The 10 Most Dysfunctional Families On TV

TV would be boring if all the families were squeaky clean and functional. This is why the majority of television shows, whether they are comedies or dramas, are centered around dysfunctional families. Not only does this generate comedy and conflict, but audiences are more likely to identify (although not entirely) as most families face problems. Although they argue, these families often pull together in times of adversity and care for each other which make them sweet and lovable despite the drama. There are countless dysfunctional families on TV, and today we are looking at a handful of the best/most dysfunctional.

10. The Drapers – Mad Men

This is one fictional family that you do not envy in the slightest. The protagonist of the show, Don, is an egotistical workaholic/alcoholic who, as it is revealed, has fabricated his entire identity during the Korean War. The mother, Betty, meanwhile, is depressed, emotionally frigid and struggles with being a parent and her husband’s constant infidelity. The pair split after the truth about Don’s past is revealed. Hardly the most stable household environment, their eldest child, Sally, is lewd in public and has a strained relationship with her mother. Their second child, Bobby, is hardly present on the show (and played by four different actors) but is shown to be distraught by the divorce of his parents. Over the course of the show, Betty learns she is pregnant with a third child, Eugene, who is born in the third season and doesn’t stand a chance, the poor kid.