Mother’s Day is that one day a year when mothers get that special appreciation, a day that’s dedicated specifically to giving them gifts, attention, and basically whatever they want.
Whether we have good or bad relationships with our moms, this is truly a special day to celebrate the one who sacrificed so much to bring us into the world.
These sitcom episodes will show how your favorite TV characters commemorate this special day!
The Golden Girls Season 3 Episode 25: “Mother’s Day”
When Dorothy’s ex-husband Stan unexpectedly turns up on Mother’s Day in “Mother’s Day,” the Season 3 finale of pop culture classic series The Golden Girls, the housemates become agitated.
In the meantime, Phil pays Sophia a visit and informs her that he is divorcing his wife and wants to live with her.
Though still determined to support one another, the women find it a little difficult to manage their complicated relationships with their family members.
In the end, they unite to observe the holiday and express gratitude to the maternal figures in their life.
Modern Family Season 2 Episode 21: “Mother’s Day”
The Pritchett and Dunphy families gather together to celebrate Mother’s Day in “Mother’s Day.”
Although Claire struggles to find the ideal gift for her own mother, Dede, with whom she has a tense relationship, Gloria is furious when Jay forgets to get her a gift.
Meanwhile, Cameron and Mitchell try to arrange a wonderful day for their adopted daughter, but things don’t go as planned.
The families struggle with the difficult emotions and delicate relationships that Mother’s Day brings, but they ultimately find ways to work together and celebrate the amazing mothers (and mother figures of the joined families).
Trophy Wife Season 1 Episode 22: “Mother’s Day”
Kate is anxious to make her first Mother’s Day with her mixed family extra special in “Mother’s Day,” the Trophy Wife first season finale, but her plans are derailed when she learns that her own mother is coming to visit.
In the meantime, Pete’s mother Jackie shows up unannounced as well, upsetting his ex-wife Diane.
Old wounds and resentments are forced to the surface as the various family members gather, and Kate must navigate the complicated dynamics of her family to save the holiday.
Kate finally comes to understand the difficulties of parenthood more as the family gathers to celebrate Mother’s Day.
Everybody Loves Raymond Season 6 Episode 22: “Mother’s Day”
In “Mother’s Day,” the Barone family, whose matriarch Marie is infamous for being bossy and judgemental, gets ready to celebrate the day.
Debra is determined to make the day about her, which causes conflict in the home as Ray and Robert strive to find the ideal present for their mother.
The family is having a happy meal when everyone becomes upset by Marie’s criticism, and they all storm out of the house.
In the end, they come to understand the value of forgiving one another and reunite to make Marie’s day wonderful.
The episode looks at how mothers and their adult children interact in complex and frequently tense ways.
Everybody Hates Chris Season 3 Episode 21: “Everybody Hates Mother’s Day”
Chris struggles to come up with a Mother’s Day present for his mother, Rochelle, in “Everyone Hates Mother’s Day,” the Mother’s Day episode of Everybody Hates Chris from the third season.
He also tries to hide the evidence after accidentally breaking her beloved vase.
In the meantime, Tonya goes shopping with Julius to get Rochelle a gift but ends up getting something for herself.
The family gathers together to celebrate Mother’s Day and express their love for Rochelle despite their earlier difficulties.
The episode recognizes the significant role that mums play in our lives while highlighting the difficulties and humor of finding the ideal present.
Raising Hope Season 3 Episode 22: “Mother’s Day”
The Chance family is getting ready to celebrate Mother’s Day in “Mother’s Day,” but Virginia is dismayed to realize that she has never had a particular day set aside for her as a mother.
While Jimmy struggles with the reality that he has never met his own mother, Burt strives to think of a present for Virginia.
Later on, Jimmy finally has the chance to meet his biological mother as the family works through their complicated relationships to make Virginia’s day special.
The episode investigates the complex feelings and connections that can develop on Mother’s Day.
30 Rock Season 4 Episode 20: “The Moms”
Liz and Jack welcome their mothers to the set of TGS with Tracy Jordan in “The Mothers,” the fourth season’s Mother’s Day episode of 30 Rock.
The visit turns out to be problematic, though, as the two mothers squabble and are judgemental of their offspring.
Verna, Jenna’s mother, and Jenna compete for favor in the meantime.
Liz and Jack must negotiate their complicated relationships with their mothers as tensions build and come to respect them for who they are.
We can definitely relate to the difficulties of coping with domineering mothers such as we witness in this episode!
