Many TV clans aren't complete without their housekeeper. While cooking and cleaning might be staples of her (or his) to-do lists, often so is providing crucial advice and guidance. Though a few of the following ladies may not be the best at what they do, or have the best attitudes, (or in one particular case, not above murder) the space shared in the household is a sacred one, making them one of the family.
Edna Garrett played by Charlotte Rhea, "Diff'rent Strokes"![memorable tv housekeepers, edna garrett]()
If Mr. Drummond's money could buy anything, Mrs. Garrett is proof; a model of a housekeeper who could also shepherd three young kids through the minefield of childhood and the unique racism that faces a mixed-race, Park Ave., NYC family.
She may have been a bit frumpy for her tony address, particularly in the earliest seasons of "Diff'rent Strokes," but with grandmotherly love and devotion, Charlotte Rhea's Mrs. Garrett was able to shine alongside the megawatt superstardom of Gary Coleman.
Mrs. Garrett's appeal proved so great that she was handed her own spin-off, now taking care of a dormful of girls in "The Facts of Life." Eventually that would lead to her ascension to school dietician and finally proprietor of a gourmet food market and then tchotchke store. But we'll always remember Mrs. Garrett best as the Drummond's caring maid dispensing clean laundry and sage advice.
Florence Johnston played by Marla Gibbs, "The Jeffersons"
![memorable tv housekeepers, florence johnston]()
There is usually some deference paid to your employers, particularly in a domestic role. Florence Johnston will have none of that. Played by Marla Gibbs with apathetic feistiness, Florence is never one to pass up an opportunity to shirk her responsibilities or hurl insults at her volatile boss, George Jefferson.
The Jefferson's did have a dee-luxe apartment in the sky, but it wasn't very large. So why you would need a full time, live-in maid, let alone one that will make you answer your own door and goof on your small stature? But the Jefferson household wouldn't be the same without Florence, and George needed to be brought down a peg or two when wife Weezy's stern wisdom wasn't enough.
Tony Micelli played by Tony Danza, "Who's the Boss?"
![memorable tv housekeepers, tony micelli]()
The kitchen and laundry room is usually not the place for a macho, Italian ex-baseball player, but that was the role-reversing premise of "Who's the Boss?" Each week, the affable Tony Micelli ran
the Bower household while butting heads and hardening the romantic tension between him and matriarch, Angela Bower. Accepting this womanly role to give his daughter Samantha a better life, there was no chore Tony couldn't or wouldn't do, nor any problem he wouldn't or couldn't solve for the Bower family, making the bond between his and theirs an unbreakable one.
Rosie the Robot voiced by Jean Vander Pyl, "The Jetsons"
![memorable tv housekeepers, rosie the robot]()
She may not have been mentioned in its infectious opening theme, but "The Jetsons'" housekeeper Rosie was certainly an integral part or their household. Unlike the other entries on our list, Rosie wasn't human. She was a robot, but embraced by the futuristic family as if she was their own flesh and blood.
As we all know, a good maid is hard to find, and although Rosie was a product of the outdated XB-500 series, the Jetsons refused to turn her in for a newer model. Her domestic skills and loyal service to the family made her the most dependable maid on wheels.
Lynn Belvedere played by Christopher Hewett, "Mr. Belvedere"
![memorable tv housekeepers, Lynn Belvedere]()
Like our ex-ballplayer, a male housekeeper leads this sitcom, but unlike Tony Micelli, he's a refined English gentleman who's found himself in Pittsburgh to care for an American family in "Mr. Belvedere." Cultures do clash, and Mr. Belvedere often finds himself trying to instill his high standards for manners and morals onto the skeptically unwilling Owens family. If TV has taught us anything, it's that England produces the highest quality of domestic, and Mr. Belvedere is no exception as he brings his British polish to the Rust Belt.
Moira O'Hara played by Frances Conroy and Alexandra Breckenridge, "American Horror Story: Murder House"
![memorable tv housekeepers, Moira O'Hara]()
Housekeepers always know the secrets of the homestead better than anyone else. In "American Horror Story: Murder House," those secrets span decades and for maid Moira O'Hara, comes from both a living and dead perspective. Like its name suggests, murder frequently occurs in this house and those unlucky enough to expire there are trapped as ghosts unable to ever leave. Moira O'Hara is such an example, having died violently during a rape misconstrued by a jealous wife as a sexual dalliance.
Housekeepers also might show different sides to different family members. Although Moira is no different, her manifestations are quite bizarre. Men see her as young and seductive as she was when she died. Women she her as if she had grown older. It is no wonder she is a walking contradiction: spiteful and murderous one moment, protective and kind the next. But we guess you can't explain the behavior of someone who for eternity will have to mop up this residence's constant bloody mess.
