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Overprotective Dad is no longer a trope
* BoyfriendBlockingDad: Even after getting proof, time and again, that Tony is pretty much a boy scout, Michael still offers some stubborn resistance to letting Claire date him - even going so far as to drag Jay with him to turn their first date into a double date.
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* FreudianExcuse: When Michael and Jay were still in high school, she got pregnant with junior, they got married and had to put off whatever plans they had for after high school for several years. That experience made Michael an overbearing OverprotectiveDad towards Claire, and the only reason she's allowed to date is because Jay convinced him to. Even though her latest boyfriend, Tony, is more than happy to wait until marriage, which he understands and has clearly stated to be several years after high school, and even college, Michael would rather he stayed as far away as possible from Claire.
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* FreudianExcuse: When Michael and Jay were still in high school, she got pregnant with junior, they got married and had to put off whatever plans they had for after high school for several years. That experience made Michael an overbearing OverprotectiveDad BoyfriendBlockingDad towards Claire, and the only reason she's allowed to date is because Jay convinced him to. Even though her latest boyfriend, Tony, is more than happy to wait until marriage, which he understands and has clearly stated to be several years after high school, and even college, Michael would rather he stayed as far away as possible from Claire.
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* LaserGuidedKarma: Michael's OverprotectiveDad tendencies are so big it's very satisfying to see him getting out-gambitted by Claire and learning to trust her word about not having sex with her boyfriend.
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* LaserGuidedKarma: Michael's OverprotectiveDad BoyfriendBlockingDad tendencies are so big it's very satisfying to see him getting out-gambitted by Claire and learning to trust her word about not having sex with her boyfriend.
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* OverprotectiveDad: Even after getting proof, time and again, that Tony is pretty much a boy scout, Michael still offers some stubborn resistance to letting Claire date him - even going so far as to drag Jay with him to turn their first date into a double date.
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* {{Flanderization}}: Tony was initially just a NiceGuy boyfriend of Claire's, that in his early appearances got a bit rude when Michael's OverprotectiveDad tendencies got a little too far. Then he got a bit more subdued and even nicer, until he becomes a holier-than-thou Christian evangelist, and pretty condescending to Claire and Michael when they do or say things that doen't agree with his beliefs.
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* {{Flanderization}}: Tony was initially just a NiceGuy boyfriend of Claire's, that in his early appearances got a bit rude when Michael's OverprotectiveDad BoyfriendBlockingDad tendencies got a little too far. Then he got a bit more subdued and even nicer, until he becomes a holier-than-thou Christian evangelist, and pretty condescending to Claire and Michael when they do or say things that doen't agree with his beliefs.
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Slapstick Knows No Gender is a redirect
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* SlapstickKnowsNoGender: The show seems to really enjoy kicking her around a lot.
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* ChildProdigy: He had accomplished attending and graduating from Harvard University by age 7.
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* ChildProdigy: He had accomplished attending and graduating from Harvard University by age 7. He also learned Bach at the age of ''2'' and is considered smart enough to teach classes at the college level.
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* NamesToTrustImmediately: His real name is Honest Tony Jeffers and he is a sensitive, deeply religious boy.
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** In "The Whole World Is Watching", Jay and Michael have sex in Junior's room and Michael is more bothered by the fact they were caught on webcam than the fact they disrespected the sanctity of their son's room. Fast-forward to the season three episode "Jr.'s Risky Business" and Michael immediately throws Junior out of the house after catching him and his girlfriend Vanessa in Michael and Jay's bed. Jay herself even points out Michael's hypocrisy.
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The oldest son and the dumbest in the family.
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The oldest son eldest child and the dumbest in the family.
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The patriarch of the Kyle family. Despite his snarky and carefree personality, he's far from being a DotingParent (except to [[TheBabyOfTheBunch Kady]]), and has a quite unique yet strict parenting style. His favorite way to punish his children is... [[TheTrickster trolling them]].
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Michael's wife, more reasonable than her husband, yet flawed in her own way.
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The oldest son and the dumbest in the family.
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The middle child and typical BrattyTeenageDaughter. She's also a klutz.
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The precocious youngest daughter and Michael's favorite.
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Kady's smart playmate who is in love with her.
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Claire's religious boyfriend in later seasons.
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Junior's eventual wife and mother of Junior, Jr.