The Goldbergs Season 3 Episode 22: “Smother’s Day”
The Goldberg family is getting ready to celebrate Mother’s Day in “Smother’s Day,” but Beverly’s domineering personality causes friction among the family members.
Barry and Erica attempt to give their mother a memorable day, but Beverly’s insistence on being in charge of every detail thwarts their plans.
Murray tries to avoid the holiday altogether as Adam struggles to find the ideal present for his mother as well.
As the day goes on, the family as a whole learns to love Beverly and her place in their lives despite her eccentricities and shortcomings.
The Middle Season 1 Episode 22: “Mother’s Day”
The Heck family gets ready to celebrate Mother’s Day in The Middle episode entitled “Mother’s Day,” but Frankie feels unhappy when she receives underwhelming presents and thus, feels unloved by her family.
Sue tries to win the prize for her mother in a radio contest as Axl struggles to think of a present for his own mother.
The family gathers together to make Frankie’s day special and express their love and admiration for her even as tensions grow and events go awry.
Black-ish Season 1 Episode 22: “Please Don’t Ask, Please Don’t Tell”
In “Please Don’t Ask, Please Don’t Tell”, the 22nd episode of the first season of Black-ish, has Dre and Rainbow having to tiptoe around the topic of Dre’s sister, Rhonda, being a lesbian because of their critical mother, which sparks amusing and educational discussions.
In the meantime, Junior learns about the difficulties of dating, and Zoey tries to keep something from her parents.
The episode looks at the difficulties and hilarity of having difficult conversations with relatives.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 4 Episode 23: “Mother’s Day”
The Banks family is getting ready to celebrate Mother’s Day in “Mother’s Day,” but Will and his mother, who abandoned him as a child, are more than awkward around each other.
The rest of the family tries to make Aunt Vivian’s pregnancy with twins special as Will battles to come to terms with his complex feelings towards his mother.
While Geoffrey deals with concerns related to his own mother, Carlton struggles to find the ideal present for his mother.
As the day progresses, the family discusses their ties with their mums in the past and the present, which leads to a sweet and touching conclusion.
The Cosby Show Season 1 Episode 11: “You’re Not A Mother Night”
Since she is not the biological mother of any of her children, Clair feels excluded on Mother’s Day.
The family decides to throw a special party in her honor, but when they fall short of making the day memorable for her, things rapidly go wrong.
In the meantime, Denise and her companion go to a fortune teller who tells them that they will both soon become parents.
This makes Denise wonder if she is ready to become a mother.
The family learns the value of honoring moms of all kinds as they band together to show their love and admiration for Clair.
Half and Half Season 1 Episode 22: “The Big Mother of a Mother’s Day”
Dee Dee and Mona have different ideas about how to celebrate Mother’s Day with their mother, Big Dee Dee, in “The Big Mother of a Mother’s Day.”
Mona likes a more lowkey approach, while Dee Dee wants to throw a big party. The conflicts between the sisters lead to conflict between them and their mother as well!
Elsewhere, Adam tries to impress Mona’s mother by cooking a fancy dinner, while Spencer struggles to buy a gift for his own mother.
The family learns the value of compromise and communication in nurturing strong family ties as they work through their disagreements and attempt to make the day special for their loved ones.
Moesha Season 1 Episode 12: “Mother’s Day”
In the episode “Mother’s Day,” Moesha makes arrangements with her friends to go to a music festival on Mother’s Day, but her plans are derailed when Barbara, her estranged mother, unexpectedly reappears in her life.
Moesha battles with conflicted emotions towards her mother, who abandoned her family when she was a child.
When Myles tries to create his own Mother’s Day present for Moesha, Dee and Frank celebrate the day together.
Moesha discovers the value of forgiveness and compassion in mending rifts in her mother’s complicated relationship as they struggle to overcome it.
Still Standing Season 3 Episode 21: “Still Mother’s Day”
Bill and Judy’s hopes for a peaceful Mother’s Day in “Still Mother’s Day” are derailed when Bill’s mother and Judy’s mother-in-law, Louise, arrive for a visit.
Louise has always been a pain in Judy’s side, and as they strive to live together, tensions escalate.
Bill and Louise connect over their mutual passion for fishing as Brian and Lauren search for the ideal present for their mother.
The family learns the value of family and the importance of putting aside their differences for the sake of their relationships and this special day.
The Nanny Season 1 Episode 22: “I Don’t Remember Mama”
Fran counsels Mr. Sheffield to spend Mother’s Day with his own mother, whom he hasn’t seen in years, in The Nanny’s “I Don’t Recall Mama”.
