Five Terrible T.V. Dads

On the surface, the patriarch of the Henrickson clan might seem like a solid dad. After all, he's morally upright, takes an interest in the family's affairs, and is (usually) faithful to his three wives. But dig a little deeper and you'll find a confused, self-righteous man whose attitude towards his kids teeters unsteadily between complete disinterest and mild condescension. He only gets involved in his kid's lives when there is a a crisis, and who can blame him? With eight children, three wives, and a business to run, he barely has time to sleep, let alone deal with straddling the line between mainstream Mormon society and his polygamist compound origins.

While Bill is probably dealing with his situation as best he can, the fact that he thought he could juggle three families while hiding it from the rest of the world shows an astounding lack of judgment. Bringing kids into the world is a huge responsibility, and it's hard to believe that Bill fully comprehends it (beyond the necessity of adding to his future celestial kingdom).

Tony Soprano, 'The Sopranos'

Replacing love with money is awfully tempting when you have thousands of dollars of undeclared income from your "waste management" job. Tony Soprano's usual method of dealing with his children is lavishing them with gifts and praise, but turning savagely against them whenever they do something wrong. Perhaps his most damning shortcoming is his inability to understand why his son turned out lazy and entitled, unable to hold down a responsible job.

When not dealing directly with his children, Tony sets a questionable example by insisting on family loyalty while sleeping around and treating his wife with disrespect. His 'old-fashioned' views might seem quaint, but his casual sexism and racism are damaging to his children.

Red Forman, 'That '70s Show'

Just because most of Red's fatherly antics are played for laughs doesn't mean that the show isn't dealing with real issues between fathers and sons. The conflict between Red and Eric is a classic one: Red, having been through a war, is tough as shoe leather and wants his son to be the same way. But when Eric turns out to be more sensitive and thoughtful than his father, Red never quite forgives him for it. He is highly critical of Eric's shortcomings and consistently fails to affirm his talents and interests, fostering a self-esteem problem that later leads Eric to abandon Donna at the altar. And his overly permissive treatment of irresponsible sister Laurie only increases Eric's feelings of resentment and injustice.

Don Draper, 'Mad Men'

Watching 'Mad Men,' it's easy to forget that Don is a father. You'll rarely see him around his kids, and therein lies the problem: this hands-off attitude, while more common in the '50s and '60s, certainly doesn't do them any favors. He spends most of his time at the office, with his girlfriend, or drinking alone. He doesn't seem to realize that his own difficult childhood is going to rub off on his kids, no matter how expensive their toys, food, and nannies are.

John House, 'House'

Dr. Gregory House's father is seldom seen (or even mentioned) on the show, but his influence runs throughout every episode. And although John wasn't Greg's biological father, he never let on - except in his resentment for his son, which manifested itself in physical and emotional abuse. The miserable, self-centered, egotistical doctor we all love to hate is a product of a man who never thought his son was good enough.

While harsh criticism can drive people to excel in their professional lives, it makes for a miserable human being.