TV In-Laws: The Good, the Bad and Aunt Esther

Washington Post advice columnist Carolyn Hax offered a wise response, as usual, in a recent column about in-laws. The letter, which appeared in the June 24 edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer, was written by a wife who was troubled by her mother-in-law. According to Jersey Girl, her husband's mother is "frequently imposing her will on us" and "shares intimate and almost always negative information about all of her relatives."

Hax responded with her typical common sense advice, encouraging the husband occasionally visit his mother without Jersey Girl. Hax also suggested that Jersey Girl endure her mother-in-law's wrath with a smile before it becomes more of a marriage problem and less an in-law problem.

I agree wholeheartedly with Hax's response. I believe the same advice could be relevant for all in-laws, though the mother-in-law vs. daughter-in-law conflicts seem to be the most difficult to overcome.

While thinking of in-laws, I began to consider in-laws in television sitcoms. Just like in real life, most of the in-law relationships on television are contentious, whether the in-law be a parent, sibling, cousin, or even an aunt or uncle. Fortunately, though, television has also given us some good in-laws as well.

Here is my list of the five worst in-law relationships as well as the five best as found in TV sitcoms.

The Bad:

5. "The Jeffersons" featuring Louise vs. Mother Jefferson: Poor Louise (played by Isabel Sanford) could do nothing right as a wife, according to Mother Jefferson (played by Zara Cully). The duo exemplifies the most common relationship between a wife and her husband's mother.

4. "Bewitched" featuring Endora vs. Darren: In this classic the mother-in-law (played by Agnus Moorehead) refuses to even pronounce her son-in-law's name, dubbing him as Derwood. She also constantly casts spells on him, transforming him into various animals.

In this case, the husband's mother-in-law is literally a witch.

3. "The Simpsons" featuring Homer vs. Selma and Patty: From season one until the present, Homer has hated Marge's twin sisters. The feeling is mutual, as Patty and Selma frequently mention that they would like to see Marge leave Homer. Even though Homer shares a kiss with one of them in a 2007 episode, there is no love between these in-laws.

2. "All in the Family" featuring Mike vs. Archie: The conservative father-in-law (played by Carroll O' Connor) despises his daughter's liberal husband (played by Rob Reiner) from season one until the series ended years later. Just like Endora, Archie can't bring himself to address his son-in-law by name. Mike therefore became known to America as Meathead.

1. "Sanford and Son" featuring Fred vs. Esther: Fred feels about Esther the same way Homer feels about his sisters-in-law. Fred is always calling his late wife's sister ugly, and she constantly belittles her brother-in-law while throwing the Good Book at him.

The Good:

5. "Family Matters" featuring Estelle and Harriet: Mother Winslow (played by Rosetta LeNoire) seems to get along with everybody in the family, even her son's wife Harriet. Mother Winslow is such a saint that she even likes being around their annoying neighbor Steve Urkel.

4. "Green Acres" featuring Lisa and Mother Eunice Douglas: This relationship is unusual because the wife (played by Eva Gabor) and her husband's mother (played by Eleanor Audley) actually pair up in schemes against the maligned Oliver.

3."My Three Sons" featuring Steve, Bub O' Casey and Uncle Charley: Widower Steve Douglas (played by Fred MacMurray) allowed his father-in-law Bub (played by William Frawley) to live in his home for the first two seasons. In the subsequent years, Bub's brother Uncle Charley (played by William Demarest) replaced him as housekeeper and wise cracker.

2."Full House" featuring Danny and Jesse: Widower Danny Tanner (played by Bob Saget) invites his dead wife's brother Jesse (played by John Stamos) to help him raise his three daughters.

1. "Beverly Hillbillies" featuring Jed Clampett and Granny: The hick son-in-law turned millionaire (played by Buddy Ebsen) serves as the exact opposite of Darren in "Bewitched." Jed actually takes his mother-in-law (played by Irene Ryan) to share his mansion in California, in spite of her nagging and abusive treatment of his nephew Jethro.