Not all grandparents are created equal, especially on TV.
Where some grandparents offer words of wisdom and sage advice, others are there to tell it like it is and deliver the tough love.
Then there are those who share their love with their own special brand of sass.
Whether these folks are the perfect grandparents we never had or just amusingly dysfunctional, these Grams and Gramps all have one thing in common…
They all love their grandkids and are unendingly entertaining!
So let’s take a look at the 15 TV grandparents we wish we had!
Martha Rodgers – Castle
Who wouldn’t want Martha Rodgers as their grandmother, or “Gram” as Alexis called her. She was fun and vivacious, yet loving and loyal. Martha was always ready with helpful, usually unsolicited advice (whether it was always the best advice was another story). She was also there with a big hug, a shopping spree (using her son’s credit card), and a good party. Who doesn’t love that?
Zeb and Esther Walton – The Waltons
The Waltons were unlike most TV families. They were poor and rural, and had live-in grandparents that everyone loved. Zeb and Ester passed on their wisdom and advice to all of the Walton children, and best of all, every member of the family appreciated their efforts. If we all could be so lucky to experience such love, dedication, and acceptance in real life.
Frank Reagan – Blue Bloods
Frank Reagan is a great father and the well respected NYPD Police Commissioner but he’s also something else…an amazing grandfather. Frank is always there for his grandkids, whether it’s offering sage advice to Nicky or keeping Danny’s boys in line at the dinner table. The Reagan grandchildren are incredibly lucky to have such a smart and understanding grandpop.
Jay Pritchett – Modern Family
Yes, Jay may have a gruff exterior, and he’s all about the tough love, but he’s also an amazing grandfather. Family means everything to Jay, perhaps even more as he gets older. And whether they’re driving him crazy or not, he’s always there for all his grandkids.
The Dowager Countess Violet Crawley – Downton Abbey
“It’s the job of grandmothers to interfere.” We suppose it’s hard to argue with that. The Dowager Countess delivered some of the most humours one-liners of any grandparent on TV. Her quips were so good that they even have their own mock Twitter account. It’s easy to see where Lady Mary got her clever wit and sharpe tongue. It was from her grandmother, obviously!
Prince Charming and Snow White – Once Upon a Time
Who else has actual fairy tale characters as their grandparents? Royal parents, no less? No one. Henry’s life is never dull, mostly because his mom is the missing daughter of the most famous romantic couple from Enchanted Forest. Better yet, Henry gets sword fighting lessons from a real life prince and gets to be a true believer in actual fairy tales.
Lorraine Saracen – Friday Night Lights
When her son deployed to Iraq, Lorraine stepped up to care for grandson Matt, but when she was afflicted with dementia, it was Matt who had to step into the role of caretaker. The relationship between “Gramma” and grandson was sometimes tested, at times frustrating, but always warm and full of love, with some funny moments thrown in. In the end, it was one of the most realistic grandparent relationships on TV.
Hank Booth – Bones
Hank Booth stepped up and raised his two grandsons, Seeley and Jared, when he caught his son abusing the boys. Hank put the love and well-being of his grandsons first. He even chose to go back to the assisted living center he’d ditched, after he almost burned down Seeley’s building while making a grilled cheese sandwich. One of his happiest days was getting to see his grandson marry the love of his life and mother of their daughter. We only wish Hank had survived to meet his great-grandson, Booth and Brennan’s son, little Hank.
Adele Stackhouse – True Blood
Adele Stackhouse, Sookie and Jason Stackhouse’s grandmother, known as Gran, was unique. How many grandma’s encourage their granddaughter’s relationship with a vampire, or come back as a ghost? She took over patenting duties when the kids’ parents were tragically killed. Gram sometimes turned a blind eye to her grandkids’ faults, but no one can say she didn’t love them unconditionally.
Emily Gilmore – Gilmore Girls
We’ll admit that Emily’s relationship with her daughter was pretty strained, but she turned out to be very supportive of granddaughter Rory. And it’s hard to find a grandmother who was more proud of her granddaughter. “It’s an honor to be your grandmother, Rory Gilmore.” Now we’ll have to wait and see how these two are doing in the new Gilmore Girls revival!
Anthony DiNozzo Sr – NCIS
Admitedly, DiNozzo Sr. wasn’t the best dad, but we suspect that he’ll turn out to be one heck of a grandfather. He was positively beaming when little Tali showed up on the scene and stood right by Tony’s side to help him through the transition. We’re betting that he’ll drop everything to be there for his adorable new granddaughter, which should further help repair the rift between father and son.
Maxine Gray – Judging Amy
Maxine may not have been the most warm and cuddly of grandmothers, but that really didn’t matter. When daughter Amy got divorced, she opened her home to Amy and granddaughter, Lauren, and helped them start a new life. The best thing about Maxine was that she never spoke down to Lauren. She acknowledged the girl’s quirks and flaws while still loving her unconditionally. And if Lauren ever needed to know how to give a good verbal comeback, she only needed to listen to her grandmother to learn.
Jimmy Martino – Grandfathered
Jimmy didn’t even know he was a father, never mind grandfather, so when he found out he had a secret family, it was quite the surprise. It took a little time, but this confirmed bachelor learned to embrace his new role. He even went so far as to pretend to be gay to get granddaughter, Edie, into a top-notch preschool, and then played amateur detective to figure out which other child bit her. Despite the shock, Jimmy really seemed to enjoy being grandpa.
Evelyn Harper – Two and a Half Men
She may be a conceited and selfish mother, but when it comes to being a grandmother, she pretty much let Jake do whatever he wanted and spent money on him instead of having a relationship. Kind of a kid’s dream.
Zeek and Camille Braverman – Parenthood
Zeek Braverman’s final words to his wife Camille said it best, “Boy, we did good, didn’t we?” Yes, they did. Camille and Zeek were good parents but they were amazing grandparents who never failed to remind their grandkids how much they were loved. The Braverman grandparents knew when to give their support, like inviting Amber and her baby to move in with them, and when to deliver the tough love, as when Zeek told Amber years earlier, “You’re not feeling good about yourself. You didn’t get into Berkeley? Well boo friggin’ who.” Camille and Zeek worked through the tough times and never gave up, and they taught that, and many other lessons, to their grandchildren.
