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Best TV Grandfathers

News
26 May 2016
We look at grandfathers from some of our favourite shows over the years.
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Movies and television have given us great fathers and mothers, but what about their paternal units, otherwise known as our grandparents? A quick jog down memory lane will bring many examples to mind. From Sophia in The Golden Girls to the dowager countess in Downton Abbey there are plenty of old folk ready to spoil, berate and be wise. With Grandfathered debuting on M-Net, we though it was the perfect opportunity to look at grandfathers from TV.

Russell Huxtable, The Cosby Show

The five Huxtable children not only had model parents, but model grandparents too. Russell, and his wife Anna, doted on Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa, and Rudy. Along with a healthy love of jazz, their grandparents instilled pride, joy, and morals in their grandchildren.

Frank Barone, Everybody Loves Raymond

Sometimes they’re warm and affable, sometimes they’re just grumpy old men. The latter personifies Frank Barone to a T, who is always either bickering with his wife or giving his children a hard time – which is very easy to do when you live across the road from them (or with them, in Robert’s case). But as crotchety as Frank may sound, he loves his grandchildren to bits.

Abraham Simpson, The Simpsons

If we’re addressing stereotypes, we can’t leave out the fact that some grandparents can be a little forgetful. Bart, Lisa and Maggie’s grandfather, Abraham, would wholeheartedly agree…if he could just remember what it was you asked.

Jay Pritchett, Modern Family

He’s a tough guy who loves to tease, but there’s actually a big teddy bear inside patriarchal Jay. As the show progresses, he gets in touch with his inner teddy bear, embracing every aspect of his modern family, and even learning to tolerate Phil.

Watch Modern Family Season 6 every Tuesday at 18:00 on M-Net City.

George Bluth Sr, Arrested Development

The title may be grandfather, but many of us have affectionate nicknames for the old man. Like Pop-Pop in Arrested Development, who could get into more awkward situations than his awkward offspring.

Tywin Lannister, Game of Thrones

Not all grandpas are good – you just have to look at Tywin Lannister for proof. He rules over everyone, particularly his family, with an iron first (even though he’d rather it was an iron throne). But for all his calculating coldness, he’s one of the few people able to keep Joffrey Baratheon in line. On the other hand, the fact that Tywin is aware of his grandson’s abject cruelty should have made him yank the crown right off that cheeky boy’s head – it could have saved both their lives!

Watch Game of Thrones Season 6 Express from the U.S. on M-Net Edge.

Mike Ehrmantraut, Breaking Bad

He might be working for the biggest, baddest drug empire in Albuquerque, but you can’t help having a soft spot for Mike when you see how much he cares for his granddaughter. The old guy even does his best to look out for lost soul Jesse Pinkman.

Watch the second season of the Breaking Bad prequel series, Better Call Saul, every Wednesday at 20:00 on M-Net Edge.

Jimmy Martino , Grandfathered

What all these characters have in common is that they care about their grandchildren; but Jimmy doesn’t even know he’s a father, let alone a grandfather. When he finds out, it turns his life around as he adjusts to his newfound roles.

Watch Grandfathered Season 1 every Wednesday at 19:30 from 1 June on M-Net.