Early TV dads were of a common stock — in black and white and pure through and through. They were tall, chiseled and white, fonts of pipe-smoking wisdom and wry, kids-will-be-kids humor. They worked day jobs and drove home to suburbia, where they were greeted by loving housewives while the young’uns flooded round.
By the time the ’60s was picking up steam, it was time to let some air out of their stuffy image. The first in this evolution was the Bumbling Dad, poking fun at these lovable figures by clowning with their established moves.