Memorable television sitcoms display a variety of family structures and parenting styles. It’s important for multiple types of moms to be shown. As in real life, some care for children at home, some work outside of the home, and others go back and forth or live with a combination of the two. Sitcom moms reflect various roles throughout their shows, and they often do so in humorous or ironic ways.
Certain television moms of the 90s and 2000s have much to offer in the way of comedy and compassion. Which moms of the two decades have made viewers chuckle the most?
Becky Katsopolis (Full House)
When she joined Full House (1987-1995) in the show’s second season, Lori Loughlin’s Rebecca Donaldson was Danny’s new co-host and Jesse’s new crush. The character married Jesse midway through the series and became Aunt Becky to the Tanner girls, soon having twin boys, too.
Becky is remembered for her warmth and style, as well as her independence and charm. She’s also a funny lady who slips in quite a few quips and knows how to pull a practical joke on someone.
Carol Lambert (Step By Step)
Carol Foster Lambert (Suzanne Somers) was one portrait of a 90s mom. The fashion, the hair, the overall aura — she really made her mark on Step by Step from 1991 to 1997. Carol spontaneously marries Frank Lambert, and the two hurriedly join their families together, which means that Carol and her two daughters move into Frank’s house with him and his three kids.
Carol runs a hair salon off the kitchen, which gives her proximity to the kids and to Frank. She handles everyone’s concerns with humor and isn’t afraid to be romantic with her husband.
Reba Hart (Reba)
Reba McEntire played Reba Hart on her own sitcom from 2001 to 2007. Reba focused on the title character’s life as a divorced mother who often must interact with her ex-husband, Brock Hart, and his second wife, Barbra Jean. There are other pertinent storylines that Reba navigates with her kids, especially her daughter Cheyenne’s pregnancy.
As her theme song says, Reba “Loves her kids and never stops/With gentle hands and the heart of a fighter, [she’s] a survivor.” The actress handles her role with equal care and comedy, telling it like it is and devoting herself to family.
Debra Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)
On Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005), Debra Barone (Patricia Heaton) has her hands full. She’s got her husband, Ray, three young kids, and Ray’s boisterous parents and brother to contend with.
Debra struggles with a lack of personal space and with Ray’s somewhat aloof nature. She loves her family, but the mom isn’t afraid to let out her frustrations, often in a very funny way. Her encounters with Ray’s parents are some of the funniest in-law moments anyone could ever imagine.
Amy Matthews (Boy Meets World)
On Boy Meets World (1993-2000), characters deal with the gamut of human emotion — some episodes are more serious, while others lean into the laugh-out-loud nature of TGIF 90s sitcoms. The parents of the series situate themselves between both ends of the spectrum.
Amy Matthews is devoted to Alan and the kids and she sees to it that her children become responsible young adults who also know how to celebrate the victories of life. Along with her sweet and funny moments with her husband, Amy also generates plenty of laughs with the kids.
Jill Taylor (Home Improvement)
Tim Allen met his match in Patricia Richardson on Home Improvement (1991-1999). Allen and Richardson became the Taylors, loving parents raising three sons in Detroit.
Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor hosts a home improvement series called “Tool Time.” Jill Taylor cares for the children but starts to give her career a greater focus on the show by studying psychology. By design, Jill was not a perfect mom. She was real, she was funny, and she was not afraid to speak her mind.
Tanya Baxter (That’s So Raven)
Tanya Baxter (T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh) was an integral part of That’s So Raven (2003-2007) for the sitcom’s first three seasons. The character departs before the final season to go to law school in England.
While on the series, Tanya is such a wonderful mom. She’s not a pushover or a ditzy parent at all. Instead, she strikes just the right balance of authority and fun with Raven and Cory. Tanya’s scenes with Victor are priceless, especially when the parents start dancing!
Jo McGuire (Lizzie McGuire)
Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004) was driven by the relationships between its likable tween characters, but the parents on the show are still important in every episode.
Jo (Hallie Todd) is the cheerful 2000s mom who wants to establish a healthy amount of discipline while still being accessible and relatable to her kids. When she’s not keeping Sam filled in on all the news of the children, Jo is trying to undo Matt’s unbelievable stunts while coaching Lizzie through the difficulties of growing up. The mom’s comical facial expressions say it all, and her eyeglasses and clipped-up blonde hair complete her iconic look.
Lilith Sternin (Frasier)
Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth) and Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) are married during part of Cheers (1982-1993) and are divorced for the spin-off Frasier (1993-2004). With her icy stare and blunt intellectualism, Lilith is quite a conversation partner. Her and Frasier’s son, Frederick, lives with Lilith but visits Frasier periodically.
Both parents want what is best for their son, and their attempts to help Frederick are amusing, especially when they interrupt a prep school headmaster’s Thanksgiving to try to get Frederick into the elite school.
Lisa Landry (Sister, Sister)
Lisa Landry (Jackée Harry) is one of the funniest sitcom moms of all time, not just of the 1990s. On Sister, Sister (1994-1999), Lisa is the adoptive mother of Tia, and Ray Campbell is the adoptive father of Tamera. Put these four people under one roof, and Lisa’s eccentricities and one-liners quickly make viewers laugh uncontrollably.
