The Ten Greatest Television Romances of All Time – Listverse
Television novels have captivated audiences since the 1950s, when the popularity of televisions skyrocketed. From soap operas to sitcoms and everything in between, audiences love nothing more than true love. In some cases, televised weddings – like real royal weddings – have had record viewerships.
Be it science fiction, hospital dramas or cop shows, romance inevitably becomes one of the crucial themes of almost every TV show. Some romances take years to develop, while others happen overnight. While many of these romances have ended in death, divorce, or a kidnapped child, we’re here to focus on the positive. With this we present the ten greatest TV romances of all time.
Related: Top 10 couples who met their fate together
10 Sun & Jin: Lost
Lost is considered one of the best TV series of the 21st century, with a long list of awards and praise to its name. One of the many themes in this series is of course love. Intimacy and sexual tension play a major role in this Lost. Although there are love triangles and uncertainty among some characters, the romance between Jin and Sun only grows stronger.
This mind-bending series tells its story through flashbacks, flash-forwards and unique flash sideways, as viewers experience a timeline that could or could have happened. Fans learn that Jin, the son of a poor fisherman, had to gain the respect of Sun’s father, an influential businessman with strong ties to organized crime. Their marriage is going through hard times, and when they leave Sydney for LA, Sun is about to leave Jin. She changes her mind at the last minute, and their lives change forever as they board their flight.
Through unspeakable misfortunes, the two lovers cross time and space to be together. Although their lives are tragically cut short, their romance is legendary.[1]
9 Lucy & Ricky: I love Lucy
One of the most popular TV shows of all time, I love Lucy, is little more than the true love story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as depicted in a sitcom. As the Ricardos, Lucy and Ricky rent an apartment in New York City from their best friends, the Mertzes. Invariably, Lucy and Ethel Mertz come up with a plan that confuses Ricky. These plans often center on her jealousy of her husband’s success as a bandleader. Lucy longs for the spotlight as much as Ricky, but her attempts usually result in a hijinx, which TV fans love.
For six seasons and 181 episodes, Lucy and Ricky warmed our hearts with their love for each other, and their pregnancy marked the first example of an openly pregnant woman on TV. In fact, the show is known for many TV firsts, such as being the first scripted television program to be filmed on 35mm film in front of a studio audience.[2]
8 Cory & Topanga: Boy meets world
“We all watched Cory and Topanga grow up and share so many firsts. The smart girl and the class clown managed to be the childhood TV couple we aspired to be. Over the course of seven seasons, viewers watched the two go from strangers to best friends and from dating to marriage. They face the same trials and tribulations that all couples face, and they do it with style and grace. In the final season of Boy meets world, the couple breaks off their engagement for several episodes. When they reconcile, they go to counseling together and put their lifelong love for each other to work.
Fifteen years later, their love story continued Girl meets world, where they moved to New York City and had a daughter named Riley, a student in Cory’s high school class (he is now the teacher), and Topanga is a prominent lawyer. The evolution and growth of their relationship is unlike most in TV history, as they were children to begin with and fully actualized adults when they eventually left us.[3]
7 Randall & Beth: This is us
This is us was one of the most heartwarming and tear-jerking series ever. It chronicles the lives of the Pearson family, a seemingly average family living an extraordinary life. In the early 1980s, Jack and Rebecca Pearson were pregnant with triplets. Tragically, one of the babies was stillborn. Miraculously, an orphan abandoned at a fire station ended up in the paternity unit with the surviving Pearson twins at the same time. Jack and Rebecca adopted the child and named him Randall. The Pearsons are white, except for Randall, who is black, which makes for an interesting childhood.
The story is told with flashbacks and flashforwards. Randall grows up and meets Rebecca in college. They fall in love and get married. They have two daughters and care for a third. They are both brilliant and passionate, determined to live their best lives no matter how many setbacks they encounter. In a series full of couples, Randall and Rebecca are the best because more often than not they make us laugh instead of cry.[4]
6 Pam & Jim: The office
The office is not only one of the most famous comedies of all time, but it also marked the beginning of a whole new style of comedy television shows: the mockumentary sitcom. “Jim and Pam’s relationship captured the attention of the documentary crew from the very beginning, as their constant banter and quick conversations indicated that they both had deeper feelings for each other.”
