60 Fun Facts About TV Dads

What is Homer Simpson's job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant?

He works in Sector 7-G. His grunt 'D'oh!' has been in the Oxford English Dictionary since 2001.

Dan Castellaneta originally voiced Homer Simpson as a loose impression of which actor?

The voice was later lowered and made more robust. In 2000 Homer and the family got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Who played Ward Cleaver, father of Wally and the Beaver?

He also directed several later episodes. The Cleavers lived in the fictional town of Mayfield.

What was Mike Brady's profession on The Brady Bunch?

A widower with three sons, he became stepfather to Carol's three daughters. Robert Reed's famous perm was an accident of his own hair-straightening chemicals.

Cliff Huxtable of The Cosby Show practised which branch of medicine?

The family lived in a Brooklyn Heights brownstone. Bill Cosby had first proposed making the couple a limo driver and an electrician.

Where does Al Bundy of Married... with Children work?

He was a star fullback at Polk High before Peggy. Ed O'Neill said he based the character on one of his uncles.

Al Bundy's son Bud is named after what?

Peggy and Al live in Chicago with Kelly and Bud; the neighborhood once sang 'Ding dong, the shoe man's dead' when they thought Al had died.

On Full House, what was widower Danny Tanner's job before he became co-host of Wake Up, San Francisco?

He recruited his brother-in-law Jesse and best friend Joey to help raise three daughters. Bob Saget was the producers' first choice for the part.

Modern Family's self-styled 'cool dad' Phil Dunphy makes his living how?

His arch-rival is fellow Realtor Gil Thorpe. Phil was a college cheerleader at Fresno State and still cannot fix that loose step.

In which wars did Red Forman of That '70s Show serve as a Navy combat veteran?

Kurtwood Smith's grouch is forever threatening to put his foot somewhere. He also served as a surrogate father to Hyde.

What was Uncle Phil's profession on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?

Philip Banks went from 1960s activist to Princeton and Harvard Law. James Avery played him from 1990 to 1996.

Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry first appeared as a character on which other sitcom?

The 1960 backdoor pilot was titled 'Danny Meets Andy Griffith'. Griffith and Ron Howard later reprised Andy and Opie in a 2008 campaign ad.

Archie Bunker of All in the Family was modeled partly on which British sitcom character?

Norman Lear also drew on his own father, Herman. Archie lived at 704 Hauser Street in Astoria, Queens.

What nickname does Archie Bunker use for his son-in-law Mike Stivic?

Rob Reiner's liberal college student disagreed with Archie on virtually everything.

Frank Costanza's holiday Festivus was inspired by a real celebration invented by whose father?

Author Daniel O'Keefe's family had celebrated it since 1966. The episode was titled 'The Strike', though the writers later wished they had called it 'The Festivus'.

On what date is Festivus celebrated, according to Seinfeld?

The rites include an unadorned aluminum pole, the Airing of Grievances and the Feats of Strength.

What does Hank Hill sell in Arlen, Texas?

He started as assistant manager at Strickland Propane and ended up its majority owner. Texas Monthly once listed him among the most influential Texans.

What age had Mike Judge given Hank Hill before Fox told him to make the character younger?

The show's creator voices Hank himself. The propane industry came to see the character as a positive image.

Peter Griffin's first job on Family Guy, before the brewery, was at which workplace?

His boss Jonathan Weed choked to death on a dinner roll, after which Peter briefly became a fisherman before joining the Pawtucket Patriot brewery.

What is Bandit Heeler's job on Bluey?

He has a doctorate and is frequently seen doing housework. Creator Joe Brumm modelled him on a Blue Heeler owned by a friend of his father.

Carl Winslow of Family Matters, a Chicago police officer, was first introduced on which other sitcom?

Harriette Winslow debuted there as an elevator operator in 1987, and Reginald VelJohnson's Carl appeared in a 1989 episode before the spin-off.

What is the name of Tim Taylor's Binford-sponsored show-within-a-show on Home Improvement?

Co-host Al Borland and a succession of 'Tool Time girls', including Pamela Anderson, opened each show by asking if everybody knew what time it was.

Ray Barone of Everybody Loves Raymond writes about sports for which real newspaper?

He and Debra have a daughter and twin sons, and his parents Marie and Frank live directly across the street.

How does Jack Pearson die on This Is Us?

His children are 17 at the time. The Pearsons adopted Randall after his birth father left him at a fire station the day the twins were born.

Frasier and Niles Crane's father Martin retired from which job after being shot in the hip?

He was 59 when he was shot in 1991. On Cheers, an estranged Frasier had once claimed his father was a dead research scientist.

What is Fred Flintstone's job at the Slate Rock and Gravel Company?

His 'yabba dabba doo!' began as his club's cheer before becoming part of the theme song from season three.

What was the profession of Adam, Ben Cartwright's eldest son on Bonanza?

Adam built the Ponderosa ranch house. Lorne Greene's thrice-widowed rancher lived on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe.

What kind of business did Howard Cunningham own on Happy Days?

Tom Bosley played him and voiced the 'filmed before a live audience' announcement. Harold Gould had played the role in the unsold 1971 pilot.

Fred Sanford of Sanford and Son runs what kind of business out of his home?

Redd Foxx modeled the character on his real older brother, Fred Glenn Sanford Jr., and Foxx's own real surname was Sanford.

George Jefferson made his fortune in what line of business?

The success let the family move from Queens to a Manhattan high-rise. Sherman Hemsley learned the show was cancelled from a newspaper.

How was James Evans Sr. written out of Good Times after John Amos left the show?

