Mothers – where on earth would we be without mothers?
Providing an unconditional supply of support and admiration in our daily lives, it’s impossible to overestimate the joys that can come from a mother’s love. As a direct extension of this, numerous TV shows over the years have included similarly maternal figures in their lead cast, from the revolutionary Lucy Ricardo of I Love Lucy to the flamboyant Moira Rose of Schitt’s Creek.
There are bad moms out there – and then there’s Arrested Development’s Lucille Bluth. The alcohol-soaked leader of the dysfunctional Bluth clan, Lucille’s self-obsessed ability to prioritize her own needs over her family members’ never failed to garner a laugh. Whether emotionally manipulating her family or belittling those she deems social inferiors, with a mother this bad, it’s no wonder the adult Bluth children turned out the way that they did.
Lois may not have always been the mother Malcolm and his brothers wanted, but she was almost definitely the mother they needed. The strict, overbearing matriarch of the Wilkerson household, Lois was never afraid to assert a distinctly authoritative rule over her unruly children, routinely putting them in their place whenever they stepped out of line (I.E., all the time). For all her screaming and shouting and harsh punishments, however, audiences knew that Lois’s relentless parental style came as a direct result of her love and devotion.
Next to her daughter Lisa, Marge was the closest thing the Simpsons had to a sobering voice of reason. A stay-at-home mother completely dedicated to her husband and three kids, Marge’s cool-headed demeanor always managed to prevail, inserting a degree of order and predictability in the notoriously chaotic Simpson residence.
The 2010s equivalent to Arrested Development’s Lucille Bluth, Moira Rose’s transformation from an over-the-top soap opera star into a community-driven homeowner forms the backbone of Schitt’s Creek. Unlike most sitcom moms out there, Moira undergoes a wondrous metamorphosis as Schitt’s Creek rolls on, allowing viewers to form shifting opinions of her character as they watch her grow and change throughout. Hilariously vapid and image-obsessed at the start of the show, Moira eventually becomes the model resident of Schitt’s Creek, forming a deeper, more lasting connection to her estranged family members in the process.
In contrast to most TV mothers, Lorelai Gilmore appeared as a genuine person with her own distinct struggles and endearing characteristics (both positive and negative). A dependable supporter of her daughter Rorie, Lorelai never fell into the clear-cut category of a stereotypical TV mom. Venturing out of the house in pursuit of her own hobbies, relationships, and individual career decisions, Lorelai’s grounded portrayal provided Gilmore Girls with one of its most enjoyably realistic elements.
Counterbalancing her husband Red’s infamously hard-edged cynicism, That ‘70s Show’s Kitty was never anything less than a beacon of light in the Formans’ suburban household. Showering Eric and his friends in maternal warmth throughout the series, Kitty’s affable attitude was on display time and time again in That ‘70s Show. Announcing herself with a hilariously shrill crackle and bending over backwards to dote on Eric and his closest acquaintances, it’s safe to say that everyone wanted a mom like Kitty back in the 2000s.
Over six decades later and we’ve still never seen a maternal figure quite like The Addams Family’s Morticia. The ghoulish head of the Addams brood alongside her husband Gomez, Morticia’s mysterious aura went hand in hand with her deliciously coy personality. Maintaining a wonderfully macabre rapport with each and every one of her family members, Morticia’s grim demeanor made her the ideal parent for Wednesday and Pugsley, with each of her children obviously modeling themselves on their vampiric mother.
