Let’s hear it for the moms.
Three key mothers of television — Connie Britton, Meredith Baxter and Susan Kelechi-Watson — joined forces to highlight the strides TV moms have made over the years as sitcoms continues to evolve and expand.
“We have come a long way from when we were lucky enough to even leave the kitchen, “ Baxter, who played Elyse Keaton on “Family Ties” for seven seasons, said.
The trio were on hand to present the award for writing for a comedy series at the Emmys on Sunday, following a separate “TV Dad” segment helmed by George Lopez, Damon Wayans, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Britton, who played Tammi Taylor on “Friday Night Lights”, was grateful for the progress that mom roles have made and alluded to her roles on “Nashville” and “American Horror Story.”
“TV moms can do it all,” she asserted. “We can be a country music star…[or] the head of a haunted household.”
Realistic portrayals of momhood on television were few and far between for most of television history. “Roseanne” peeled back the veneer around the grunt work of parenting and allowed ongoing problems in the family to stay messy and unresolved. In the decades since, the variety of mom portrayals has greatly expanded.
Watson, who played Beth Pearson on “This Is Us,” noted how TV moms “are no longer one dimensional.”
“We have choices,” the “NCIS” actor said. “Choices that remind us that our dreams aren’t deferred. It’s okay to soul search. It’s okay to ask for as much money as a TV dad.”
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