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* FreudianExcuse: When Michael and Jay were still in high school, she got pregnant with junior, they got married and had to put off whatever plans they had for after high school for several years. That experience made Michael an overbearing OverprotectiveDad towards Claire, and the only reason she's allowed to date is because Jay convinced him to. Even though her latest boyfriend, Tony, is more than happy to wait until marriage, which he understands and has clearly stated to be several years after high school, and even college, Michael would rather he stayed as far away as possible from Claire.
* {{Hypocrite}}:
** Michael saying he won't punish Junior for getting a tattoo, then kicking him out of the house when he finds out Junior drank all the milk, and again when Jay points out that her husband has an earring that his own father didn't exactly approve of.
** In the episode "Road Trip," Michael berates the family for breaking one of his rules of the car by switching seats, despite the fact that ''he'' broke one earlier in the episode when he [[DisproportionateRetribution threw Claire's phone out the window.]]
** Michael saying he won't punish Junior for getting a tattoo, then kicking him out of the house when he finds out Junior drank all the milk, and again when Jay points out that her husband has an earring that his own father didn't exactly approve of.
** In the episode "Road Trip," Michael berates the family for breaking one of his rules of the car by switching seats, despite the fact that ''he'' broke one earlier in the episode when he [[DisproportionateRetribution threw Claire's phone out the window.]]
* LaserGuidedKarma: Michael's OverprotectiveDad tendencies are so big it's very satisfying to see him getting out-gambitted by Claire and learning to trust her word about not having sex with her boyfriend.
* OverprotectiveDad: Even after getting proof, time and again, that Tony is pretty much a boy scout, Michael still offers some stubborn resistance to letting Claire date him - even going so far as to drag Jay with him to turn their first date into a double date.
* PrematurelyBald: It's mentioned a couple of times that Michael began losing his hair in his 20s. Same also for Damon Wayans.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Several examples.
** Jay taking offense to Michael calling their therapist, openly stating they only call him when she has a problem with Michael. When Michael decides that since he pays for the therapist, they're seeing a different one; Jay gets upset & immediately starts complaining when the new therapist takes Michael's side instead of hers, Eventually, they find an impartial therapist.
** In a later season, Jay decides that all the couples should play a game where they have to answer personal questions about their partner to see how well they know one another. All the men get their questions wrong, and after the women storm off the men realize that the women had yet to answer any questions, so they convince them to return so they can answer the men's questions. When they do, all the women get their answers wrong and forgive their partners for getting their questions wrong... except Jay, who refuses to forgive Michael for getting his question wrong even when she got hers wrong.
** In the last episode, "The "V" Story", Jay expects Michael to go and get a vasectomy because she's really that paranoid and petty about not having anymore children, so much so that she kicks him out of his own bedroom just because Michael doesn't want anyone else touching his reproductive system, but when he suggests that she get her tubes tied, Jay cannot be bothered to do the same thing.
** Jay taking offense to Michael calling their therapist, openly stating they only call him when she has a problem with Michael. When Michael decides that since he pays for the therapist, they're seeing a different one; Jay gets upset & immediately starts complaining when the new therapist takes Michael's side instead of hers, Eventually, they find an impartial therapist.
** In a later season, Jay decides that all the couples should play a game where they have to answer personal questions about their partner to see how well they know one another. All the men get their questions wrong, and after the women storm off the men realize that the women had yet to answer any questions, so they convince them to return so they can answer the men's questions. When they do, all the women get their answers wrong and forgive their partners for getting their questions wrong... except Jay, who refuses to forgive Michael for getting his question wrong even when she got hers wrong.
** In the last episode, "The "V" Story", Jay expects Michael to go and get a vasectomy because she's really that paranoid and petty about not having anymore children, so much so that she kicks him out of his own bedroom just because Michael doesn't want anyone else touching his reproductive system, but when he suggests that she get her tubes tied, Jay cannot be bothered to do the same thing.
* TooDumbToLive: Junior has a standout moment in "Outbreak Monkey". While all other members of the family come down with flu through the usual means (Jay being patient zero, and Michael avoiding it like the plague it is [[spoiler:until the end]]), Junior is the only one who actually infects himself ''voluntarily'' (if obliviously): he explains to Michael he had made a "study" on how the flu enters people's bodies, and demonstrates with a trashcan full of Jay's discarded tissues, which he proceeds to ''rub on himself'' while explaining how the virus could "hypothetically" enter his body.
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* BrattyHalfPint: She can be a mischievous brat, especially in the final seasons.
