Many sitcoms and TV dramas rely on bad parents to push the plot along and give the young characters reasons to act out. Whether the bad parents are the punchline or the motive, they are always memorable. While it can be sickening to watch these parents let their kids down over and over again, we believe in redemption and like to think about how these characters could be better to their families. Parents are people too, meaning they’re flawed, complex, and, most of all, human. We want to look at these unlikeable characters and discuss how they could be better.
1. Kitty and Red Foreman
This one might be up for debate, but many people feel that Kitty and Red were not always the best parents. Red, in particular, could be a very harsh and unforgiving father; he even scared us as kids. Kitty was just out to lunch in many situations, although always hilarious. These two certainly have their hearts in the right place, but they need to be more open and vulnerable with their children. The because-I-said-so parenting model isn’t the most effective.
2. Frank Reynolds
Can we even consider Frank Reynolds a father? He acts like a stupid kid in the show, just like all the other characters in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. We don’t think that man has a paternal bone in his body and definitely didn’t do much to raise Dennis and Dee. The least he could do now is teach them how to avoid his life mistakes. But to do that, he’d need to conjure some self-awareness and be open with his kids.
3. Frank Gallagher
It’s obvious why Frank Gallagher makes the top of the list. He’s the father of the big family in Shameless and always seems to be intoxicated. His alcoholism is a major theme in the show, but it’s not funny. He constantly puts alcohol before his children, and it’s truly heartbreaking. While Frank is endlessly frustrating, he has a good heart and loves his kids. He tries to stay sober on more than one occasion, and we have to give him credit for his intentions.
4. Bart Bass
I know there is an abundance of terrible parents on Gossip Girl, but Bart Bass might take the cake. He’s an egotistical man with warped values and morals that he instills in his teenage son. Yes, Chuck was not a great guy, but with a role model like this, I can’t blame him for being a jerk. We wish Bart had a therapist to help him work through his own emotions and, in turn, open up to his son. One honest conversation between father and son would do wonders for these two.
5. Adora Crellin
Adora Crellin is the mother in Sharp Objects, a gripping limited series you need to go watch right now. She is an abhorrent mother who plays the role of the doting mom who would do anything for her children. I don’t want to spoil too much, but she is a monster. There is no question that Adora loves her children, but her love is the toxic, harmful kind. If only she could love her kids while letting them live their own lives.
6. Cal and Marsha Jacobs
Cal and Marsha are the parents of Nate Jacobs in the highly dramatic show Euphoria. From the beginning, we know that Cal is not the best dad, as he puts his desires to the needs of his children. But the mom doesn’t show her true colors until later in the series, and it turns out she’s crazy too. The whole family needs help. These parents could save their children from harm and trauma if they were just honest with one another. Cal needs to accept who he is, and Martha needs to walk away from this marriage.
7. The Duggars
The Duggars are the parents from the TLC reality series 19 Kids and Counting. If you haven’t seen the show, you’re lucky. It’s sad to watch all these children grapple for their parent’s attention, and the older kids are basically forced to parent their siblings. There are worse things that go on, but that’s just what you see on the show. There are a million things the Duggars should do differently, but the first is to stop subjecting their children to a traumatic and neglectful home life.
8. The Turners
The Turners are the parents of poor Timmy Turner from Fairly Odd Parents. Timmy’s parents were so bad that the fairies assigned him fairy godparents to save him from the heartbreaking neglect. They leave him with an abusive babysitter, make fun of him, and are overall terrible people and worse parents. These two could redeem themselves by spending more time with Timmy and less time focused on their selfish wants.
9. The Bings
The Bings are Chandler’s parents on the popular sitcom Friends. It’s no secret in the show that Chandler’s parents and childhood traumatized him. They both had numerous affairs when Chandler was young and made no attempt to shield him from their chaotic marital problems and divorce. While the damage is done, an earnest and vulnerable apology from both of them would likely go far with Chandler and alleviate some of his frustration.
10. Lucille Bluth
Lucille Bluth from Arrested Development is a cold and cruel mother who will coddle her children one minute and belittle them the next. She is an unpredictable woman who is quite unforgiving and callous when it comes to her children, which is likely why they are all so emotionally unstable. Ultimately, we think Lucille loved her kids but wasn’t great at expressing it. Confessing her love for each kid would likely do wonders to make them all feel more secure.
11. Malory Archer
Malory is Archer’s mother in the racy cartoon Archer, where they both work as spies, at least for the first few seasons. She is similar to Lucille Bluth in many ways, except she may keep even more secrets from her son. Malory and Archer have a complex and twisted relationship. They could have a better dynamic if they were both more honest and unguarded with one another.
