History Main / DaddyDidntShow

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'', we learn in a flashback episode that Nicole is estranged from her parents, having moved out to be with Richard, [[DatingWhatDaddyHates who they disapprove of]]. In a later flashback, we see that her parents didn't come to her wedding with Richard, despite them having been invited. Nicole is hurt by this, but Richard reminds her that she has him. [[spoiler:It turns out in a later episode that they ''did'' try to go, they just got lost on the way.]]

* ''Literature/BootCamp'': Garrett's parents are both lawyers, but his dad works for someone else while his mom owns her firm. When Garrett lived at home, his dad would show up for school plays and band performances and his mom hardly ever would. After six months at Lake Harmony, when his parents are finally given the opportunity to visit him for the first time since he arrived, his dad shows up, but his mom is too busy with work.

* In ''Film/{{Heat}}'', the father of Natalie Portman's character was supposed to pick her up for the day but never came, which contributes to her attempted suicide.
* In ''Film/TrainToBusan'', the main character is a busy divorced father who lives with his mother and young daughter, who his mother mostly takes care of while he's at work. At the beginning of the movie, he missed his daughter's singing performance of "Aloha Oe" and sees in the video that his mother recorded that she stopped mid-song. When he asks his daughter about it, she gives him the cold shoulder and doesn't tell him, but she later tells him that she stopped because she realized her dad wasn't there.
* The film adaptation of ''Literature/TheSpiderwickChronicles'' has Jared continually think that his divorced father is going to come and see them in their new house, while in every phone call the father makes up an excuse as to why he has to quickly hang up while saying he'll tell Jared something important later. Later, during a lull in the final battle, his mother and older sister reveal that he ''won't'' be coming because he found another woman and has completely cut his old family out of his life. Turns into a SecretTestOfCharacter later on when his dad ''does'' show up... [[spoiler:but is actually the BigBad in disguise.]] Jared uses what his mom and sister told him to see if it's ''really'' his dad by asking what he wanted to tell him on the phone.

* In the ''Literature/{{Tempest}}'' series, Mark's parents have a long history of this. In first grade, they sent the nanny to parents' day. On his ninth birthday, they didn't come to his party. When he was eleven, they forgot to pick him up from summer camp. During his freshman year, his basketball team made the state championships and his parents didn't come to a single game.

* In ''Literature/FireAndHemlock'', the protagonist's parents don't show up for a play at school. The father is absent, and the mother considers the play in question too boring. [[spoiler:The grandmother is there. She is... a bit ashamed of her son.]]

* ''Strongly'' [[DefiedTrope defied]] in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' with Sam Vimes, who, despite slaving constantly to maintain order and prevent civil war in a chaotic city, reads the same ridiculous book to his one-year-old son every night at 6 o'clock. ''[[TheDeterminator No]]. Matter. [[GoodParents What]].'' Sam, an expert on human nature, reasons with himself that if he misses story time for a good reason, eventually he'll start missing it for ''bad'' reasons. So he doesn't miss it for anything. The one time he isn't capable of doing so, he's trapped in a cave several miles away, and Sam starts reciting the book so loudly that Young Sam can hear the echoes from where he is.

* In ''Literature/TheMissingPieceOfCharlieOReilly'', Charlie's dad misses his twelfth birthday because of a business trip.
* Benny from ''Literature/AlmostPerfect2014'' lives with his dad and his stepmom Sonya. He badly misses his self-absorbed mom, who is always missing their visits.

* A Spanish ad had a kid playing baseball ([[EaglelandOsmosis Not very common on Spain to begin with]], but this is supposed to be a play on American movies) and going "Gosh, why didn't my dad come, he won't see me bat!" Then Antonio Resines stands up and yells "Hey, kid, [[WhereDoYouThinkYouAre this is Spanish cinema]], of course your dad came!" [[SubvertedTrope and thusly the dad shows up]]. The ad is how Spanish movies are nothing like American ones.

* ''Series/MidomerMurders'': Tom Barnaby has a severe case of BusmansHoliday (apparently he spent his honeymoon working to catch a poisoner) and EurekaMoment (that causes him to drop whatever he's doing, usually a date with his wife, to get back to work). In one episode his (adult) daughter tries to spend the day with him, but he keeps getting called away by work. She doesn't actively resent him for it, but it does make for good CringeComedy (at one point he's attending the play she's in, only for work to call, so she comes onstage to see her father running for the exit).

-->-- '''"Daddy Wasn't There"''', from the ''[[Film/AustinPowers Austin Powers: Goldmember]]'' Soundtrack

* A variation with a single mother (instead of a father) happens in ''Manga/{{Change 123}}'': [[spoiler:Motoko's]] mom promises to 5-year old [[spoiler:Motoko]] that she will come to the sport event at kindergarten. But the morning of the day when this is supposed to happen, she suddenly tells [[spoiler:Motoko]] that she must go on an important business trip. What happens after this [[spoiler:actually creates Motoko's first SplitPersonality.]]

* This formed the center of the DramaBomb that dropped about halfway through ''LightNovel/{{Toradora}}.'' [[spoiler:Taiga]] was encouraged by [[spoiler:Ryuji]] to try and go along with a father's attempts to patch things up, despite ''everyone'', even Ryuji's ditzy mother, not trusting the man. Ultimately, in Episode 13, they proved correct when said father fails to arrive at the culture festival where [[spoiler:Taiga]] eagerly awaited him and held out hope that he'd show, going so far as to write words to dad in an award acceptance speech (and making the presenter perform the speech even after it was made clear that he wasn't showing up).

* Parodied and played to the hilt in ''Film/AustinPowersInGoldmember'', complete with song by Austin Powers and Ming Tea: "Daddy Wasn't There," quoted at the top of the page.

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* In ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'', Gru [[MissedTheRecital is late for his adopted daughters' dance recital]].

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' blows this up to absurdity with one tale of the HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood of [[MadScientist Dr. Doofenshmirtz]], as ''neither'' of his parents showed up for his birth. Cue CutawayGag of a very confused doctor holding the baby.

* In ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'', [[ComicBook/{{Cyborg}} Victor Stone/Cyborg]] was an [[AcademicAthlete academic football athlete]] before the accident that killed his mother Elinore and crippled him. He once scored an important victory for his team, Gotham City University, but he was disappointed that his father Silas didn't attend it unlike his very supportive mother, among other things that added onto his and [[{{Workaholic}} Silas']] strained relationship.

* On ''Series/GilmoreGirls,'' Christopher's track record isn't that great when it comes to staying involved in Rory's life. He always expresses an interest in maintaining a connection, then drops out of the picture just as quickly. This trope is discussed when Lorelai asks him to escort Rory at her debutante ball, and he promises he'll be there. Rory is shocked he agreed at all and they debate whether his 100% guarantee means a 50/50 chance or 60/40 chance he'll bail. It should be noted he is "out of town" for Rory's high school graduation, even though she graduated ''valedictorian.'' By the revival, they're estranged.