But when they get there, they learn that Mrs. Sheffield has no recollection of him and thinks she’s still in England.
Mr. Sheffield is still keen to spend time with her and aid with her memory.
Fran is assigned with looking after the kids while this is going on, and she ends up taking them to a nice Mother’s Day breakfast.
This is a difficult thing to experience during such a special day, but really emphasizes the importance of valuing every moment with family.
Home Improvement Season 2 Episode 23: “To Build or Not to Build”
In Home Improvement’s Mother’s Day episode, Tim intends to construct a custom tool shed for Jill as a Mother’s Day surprise, but he ends up meeting a number of difficulties.
First, he unintentionally removes a tree that Jill and her late mother planted when they were young.
Then, he struggles to make the shed appear how Jill had envisioned it and makes a number of errors while building it.
Meanwhile, the guys are currently trying to think of original presents for their mom.
Roseanne Season 3 Episode 24: “Scenes From The Barbeque”
Roseanne and Dan decide to hold a Mother’s Day BBQ in Roseanne’s “Scenes From The Barbecue,” but things quickly become out of hand.
Their dysfunctional family members start to quarrel and fight, which throws the gathering into turmoil and creates tension.
Jackie develops a fixation on her new beau, Gary, while Becky and Mark struggle in their relationship as they drift apart.
The family members attempt various things throughout the day to put their differences aside and have a memorable BBQ.
Full House Season 7 Episode 22: “A Date With Fate”
After the breakups of Danny with Vicky and D.J. with Steve, this is the first time D.J. and Danny are both single and looking to date.
She is set up on a blind date by D.J.’s sister Stephanie, and Danny follows Becky’s suggestion and dates Bernadette, a TV camera operator.
But when they unintentionally end up at the same restaurant as their respective dates, their plans are derailed.
Danny encounters a pleasant waiter, and his consideration for an elderly woman pays off.
When Jesse prepares Nicky and Alex for Mother’s Day, the twins begin their celebration a day earlier.
Good Times Season 6 Episode 21: “A Matter Of Mothers”
Even though they’ve only been dating for a few months, Willona’s most recent boyfriend, Jeffrey, has been lavishing her and Penny with presents.
Willona is unaware that he is part of a scheme to discredit her as a mother, a scheme hatched by Penny’s cunning birth mother.
Mrs. Gordon, who came from an affluent family via marriage, accuses Willona of throwing an inappropriate party in front of a child, but she gets caught when Penny accidentally records Mrs. Gordon admitting that the whole thing was a trap to get her back.
An emotional Penny flatly rejects her biological mother and stays with Willona.
The Mommies Season 1 Episode 23: “Mommies Day”
Marilyn and Caryl are busy getting ready for Mother’s Day.
While Caryl is upset with her unappreciative children, Marilyn is disappointed that her son chose to spend the day with his girlfriend’s mother.
In an effort to make the day special for themselves, the two mothers wind up having a spa day and a gourmet meal.
But when they get a call from their children, who are stuck on the side of the road, their plans are derailed.
They are saved by Marilyn and Caryl, but not before some amusing mishaps.
Mad About You Season 6 Episode 20: “Mother’s Day”
Paul strives to find the ideal Mother’s Day present for Jamie in the Mad About You episode entitled “Mother’s Day.”
Ira and Marvin propose two gifts for Jamie: a rocking chair and a statement on the Times Square video screen.
Jamie’s gifts make Sylvia jealous, so she pretends to be hurt in order to get Jamie’s attention.
The Buchmans nevertheless manage to have a special Mother’s Day celebration in spite of Sylvia’s shenanigans.
Instant Mom Season 1 Episode 20: “Not Your Mother’s Day”
Stephanie is excited to celebrate Mother’s Day with her new family but she feels excluded when she is unable to connect with the children.
By participating in their activities, she tries to establish a relationship with them but learns that they prefer to celebrate Stepmother’s Day with her instead.
Stephanie receives guidance from unlikely places, but she eventually opens up to the family and they unite to plan a unique Mother’s Day celebration that strengthens their bond.
Motherland Season 3 Episode 3: “Mother’s Day”
In the Motherland episode titled “Mother’s Day,” tensions run high as the moms prepare for their annual Mother’s Day brunch.
Julia feels ignored while Meg is spoiled.
Meanwhile, Amanda is nervous about seeing her own estranged mother Felicity at the brunch, while Wendy confronts her own feelings of inadequacy as a mother.
As the day progresses, the annual brunch turns into an event that nobody had planned or expected!