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* BrattyHalfPint: She can be a mischievous brat, especially in the final seasons. She grows older and more clever, she starts showing signs of being a ManipulativeBastard, just like her dad.
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-> '''Portrayed by:''' [[Creator/TheWayansFamily Damon Wayans]]
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-> '''Portrayed by:''' [[Creator/TheWayansFamily Damon Wayans]]
Creator/DamonWayans
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* SlapstickKnowsNoGender: The show seems to really enjoy kicking her around a lot.
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* TookALevelInJerkass: She goes from a sweet AdorablyPrecociousChild to a sneaky BrattyHalfPint in later seasons.
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* ChildishOlderSibling: Despite being the oldest brother, he's an idiotic and immature underachiever who can't do anything right, for the most part. His younger sister Claire is clumsy but BookSmart, and his other younger sister Kady is a precocious LittleMissSnarker.
* DisappointingOlderSibling: To Claire, who considers him an idiot and they often have petty arguments. Their father Michael seems to agree with Claire's opinion about Junior's lack of intelligence.
* DisappointingOlderSibling: To Claire, who considers him an idiot and they often have petty arguments. Their father Michael seems to agree with Claire's opinion about Junior's lack of intelligence.
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* CatchPhrase: Jay had "What kind of foolishness...?" whenever someone did something stupid.
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* CatchPhrase: Jay had has "What kind of foolishness...?" whenever someone did does something stupid.
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[[quoteright:189:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/michael_kyle.jpg]]
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* TheGadfly: He likes to trick and make fun of his wife and kids, ''especially'' Junior, often for the fun of it.
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[[quoteright:205:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jay_kyle.jpg]]
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[[quoteright:194:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/junior_kyle.jpg]]
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[[quoteright:187:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/claire_kyle.jpg]]
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[[quoteright:184:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kady_kyle.jpg]]
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[[quoteright:180:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/franklin_1.jpg]]
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* BreakoutCharacter: Starts off as a friend of Kady, but eventually becomes TheLancer to Michael.
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* CousinOliver: A precocious child character, introduced later in the show, who becomes a spotlight stealer.
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* CompetitionFreak: She was once her school's star soccer goalie who got thrown off the team because someone else wanted a turn. She insisted on winning every competition since.
* TheUnfavorite: Especially to Michael, who looks down on him and openly considers him an idiot, although he cares for him like the rest of the family.
* BookSmart: Despite being a ditz, she gets very good grades, and she prides herself on being smarter than Junior because of this. But when it comes to common sense, she's only ''slightly'' smarter than him.
* DatingWhatDaddyHates: Claire stops dating someone because her father loves him. The person in question is a strict Christian who believes in waiting until marriage for sex. Even though she likes him, she wants to irritate her father, so she starts dating a rough gang banger.
* LovableAlphaBitch: She's pretty, popular, vain, and can be a brat, but is never a bad person. She actually loves her family, but she doesn't like to show it.
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* TookALevelInDumbass: She was smart and level-headed in the first season, when played by Jazz Raycole. After the actress change...not so much.
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* TookALevelInDumbass: She was smart and level-headed in the first season, when played by Jazz Raycole. After the actress change... not so much.
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* InnocentProdigy: He is a genius, outsmarting pretty much the entire cast. But at the "where do babies come from" department, he still believes that pregnancy comes from plant seeds. Justified, since he was purposefully left out of Sex Ed classes.
* PromotionToOpeningTitles: A recurring character in season 3, part of the main cast in season 4 and 5.
* PromotionToOpeningTitles: A recurring character in season 3, part of the main cast in season 4 and 5.
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* PromotionToOpeningTitles: A recurring character in season 3, part of the main cast in season 4 and 5.
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* Flanderization: Tony was initially just a NiceGuy boyfriend of Claire's, that in his early appearances got a bit rude when Michael's OverprotectiveDad tendencies got a little too far. Then he got a bit more subdued and even nicer, until he becomes a holier-than-thou Christian evangelist, and pretty condescending to Claire and Michael when they do or say things that doen't agree with his beliefs.
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* Flanderization: {{Flanderization}}: Tony was initially just a NiceGuy boyfriend of Claire's, that in his early appearances got a bit rude when Michael's OverprotectiveDad tendencies got a little too far. Then he got a bit more subdued and even nicer, until he becomes a holier-than-thou Christian evangelist, and pretty condescending to Claire and Michael when they do or say things that doen't agree with his beliefs.
