Revealed: The 30 best TV role models for dads

Mick Shipman from Gavin and Stacey is the ultimate British ‘dad’ role model, a study has found.
The Essex father figure – played by actor Larry Lamb – is a favourite among dads because of his down-to-earth attitude, calm head, and good humour.
He came second in a poll to find the world’s top 30 dad role models – beaten only by ‘Uncle’ Phil Banks from US comedy The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
However, the poll of 1,000 dads revealed how 48 per cent believe screen role models are unrealistic and set an ‘impossible’ example to follow.
One in five think they have far too much time on their hands and 28 per cent reckon they have it easy as they have no financial constraints.
Other top small-screen dads include Tim ‘The Tool Man’ Taylor from US sitcom Home Improvement and even Bandit from kids’ show Bluey.
Fatherhood requires patience
The survey was commissioned by insight experts OnePoll, whose head of research Mark Hodson said: “Most of what we see on TV has a bit of a sheen on it – and the roles of parents are no different.
“This research aimed to find the fathers on the silver screen who were most inspiring to the dads of the UK.
“But TV isn’t real life – as long as you and your family are happy – most of the time – then the fathers of this country are doing a good job.”
The study also found patience was the top thing dads have to master in order to be a good father figure, according to 47 per cent of respondents.
Another 46 per cent believe perfecting the ‘dad jokes’ and having a sense of humour is most important, and the same amount think it’s key to spend as much time with kids as possible.
Dependable Dads
More than a third believe a