Crazy in-law: The most memorable TV parents and in-laws

Good ol’ Grampa Simpson is a delightful secondary character from the vast world of “The Simpsons.” He may be a grumpy old coot, but he’s got stories for days. That is to say, he takes forever to tell his stories, which isn’t always worth it. Even when he’s talking about when he wore an onion on his belt. It was the style at the time, of course.

Darren Stephens never expected to marry a witch, but it happened to him on the sitcom “Bewitched.” Things could be rough enough as is for Darren with Samantha, who would occasionally use her powers to try and help him in his life. Endora, on the other hand, would never deign to help a man whose name she couldn’t bother to remember. Samantha’s mother is also a witch, but one who is angry with her daughter for marrying a mortal.

Tony Soprano is a terrible person, and that can’t be defended, but you can kind of see where it came from. His mother Livia is no better, and a source of stress and anxiety for a guy who has handled being a mob boss. Nancy Marchand was excellent as Livia, but she, unfortunately, died during the run of “The Sopranos.” This changed the plans for the show because Livia had to pass away as well, but her impact on Tony never goes away.

Hank Hill is quite laconic, but the same can’t be said for his father Cotton. Voiced by Toby Huss, Cotton is brash, crass, and also missing his shins due to the war. He’s a source of consternation for his son, but also for his daughter-in-law Peggy. Cotton is a tornado in a family that usually keeps things pretty chill.

Even in prehistoric times, there were issues with in-laws, apparently. Fred Flintstone and his wife Wilma had plenty of disagreements over the course of the show, but things were definitely testy whenever Wilma’s mother Pearl Slaghoople showed up. Yes, Wilma’s maiden name is Slaghoople. She’s got to be glad she married a man named Flintstone, right?

“The Flintstones” is a not-so-veiled riff on “The Honeymooners,” so why not follow Pearl Slaghoople with her predecessor? In many ways, “The Honeymooners” helped set the template for the “nagging mother-in-law” trope. Mrs. Gibson, Alice’s mother, would show up and cause aggravation for Ralph Kramden, who was never exactly chill to begin with.

Hey, it was the ‘50s, so mothers-in-law of the era apparently didn’t get first names. Mrs. McGillicuddy is the mother of Lucy on “I Love Lucy,” and wouldn’t you know it she doesn’t like her son-in-law? He’s a Cuban bandleader, after all, and is that any life for her daughter to be associated with? Of course, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were married (for a time) in real life, so that might have hit home for Ball.

Grandmama Addams lived with the Addams Family, but she was probably the least-seen member of the family. Unlike Uncle Fester, she never put a light bulb in her mouth. While Gomez’s mother was around quite a bit, Granny Frump’s appearances were less common. Still, on occasion, Morticia’s mom would show up to join the morbid festivities.

Rhoda’s mom Ida showed up on occasion on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” often causing hassle for everybody. Nancy Walker nailed the performance as a passive-aggressive woman who is always driving her daughter up the wall. This dynamic was so popular that they replicated it in “Rhoda,” the spinoff series. Of course, Rhoda was married for part of that show, which removed one of the primary sticking points for the two.

“Gilmore Girls” was all about a mother-and-daughter relationship, but the one between Lorelei and her daughter Rory. However, Lorelei’s relationship with her own parents was also vital to the show. After all, the Gilmore’s were rich, and Lorelei left the family behind when she got pregnant as a teenager. Lorelei’s parents showed up during the run of the show, but the dynamic between Lorelei and her mom Emily is definitely a fraught and interesting one.

Sandy Cohen is one of the main characters of “The O.C.” but we are still counting him because this was a teen soap. The people watching the show were mostly teens interested in what Marisa, Seth, and the rest of the gang were up to. Sandy, though, was around, and often a good father both to his own kids and other children. Many consider Peter Gallagher’s character one of the TV parents they’d most want to have.

Daria is quiet, sarcastic, and usually has a good head on her shoulders. Her parents, though, are quite different. Helen is a workaholic, and a good character, but Jake may be our favorite character on the show. He’s everything Daria isn’t. Jake is high-strung and intense, seemingly yelling and freaking out half the time. Old Jake-y could really use some meditation.

Jim Rockford of “The Rockford Files” has some colorful characters around him. Some help, but others exasperate him. His dad Rocky is definitely of the latter variety. Rocky is never shy with his opinions and is always trying to give his son life advice. He’s also a little out of touch, though, and too protective of his grown man of a son who works as a private investigator. As such, Rocky can get on the nerves of the viewer as well.

Who killed Laura Palmer? That’s the central question of “Twin Peaks,” at least during its original run. Ray Wise plays Laura’s father Leland, who has quite the tumultuous run on the show. All the damn fine coffee and cherry pie can’t fix things when your daughter is dead.

Sometimes you see a person’s parents and can’t see the connection. That’s definitely not the case with the Costanza family. George is definitely his parents’ child. They all love to yell and argue. Frank is always on the verge of a freakout, and “Serenity now” can’t help him either. Hey, at least his anger helped him create Festivus, which is more than George has ever done.

That’s right, we’re doubling down on “Seinfeld” parents. How could we not? The Costanzas and the Seinfelds are among the most-iconic TV parents. Morty and Helen aren’t as out there and intense as Frank and Estelle, but they are distinct in their own right. They also don’t approve of their son necking during “Schindler’s List.” Naturally, the Costanzas and the Seinfelds also have a rivalry.

Martin Crane is too central to “Frasier” to be included on this list. Daphne’s dad, though, is a different story. The Moon family is discussed many times over the course of the show, and some of her brothers, as well as her mom, show up as well. However, Harry, the patriarch of the family, makes the biggest impact. Maybe that’s because he’s played by Brian Cox.

Parents on “Friends” showed up frequently, though on the Chandler front things have maybe not aged super well. There’s less concern there with the Gellers. Plus, Jack and Judy have two kids in the main cast. Also, Elliott Gould plays Jack! The Gellers definitely made an impact on the “Friends” landscape, though they may have been overshadowed by a small monkey.

Much like Martin Crane, Red and Kitty Foreman are too central to “That ‘70s Show” to be included. Fortunately, we just have to head next door to the Pinciottis, and Donna’s parents. Specifically, we want to focus on Bob, who has quite the ‘70s look. That afro will stay with us forever.

Jack Donaghy is a super-successful businessman who can be ruthless and cunning. And yet, even he has trouble keeping up with his mother. Colleen is Jack’s one true match, a viciously-cutting woman played perfectly by Elaine Stritch. She can take anybody down with a pointed comment, but fortunately “30 Rock” gives her plenty of jokes as well. Not a mom we’d want to have, but one that is a ton of fun to watch.

“Dallas” is all about family intrigue, mostly the Ewing family. However, the intrigue starts right at the beginning of the show when Bobby Ewing marries Pam Barnes, the daughter of the Ewings’ rival family. The patriarch and matriarch of the Ewing family are regulars, but the Barnes show up less often. That made appearances by Rebecca Barnes Wentworth, mother of Pam, notable.

“Riverdale” is an insane show. So many ridiculous things happen. It’s mostly about Archie and the teens of Riverdale, but the parents are involved as well. Things don’t go great for the Lodges, but we have to focus on Archie’s dad Fred. Sadly, Fred had to be written off the show, as he was played by Luke Perry, who sadly passed away.