Rosario Salazar played by Shelly Morrison, "Will and Grace"
![memorable tv housekeepers, Rosario Salazar]()
Another Rosie on our list, though this one is not as caring and accommodating, even for a human. Most people are no match for "Will and Grace's" unbridled Karen, but Rosario is indeed and always proves an able sparing partner. Shelly Morrison was only supposed to play Rosario in one episode, but the audience responded to her so positively, she was brought back for the rest of the series' run. Like we said of our previous Rosie, good housekeepers are hard to find, of course, and when "Will and Grace" found their Rosie, they didn't let her go.
Berta played by Conchata Ferrell, "Two and a Half Men"
![memorable tv housekeepers, Berta]()
Cleaning up adult film studios or fraternity houses would leave one less to see than Berta has as "Two and a Half Men's" sturdy housekeeper. NSFW hijinks abounded in the home of Charlie Harper and then Walden Schmidt, and Berta was there to tidy up after all of it, transitioning from the employ of a moralless, jingle-writing Playboy to a horny tech billionaire without skipping a beat.
Stephanie Vanderkellan played by Julia Duffy, "Newhart"
![memorable tv housekeepers, Stephanie Vanderkellan]()
It is usually the well-off who can most afford a housekeeper. But what happens when that housekeeper comes from a family who is richer than everyone combined? She probably is pretty incompetent at her job, as Stephanie is on "Newhart."
Cut off financially by her tycoon father, Stephanie has found herself as a maid at the Stratford Inn, a bed-and-breakfast needing lots of dusting, serving, mopping, and making beds, all tasks she detests. Vain, spoiled, and prone to exasperated outbursts, her obvious unsuitability for this line of work makes her the perfect addition to the quirky Vermonters orbiting the hilarious "Newhart" universe and a clear audience favorite.
Alice played by Ann B. Davis, "The Brady Bunch"
![memorable tv housekeepers, alice]()
Though most of the men, women, ghosts, and robots mentioned here would all receive impeccable references by their respective employers, when it comes to housekeepers, no one compares to Alice. Calm, compassionate, with a wry sense of humor, Alice truly rounded out the Brady's already bulging octet into a solid noctet.
In addition to the cooking, laundry, shopping, and childcare, Alice was an eager participant for all the Brady action whether it be potato sack racing, downhill ski simulations, first aid training exercises, or Pilgrim documentary reenactments.
With a light touch, actress Ann B. Davis brought such heft to her role that it made the character a true television icon. Every viewer wanted Alice to run their own household and let her Very Brady spirit help guide the course of their daily lives.
Edna Garrett played by Charlotte Rhea, "Diff'rent Strokes"
If Mr. Drummond's money could buy anything, Mrs. Garrett is proof; a model of a housekeeper who could also shepherd three young kids through the minefield of childhood and the unique racism that faces a mixed-race, Park Ave., NYC family.
She may have been a bit frumpy for her tony address, particularly in the earliest seasons of "Diff'rent Strokes," but with grandmotherly love and devotion, Charlotte Rhea's Mrs. Garrett was able to shine alongside the megawatt superstardom of Gary Coleman.
Mrs. Garrett's appeal proved so great that she was handed her own spin-off, now taking care of a dormful of girls in "The Facts of Life." Eventually that would lead to her ascension to school dietician and finally proprietor of a gourmet food market and then tchotchke store. But we'll always remember Mrs. Garrett best as the Drummond's caring maid dispensing clean laundry and sage advice.
Florence Johnston played by Marla Gibbs, "The Jeffersons"
There is usually some deference paid to your employers, particularly in a domestic role. Florence Johnston will have none of that. Played by Marla Gibbs with apathetic feistiness, Florence is never one to pass up an opportunity to shirk her responsibilities or hurl insults at her volatile boss, George Jefferson.
The Jefferson's did have a dee-luxe apartment in the sky, but it wasn't very large. So why you would need a full time, live-in maid, let alone one that will make you answer your own door and goof on your small stature? But the Jefferson household wouldn't be the same without Florence, and George needed to be brought down a peg or two when wife Weezy's stern wisdom wasn't enough.
Tony Micelli played by Tony Danza, "Who's the Boss?"
The kitchen and laundry room is usually not the place for a macho, Italian ex-baseball player, but that was the role-reversing premise of "Who's the Boss?" Each week, the affable Tony Micelli ran
the Bower household while butting heads and hardening the romantic tension between him and matriarch, Angela Bower. Accepting this womanly role to give his daughter Samantha a better life, there was no chore Tony couldn't or wouldn't do, nor any problem he wouldn't or couldn't solve for the Bower family, making the bond between his and theirs an unbreakable one.
