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By Patrick Hurley Oct. 23, 2006 Jane Wyatt died on Sunday. She was my second favorite television mom right after Donna Reed who passed away in 1986. Growing up in the 50's and 60's was innocent compared to today. So, our "moms" and "dads" on the tube were more than just characters on celluloid. They were role models. "Father Knows Best," starred Robert Young and Jane Wyatt. We all remember their three children known affectionately as, "Princess," "Bud" and, "Kitten." Their visions began coming into our homes in 1954 after a successful radio show of the same name. When you think of great television moms it would not be difficult to put together a Top Ten List of them. They would vary in style and personality as much as real moms do. Here are my ten favorites in reverse order: 10. Roseanne. She was not nurturing in the traditional sense but she got her love across in her own unique way. She was undoubtedly the most REAL of the television characters. In other words, we all KNEW someone like her among our friends. She was the one we could sit down and have a beer with in the eighth grade. 9. Clair Huxtable. One of the SEXIEST moms who ever graced the screen! She had a way of putting her husband Cliff, (Bill Cosby) in his place, too. She didn't take any guff from anyone. But, she was very feminine about getting her point across. Um hmm! 8. Jill Taylor. As the woman behind Tim the Tool Man, Jill raised her four sons (you don't really think Tim Allen was an adult do you?) with a sassy iron fist. I loved her spunkiness. She would have been really fun as a mom because she was down to earth and pretty...in a mom sort of way. 7. Olivia Walton. If I grew up in a rural area and needed a mom to tuck me in at night, this would be the one. She had a way of making a child feel loved and cared for. Those tender, warm eyes communicated safety and security. I watched, "The Waltons" just to feel close to her. I never had a mom like that. I wish I did. 6. Peggy Bundy. Take her down one notch and you have the mom I grew up with as a child. My mom loved to party and was great at making outrageous comments a la Peggy on, "Married with Children." She wasn't quite as quirky as Peggy but she was NEVER boring. It was great to have a mom who was your number one fan and made you laugh at the same time! 5. Laura Petrie. Forgive me if I lust for a few moments here. I was in LOVE with Rob Petrie's wife on, "The Dick Van Dyke Show." It was beyond my comprehension why they slept in separate beds. I thought to myself, "He's an idiot." I would be with her day and night if I could except to eat. There is a phrase that originated on, "American Pie." Let's just say she would be the ORIGINAL one... 4. Carol Brady and Shirley Renfrew Partridge. Carbon copy moms of the 70's so I lumped them together. They were both good-looking in a wholesome kind of way. (although I favored Shirley Jones over Florence Henderson in WOWZA!) This was television's attempt to bring back family warmth. (see "Happy Days!") and, it begat a huge cult following for several generations to come. Nice children, sexy characters (Laurie Partridge, David Cassidy and Marcia Brady) and loads of vapid plot lines. But, we still remember every character from those shows and who can forget their theme songs, right? 3. June Cleaver. "How was your day, dear?" will live FOREVER! Ward Cleaver was one of the few television dads who actually went off to work and June was always there to greet him with good news or bad...."I think you need to talk to Beaver." She had that distinct voice, remember? One of the most memorable moms ever in television history. 2. Margaret Anderson. As I mentioned earlier, she is my second favorite television mom. She also had a tinge of a British accent which brought class to the town of Springfield. Do you remember who Jim Anderson worked for? The General Insurance Company. Pretty racy name, huh? Well, NONE of us were real racy back then... 1. Donna Stone. I looked and acted a lot like Jeff Stone, her son on the sitcom. Naturally, I pretended she was my mom. Plus, she had that corn fed look about her. (She was born in Iowa) Wishing I had a sister that looked like Shelley Fabares didn't hurt my loyalty to the show, either. The only character I didn't care for was the dad played by Carl Betz. He recited every line like he was an opera singer and it drove me crazy. But, I somehow overcame it once Jeff did something stupidly cool or his sister walked into the room! There were several shows that lacked a mom. Notably, "My Three Sons," "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Courtship of Eddie's Father," "The Rifleman," and, "The Beverly Hillbillies." Why don't you drop me a line and tell me who your favorite television mom was growing up. If I get enough responses, I may just write a second Top Ten List of YOUR heroines! Good night Jane Wyatt we will surely miss you mom... ------------ About the author:   Pat Hurley has won three Emmy awards for writing, hosting and producing television shows. He resides in Southern California. Email: coolhumor@sbcglobal.net Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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