Initially just friends with the same sense of humor, their relationship evolved over nearly a decade into one of the most beautiful (and hilarious) romances TV viewers have ever seen. While Pam is initially in a relationship with someone else, she eventually leaves him because she deserves better than her fiancé. Although they still face obstacles along the way, their feelings for each other are never in doubt.[5]
5 Edith & Archie: All in the family
Archie Bunker is the quintessential cheapskate; he doesn’t like anyone. He subscribes to every stereotype about anyone who is different from him in any way, and is easily offended by any slight against “his kind.” “It’s true that opposites attract, with Archie and kind-hearted Edith keeping him grounded.” Everything in the family ran for nine seasons and ended with perhaps the saddest death in TV history; Edith eventually died. Archie continued in a spin-off, Archie Bunkersplaatsfor four more seasons.
The intro to the original show was the happy couple sitting at a piano bench singing the theme song in a hilariously bad collaboration. Over the years, Archie and Edith’s bickering became more than just a little endearing. When she died, millions of viewers cried as if she were their own family member. The show is considered by many to be the best sitcom of all time, and so was one of its spin-offs The Jeffersons. George and Louise Jefferson are not on our list, but they do get an honorable mention.[6]
4 Uncle Phil and Aunt Vivian: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Although this sitcom focused on Will Smith’s character, The fresh prince of Bel-AirPhil and Viv’s relationship “teaches viewers about everything from class, race and other real-world issues, while showcasing their love in every episode.” The show lasted six seasons with 148 episodes, during which time it was one of the most popular shows on the air.
In fact, it was so popular that it launched Will Smith’s acting career and spawned a current reboot series. However, the reboot is a drama, not a comedy. Phil and Vivian’s love even survived a personnel change. Midway through the series, Janet Hubert was replaced for the role by Daphne Maxwell Reid. Despite obstacles both on and off camera, these two are an example of what real couples should strive for.[7]
3 Eleanor & Chidi: The good place
This love story transcends life and death itself. This series spends four seasons exploring the afterlife, and if there’s one thing we learn from it, it’s that these two are soulmates. We realize that when they meet on Earth after surviving a near-life experience, they may not end up together, but they meet and fall in love as the truest versions of themselves. “What Eleanor and Chidi represent is not a frustratingly unlikely attraction of opposites, but the true power of a connection that is not about sparks or lightning bolts, but about growth and maturity and the fundamental belief that a person can change if they really want to. .”
The right place is a cult classic, and although it is a comedy, it ends on a very somber note. The show explores the human condition through philosophy and self-reflection, promoting the idea of balance throughout the universe. Chidi and Eleanor overcome cosmic obstacles to be together. Once they do, they can spend lifetimes together.[8]
2 Riker & Troi: Star Trek: The Next Generation & Picard
From the very first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the attraction between Commander William T. Riker and Advisor Diana Troi is clear. Over the course of seven seasons, they become more than lovers or friends. They become family and their love for each other is undeniable. However, when the show ends, they are not romantically involved. The season finale hints at Troi becoming involved with Lt. in the future. Worf. The series was followed by four films, the last of which was mentioned Nemesis.
Nemesis opens with a surprise (for the viewers): Riker and Troi’s wedding. Their relationship plays a crucial role in that final film, and as confirmed by the season one finale Star Trek: Lower Decksthey spend the next chapter of their lives together on the USS Titan, led by current Captain Riker.
About twenty years later we discover that they had two children together. The eldest, a son named Thadeous, died of a rare blood disease. While the couple only appears briefly in season one of Picard, they play a crucial role in season three. This couple treats each other as equals in every situation, making them one of the best TV couples ever.[9]
1 Kermit & Piggy: The Muppet Show & Muppet Babies
Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy first appeared on The Muppet Show in 1976. The show ran for five seasons with 120 episodes, dozens of guest stars, and the first ever pig-frog romance. The show was followed by thirteen films and an animated prequel spin-off. Over the years, Kermit and Piggy have faced some of the most bizarre obstacles any couple has ever faced. The weirdo Gonzo constantly tries to win Piggy’s affection, Kermit’s commitments to his friends Fozzy and Rolph, in an attempt to find hidden pirate treasure, and the list goes on.
The happy couple was married for a while, but eventually they couldn’t make it work and got divorced. The two still work together and are good friends. The couple’s relationship started when they were just babies. There was always a mutual fascination, and thankfully, as adult muppets, they seem to have stopped aging. Maybe one day this frog and the pig will reunite; either way, it’s the greatest TV romance ever.[10]