Mother’s Day is Coming: Vote For Your Favorite Classic TV Mom!

Television has introduced us to many incredible mothers, but we’ve selected 14 of our favorites, from conventional to unconventional, who have truly raised the bar in parenting. Now, we want to hear from you! Who is YOUR favorite TV mom? Take our poll below and help us decide who will be crowned the Queen of the TV Moms!

1 Carol Brady (The Brady Bunch)

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When The Brady Bunch first aired in 1969, mom Carol, played by actress Florence Henderson, was already busy with three very lovely girls. When she remarried, she welcomed three stepsons into the fold as if she’d birthed them herself. This positive depiction of a blended family ushered in the notion that all it takes to form a family is love — a bunch of it.

2 Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show)

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The Cosby Show‘s formidable matriarch Clair Huxtable was as classy as she was sassy, and as a respected attorney, she brought home bacon equal to her obstetrician husband. Clair, portrayed by Phylicia Rashad, was the embodiment of 1980s success and showed that a strong mom is the center of a strong family.

3 Elyse Keaton (Family Ties)

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In the 1980s, women saw their lives mirrored by working TV moms, and Elyse Keaton (Meredith Baxter) on Family Ties topped career-day aspirations as an architect. The former hippie chick also accepted the vastly different personalities of her four children, even budding capitalist Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox).

4 June Cleaver (Leave It to Beaver)

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There isn’t a more classic TV mother than Leave It to Beaver‘s June Cleaver. She is the prototypically perfect 1950s housewife whose sparkling home, effortless wardrobe and impeccably coiffed hair were an aspiration to millions. June, played by actress Barbara Billingsley, handled almost any task without breaking a sweat, and even managed neighborhood rapscallion Eddie Haskell with poise and grace.

5 Lucy Ricardo (I Love Lucy)

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Lucy Ricardo didn’t begin I Love Lucy as a mother, but she was one of the first characters to be shown pregnant on a TV series. Lucille Ball was so powerful a Hollywood force that her real-life second pregnancy was written into her show, and the episode featuring “Little Ricky’s” birth was broadcast a mere 12 hours after Ball delivered son Desi Arnaz Jr.

6 Margaret Anderson (Father Knows Best)

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In the 1950s, there was no more idealized depiction of the American family than the Andersons on Father Knows Best. And when the successful radio program transitioned to TV, Jane Wyatt was selected to embody practical and patient mother Margaret. Although it was patriarch Jim who doled out sage advice from the comfort of his easy chair, we know that Margaret really knew best.

7 Marion Cunningham (Happy Days)

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Happy Days was the 1970s nostalgic look at the 1950s, and Marion Ross starred as cheerful mom Marion Cunningham. As the mother to Richie and Joanie, Marion also served as surrogate mom to “The Fonz,” who acted like he was too cool to be mothered, but had a very special relationship with “Mrs. C.”

8 Olivia Walton (The Waltons)

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The Waltons were less suburban than they were very, very rural, but mom Olivia (Michael Learned) was the epitome of clean, godly living. And she certainly raised a loving brood — her seven children loved each other so deeply that they took turns wishing each other good night!

9 Samantha Stephens (Bewitched)

In the pre-Pinterest days, Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery), the sexy, suburbanite mom on Bewitched, knew how to make life special for daughter Tabitha — with magic!

10 Shirley Partridge (The Partridge Family)

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The phrase “family road trip” can either be terrific or torture, but on The Partridge Family, a widow (played by Shirley Jones) traded her job in a bank for life on the road with her children and their family band. Jones starred in the series with her real-life stepson, David Cassidy, and while we’ll pass on the character’s groovy velour stage costumes, we would love a ride on the family’s psychedelic tour bus. Come on, get happy.

11 Caroline Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie)

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The beloved frontier family drama based on the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder followed the 19th century adventures of the Ingalls clan as they settled on a farm in Plum Creek, Minnesota. The steadfast, devoted and nearly unflappable matriarch, Caroline (Karen Grassle), was a doting wife to Charles (Michael Landon) and loving mother to daughters Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson), Laura (Melissa Gilbert), Carrie (Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush) and Grace (Wendi and Brenda Turnbaugh). The Ingalls’ only biological son, Charles Jr., died as an infant, and the loss troubled Caroline throughout the series. As the show progressed, Charles and Caroline adopted Albert (Matthew Labyorteaux), James (the one and only Jason Bateman) and Cassandra (Melissa Francis).

12 Florida Evans (Good Times)

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The character of Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) first appeared as a straight-talking housekeeper on the sitcom Maude, starring Bea Arthur, in 1972. Florida’s banter with Maude (Arthur) was so popular that creators Eric Monte and Mike Evans, and executive producer Norman Lear, transplanted the character for the spinoff Good Times. Florida, husband James (John Amos), and their kids J.J. (Jimmie Walker), Thelma (BernNadette Stanis) and Michael (Ralph Carter) resided in a Chicago housing project and dealt with serious issues in a humorous, relatable way. While James tried to hold down a number of jobs, Florida was the family’s moral center and glue that held it together.

13 Ann Romano (One Day at a Time)

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Developed by Norman Lear, the sitcom One Day at a Time tackled issues facing women during a time of social and economic change. Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) was a recently divorced mom of teenagers Julie (Mackenzie Phillips) and Barbara (Valerie Bertinelli), who lived in an Indianapolis apartment complex. Ann tried to manage her career and relationships while helping Julie and Barbara through all the complexities of being teenage girls. Ann had to deal with intrusions from her ex-husband, Ed (Joseph Campanella), and a building superintendent, Schneider (Pat Harrington Jr.), who had a humorous and extraordinary level of involvement in Ann’s family.

14 Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)

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It ran for seven seasons from 2000-07 (six on the WB, one on the CW), with the focus being the mother-daughter duo of Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) Gilmore. To many of the generation, Lorelai was seen as the perfect mother, acting more like a best friend to her daughter than the strict mothers many were more familiar with. Despite their closeness, Lorelai and Rory still go through their own growing pains as things like school, friendships and boys (on both sides) aim to get in the way of their relationship.

Take our poll to vote for your favorite TV Mom!

PS: We know there are many we did not list, so let us know in the comments a favorite we may have missed!