They might not be real, but TV dads can be just as beloved and revered as the real deals that… They might not be real, but TV dads can be just as beloved and revered as the real deals that work two jobs to put many of us through college. We can learn from them, laugh along with their misguided parenting or just be in awe at the lengths they’re willing to go for the sake of family.

This was originally going to be a Father’s Day piece, but since this holiday is during the summer, I feel it has to be done now, especially since I’m running out of ideas – if that wasn’t already painfully obvious. Keep in mind that my knowledge of televised paternal figures doesn’t really precede 1985, so feel free to disagree all you want:

Tim Taylor of “Home Improvement” – The ultimate in manliness as portrayed by Tim Allen, Tim was all about “more power” in even the most menial of appliances – you never know when a garbage disposal will need to serve as a wood chipper.

But underneath that testosterone overload was a father who loves his sons and wife dearly, offering life lessons and methods to juice up a lawn mower. His inventions were borderline incompetent, but his parenting was top notch. Sure, “Home Improvement” was a comedy, but there was a surprising amount of touching father-son bonding and hilariously romantic moments that make Tim Taylor the man in fatherhood.

Homer Simpson of “The Simpsons” – Pretty much the mold in buffoonery that refuses to be broken, thanks to Dan Castellaneta’s trademark “D’oh!” He might lack common sense, but he refuses to leave his family or do anything that would tear it apart (intentionally, anyway). He even cried when the prospect of cheating on Marge presented itself in a fortune cookie (they’re sweet and tasty) and a hot girl sharing his hotel room.

The crayon in his brain might diminish his brainpower to near-handicapped levels, but it doesn’t seem to affect his duty as all around caretaker to America’s most beloved dysfunctional family.

Christopher Turk and Perry Cox of “Scrubs” – Forgetting your wife’s ethnicity can be almost as bad as forgetting an anniversary, but Turk (Donald Faison) is too sweet, endearing and funny to have that held against him. We might not have seen much of Turk as a father figure, but if he treats the duty as well as he treats J.D. (Zach Braff) and his profession, he’ll have no problem being named a top father.

Hard-ass Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley), though, comes off as a strict but sarcastic disciplinarian. He might have treated fatherhood a tad lightly in between spats with “wife” Jordan (Christa Miller), but there have been instances when his latent talents as a father have shown through as he hopes to be better than his own abusive dad. Besides, it’s still funny to watch him treat his son Jack as a drinking buddy – probably every father’s dream.

Peter Griffin of “Family Guy” – Yes, even the clinical fool made the list, Seth MacFarlane’s Rhode Island accent and all. Why? Never mind the fact that he has made us laugh for years, but when he admits that one of the best things he’s done with his life is being a dad, there’s no denying his love for his family, even Meg.

Vic Mackey of “The Shield” – A father of the year nominee if there ever was one, even though his “other kind of cop” tactics are shady at best. Willing to put himself through any kind of torture to help his three children, including two who are autistic. He has endured bullet wounds and threats against his life from the Armenian Mob. The fact that it’s Michael Chiklis balancing hard-assery with tender loving care makes Vic all the more endearing. Anyone who plans on being a dad should watch an episode and take notes.

Dan Connor of “Roseanne” – The big and burly Dan, done justice by John Goodman, is actually quite huggable as a father figure. He might joke about his wife and children, but he doesn’t pussyfoot around serious issues like sex and domestic violence, especially when it’s his children at stake. He’s full of as much charisma as Roseanne’s cooking.