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With the way it's written, it comes off more as flanderization given that it seems like his religious tendencies become exentuated as the show progressed.
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* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Tony was initially just a NiceGuy boyfriend of Claire's, that in his early appearances got a bit rude when Michael's OverprotectiveDad tendencies got a little too far. Then he got a bit more subdued and even nicer, until he becomes a holier-than-thou Christian evangelist, and pretty condescending to Claire and Michael when they do or say things that doen't agree with his beliefs.
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* Flanderization: Tony was initially just a NiceGuy boyfriend of Claire's, that in his early appearances got a bit rude when Michael's OverprotectiveDad tendencies got a little too far. Then he got a bit more subdued and even nicer, until he becomes a holier-than-thou Christian evangelist, and pretty condescending to Claire and Michael when they do or say things that doen't agree with his beliefs.
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-> '''Portrayed by:''' Noah Gray-Cabey
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-> '''Portrayed by:''' Noah Gray-Cabey
Creator/NoahGrayCabey
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* HartmanHips: Her cartoon version has a very huge butt.
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-> '''Portrayed by:''' Tisha Campbell-Martin
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-> '''Portrayed by:''' Tisha Campbell-Martin
Creator/TishaCampbell
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!Michael Richard Kyle, Sr.
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Damon Wayans
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Damon Wayans
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[[folder: Michael Richard Kyle,
-> '''Portrayed by:''' [[Creator/TheWayansFamily Damon
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!Janet Marie "Jay" Thomas-Kyle
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[[folder: Janet Marie "Jay"
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!Michael Richard "Junior" Kyle Jr.
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[[folder: Michael Richard "Junior" Kyle Jr.]]
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!Claire Marie Kyle
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[[folder: Claire Marie
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!Kady Kyle
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[[folder: Kady Kyle]]
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!Franklin Aloysius Mumford
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[[folder: Franklin Aloysius
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!Tony Jeffers
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[[folder: Tony Jeffers]]
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!Vanessa Scott-Kyle
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[[folder: Vanessa Scott-Kyle]]
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* TeenPregnancy: She and Junior become teenage parents.
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* TeenPregnancy: She and Junior become teenage parents.parents.
[[/folder]]
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-> '''Portrayed by:''' Meagan Good (season 3), Brooklyn Sudano (seasons 4–5)
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-> '''Portrayed by:''' Meagan Good (season 3), Brooklyn Sudano Creator/BrooklynSudano (seasons 4–5)
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* NeverMyFault: Despite being saner than her husband, their are times when she will not admit she's in the wrong. When Michael wants to go to a therapist, she flat out tells him that they only go to therapy when 'she' has a problem with 'him'. It's also implied that she only goes to therapy to be told that she is right and Michael is wrong rather than get real help, as when it became apparent that the therapist Michael chose over their normal one [[note]] who he feared would just take Jay's side as always [[/note]] was not going to automatically side with her, she stormed out of the office.
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* GirlyBruiser: Can break the nose of her brother's bully with a punch.
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* AlliterativeName: '''K'''ady '''K'''yle.
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* ButtMonkey: His stupidity makes him the butt all of the jokes and his father always makes fun of him.
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* ButtMonkey: His stupidity makes him the butt of all of the jokes and his father always makes fun of him.
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!Michael Richard Kyle, Sr.
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Damon Wayans
* AbusiveParents: He loves his children, but he is not above insulting them, making fun of them (especially Junior), giving them harsh punishments as DisproportionateRetribution to prove a point or just for his own amusement.
* BenevolentBoss: Michael is friends with the workers at his shipping company at treats them kindly, but still reminds them that he's the boss.
* CatchPhrase: Michael had "Ehhhh... No." whenever someone made an idiotic suggestion and he felt like giving them false hope, and a Running Gag was Michael dragging out the "Ehhhh..." part or coming with increasingly creative ways to drop the phrase. Eventually adopted by the rest of the cast.
* DeadpanSnarker: One of the most sarcastic fathers ever.
* HappilyMarried: He and Jay love each other a lot.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: It's clear that Michael truly does care for his family, despite his Jerkass behavior.
* ManipulativeBastard: Michael forced Junior to live in the garage for around about two seasons, as he had kicked Junior out of the house. By the time he was allowed to move back in, Michael had converted his son's room into his own play area and didn't want to give it up. Eventually, Junior was joined by his wife and son in "The Remodel", which led to him asking Michael if they could convert the garage into an apartment. An entire episode was spent doing that, after which Michael tells Junior he can move back into the house purely so he can take the remodeled garage for himself. And everyone else just went along with this.
