Family is the central concept for the existence of the society of human beings, and father is the dominant figure in this concept. Father, as the breadwinner and major pillar of every family is the character that has always been portrayed in television shows and sitcoms, especially on the television in the USA. Modern trends towards emancipation of women change the roles of fathers and their authority and make the division of the latter into several categories possible (Albada, 2000). Drawing from this, there is a need to trace the change of social attitudes towards television fathers and divide them into several major groups according to their qualities and rates of influence upon families, as well as according to their being close to real-life fathers or pure fiction characters. To start with, all current television fathers can be divided into two groups according to their closeness to the real-life situations. Some of them, like for example Martin Crane or Jim Anderson, are reflections of the images of fathers that can be often observed in real life. They display no absolute confidence in their actions and thoughts, they are often at a loss about what should be done in this or that situation, and they rely much on the help of their wives. Not surprisingly, images of television mothers acquire more attention and become prominent in the today’s sitcoms and television family shows (Scharrer, 2001). Another group of fathers is the one in which fathers are absolutely sure in their authority in the family and can help their family members undoubtedly in every difficult situation in life regardless of what it may be. Such fathers as Mike Brady, Howard Cunningham or Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, are able to solve any problem their children can come across. Although they are strict and resort to punishing children and yelling at them, they are nevertheless reverend and reliable people around whom the families are built (Scharrer, 2001). Another grouping of television fathers can be carried out in accordance with their family position. In other words, fathers can be divided into single fathers and those who have complete families and help of wives in their lives. According to this criterion, fathers are either heroes who manage to raise their children on their own, and at the same time work a lot and take time for their kids. These fathers, like Andy Tailor and Ben Cartwright, are the embodiments of the harsh reality where people have to combine many spheres of activity in order to be successful. They are able to work hard to feed their children, but at the same time teach them the basics of good manners, morals and life values (Scharrer, 2001). On the other hand, such fathers as Ward Cleaver and Eric Camden have complete families and are happy about this fact. These fathers are viewed as the role models of manly behavior and confidence even in the hardest situations in life. They can advice their children in dating, education, career choices, and support wives in hardships of life (Bryant, 2001). Finally, the major classification of television fathers is carried out in respect of their portrayal. This means that some fathers are authoritative, while others are viewed as clowns and subjects for jokes and