Mothers on television usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to compelling storylines and anything that doesn't include running after the kids, giving birth, or being the major antagonist to their child.
However, sometimes a TV mom is given the chance to shine, showing off her personality and how much she provides and holds the family unit together. A lot of times the TV family wouldn't be the same without the supportive words of the mother figure in the house leading them in the right direction by the end of every episode.
Rebecca Pearson (This is Us)
Much of the first three seasons of This is Us revolved around the life and legacy of the late Jack Pearson, Rebecca's husband and father to Kevin, Kate, and Randall.
As the series has progressed, it has become abundantly clear that Rebecca was the one that held the family together, protecting her children at every turn and doing everything in her power to give them the happiest lives, even after the tragic passing of her husband and their father. Rebecca wasn't sure she wanted to be a mom and turned into a phenomenal one.
Donna Stone (The Donna Reed Show)
Donna Stone, played by Donna Reed herself, was the perfect All-American housewife. She was involved in the community, was always dressed to impress, and was almost always seen with a smile on her face.
Unlike other TV moms of the time, Donna had a part-time job as a nurse she sometimes attended to. Despite having the typical overly charming lifestyle lots of television shows in the 60s depicted, Donna was about as close as TV could get to the ideal mother archetype. She gave her children advice, volunteered at their events, and maintained a healthy, loving relationship with their father.
Reba (Reba)
Reba began the TV series as a single mother to three children; Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake, and sometimes Cheyenne's husband, Van, and their daughter, Elizabeth.
Despite being left by her husband and initially struggling to support her family on her own, Reba ends up being the glue that holds them all together. She often mediates her ex-husband's new marriage, supports her teenage daughter when she becomes pregnant, and is by her daughter's side as she struggles with alcoholism. Reba was the mom that put everybody else first and was everyone's go-to shoulder to lean on.
Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show)
Clair Huxtable was a lot of things: a lawyer, a wife, and a mother to five children. Clair was always in charge and in control, keeping the house afloat and steering her family members down the right path.
Clair's assertive nature from being a lawyer made her great at making decisions and parenting her kids. She was one of the first moms on TV to be something other than a housewife, as she was both a career woman and a dedicated mother. Clair paved the way for working mothers on TV to come and provided the show with unconditional motherly love.
Angie Lopez (The George Lopez Show)
Though George was the star of The George Lopez Show, much of the series was about his relationship with his children and his wife, Angie.
Despite Angie's daughter, Carmen, being nothing but a troublemaker, Angie was a supportive and attentive mother. She and George worked hard to get through to their two children, even if they weren't always successful. Angie's selflessness and enthusiasm when it came to being a mother and understanding her children was admirable, and she was hilarious to boot.
Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
After giving birth to her daughter at only 16 years old, Lorelai Gilmore made a life for herself away from her parents back in Hartford, Connecticut.
Lorelai and Rory's relationship was unique when compared to most mother-daughter pairs. They were truly best friends, with Lorelai wanting her daughter to know that she was behind her in everything she did, and supported her dreams no matter how big or small. She wanted to connect with Rory in a way she never could with her own mother, and she was successful.
Laura Petrie (The Dick Van Dyke Show)
Mary Tyler Moore's Laura Petrie was the coolest housewife and stay-at-home mom on the block. Laura was quite the feminist of her time, speaking her mind and wearing capri pants around the house at a time when those things were far from acceptable. Laura's fun, happy-go-lucky personality made her an unusual mom for the era, but one that can be looked upon as a great role model years later.
Kristina Braverman (Parenthood)
Kristina Braverman didn't exactly have it easy on Parenthood. She was married into a family that was too close for comfort at times, had three children all with different wants and needs, and battled breast cancer.
Everything Kristina did, she did it to better her family. Even when she was at her sickest, she made sure her family had all that they needed in case she was taken from them too soon. In her mayoral campaign, she advocated for better education for children with special needs like her son, Max.
Sophia Petrillo (The Golden Girls)
Sophia was the mother of three, though she lived with her daughter Dorothy in her later years following the demise of the retirement home she resided in.
Not only was Sophia a mother to her own children, but she also looked after Blanche and Rose, her roommates, and Dorothy's friends, as if they were her own daughters. Often hiding her true affection with the deflection of humor and teasing, Sophia still had a huge heart and plenty of years of wisdom to share with the three ladies.
Kitty Forman (That 70s Show)
Kitty Forman was massively unappreciated by her own children, Laurie and Eric, but worshipped by her husband Red. He knew that she was the best mom around, and time and time again she was there for her children, even when they didn't deserve her.
In addition to being a hardworking nurse and mother of two, Kitty had a soft spot in her heart for her son's friend, Hyde, who she looked after as if he were her own. She wanted everyone around her to feel the love she had to give, and her home was the prime hang-out spot for the neighborhood kids.