Yippee Ki-Yay Mother Mother! 5 TV Moms You Do NOT Want To Mess With

Not everyone can be Clair Huxtable or Carol Brady. In this day and age, it takes a new level of strength to be a mom. So in honor of Mother's Day, here are 5 of the best and baddest moms on TV!

Hans Gruber was a piece of cake compared to this family!

1. Camille Braverman-Parenthood
Everyone wants to be a Braverman. Even with the drama of sibling rivalry, lost jobs, changing love, and raising kids, no one on TV is more loyal or has more fun than this hippie family. But that kind of camaraderie wouldn't exist without a matriarch like Camille Braverman. Though most of her scenes are short and revolve around giving advice to one of her adult children while she pours tea or paints, Camille is no pushover. If anything, she is the rock of the Braverman clan. She is feminine and a feminist, open-minded and self-controlled. She balances out her borderline irrational husband Zeek, shows tough love, and does it all with just the right amount of wet behind her eyes.

Claire doing what any mother would do on a night out; rebel against napkins.

2. Claire Dunphy-Modern Family
With a free spirit husband like Phil, it's no wonder that Claire comes across as the neurotic twin sister that Monica Geller never had. Claire adores her family while never losing sight of the fact that they are all so weird. Her raspy voice and passionate nature make even the most simple statement out of her mouth come across as an argument or rant. She is controlling, takes herself too seriously, and when she does occasionally let her hair down, it almost always backfires. Claire manages to maintain control in the wackiest of situations because of her keen observation skills. She knows her family so well, she can predict exactly what they are going to do at any moment and she is ready for their antics. Give her 25 years and she will be as calm as Camille Braverman.

She once got Jet Blue to accept an AmTrak Ticket. 

3. Colleen Donaghy-30 Rock
There is only one woman who can make Jack Donaghy-the NBC executive, super conservative, proud member of the 1%, and mentor to Liz Lemon-weep...his mother, Colleen Donaghy. Colleen spends most of her days situated leisurely in Florida with other retirees, but is known for her surprise visits to New York to berate and belittle her son. With one look, Colleen commands everyone at 30 Rock into submission. She is cynical, critical, cunning, and Irish Catholic which makes her Jack's worst nightmare. With each visit, more of their relationship is revealed, and while Colleen might fake a heart attack to control Jack, she does it all out of love...we think.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Or maybe it kills you.

4. Vivien Harmon-American Horror Story
No matter what life has thrown at you this year, Vivien can top it. Her world turned upside down when her husband cheated on her and in an attempt to stay together, moved the family to an extremely haunted house in LA. While trying to nest, she comes face to face with the demons of the house, creepy neighbors, a depressed daughter, and a husband who thinks she is crazy. All of this while she is pregnant with the child of a man/ghost in a rubber suit. It sounds a little strange even if you are familiar with the series. It's hard to admire Vivien in her more emotional moments, but ultimately she makes this list because no one else on TV has had to endure the trauma she has. Oh, and did I mention, she's a ghost?

Virginia is for lovers...and grandmothers, husbands, grown kids, and grandchildren.

5. Virginia Chance-Raising Hope
Virginia was just 15 when she became a mom, and only 39 when she became a grandmother. This alone makes her awesome. Virginia embodies all of the best qualities of a lower middle class mother. She takes care of her grandmother, plays games with her fun-loving husband, Burt, houses and harasses her adult son, Jimmy, and babysits her granddaughter, Hope, all while working full time as a maid. She is not a housekeeper in her own home, but her blunt delivery of hard truths and off the wall solutions to life's everyday problems make her one of the most fun mothers on television. She never loses her patience with anyone in the house, and even though she pursues silly get rich schemes with Burt from time to time, she is the ultimate example of being content with what you have.

You think this is hard? Try being a mom!

Honorable Mention: Sue Sylvester from Glee
Sue is not a mom yet, but she is pregnant. And if there is one mother you do not want to mess with, Sue would be that mother. Of course we've seen Sue's sensitive side through past seasons as she dealt with her sister, and everyone's favorite cheerleader, Becky. But Sue is known for her hard-hitting insults and high standards. Either her kid will be a badass off the old block, or have the highest therapy bill in TV land.


Who would you add to the list and why?