12 Of Television's All Time Greatest Mums

With Mother's Day just around the corner, we wanted to visit those mums of the silverscreen who amuse us when our own mothers' crazy antics aren't around. So which TV mum has brought you the most joy? Here are our personal favourites...

Lucille Bluth - Arrested Development

Lucille is a heavy drinker, picks favourites with her children, tears them down at every given opportunity and forces the youngest to remain co-dependant so, naturally, we ADORE her. From having a vodka rocks (and a piece of toast) for breakfast to making not so subtle jibes at Lindsay at every given opportunity, Lucille is the sassy, mean grandmother of our dreams.

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Marge Simpson - The Simpsons

Marge is the constant source of stability in her children's lives while Homer gets up to all of his tomfoolery. She has an answer for everything, and only when she withdraws her motherly affections do the children realise just how much they need her (especially Bart). She's Lisa's fiercest supporter, and of course has been looking after baby Maggie for about ten years straight now.

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Pam Shipman - Gavin and Stacey

Fussing over her family, dinner, bickering with her husband, making friends with all of her son's friends - she is basically all of our friend's mums rolled into one.

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Vivian Banks - The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air

Let's face it: Phil might be a Judge, but it's Viv who wears the trousers in that mansion in Bel Air. Although she's mostly laid back and letting the kids get up to all sorts of mischief, when she is angry the family KNOW about it, right to the point where only the Jackson 5 can help resolve the situation.

Lorelai Gilmore - The Gilmore Girls

Lorelai isn't like a regular mum, she's a cool mum. Except that she actually is. As a single mother, she raises Rory, runs an Inn and navigates relationships, all the while putting her daughter first.

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Polly McKenzie - The Inbetweeners

The totally oblivious mother who tries her best while accidentally telling her son she doesn't think he's attractive and has no friends is one of our favourite things about The Inbetweeners.

Lynette Scavo - Desperate Housewives

As a busy working woman before having kids (how many does she even have at the end? Five? We lost count), Lynette accurately portrayed what it was like to miss having a career rather than relish in taking care of her kids, and it was such a refreshing way of looking at motherhood.

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Lois - Malcolm in the Middle

Lois accepts her lot and just rolls with it. Sure this means she gives advice that makes absolutely no sense and can occasionally lose her temper, but she is just working with what she has and is fiercely proud of her kids!

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Claire Dunphy - Modern Family

Although Claire is the stay at home mother who constantly sorts out her kids lives and is considered the 'serious' parent, her parenting skills are also simply amazing. From tricking Luke into sleeping in the attic to telling Hayley that drinking alcohol always makes you horribly ill, she is one of our all time favourites.

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Dr. Beverly Hofstadter - The Big Bang Theory

As a neuroscientist, a psychiatrist and an author, Leonard's genius is nothing compared to hers, and her constant knowledge of exactly how everyone is feeling makes her a formidable parents. Thing is, they're usually the funniest.