Memorable TV Mom Moments

There have been endearing and sweet TV mom moments throughout TV history. For some TV shows it is difficult to point to one memorable moment, because some TV mom and child relationships are incredibly poignant. Some moms are memorable no matter what they do.

Most Memorable TV Moms

Laura Petrie - The Dick Van Dyke Show

The relationship between Laura Petrie and Ritchie, for example, on The Dick Van Dyke show was a always a pleasure to watch. Mary Tyler Moore played the suburban housewife who was glamorous and modern in her Capri slacks.

As a mom and a wife she dealt with embarrassing situations with grace, from revealing that her husband's boss was bald, to letting her curiosity get the best of her and get her into comical situations. She was far from perfect, yet did everything with perfect aplomb.

Lorelai Gilmore - The Gilmore Girls

This show resonated with girls who grew up being close to their moms. For the rest of us, we could only dream that our relationship with our mom could be so good. The relationship between Lorelai and Rory was part friendship part mother-daughter.

Lorelai, as a single mom, always put Rory first. The relationship worked because the audience was exposed to the foil of this good mother-daughter relationship: the strained relationship between Lorelai and her mother. Where Rory and Lorelai were like two proverbial peas in a pod who could finish each other's thoughts, Lorelai and her mom existed on two different planes, and rarely did their mindsets intersect.

Memorable TV Mom Moments

There been many memorable TV mom moments in history. These are the five that come most quickly to mind.

The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Pregnancy Reveal and the Breakfast Scene

The scene where Amy finally tells her mom she is pregnant is one of the most memorable TV mom moments. After weeks of the kind of angst only a teen could create, Amy finally tells her mom about her pregnancy. Her mom's first reaction is disbelief, similar to her dad's reaction. It takes some time for the news to sink in, after she goes through a short denial.

It does not take long for Amy's mom to switch to reality mode. She finds a quick way to let her daughter know how much responsibility she has ahead of her. Amy wants breakfast, but her mom's not cooking, she tells her daughter she needs to practice cooking, and to consider who is going to pay for daycare while she continues school after the baby is born. This tough love approach shakes Amy into the reality that she cannot just have the baby and leave her own mom to take on the responsibility of raising the next generation.

My So Called Life - The Stero Scene

Going back to the short-lived Claire Danes vehicle, My So Called Life there was a memorable scene involving stereo volume. Sounds like a typical teen-mom argument. Angela is listening to some loud music, "Dreams" by The Cranberries .

Her mom, played by Bess Armstrong comes in and turns the music down. Angela, as played by Clarie Danes tells her she might as well just turn it off if she's going to turn it down so low. Her mom looks at her as if she is looking at an alien, completely not understanding why her daughter cannot listen to the music at a reasonable volume.

In this brief moment it's possible to see the fissure that happens between some moms and their daughters when they become teenagers. It's the whole "you just don't understand" situation exhibited in one brief, seemingly inconsequential scene. There were other memorable mom moments in My So Called Life, which you can watch online .

Gilmore Girls - Rory's Graduation Speech

If you didn't cry during Rory's graduation speech then you didn't see the episode. Rory's speech is about her mom, their relationship, and about Lorelai Gilmore's most important job in the whole world: being Rory's guidepost. This is memorable because watching the show you know that Lorelai is anything but perfect, is quite indecisive and downright flaky about men. Yet still, this fallible woman helps her daughter navigate through life, and gives her the tools to help her make her own path in life.

Brady Bunch - Bobby and His Step-Mom

If you think it's odd to hear Carol Brady referred to as a step-mom , you're right. The show never used that term, and never explains how these two parents came to be without spouses. I have a soft spot for this corny show, and watched it often when I was a kid.

Early on in the show, Bobby wants to run away because he thinks his new mom is out to get him. The show which later became a parody of itself, had some memorable moments in its first season, and this was one. Dealing with the issue of step parents, of kids feeling left out, or feeling like other kids are the favorites, during a time when divorce was on the rise, was a bold move for a situation comedy.

The Real Housewives of Orange County - Lauri Waring and Her Addicted Son

The most memorable TV mom moment involved a real mom. Not much is real on The Real Housewives of Orange County from lips to breasts and forced situations. The most memorable moment is not on TV. Real mom Lauri left the show because her son was battling addiction, was in and out of jail, and she found being on the show was not her priority. Her son and her family needed her.

Sources

BravoTV, The Real Housewives of Orange County

The Brady Bunch, in syndication

Gilmore Girls, original viewings

The Dick Van Dyke Show, in syndication

My So Called Life, original viewings, ABC

The Secret Life of the American Teenager, ABC Family, orginal viewings