* ParentalFavoritism: He is much nicer to Kady than he is towards Junior or Claire.
* SoreLoser: In "Of Breasts and Basketball", after losing a basketball game to Junior, Michael starts making excuses as to why he lost, e.g. claiming Junior was showboating and being derisive to him the whole time, and went as far as to punish Junior for beating him. Then, Junior soundly beats Michael again at a rematch, with Michael having to do Junior's chores.
* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: The way he picks on his own children is PlayedForLaughs.
!Janet Marie "Jay" Thomas-Kyle
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Tisha Campbell-Martin
* BigEater: Jay's gluttony is a running gag.
* CatchPhrase: Jay had "What kind of foolishness...?" whenever someone did something stupid.
* CuteButCacophonic: Jay has an... interesting laugh.
* HappilyMarried: She and Michael love each other a lot.
* JerkassBall: While not as frequently cruel, sometimes she can be as callous as Michael.
* SheCleansUpNicely: After her Season 2 makeover.
* SmallNameBigEgo: Jay is convinced that she's a lot smarter and more attractive than she really is.
* TeenPregnancy: Jay was pregnant with Junior during her senior year of High School.
* {{Tsundere}}: To Michael, a rare case considering she's, well, married.
!Michael Richard "Junior" Kyle Jr.
-> '''Portrayed by:''' George O. Gore II
* BigBrotherInstinct: One episode featured Junior befriending a group of jerkasses who take advantage of him and pick on him. Because they're cool, Junior refuses to stand up to them...until they started hitting on his younger sister.
* BookDumb: In the first season, when he was an underachiever at school but not particularly stupid otherwise. From season 2 onwards, he becomes TheDitz.
* ButtMonkey: His stupidity makes him the butt all of the jokes and his father always makes fun of him.
* DumbassTeenageSon: He even once forgot how to spell his own name.
* {{Flanderization}}: His stupidity. He goes from BookDumb in season 1 to a complete moron in later seasons.
* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: He is a horrible student (Foolish), while Claire gets good grades (Responsible).
* GeniusDitz: He has shown himself to be quite bright when the chips call for it, and he's a very talented portrait artist and cartoonist. Also, it's hinted that his flash cartoon parodying his own family might become a hit.
* {{Malaproper}}: He occasionally mispronounces words.
* TookALevelInDumbass: Flanderized to where even his little sister has to help him with his homework. Little sister is about ten years younger than him. In later seasons, he's more or less at extreme levels of stupidity, although an episode focuses on the idea that Junior's son is a trigger for otherwise unseen levels of intelligence.
!Claire Marie Kyle
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Jazz Raycole (season 1), Jennifer Freeman (seasons 2–5)
* BrainlessBeauty: After the first season, she is played by a more conventionally attractive actress but she also becomes much ditzier.
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: She is selfish, vain, boy-crazy, and always complaining about her parents.
* ButtMonkey: Second only to Junior. She is very clumsy and occasionally picked on by her father. A running gag involves her falling down stairs.
* CuteClumsyGirl: Really emphasized in the home movie episode where she destroys the tape of her getting hurt, declares it's the last time they'll ever see it... and then trips as she storms upstairs.
* DitzyGenius: She is TheDitz, TheKlutz, and inept at almost everything (singing, cooking, cheerleading etc.) She is also inexplicably an A student, probably just to have a book smart sibling in contrast to Junior's BookDumb.
* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Being Junior's sister, she is the Responsible by default. She would be the Foolish in any other show.
* LethalChef: One episode has Franklin trying to help improve her cooking... and it doesn't quite pan out.
* TookALevelInDumbass: She was smart and level-headed in the first season, when played by Jazz Raycole. After the actress change...not so much.
!Kady Kyle
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Parker Mckenna Posey
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: In later seasons, she becomes annoying to Claire.
* TheBabyOfTheBunch: Originally the youngest member of the family.
* BrattyHalfPint: She can be a mischievous brat, especially in the final seasons.
* DaddysGirl: It's revealed Michael's ParentalFavoritism for Kady was because she has always preferred Jay to him, ever since the day she was born where she would cry whenever he went near her, and so he has been trying to win his daughter's affection literally since she was born.
* DeliberatelyCuteChild: She sometimes takes advantage of her cuteness to get away with some sort of action.