He had been setting up an auto repair business that would have moved the family out of the projects. Amos had said not renewing him was 'the same thing as being fired'.

What is the name of the Bluth family straight man's son, whose girlfriend Ann he can never remember?

Michael Bluth runs the Bluth Company while his father is in jail; his nicknames for Ann include 'Egg', 'Yam' and 'Her?'.

Which family business did Johnny and Moira lose to an embezzling manager on Schitt's Creek?

Eugene Levy created the show with his son Dan and played patriarch Johnny Rose. It swept all seven major comedy Emmys in its final season.

At which university was Herman Munster created, according to The Munsters?

Created in 1815, he married Lily in 1865 and moved to America with her and Grandpa. Fred Gwynne played him.

Charles Addams left the choice of Gomez Addams's first name to which actor?

Addams suggested either Repelli or Gomez; in the original New Yorker cartoons the patriarch had no name at all.

On Modern Family, Jay Pritchett's much younger second wife Gloria comes from which country?

Jay is grandfather to the Dunphy kids and stepfather to Manny; the family also adopts a French bulldog named Stella in season two.

Louis Huang moves his family to Orlando on Fresh Off the Boat to open what kind of restaurant?

Cattleman's Ranch is loosely based on the real Eddie Huang's father's restaurant. Randall Park played Louis.

Ned of Game of Thrones is patriarch of which noble family?

His old friend King Robert visits to make him Hand of the King. Sean Bean played him in season one only.

Kyle Chandler won an Emmy in 2011 for playing which football-coaching TV dad?

Friday Night Lights showrunner Jason Katims won the same night. Connie Britton played wife Tami.

On The O.C., what was Sandy Cohen's job when he first met troubled teen Ryan Atwood?

He took Ryan in after the boy's mother abandoned him. Peter Gallagher played the eyebrowed patriarch.

Veronica Mars's father Keith was forced into private investigation after losing which job?

He was ousted in a recall election after wrongly accusing billionaire Jake Kane and replaced by the corrupt Don Lamb.

Roseanne's ninth season revealed that Dan Conner had actually done what near the end of season eight?

The final episode explained the whole season had been Roseanne's fictional book. Dan, played by John Goodman, was a drywall contractor who fixed motorcycles.

Growing Pains father Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist, worked from home for what reason?

Alan Thicke's Jason had previously practised at Long Island General Hospital. Leonardo DiCaprio joined as adopted teen Luke in season seven.

Steven Keaton, the ex-hippie father on Family Ties, managed what kind of broadcaster?

He managed WKS in Columbus, Ohio, while son Alex embraced Reaganomics. Michael Gross played him.

Kevin Arnold's father Jack on The Wonder Years held a management job at NORCOM, which was what kind of company?

Dan Lauria played the taciturn Jack; Daniel Stern narrated as the adult Kevin.

Ross Geller of Friends has a Ph.D. in which field?

His son Ben was born to ex-wife Carol. Ross later drunkenly married Rachel in Las Vegas.

Walter White was a high-school chemistry teacher in which city when Breaking Bad began?

He was diagnosed with lung cancer the day after his 50th birthday. Vince Gilligan made him a chemistry teacher after a joke about cooking meth in an RV.

How many children does Elliot Stabler have on Law & Order: SVU?

Maureen, Kathleen, the twins Dickie and Lizzie, and Eli. Christopher Meloni later reprised the role on Organized Crime.

On Glee, what business did Kurt's father Burt Hummel run in Lima, Ohio, before entering Congress?

He married Carole Hudson, mother of Finn, in the episode 'Furt'. Mike O'Malley played him.

Rick Grimes of The Walking Dead held what job before waking from a coma into the apocalypse?

He searches for his wife Lori and son Carl and finds them in the Atlanta camp, where he becomes leader.

Tony Soprano lives with Carmela, Meadow and A.J. in which New Jersey town?

James Gandolfini got the audition after a casting director saw a clip of him in True Romance. He won three Emmys as Tony.

Mike Heck of The Middle manages what kind of workplace in Orson, Indiana?

His favourite film is Reservoir Dogs, and Frankie only got a second date by pretending she liked it too.

Randy Marsh's name and geologist job come from the father of which South Park creator?

Parker also voices Randy and calls him 'the biggest dingbat in the entire show'.

Why was Tony Micelli of Who's the Boss? forced to retire from Major League Baseball?

The widower left Brooklyn for Fairfield, Connecticut, to become live-in housekeeper to ad executive Angela Bower.

The surname of Diff'rent Strokes dad Phillip was borrowed from a fictional detective nicknamed what?

An early concept had Conrad Bain playing a gumshoe with Gary Coleman as his young informant; the format was dropped but the name stayed.

What is Dre Johnson's profession on Black-ish?

His wife Rainbow is the doctor of the family, an anaesthesiologist played by Tracee Ellis Ross.

Which sitcom dad played by Bryan Cranston came from a wealthy family that resented his marriage?

His relatives wanted him to marry Susan instead of Lois; the family's surname, famously, is never spoken on the show.

Bob Belcher of Bob's Burgers is what generation of restaurant owner?

As a boy he worked at his father's Big Bob's Diner, and feuds as an adult with Jimmy Pesto across the street.

Stan Smith of American Dad! works for which organisation?

Co-creator Seth MacFarlane voices him, and he refused to learn the results of a DNA test about daughter Hayley's paternity.

Don Draper of Mad Men was partly inspired by Draper Daniels, who worked on which famous ad campaign?

Bill Backer, who created 'I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke', was the other real-life inspiration.