Rosie the Robot voiced by Jean Vander Pyl, "The Jetsons"
She may not have been mentioned in its infectious opening theme, but "The Jetsons'" housekeeper Rosie was certainly an integral part or their household. Unlike the other entries on our list, Rosie wasn't human. She was a robot, but embraced by the futuristic family as if she was their own flesh and blood.
As we all know, a good maid is hard to find, and although Rosie was a product of the outdated XB-500 series, the Jetsons refused to turn her in for a newer model. Her domestic skills and loyal service to the family made her the most dependable maid on wheels.
Lynn Belvedere played by Christopher Hewett, "Mr. Belvedere"
Like our ex-ballplayer, a male housekeeper leads this sitcom, but unlike Tony Micelli, he's a refined English gentleman who's found himself in Pittsburgh to care for an American family in "Mr. Belvedere." Cultures do clash, and Mr. Belvedere often finds himself trying to instill his high standards for manners and morals onto the skeptically unwilling Owens family. If TV has taught us anything, it's that England produces the highest quality of domestic, and Mr. Belvedere is no exception as he brings his British polish to the Rust Belt.
Moira O'Hara played by Frances Conroy and Alexandra Breckenridge, "American Horror Story: Murder House"
Housekeepers always know the secrets of the homestead better than anyone else. In "American Horror Story: Murder House," those secrets span decades and for maid Moira O'Hara, comes from both a living and dead perspective. Like its name suggests, murder frequently occurs in this house and those unlucky enough to expire there are trapped as ghosts unable to ever leave. Moira O'Hara is such an example, having died violently during a rape misconstrued by a jealous wife as a sexual dalliance.
Housekeepers also might show different sides to different family members. Although Moira is no different, her manifestations are quite bizarre. Men see her as young and seductive as she was when she died. Women she her as if she had grown older. It is no wonder she is a walking contradiction: spiteful and murderous one moment, protective and kind the next. But we guess you can't explain the behavior of someone who for eternity will have to mop up this residence's constant bloody mess.
Rosario Salazar played by Shelly Morrison, "Will and Grace"
Another Rosie on our list, though this one is not as caring and accommodating, even for a human. Most people are no match for "Will and Grace's" unbridled Karen, but Rosario is indeed and always proves an able sparing partner. Shelly Morrison was only supposed to play Rosario in one episode, but the audience responded to her so positively, she was brought back for the rest of the series' run. Like we said of our previous Rosie, good housekeepers are hard to find, of course, and when "Will and Grace" found their Rosie, they didn't let her go.
Berta played by Conchata Ferrell, "Two and a Half Men"
Cleaning up adult film studios or fraternity houses would leave one less to see than Berta has as "Two and a Half Men's" sturdy housekeeper. NSFW hijinks abounded in the home of Charlie Harper and then Walden Schmidt, and Berta was there to tidy up after all of it, transitioning from the employ of a moralless, jingle-writing Playboy to a horny tech billionaire without skipping a beat.
Stephanie Vanderkellan played by Julia Duffy, "Newhart"
It is usually the well-off who can most afford a housekeeper. But what happens when that housekeeper comes from a family who is richer than everyone combined? She probably is pretty incompetent at her job, as Stephanie is on "Newhart."
Cut off financially by her tycoon father, Stephanie has found herself as a maid at the Stratford Inn, a bed-and-breakfast needing lots of dusting, serving, mopping, and making beds, all tasks she detests. Vain, spoiled, and prone to exasperated outbursts, her obvious unsuitability for this line of work makes her the perfect addition to the quirky Vermonters orbiting the hilarious "Newhart" universe and a clear audience favorite.
Alice played by Ann B. Davis, "The Brady Bunch"
Though most of the men, women, ghosts, and robots mentioned here would all receive impeccable references by their respective employers, when it comes to housekeepers, no one compares to Alice. Calm, compassionate, with a wry sense of humor, Alice truly rounded out the Brady's already bulging octet into a solid noctet.
In addition to the cooking, laundry, shopping, and childcare, Alice was an eager participant for all the Brady action whether it be potato sack racing, downhill ski simulations, first aid training exercises, or Pilgrim documentary reenactments.
With a light touch, actress Ann B. Davis brought such heft to her role that it made the character a true television icon. Every viewer wanted Alice to run their own household and let her Very Brady spirit help guide the course of their daily lives.