* LittleMissSnarker: She tends to be very sassy with her boyfriend.
!Franklin Aloysius Mumford
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Noah Gray-Cabey
* TheAce: A genius who also has many talents in various areas.
* BlackAndNerdy: Black and a nerdy genius, although he's not socially awkward.
* CatchPhrase: Franklin (and later, Michael) had the habit of making a particularly bad joke and then following it up with "Any-who...", with a slight elongating of the "any" much in the way of "ehhh.....no".
* ChildProdigy: He had accomplished attending and graduating from Harvard University by age 7.
* SpotlightStealingSquad: The later seasons can be called "The Michael and Franklin show".
!Tony Jeffers
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Andrew Mcfarlane
* TheAce: He saved children from a burning orphanage after his first date with Claire.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Tony was initially just a NiceGuy boyfriend of Claire's, that in his early appearances got a bit rude when Michael's OverprotectiveDad tendencies got a little too far. Then he got a bit more subdued and even nicer, until he becomes a holier-than-thou Christian evangelist, and pretty condescending to Claire and Michael when they do or say things that doen't agree with his beliefs.
* TheDitz: Occasionally shown to be very dimwitted.
* TheFundamentalist: Tony often sought ways to prove his devotion to purity and to God using extreme measures.
!Vanessa Scott-Kyle
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Meagan Good (season 3), Brooklyn Sudano (seasons 4–5)
* ParentingTheHusband: Implied with Vanessa and Junior.
--> '''Jay''': You're going to make a great mommy.
--> '''Vanessa''': I get a lot of practice with Junior.
* TeenPregnancy: She and Junior become teenage parents.
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Damon Wayans
* AbusiveParents: He loves his children, but he is not above insulting them, making fun of them (especially Junior), giving them harsh punishments as DisproportionateRetribution to prove a point or just for his own amusement.
* BenevolentBoss: Michael is friends with the workers at his shipping company at treats them kindly, but still reminds them that he's the boss.
* CatchPhrase: Michael had "Ehhhh... No." whenever someone made an idiotic suggestion and he felt like giving them false hope, and a Running Gag was Michael dragging out the "Ehhhh..." part or coming with increasingly creative ways to drop the phrase. Eventually adopted by the rest of the cast.
* DeadpanSnarker: One of the most sarcastic fathers ever.
* HappilyMarried: He and Jay love each other a lot.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: It's clear that Michael truly does care for his family, despite his Jerkass behavior.
* ManipulativeBastard: Michael forced Junior to live in the garage for around about two seasons, as he had kicked Junior out of the house. By the time he was allowed to move back in, Michael had converted his son's room into his own play area and didn't want to give it up. Eventually, Junior was joined by his wife and son in "The Remodel", which led to him asking Michael if they could convert the garage into an apartment. An entire episode was spent doing that, after which Michael tells Junior he can move back into the house purely so he can take the remodeled garage for himself. And everyone else just went along with this.
* ParentalFavoritism: He is much nicer to Kady than he is towards Junior or Claire.
* SoreLoser: In "Of Breasts and Basketball", after losing a basketball game to Junior, Michael starts making excuses as to why he lost, e.g. claiming Junior was showboating and being derisive to him the whole time, and went as far as to punish Junior for beating him. Then, Junior soundly beats Michael again at a rematch, with Michael having to do Junior's chores.
* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist: The way he picks on his own children is PlayedForLaughs.
!Janet Marie "Jay" Thomas-Kyle
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Tisha Campbell-Martin
* BigEater: Jay's gluttony is a running gag.
* CatchPhrase: Jay had "What kind of foolishness...?" whenever someone did something stupid.
* CuteButCacophonic: Jay has an... interesting laugh.
* HappilyMarried: She and Michael love each other a lot.
* JerkassBall: While not as frequently cruel, sometimes she can be as callous as Michael.
* SheCleansUpNicely: After her Season 2 makeover.
* SmallNameBigEgo: Jay is convinced that she's a lot smarter and more attractive than she really is.
* TeenPregnancy: Jay was pregnant with Junior during her senior year of High School.
* {{Tsundere}}: To Michael, a rare case considering she's, well, married.
!Michael Richard "Junior" Kyle Jr.
-> '''Portrayed by:''' George O. Gore II
* BigBrotherInstinct: One episode featured Junior befriending a group of jerkasses who take advantage of him and pick on him. Because they're cool, Junior refuses to stand up to them...until they started hitting on his younger sister.
