun of the fact that he’s now a washed-up rock star.
#13 Seeley Booth, Bones
Saving the day every day from the bad guys is enough to make Seeley Booth cool, but his devotion to his son Parker is what makes him a truly cool dad.
#12 Andy Brown, Everwood
Dr. Brown is one of those dads who tries to relate to his kids even though he can’t, but he never stops trying or loving them, and as a world-famous surgeon who moves to a small-town, he’s very cool and supporting through some difficult times.
#11 Angel, Angel
What makes Angel such a cool dad is that he always tries. He usually fails thanks to the fact that his son turned against him and tried to kill him, but he’s always especially goofy whenever he tries to bond with his son, which is very cool in its own odd way.
#10 Jed Bartlet, The West Wing
He might not be as fun as other dads, but it’s hard to deny that having your dad be the president would be the coolest thing ever. You’d get extravagant holidays and rides on Air Force One. The only downside would be the occasional kidnaping.
#9 Richard Castle, Castle
This world-famous author is just a big kid, and luckily that’s just how he raises his teenage daughter. He’ll play laser tag in the house or pretend to scare a boyfriend just for a laugh.
#8 Christopher Hayden, Gilmore Girls
He might not always be there for his kid, but Christopher is cool whether he’s on a motorcycle or in a family-friendly sedan. He’s young and hip and can banter with the best of them, an important skill to have when you’re surrounded by Gilmores.
#7 Jack Bristow, Alias
You’ll never know where he’s coming from, but Jack Bristow is incredibly cool in the way he handles adversity with a calm demeanor, taking control of any circumstance. Also, he’s not afraid to change diapers.
#6 Nathan Scott, One Tree Hill
Little Jamie Scott is one lucky kid. Not only does his entire family worship the ground he walks on, but his dad is now in the NBA. It’s hard to get much cooler than having a pro athlete as a dad.
#5 John Winchester, Supernatural
How cool would it be to find out your dad goes around hunting and killing demons? It’s a dangerous job, and I might not be as quick to join the family business like Sam and Dean, but John was still one cool customer.
#4 Eric Taylor, Friday Night Lights
Coach Taylor will certainly give the evil eye and an extra firm handshake to any potential boyfriends, but he does it out of love for his daughter.
#3 Hank Moody, Californication
Having a dad who’s a famous writer known for his debauchery would be cool enough, but when he’s with his daughter, he’s exactly the same way and encourages her to be as wild as she wants to be.
#2 Sandy Cohen, The O.C.
A surfing lawyer, Seth Cohen certainly got all his coolness from his dad. Despite the bushiest eyebrows ever to grace a TV, this cool dad struck the right balance between father and friend.
#1 Keith Mars, Veronica Mars
Who’s your daddy? Despite using corny lines like that, there is no dad on TV cooler than Veronica’s ex-sheriff pop, Keith Mars. He helps his daughter while staying protective of her and putting himself in danger to save her.
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