TV dads we wish we'd had!

These on-screen father figures taught us a thing or two about the facts of life.

By Kamal Wallace

updated 12:40 PM EST, Thu January 17, 2013

Conrad Bain, who portrayed Phillip Drummond in the iconic TV series "Diff'rent Strokes," died Monday at 89. Details about his death have not yet been revealed.

Any fan of late-70s/early-80s television saw Mr. Drummond as one of the quintessential "cool dads." As a white, widowed owner of a construction company, he took in his deceased housekeeper's black kids and raised them as his own. Whether you had good parents or bad ones, there were often TV dads to look up to and admire.

We've compiled a gallery of the TV dads we wish we'd had. Who are we leaving out? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Our partners:

Join the conversation...

HLNtv.com welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.