The nuclear family is traditionally understood as being the most viable and acceptable family unit; characterized by clarity in family roles, stability and support within its members. It is this understanding of the nuclear family unit that has been portrayed over the years in family television shows (Stabile & Harrison 135). However, this portrayal has changed and current family televisions shows display or portray a more accurate picture of most families. This paper presents an analysis of shows that challenge the hegemonic view of nuclear families. Practically all television viewers can relate to an experience of family (Cantor 18). Modern viewers are confused by the images that are still being featured in numerous reruns of television sit-coms because most powerful visualization of traditional families is portrayed in these images (Coontz 23). We have seen in many television families, like the Cleavers (Leave it to Beaver), a family being visualized as perfect, stable, secure and in harmony. This depiction of family is in conflict with what we know about family or state of family in modern world. What the modern viewer identifies with are the less than perfect typical families. In television shows that depict a hegemonic view of the nuclear family, parents are portrayed as understanding and wise while children are good obedient to the authorities (May 208). Cleavers represents a perfect rather than a standard family. There are other television families like the Simpson which are meant to portray the true colors of a nuclear family. The constant quarrels among family members, frustrations and irritations that they face from day to day are typical of many families. What the Cleavers portray is a happy and perfect family which makes viewers to wish life in their families would be just like that. The cleavers features a father who had a white-collar job, a house wife and a mother and children all who lived in a safe and secure small town. Everybody in the family was happy, got along and wanted to be together at all times. There were just enough conflicts to drive the plot but by the end of the show everybody in the family was happy again. The roles of the family and rules were clearly portrayed. In the show “Father Knows best”, father (Anderson) was the breadwinner of the family; he set rules and was the wise one who settled disputes. Margaret, who was the wife and mother, was attractive, sociable and loyal to her husband’s authority. She would also intervene on her children’s behalf when they did wrong. Princes, Bud and Kitten were the children of the family who were well behaved and they believed that their father knows best even on matters concerning their childhood. This show demonstrated proper family behavior and the family was a model of a modern nuclear family (Jones 97). On television, the modern father was involved in his family life. He would occasionally help out in drying the dishes, playing with the kids, he was always around and he was the proper role model for his sons (Spock 55). Mom was supposed to be always sweet, loving wife to her husband and met her children’s day to day needs; emotional and physical and she cooked their m