The 10 best and worst TV moms

Television has always been a place for writers to explore the role of motherhood on a broad canvas. Sophisticated lawyer Clair Huxtable of “The Cosby Show” made juggling a fruitful career and a stable household look easy. Roseanne was known for her life lessons taught through strong doses of sarcasm. Peggy Bundy of “Married With Children,” though sometimes a tad self-centered, always made time in between manicures to shower her children with love.

Taking cues from the vets, we look at some of today’s TV moms who do a swell job and some who could use a little improvement.

The Best

Claire Dunphy, ‘Modern Family’

On a scale from 1 to perfection, Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen) is the ideal mom. She gave up her career to be a full-time parent to her children Haley, Alex and Luke, and she micromanages her zany husband Phil by keeping his crazy schemes in check.

This reformed wild child just wants to make sure her children don’t travel down the wrong path.

Gloria Pritchett, ‘Modern Family’

Gloria Pritchett (Sofia Vergara) is the doting Colombian wife of Jay, a wealthy older businessman. Though they are close in age, the spicy Latina is actually Claire’s step-mom, and she has two young children, Manny and Fulgencio.

Longing for the companionship of a daughter, she’s taken Lily, Mitchell and Cameron’s adopted daughter from Vietnam, under her wing.

Lois Griffin, ‘Family Guy’

Who says good TV moms can’t be animated? Lois Griffin should get the golden star of motherhood just for dealing with her crazy husband, Peter Griffin. Not to mention she has to handle her children Meg, Chris and Stewie, and their sarcastic dog, Brian.

Alicia Florrick, ‘The Good Wife’

They don’t call it “The Good Wife” for nothing. Julianna Margulies’ Alicia Florrick plays the role of mom, wife, lawyer and superhero. A sex scandal sends Alicia’s husband Peter to jail, and the mom of two is forced to return to work to support her family.

She does it without complaint, and her kids, Zach and Grace, give her unqualified support.

Bonnie Plunkett, ‘Mom’

If there is anything to be said about the duties of being a mom, it’s that she’ll always be there to pick up the pieces.

After being estranged for some time, Bonnie Plunkett (Allison Janney) re-enters her daughter Christy’s life after seeing her at an AA meeting. (Hey, nobody’s perfect.) Christy is working as a waitress in Napa Valley while battling her alcoholism.

Bonnie steps in to help her raise her two children, one of whom is now a teen mom.

The Worst

Jackie Peyton, ‘Nurse Jackie’

When you have a job in the medical field, it’d help if you took care of your own physical and mental health. Well, Nurse Jackie (Edie Falco) doesn’t see things quite that way.

She uses Vicodin, Xanax, and Percocet to ease through the workday at New York’s All Saints Hospital. Her marriage fell apart and her two daughters opted to live with their father.

Betty Draper, ‘Mad Men’

If you were to look up the word “selfish” in the dictionary, a picture of Betty Draper (January Jones) in her blond, blue-eyed glory would be sitting there coldly staring out from the page. After finding out her husband was lying about his true identity, Draper traded him in for a new one, Francis, a politician with no secrets. Her chilly demeanor and strict child-rearing tactics have alienated her two oldest children, Sally and Bobby.

“Why don’t my children love me?” she whined. Francis nodded to the youngest child, Gene, asleep in her arms. “It’s just a matter of time,” Betty said knowingly.

Gillian Darmody, ‘Boardwalk Empire’

Gillian Darmody (Gretchen Mol) was orphaned at a young age, and her bad memory keeps her from remembering her parents. She is the mother of Jimmy (Michael Pitt), who was conceived after she was raped by the town boss at the age of 13.

Gillian falls into a life of sex and promiscuity as she works as a risqué showgirl.

Cersei Lannister, ‘Game of Thrones’

Cersei (Lena Headey) may rule as Queen, but her interactions are less than royal. While married to King Robert Baratheon she maintained an incestuous relationship with her little brother Jaime.

She believes her three children, Myrcella, Tommen and the late Joffrey, actually belong to her brother.

Maya Pope, ‘Scandal’

Simply put, Maya (Khandi Alexander) is a cold-blooded terrorist. Olivia (Kerry Washington) believed that when she was 12, her mother died in a plane that was shot down. Mama Pope was actually rotting away in a high-security prison for years.

She manages to escape and goes to see her daughter. Then she goes on a killing spree — all to teach her daughter a lesson about staying in an adulterous relationship with the president. A heart-to-heart wouldn’t do?