Detailed findings

Sixteen of the 50 shows on our list are currently on air with new episodes being released. While many of these are recent shows that have proven extremely popular – including Netflix’s “Atypical,” “Ozark,” and “The Crown” – others have much longer histories.

“The Simpsons,” an animated television staple that has long taken a satirical approach to the nuclear family, has been on air since 1989. While they haven’t been on television for quite as long, the Kardashians have captured the attention of viewers since at least 2007, when “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” premiered. The reality show is now in its 15th season.

Other families have left the airwaves only to return thanks to fan demand. Such was the case with the dysfunctional Bluth family from “Arrested Development.” Netflix revived the show in 2013 after being canceled by Fox seven years prior. The mother-daughter duo of “Gilmore Girls,” Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, had a similar fate, being brought back in 2016 for a Netflix miniseries after the original program was canceled in 2007. More recently, ABC cancelled Tim Allen’s sitcom “Last Man Standing” despite strong ratings. The show has since been picked up by Fox.

America’s favorite TV families also highlight the many types of families found on the air. From the nuclear family of the Arnolds on “The Wonder Years” to ABC’s huge hit “Modern Family,” which follows nuclear, step, and families with gay parents all in one program, television has tried to represent family in all its forms.

Methodology

To determine America’s favorite TV families, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed all the television shows with at least 5,000 user ratings on the Internet Movie Database. Using editorial discretion, we extracted the titles for which the focus of the show was on the family unit. We then created an index based on the number of user votes on IMDb and the daily average number of page views each show received on Wikipedia for the two years ending Sept. 18, 2018. Release date and network data are from IMDb.