* BookDumb: In the first season, when he was an underachiever at school but not particularly stupid otherwise. From season 2 onwards, he becomes TheDitz.
* ButtMonkey: His stupidity makes him the butt all of the jokes and his father always makes fun of him.
* DumbassTeenageSon: He even once forgot how to spell his own name.
* {{Flanderization}}: His stupidity. He goes from BookDumb in season 1 to a complete moron in later seasons.
* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: He is a horrible student (Foolish), while Claire gets good grades (Responsible).
* GeniusDitz: He has shown himself to be quite bright when the chips call for it, and he's a very talented portrait artist and cartoonist. Also, it's hinted that his flash cartoon parodying his own family might become a hit.
* {{Malaproper}}: He occasionally mispronounces words.
* TookALevelInDumbass: Flanderized to where even his little sister has to help him with his homework. Little sister is about ten years younger than him. In later seasons, he's more or less at extreme levels of stupidity, although an episode focuses on the idea that Junior's son is a trigger for otherwise unseen levels of intelligence.
!Claire Marie Kyle
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Jazz Raycole (season 1), Jennifer Freeman (seasons 2–5)
* BrainlessBeauty: After the first season, she is played by a more conventionally attractive actress but she also becomes much ditzier.
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: She is selfish, vain, boy-crazy, and always complaining about her parents.
* ButtMonkey: Second only to Junior. She is very clumsy and occasionally picked on by her father. A running gag involves her falling down stairs.
* CuteClumsyGirl: Really emphasized in the home movie episode where she destroys the tape of her getting hurt, declares it's the last time they'll ever see it... and then trips as she storms upstairs.
* DitzyGenius: She is TheDitz, TheKlutz, and inept at almost everything (singing, cooking, cheerleading etc.) She is also inexplicably an A student, probably just to have a book smart sibling in contrast to Junior's BookDumb.
* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Being Junior's sister, she is the Responsible by default. She would be the Foolish in any other show.
* LethalChef: One episode has Franklin trying to help improve her cooking... and it doesn't quite pan out.
* TookALevelInDumbass: She was smart and level-headed in the first season, when played by Jazz Raycole. After the actress change...not so much.
!Kady Kyle
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Parker Mckenna Posey
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: In later seasons, she becomes annoying to Claire.
* TheBabyOfTheBunch: Originally the youngest member of the family.
* BrattyHalfPint: She can be a mischievous brat, especially in the final seasons.
* DaddysGirl: It's revealed Michael's ParentalFavoritism for Kady was because she has always preferred Jay to him, ever since the day she was born where she would cry whenever he went near her, and so he has been trying to win his daughter's affection literally since she was born.
* DeliberatelyCuteChild: She sometimes takes advantage of her cuteness to get away with some sort of action.
* LittleMissSnarker: She tends to be very sassy with her boyfriend.
!Franklin Aloysius Mumford
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Noah Gray-Cabey
* TheAce: A genius who also has many talents in various areas.
* BlackAndNerdy: Black and a nerdy genius, although he's not socially awkward.
* CatchPhrase: Franklin (and later, Michael) had the habit of making a particularly bad joke and then following it up with "Any-who...", with a slight elongating of the "any" much in the way of "ehhh.....no".
* ChildProdigy: He had accomplished attending and graduating from Harvard University by age 7.
* SpotlightStealingSquad: The later seasons can be called "The Michael and Franklin show".
!Tony Jeffers
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Andrew Mcfarlane
* TheAce: He saved children from a burning orphanage after his first date with Claire.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Tony was initially just a NiceGuy boyfriend of Claire's, that in his early appearances got a bit rude when Michael's OverprotectiveDad tendencies got a little too far. Then he got a bit more subdued and even nicer, until he becomes a holier-than-thou Christian evangelist, and pretty condescending to Claire and Michael when they do or say things that doen't agree with his beliefs.
* TheDitz: Occasionally shown to be very dimwitted.
* TheFundamentalist: Tony often sought ways to prove his devotion to purity and to God using extreme measures.
!Vanessa Scott-Kyle
-> '''Portrayed by:''' Meagan Good (season 3), Brooklyn Sudano (seasons 4–5)
* ParentingTheHusband: Implied with Vanessa and Junior.
--> '''Jay''': You're going to make a great mommy.
--> '''Vanessa''': I get a lot of practice with Junior.
* TeenPregnancy: She and Junior become teenage parents.
