The Best Dad Shows On Netflix

May 19, 2017

Netflix has revolutionized the way we watch TV, just as it has nauseated everyone whose dad has asked them to “Netflix and chill,” completely oblivious to the meaning of the phrase.

But probably the best part of Netflix is the broad range of programs you can find on it. That means for each show like Master of None or Orange is the New Black, there’s a show streaming on there that’s pretty much made for the dads. Here are some of the best shows currently on Netflix that your dad will be all about (you’ll probably enjoy them too).

The West Wing

Aaron Sorkin is a very serious writer who just so happens to write some immediately dad-ready lines. You have him to thank every time your dad yells out a “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH.” And your dad’s politics are guaranteed to come through in The West Wing, which pretty much takes partisan politics and dads them up so that your Conservative Dad and your Liberal Dad can say, “See, I wish the other side was like that in the real world!” Though your Conservative Dad will probably want to skip the final season, which is basically “how Obama got elected.”

How I Met Your Mother

This is literally a show about dads. While it’s a bit more geared to a younger crowd, Ted Mosby was more Dad at 30 than your dad was when he hit 45, so he’ll still appreciate it. Sure, you’ll get your dad commenting a bit too loudly about the attractiveness of the women that Barney hooks up with, followed by an awkward “You know that guy has a husband in real life? Crazy!” but it’s still a show that dads can enjoy.

3rd Rock From The Sun

John Lithgow as an alien “dad” who doesn’t know how things work is a combination of words that likely was the result of a bunch of TV execs doing “things dads will like” Mad Libs. It’s goofy and pun-heavy enough that dads will love it, plus it features a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt who will make your dad say, “See, that young man looks much better once he got himself a damn haircut.”

Louie

Louis C.K.’s FX program is definitely unique. Never quite a comedy, but not quite a drama, it’s essentially a melancholic slice of life show. But a lot of what informs the show, and Louis C.K. the comic himself, is his relationship with his daughters. Louie features one of the most realistic dad portrayals on television, and for that alone your dad will at least find it interesting.

Friday Night Lights

Your dad wants to be Coach Taylor more than anything else in the world. There’s a good to fair chance that if you set up a flag football game right now, he’d do a “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose” pep talk to his teammates. This show is 50% peak-dadding and 50% high school drama that your dad will get up to grab another beer during.

Freaks And Geeks

Dads love watching shows that took place when they were growing up, so Freaks and Geeks, which is so early-80s it almost hurts, is just a sucker punch of nostalgia as far as dads go. There’s a good chance your dad was either a Freak or a Geek growing up in high school, so he’ll definitely relate to the show, and probably tell you some stories from his youth you’d rather forget as he watches.

The Ranch

The Ranch, a Netflix original show, has a laugh track, which actually is something that a lot of dads enjoy. It also has two actors from That 70’s Show, which most dads are probably a bit neutral about. But it also has Sam Elliott, aka the man with the voice and gruff demeanor that every dad wishes he had. This show’s dad appeal was so strong that it managed to get picked up for a second season, even though they’re not exactly promoting it as much as they do their House of Cards or their Daredevils. Either way, of all the original shows on Netflix, this is definitely the most dad friendly, so it’s probably worth a look.