The Coolest, Most Memorable Mothers And Daughters On TV

Photo: YouTube/NBC

Claire, Sandra, Denise, Vanessa, and Rudy

With so much negativity surrounding The Cosby Show’s namesake, it’s easy to forget the contribution this show made to the television canon. Claire was the TV mom we all wanted and desperately dreamed of having. She was glamorous, independent, self-assured, and you could tell she was the boss of the house.

Her daughters always had a way of understanding her natural authority, and she passed on her grace and poise to all four of them. That’s right. She had four daughters, (and a son) and she juggled the role of mother, wife, and successful lawyer, with more capability that I can manage for even the simplest of tasks.

Claire was a strong figure for her daughters, showing them they can “have it all” – whatever that means. She approached her daughter’s problems with a ferocity and drive that showed her determination to get it solved. Even when Denise returned home from Africa with a military husband and cute little step-daughter, Claire showed her how to get her new life sorted out.

It’s probably hard to find time for four daughters with all the business of life, but somehow, Claire managed to raise them all into mostly well-adjusted ladies.

Photo: ABC

Nora, Kitty and Sarah

Nora Walker was the widowed matriarch of a clan of successful, rich-ish, beautiful folks who ate melodrama for breakfast and had conflict for dinner. Nora was no different, except she was usually standing smack dab in the middle of all of her children, directing the emotional traffic.

She was meddling and intrusive, but she was also smart and insightful, so her daughters were better off having taken her advice. Kitty’s conservative ideologies were often a source of tension between her and her mother, but when it came time for Nora to offer guidance, Kitty knew when to shut up and listen.

Sarah, as the oldest, had a lot more responsibility in the family, and although Nora still butted into her life, she also relied on Sarah for feedback and to act as a sounding board.

These three women formed a space for trust, vulnerability, and safe exchange, that is a rare commodity. Having grown children is a blessing, especially when your daughters grow into the kind of women on whom you can rely.

Nora helped her daughters through some of the toughest moments in their life -death of a husband, an unexpected paternity twist, cancer – but they also helped her understand the new phase of her life. They just hugged each other through it all.