The mom is no joke, though. She has worked so hard to provide for Tamera, and while living in Ray’s house, Lisa takes the time to become a better entrepreneur with her clothing line, Fashions by Lisa. Her flaws, successes, and natural wit keep Lisa close to every Sister, Sister fan’s heart.
Becky Katsopolis (Full House)
When she joined Full House(1987-1995) in the show’s second season, Lori Loughlin’s Rebecca Donaldson was Danny’s new co-host and Jesse’s new crush. The character married Jesse midway through the series and became Aunt Becky to the Tanner girls, soon having twin boys, too.
Becky is remembered for her warmth and style, as well as her independence and charm. She’s also a funny lady who slips in quite a few quips and knows how to pull a practical joke on someone.
Carol Lambert (Step By Step)
Carol Foster Lambert (Suzanne Somers) was one portrait of a 90s mom. The fashion, the hair, the overall aura — she really made her mark on Step by Step from 1991 to 1997. Carol spontaneously marries Frank Lambert, and the two hurriedly join their families together, which means that Carol and her two daughters move into Frank’s house with him and his three kids.
Carol runs a hair salon off the kitchen, which gives her proximity to the kids and to Frank. She handles everyone’s concerns with humor and isn’t afraid to be romantic with her husband.
Reba Hart (Reba)
Reba McEntire played Reba Hart on her own sitcom from 2001 to 2007. Reba focused on the title character’s life as a divorced mother who often must interact with her ex-husband, Brock Hart, and his second wife, Barbra Jean. There are other pertinent storylines that Reba navigates with her kids, especially her daughter Cheyenne’s pregnancy.
As her theme song says, Reba “Loves her kids and never stops/With gentle hands and the heart of a fighter, [she’s] a survivor.” The actress handles her role with equal care and comedy, telling it like it is and devoting herself to family.
Debra Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)
On Everybody Loves Raymond(1996-2005), Debra Barone (Patricia Heaton) has her hands full. She’s got her husband, Ray, three young kids, and Ray’s boisterous parents and brother to contend with.
Debra struggles with a lack of personal space and with Ray’s somewhat aloof nature. She loves her family, but the mom isn’t afraid to let out her frustrations, often in a very funny way. Her encounters with Ray’s parents are some of the funniest in-law moments anyone could ever imagine.
Amy Matthews (Boy Meets World)
On Boy Meets World(1993-2000), characters deal with the gamut of human emotion — some episodes are more serious, while others lean into the laugh-out-loud nature of TGIF 90s sitcoms. The parents of the series situate themselves between both ends of the spectrum.
Amy Matthews is devoted to Alan and the kids and she sees to it that her children become responsible young adults who also know how to celebrate the victories of life. Along with her sweet and funny moments with her husband, Amy also generates plenty of laughs with the kids.
Jill Taylor (Home Improvement)
Tim Allen met his match in Patricia Richardson on Home Improvement (1991-1999). Allen and Richardson became the Taylors, loving parents raising three sons in Detroit.
Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor hosts a home improvement series called “Tool Time.” Jill Taylor cares for the children but starts to give her career a greater focus on the show by studying psychology. By design, Jill was not a perfect mom. She was real, she was funny, and she was not afraid to speak her mind.
Tanya Baxter (That’s So Raven)
Tanya Baxter (T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh) was an integral part of That’s So Raven(2003-2007) for the sitcom’s first three seasons. The character departs before the final season to go to law school in England.
While on the series, Tanya is such a wonderful mom. She’s not a pushover or a ditzy parent at all. Instead, she strikes just the right balance of authority and fun with Raven and Cory. Tanya’s scenes with Victor are priceless, especially when the parents start dancing!
Jo McGuire (Lizzie McGuire)
Lizzie McGuire(2001-2004) was driven by the relationships between its likable tween characters, but the parents on the show are still important in every episode.
Jo (Hallie Todd) is the cheerful 2000s mom who wants to establish a healthy amount of discipline while still being accessible and relatable to her kids. When she’s not keeping Sam filled in on all the news of the children, Jo is trying to undo Matt’s unbelievable stunts while coaching Lizzie through the difficulties of growing up. The mom’s comical facial expressions say it all, and her eyeglasses and clipped-up blonde hair complete her iconic look.
Lilith Sternin (Frasier)
Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth) and Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) are married during part of Cheers(1982-1993) and are divorced for the spin-off Frasier(1993-2004). With her icy stare and blunt intellectualism, Lilith is quite a conversation partner. Her and Frasier’s son, Frederick, lives with Lilith but visits Frasier periodically.
Both parents want what is best for their son, and their attempts to help Frederick are amusing, especially when they interrupt a prep school headmaster’s Thanksgiving to try to get Frederick into the elite school.
Lisa Landry (Sister, Sister)
Lisa Landry (Jackée Harry) is one of the funniest sitcom moms of all time, not just of the 1990s. On Sister, Sister (1994-1999), Lisa is the adoptive mother of Tia, and Ray Campbell is the adoptive father of Tamera. Put these four people under one roof, and Lisa’s eccentricities and one-liners quickly make viewers laugh uncontrollably.
The mom is no joke, though. She has worked so hard to provide for Tamera, and while living in Ray’s house, Lisa takes the time to become a better entrepreneur with her clothing line, Fashions by Lisa. Her flaws, successes, and natural wit keep Lisa close to every Sister, Sister fan’s heart.
