In Honor of Homer: 6 Best TV Dads

1. Homer Simpsons, The Simpsons. He loves TV, donuts, beer, and his family. He can be mindless but that only makes for mindless fun. He gets in a lot of trouble, which are then saved by his honest-to-goodness intentions and earnestness. He's a tad embarrassing but Homer loves his kids so much (remember when he bought Lisa her first saxophone) and is hopelessly devoted to his family it's hard not to remember your own dad.

2. Kevin Cosme, Home Along Da Riles. For those who may have forgotten, Kevin Cosme (Dolphy) was a widower with four children to feed, living beside the railroad, just off Azon’s palace. Azon (played brilliantly by Nova Villa) is his sister-in-law, still in love with him. There’s history there, yes, but one we’re reserving for another story altogether.  Fact of the matter is, Kevin Cosme is here because he was doing the impossible: Worked honorably as a janitor, took care of his kids, set a fine example—to his neighbors, as well—and managed to have fun and make it fun for everyone involved.

3. Red Forman, That 70s Show. Red was the archetype of the Patriarchy of the 70s: He liked his tools, found solace in the garage, enjoyed fishing, managed to tune out his wife’s naggery, and save for his daughter who is his princess, can’t and won’t show his soft side. He was grumpy and mean, even when he's at the losing end of life—remember the time he got fired that he immersed himself in carpentry? He was doing such a shitty job at it, and everybody thought so, but—and here is the genius part—nobody could say anything because he was dad and he was having a shitty spell and he was extra mean. It's all so real, no?

4. Enteng Kabisote, Okey Ka, Fairy Ko. He was almost a hero, for the sole reason that he was enjoying the life he chose, which really wasn’t the easiest life to choose. Witness: Enteng married a fairy, whose mother, Ina Magenta, the Grand Dame of fairies, hated him. But, he manages to get by, with a little help from his friends: Bale, who made Yaya Ruby’s fairy-infested life easier and more interesting, and Pipoy his trusty side kick. And then there was Prinsipe K, with whom he was always dancing. And of course the reason behind this party, his beloved wife Faye and daughter Aiza.

5. Phil Dunphy, Modern Family. Phil Dunphy is something of a Homer. He is loveably stupid. Unlike Homer, he ain't lazy and he knows his place; he is constantly working to get the approval of his mother-in-law. In one episode, he jumps on the hood of a car his daughters were in just to scare them away. He didn’t allow them to leave the house, he reasons!

6. Ned Starck, Game of Thrones. Okay, we realize Ned might be out of this comedy line-up, but truth of the matter is, he is a pretty cool father. Right at the start of GOT, he shows guts, courage, and integrity by performing a beheading himself, right in front of his sons. Now that’s leading by example! He is reasonable (his sons convinced him the wolves were worth keeping), and firm (on the condition they do all the work), human (he has a bastard son), tenderly supportive (who can forget the heartwarming scene with his daughter Arya), and always striving to do the right thing (he took the Hand of the King position).