The 5 TV Grandparents We Absolutely Adore

5 TV Grandparents We Absolutely Adore
In this image released by PBS, Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Grantham, is shown in a scene from the second season on "Downton Abbey." The 78-year-old actress, who portrays Lady Grantham in the popular PBS series, told ?60 Minutes? that she hasn't watched the drama because doing so would only make her agonize over her performance. She said she may watch it someday. (AP Photo/PBS, Carnival Film & Television Limited 2011 for MASTERPIECE, Nick Briggs)
In this image released by PBS, Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Grantham, is shown in a scene from the second season on "Downton Abbey." The 78-year-old actress, who portrays Lady Grantham in the popular PBS series, told ?60 Minutes? that she hasn't watched the drama because doing so would only make her agonize over her performance. She said she may watch it someday. (AP Photo/PBS, Carnival Film & Television Limited 2011 for MASTERPIECE, Nick Briggs)

Being a grandparent isn't just about showering your grandkids with love and being the "good guy" while leaving the disciplining to the parents. With age comes wisdom, and so it's up to grandparents to pass along their lessons learned and any words of wisdom to the younger generations.

We love it when older folks tell it like it is, and when it comes to grandparents, we wouldn't have it any other way. Other than our own, some of our favorite grandparents appear on the small screen. We asked our Facebook fans which TV grandparents they absolutely adore and added a few of our own. Let us know in comments who we missed!

1. Jay Pritchett
jay pritchett

We love watching the amusingly dysfunctional Pritchett-Dunphy family on "Modern Family" and patriarch Jay is by far our favorite part of the show. Jay, played by Ed O'Neill, delivers the best one-liners, poking fun at everything and everyone. Though he's all about the tough-love, no-nonsense approach, we take comfort is knowing deep down he's a big softy.

2. Frank and Marie Barone, said Kelli Taylor Paris. "The Barones are hilarious," Paris said.
frank marie barone

The feisty Italian couple is known more for their mutual bickering and questionable parenting than anything. Marie is the meddling mother-in-law from hell, and Frank, the penultimate crotchety old man. They may throw some zingers in the way of Robert, Ray, and Debra, but there's no doubt they adore their grandkids. Maybe that's why they're over all the time.

3. Zebulon and Esther Walton were the overwhelming favorites among our Facebook fans
the waltons family

The wholesome Walton family relied on the sound advice of the the elders. Zebulon and Esther had very individual personalities, but clearly were perfect for one another. We wouldn't mind grandma and grandpa Walton living with us either.

4. The Dowager Countess Violet Crawley and Isobel Crawley
dowager countess downton

It's clear where Lady Mary got her sharp wit and even sharper tongue when you look at her grandmother. Played perfectly by Dame Maggie Smith, the Dowager Countess delivers acerbic one-liners so comical, they've spurred their own mock Twitter account. What's even better is her initially chilly relationship with newcomer Isobel Crawley, who holds her own with sharp retorts.

5. Russell and Anna Huxtable, said Kelli Taylor Paris

russell anna huxtable

The Huxtable kids were probably the envy of children everywhere, not only having the coolest parents to boot but also the dream grandparents. Anna and Russell, named after Bill Cosby's mother and brother, were respected even by their angst-ridden teenage grandkids and tied the family together. They were both civil rights activists, sometimes sharing their stories, which Cosby purposely added to give African-American perspective to the show. One of the most memorable moments in "The Cosby Show" history was when the family came together to lip-sync James Brown's "I Got The Feeling" to celebrate the couple's 50th anniversary.

Before You Go

Sharon And Ozzy Osbourne

16 Celebrity Grandparents

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot