12 TV Families Ranked From Worst To Best

7. The Van Der Kamps €“ Desperate Housewives

A person who'd most likely have something to say about the Griffins' chaotic lifestyle is Wisteria Lane's finest, Bree Van De Kamp. Though if the state of her own family is anything to go by, people living in glass houses should most definitely avoid throwing stones.

Bree is one of the greatest (certainly one of my favourite) characters ever created for the medium of television since the new millennium. She's the ultra-republican Stepford smiler with a good work ethic, an impressive gun collection and home-making skills to rival Martha Stewart. Bree works hard to present the image of the hallmark all-American family to her neighbours and attempts to control every inch of the world around her, including her two children and husband-of-the-week to an extent that borders on neurosis. Unfortunately, despite her best endeavours Bree's immaculate house and perfectly baked pies do not disguise the fact that her marriages, first to Rex and then to Orson ended disastrously and that she managed to raise the nastiest, sluttiest hell-spawn known to mankind.

Had Bree simply allowed her relatives a modicum of freedom to express themselves, she might've spared herself the anguish of having to deal with her daughter's teenage pregnancy or her son's absolute lack of remorse for running over and killing Carlos Solis' mother. Instead, Bree's constant desire to micro-manage her children would see her separate a mother from her baby rather than just admit that they're only human. To make matters worse, when the veneer does start to slip Bree descends down a spiral of alcoholism and promiscuity until she is forced to stop and survey the wreckage of her contrived lifestyle before reconsidering her lofty position.

Of course, the practise of living a fabricated life does have its advantages. The Van De Kamps (and Orson by association) are very good at keeping a secret and have the practise of hiding their multitude of crimes from various authorities down to a fine art. They also know how to put on a brave face amid turmoil and act decisively when necessary. Things do turn out okay for them after a few shades of character development and while people should rightly question Bree for her actions, she for the most part does what she thinks is best for her family, which is more than I can say for this next entry...