The Top TV Dads, According to Roku Users

With another Father’s Day on the horizon, it’s a time to recognize dads of all stripes, including dad characters. Indeed, while we do appreciate the very real and present dads we see every day, the fictional ones hold a special place in our hearts as well.

With that in mind, the streaming video tech company Roku conducted an interesting internal survey among users on which TV dads they love most.

TV Dads Need Love Too

According to Roku, users who took part in a research panel called “Roku Radar” were asked to participate in a survey that ran in May 2025. Respondents were presented with a list of 22 TV dads and asked to rank their top three favorites.

More than 800 respondents completed the survey and results were weighted by age to match the age distribution of Roku users.

Here are the results:

Top TV dads overall, according to Roku users

1. Tim Taylor (Home Improvement) 
2. Gomez Addams (The Addams Family) 
3. Al Bundy (Married… with Children)
4. Red Forman (That ’70s Show) 
5. Phil Dunphy (Modern Family) 

Top TV dads, according to Roku users ages 18-34

1. Phil Dunphy (Modern Family) & Gomez Addams (The Addams Family) 
2. Red Forman (That ’70s Show) 
3. Homer Simpson (The Simpsons) 
4. Hank Hill (King of the Hill) 

Top TV dads, according to Roku users ages 35-54

1. Al Bundy (Married… with Children) 
2. Tim Taylor (Home Improvement) 
3. Philip Banks (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) 
4. Carl Winslow (Family Matters) 
5. Red Forman (That ’70s Show)

Top ‘vintage’ TV dads (series from pre-2000s)

1. Tim Taylor (Home Improvement) 
2. Gomez Addams (The Addams Family)
3. Al Bundy (Married… with Children) 
4. Mike Brady (The Brady Bunch) 
5. Homer Simpson (The Simpsons) 

Top ‘modern’ TV dads (series from 2000s+)

1. Red Forman (That 70s Show) 
2. Phil Dunphy (Modern Family) 
3. Hank Hill (King of the Hill) 
4. Jack Pearson (This Is Us) 
5. George Lopez (George Lopez) 

Here are some other key findings from the Roku survey:

• Gomez Addams has the most consistent appeal across generation and gender.
• Archie Bunker from All in the Family is most divisive dad character across generations (3% of 18-34 ranked vs. 37% of 65+).
• Al Bundy has the biggest affinity split according to gender (11% of women ranked vs. 34% of men).

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

One thing a fun survey like this often reveals is how consistently people connect with certain themes and characteristics over time. No matter what’s at the forefront of popular culture on social media or on TV, the nostalgic does tend to make it’s way back around eventually. Even if it is on a subconscious level.

Jon Merkin, Director of Analytics, Roku, says of the survey results, “We’re constantly thinking about how TV connects to cultural moments and holidays. As a ’90s kid, seeing Tim Taylor top the list really resonated with me—he was a loving, lesson-teaching dad, and clearly, that still strikes a chord today.”

That’s not to say that dads, even fictional ones, can’t be divisive. Evidenced by the responses, age ranges can have a big impact on how we engage with entertainment, ideas, and parenting. The key is to enjoy some of these dads’ quirks while keeping some of the not-so-useful aspects on the screen.

As Merkin adds, “Our survey also shows how preferences vary quite a bit across generation and other demographic traits. The beauty of streaming is that all these iconic dads are just a click away.”