12. Frank and Marie Barone
Marie and Frank Barone are the lead character’s parents in the show Everybody Loves Raymond. They are easily two of the funniest characters on their show, but they are definitely not the best parents, as they play favorites, criticize, and even shame their two children. Frank and Marie were hesitant to express love and support because they wanted their children to be strong, but a few moments of kindness would make them much better parents.
13. Kris Kardashian
Another reality TV parent who is not the most caring is Kris Kardashian. Kris loves all of her children, but she also sees them as walking dollar signs. She pushed many of her children into projects, and her motives are often questionable, so I wouldn’t call her Mother of the Year. Kris could be a more likable parent if she put her children’s wellness before her bank account’s. She needs to be more of a mom and less of a manager.
14. The Gellers
Along with the Bings, Ross and Monica’s parents are also unpleasant. Jack and Judy are simultaneously dumb and harsh, especially when it comes to Monica. Judy, in particular, is an awful mother who makes Monica feel bad about herself every chance she gets, and it’s painful to watch. Mrs. Geller could easily redeem herself by having a heartwarming conversation with Monica and confirming that, despite her criticisms, she is proud of her daughter.
15. The Drapers
Betty and Don are both unhinged humans who are not fit to be parents. They treat each other poorly and seem to galavant around doing whatever they want without even thinking about their young children. It’s like being a parent was an afterthought to them. If these two put their own selfish desires to the side and focused more on their kids, they could be likable parents.
16. The Horsemans
BoJack is a complex and unstable character, but with parents like Beatrice and Butterscotch, he had no chance of turning out okay. Both his parents consistently reminded him that he was a mistake and they didn’t want him, all while belittling his interests and dreams. Beatrice never told BoJack she was proud of him or loved him. One simple sentence with these sentiments would likely help BoJack accept her for all her flaws and view their relationship through a softer lens.
17. Mickey Aldrin
Mickey is Lily’s father in How I Met Your Mother. While he sort of redeems himself later in the series, he basically abandons Lily to follow his pipe dreams. Fortunately, he finds some sort of redemption later in the series. He comes back into Lily’s life and tries to be a more present and loving father and grandfather. He’s still erratic and odd, but he’s also lovable in certain moments.
18. Ross Geller
As mentioned, Ross’s parents are terrible to Monica, but they treat him okay. But Ross seems like an absent parent. He has a son and then continues living his post-divorce life like nothing happened! Where is Ben throughout the ten seasons of the show? He shows up a handful of times, making Ross look like a bad parent. All we want is for Ross to consider Ben more often throughout the series. For example, maybe he could more thoroughly consider how dating a certain woman would make Ben feel or cancel plans with the gang to spend some father-son time with his child.
19. Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson is not the most competent or kind parent to his children, so many call him a bad dad. However, he sacrificed his dreams and stayed at his soul-crushing job when Maggie was born so he could provide for his family, which is sweet. He’s one of the most redeemable parents here, as he sacrificed his personal happiness to provide for his family.
20. Linda Flynn and Lawrence Fletcher
Linda and Lawrence are Phineas, Ferb, and Candace’s parents. In case it’s not obvious, they are some of the worst parents because they constantly leave their young children at home alone for hours. They also force Candace to babysit, even when she has plans. Their path to redemption is simple: be home more. They can also take their kids with them when they go places and make everything a small family adventure.
21. Jimmy Pesto
Jimmy Pesto is one of the characters in Bob’s Burgers and is not the best dad. He doesn’t seem to have any interest in connecting with or even raising his three young children. Jimmy shames his oldest son for wanting to dance and treats his twins like aliens. Like many parents mentioned here, Jimmy could be a better parent if he dropped his cool, tough-guy act and shared some vulnerable moments with his kids. It also wouldn’t hurt him to express some love.
22. Dee Dee Blanchard
Dee Dee Blanchard is the mother in the limited series The Act. The show is about her very sick daughter, who turns out not to be sick at all. Dee Dee slowly poisons her child to keep her dependent on her, and we don’t think it gets more twisted than that. Ultimately, Dee Dee loved her daughter a little too much. All she needed to do was take a step back and let Gypsy Rose find some independence.
23. Lily van der Woodsen
Lily van der Woodsen is another Gossip Girl parent who deserves a shoutout on this list. She is such a cold and selfish mother and cares more about appearances and reputation than her children’s happiness. She has some okay moments but is mostly a poor parent throughout the series. If only she could amplify those sweet moments. Lily has a lot of wisdom and life experience she could share with her children to help them navigate their own lives.
24. Stan and Francine Smith
As much as we love Stan and Francine from American Dad!, they are not the best parents. They hold grudges against their children, lie to them, manipulate them, and do other horrible things. While they are hilarious, it would be a stretch to call them excellent parents. But we love some of their parenting moments. In one episode, Stan dedicates himself to astral projection to save Steve. In another, Francine saves Hayley from an exercise cult. So, they’re not without their admirable parental moments.
