The Dad Awards

In a world where TV dads are often dead (6 Feet Under, Dexter, Brothers and Sisters, Game of Thrones) or portrayed as out of touch for comedic relief (almost every other show), it's important to take some time to recognize the good ones. In honor of Father's Day, here are the First Annual Weekend Fat Dad Awards!

I would follow that hair down the highway to heaven.

Beauty King: Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls in The Little House on the Prairie
Sure, it's an older show, but seriously...what other dad in history has possessed this kind of rugged handsome goodness while still looking like a father? I dare you to find one. As a hard worker on the prairie, Charles always has the perfect tan, and he might be the only dad in TV history to have better hair than his wife. Seriously, he is a good looking man.

If you crack a Brokeback Mountain joke Phil, I'll bury you over there.

Most Improved: Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett on Modern Family
Ed O'Neill is most famous for his character Al Bundy on Married With Children, maybe one of the worst dads of all time. But in Modern Family, he's been given a second chance as the patriarch of this wacky pack. He's gruff at times, and we have enough context to know that maybe he wasn't the greatest dad when Mitchell and Claire were growing up. But throughout the seasons we have seen him learn to go with the flow, becoming a source of stability and tough love. Plus, he's kind of the normal one in the family, except when it comes to his French Bulldog, Stella...then all bets are off.

Laugh Out Loud: Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family
Is there anything that comes out of Phil's mouth that doesn't make you laugh out loud? His complete adoration for his wife along with the energy he puts into trying to relate and appear cool to his kids make us love him in spite of his moments of cluelessness. He serves up suburban slapstick at its finest.

Plaid makes you smarter.

TIE for Wisest Words: Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show 
                                                                             AND 
                                      Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey on Gossip Girl
Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and without the words of wisdom bestowed on us by our fathers, how would we make it through adolescence at all! Ok, let's get real, kids don't listen to their parents. But if they did, it would look like it does in these two shows. It's no wonder Opie grew up to be the successful Ron Howard with a dad like Andy around. His patience to let Opie learn hard lessons and face consequences never tire. His guidance is perfectly timed and always welcomed. And former rock star Rufus is practically a modern day sage from Brooklyn gone UES, offering up the best advice to his own kids and pretty much every other character on Gossip Girl. When he's around, confessions just tumble from the lips of otherwise reckless troublemakers. Rufus and Andy know that a little sadness in the eyes and the words, "I'm disappointed in you" go farther than any over the top lecture ever could.

This. Man.

Grand Supreme (That's a thing, right?): Sam Jaeger as Joel Graham on Parenthood
There are a lot of things we could say about the dads on Parenthood. But in the midst of Zeke's extreme behavior, Adam's borderline judgment, and Crosby's attempt at growing up, Joel emerges as the hero. He is supportive of his working wife, stays at home with their daughter, and he works with his hands. That entire sentence is almost too good to be true. He knows when to stay silent, but is no pushover, and can stand up to Zeke or Julia in their moments of irrationality. He pays attention to his daughter enough to know when she's in need of a hug or a spanking. He doesn't get a lot of screen time, but when he does we always remember that he's maybe one of the greatest characters on the show. And aside from being a great dad, he's the kind of man every girl wants to marry!

What Dads Do You Want To Add To The List? 

What Awards Do They Deserve?