The 7 Best TV Grandparents Of All Time
Grandparents can almost be described as our unofficial second parents, supporting us through some of the most difficult and uncertain times in our lives.
Providing a helpful shoulder to cry on when things get tough, grandparents are also the first person to congratulate you on any major accomplishments in your personal life, be it a new job, a major award, an upcoming wedding ceremony, or the imminent birth of a great grandchild.
As an extension of this, most TV shows have incorporated similarly memorable grandparents within their series’ larger canonical universes. While they might not always be as unwaveringly affectionate as their real-world counterparts, these fictional grandparents still hold a special place in our hearts (even if they fail to hold a similar place in their own family members’ good graces).
Ida Kenzel-Welker (Malcolm in the Middle)
Within the larger pop culture landscape, most TV shows tend to offer two wholly different types of archetypal grandmother figures. There’s the doting, loving, rosy-cheeked grandmother, and then there’s the shallow, judgmental, smugly passive aggressive grandma more likely to torment her family than she is to bake them cookies and give them spontaneous presents. With that in mind, we’ll go ahead and let you guess which category Malcolm in the Middle’s Ida Kenzel-Welker falls into. Brilliantly played by the late great Cloris Leachman, Ida hilariously serves as the complete opposite of the wizened family matriarch. Belittling her daughter Lois and regularly terrorizing her grandchildren every chance she gets, we can’t help but agree with Lois’s description of Ida as “my twisted, horrible monster of a mother.”
Marie Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)
Deep down, everyone fears the idea of marrying into a family with a judgmental mother-in-law like Marie Barone. The dry-witted wife of her equally sarcastic husband Frank, Marie is the quintessential helicopter grandmother, forever meddling in affairs that don’t even remotely concern her. Barging into Raymond and Debra’s household with little to any provocation, Marie may occasionally pass on some meaningful wisdom to her family, but more often than not, she’s content to sift through her son and daughter-in-law’s mail, critique their cooking, and disparage the state of their suburban household. And my goodness, do we love her for it.
Jay Pritchett (Modern Family)
Oh, what we wouldn’t give to have a grandfather like Jay Pritchett in our lives. The outwardly masculine closet connoisseur behind the Pritchetts’ extended family, Jay is also that rare TV grandparent able to relate to each one of his various family members. Though set in his ways when it comes to sipping Scotch, watching TV, and relaxing by his lavish pool, Jay always goes the extra mile when reaching out to his grandkids, in-laws, and adult children. Admittedly, the effort Jay puts into maintaining these relationships can come across as awkward and even a little problematic, but it always comes from a genuine place, as well as a constant desire to support his family in any capacity he can.
Abe Simpson (The Simpsons)
The addled patriarch of the Simpsons brood, Abe Simpson may have quite a few screws loose, but in the end, it’s impossible not to appreciate this geriatric retired farmer. Like his son and grandchildren, what makes Abe so endearing to watch is his vast array of eccentricities, from the rambling, borderline incoherent stories he tells his grandkids to his constant confusion about his immediate surroundings. From espousing about his days in World War II as a member of the Flying Hellfish to shrewdly delivering advice about time travel to Homer on his wedding day, every random line out of Grampa Simpson’s mouth is guaranteed to leave viewers chuckling for days to come.
Lucille Bluth (Arrested Development)
Michael Bluth may have been the heart and soul of Arrested Development’s Bluth clan, but everyone knows that Lucille was the highly toxic glue that held the family together (even if for her own selfish purposes). The sneering mother of Michael, Gob, Lindsay, and Buster, Lucille routinely proves herself every bit as petty, self-serving, and vindictive as her children and husband – if not more so. Routinely playing favorites with her kids and sabotaging their lives for her own twisted amusement, Lucille completely defies any expectations when it comes to a traditional TV grandmother, sinking to increasingly lower moral standards over the course of Arrested Development’s run.
Sophia Petrillo (The Golden Girls)
On the surface, Sophia Petrillo might look like an ordinary retiree – but rest assured, behind her Coke bottle-glasses lies a sharp mind and even sharper wit. Possessing an acidic tongue capable of tearing down most of the other judgmental matriarchs on this list, Sophia’s blunt demeanor and unending string of insults establish her as the sassy voice of reason in The Golden Girl’s Miami household. Yet even when she’s hurling the most stinging insults about her daughter Dorothy, viewers never doubt the clear affinity Sophia holds for her family, friends, and fellow housemates.
Emily Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
The fact that audiences continue to debate whether Emily Gilmore is an altogether likable person or not is just further proof of her character’s inherent complexity within Gilmore Girls’ larger narrative. Like her estranged daughter Lorelai, Emily possesses a far more realistic personality than most other grandparents on television, as seen through her icy relationship to her family that gradually thaws throughout the show. Though initially portrayed as a smug, elitist socialite always looking down her nose at those she deems her inferiors, Emily slowly grows to become one of the loving and supportive grandmothers ever featured on television, bar none.
