Top 30 Greatest TV Couples of the Century (So Far)

#30: Sheldon Cooper & Amy Farrah Fowler

“The Big Bang Theory” (2007-19)

When we first met Sheldon, the prospects of him entering a romantic relationship seemed as likely as detecting a magnetic monopole. But then again, we hadn’t yet met Amy Farrah Fowler. Throughout their courtship, Amy understood how to meet Sheldon where he was while also finding unique ways to draw him out and help him discover new dimensions to his own universe. Sheldon, in turn, slowly learned that loving someone meant making room for another person’s needs. And while Leonard and Penny were the obvious traditional sitcom couple, Shamy became the more interesting emotional engine. They were weird together, but they were also weirdly perfect.

#29: Shane Hollander & Ilya Rozanov

“Heated Rivalry” (2025-)

Shane and Ilya have the kind of chemistry that could probably fog up the penalty box. Their secret relationship is hot, heavy, and undeniably intense, but these are two competitive athletes who have spent years protecting themselves, their careers, and their images. Around each other, though, those defenses start slipping. The stolen moments become less about physical attraction and more about finally having somewhere to be honest. You can feel how badly they want each other, but also how frightening it is to need someone this much. For all the heat between them, it’s their vulnerability that really keeps you watching and rooting for them.

#28: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones

“Riverdale” (2017-23)

When it began airing in 2017, people weren’t sure what to expect from “Riverdale”, the show that planned to take a dark look at the world of the Archie comics. But it became a classic guilty pleasure among teens and adults alike, creating several great relationships that have been tested throughout the seasons. While we absolutely love Toni and Cheryl together, you can’t argue that the primary couple that fans root for is Betty and Jughead. Betty is a good girl and Jughead is a troubled writer from the wrong part of town, and the inevitable tension between them led to the two actors who play them to become a couple in real life as well.

#27: Stiles Stilinski & Lydia Martin

“Teen Wolf” (2011-17)

Stiles spent years carrying a torch for Lydia, long before she was ready to see him as anything more than the funny, frantic guy. That made their arc all the more satisfying. Lydia discovered the person behind the sarcasm: fiercely loyal, brave, and there when things went sideways. Stiles, meanwhile, learned to see Lydia as more than the untouchable girl he had built up in his head. By the time they found their way to each other, it felt less like a twist and more like years of everything clicking into place. It is the kind of payoff that makes the buildup feel all the richer.

#26: Janine Teagues & Gregory Eddie

“Abbott Elementary” (2021-)

This is the kind of duo that had us yelling at our screens for seasons. You can see them trying so hard to act normal around each other when, actually, they naturally gravitate toward each other. Janine’s optimistic, sometimes wilder energy plays so well against Gregory’s more reserved, practical personality, and yet, they’re a perfect match. What we love most is that the show lets them actually become friends first. By the time the romance finally starts taking shape, you’re not just rooting for them to get together. You’re rooting for two people who genuinely make each other’s lives better to finally realize it themselves.

#25: Joanne Williams & Noah Roklov

“Nobody Wants This” (2024-)

Here we have the messy, unpredictable friction of a romance that, on paper, should never work. And yet we all want this. She is a cynical, sharp-edged sex podcast host; he is a warm, deeply grounded rabbi navigating high-stakes community expectations. Their instant attraction feels delightfully inconvenient, pulling them into a magnetic push-pull dynamic where ordinary conversations feel electric. We also love how they try to make their differences work rather than overwrite them. How can you not root for two people whose magnetic, unexpected collision forces them both to completely rethink what they want out of life? Come on, who doesn’t want this relationship to work?

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#24: Charlie Spring & Nick Nelson

“Heartstopper” (2022-26)

Now this is a couple that is ridiculously easy to cheer for. There’s something about watching Charlie, who’s used to feeling like an outsider, meet someone who genuinely sees him and cares about him. And then there’s Nick, slowly figuring himself out while falling for Charlie along the way. Their relationship has plenty of difficult moments, but it never loses that sweetness that made fans fall for them in the first place. You’re watching two teenagers figure out love, friendship, identity, and all the terrifying feelings that come with it, and it feels incredibly relatable. Even when things get complicated, you’re always hoping they’ll find their way back to each other.

#23: Jane Villanueva & Rafael Solano

“Jane the Virgin” (2014-19)

This is a romance that understood the rules of the telenovela genre and then played with them beautifully. The premise of “Jane the Virgin” is that a young woman is accidentally artificially inseminated, resulting in her becoming pregnant even though she’s never had sex. While she’s in a relationship at the time, she ends up entangled with the baby’s father, Rafael. Throughout the show’s run, it’s a classic love triangle with fans being split over whether Jane should end up with Michael or Mateo’s father. In the end, though, it became clear that Jafeal was end game, and we wouldn’t have had it any other way.

#22: Leo Fitz & Jemma Simmons

“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2013-20)

If any couple deserved a break, it’s this one. These two went through so much that watching them find happiness eventually felt like a personal victory for everyone watching. They started as inseparable friends and science partners, which made their eventual romance feel incredibly earned. Then came the separation, sacrifice, heartbreak, and enough emotional trauma to fill several other shows. Yet their love never stopped feeling like the one constant they could hold on to. No matter what the series threw at them, they kept choosing each other. That’s why their story stuck with fans. After everything they survived, seeing FitzSimmons finally get moments of happiness felt incredibly special.

#21: Eleanor Shellstrop & Chidi Anagonye

“The Good Place” (2016-20)

This is a couple that thrives on the idea that people can become better together. Eleanor and Chidi begin as an unlikely pairing in every possible sense. She’s impulsive, messy, and allergic to self-reflection. He’s thoughtful, anxious, and so committed to moral philosophy that he can barely make a decision without considering every angle. But that mismatch is exactly what gives their romance so much life. Over time, each one helps the other grow in ways that feel real. The show uses their relationship to explore ethics, identity, and the value of kindness, which is impressive for a sitcom to pull off and still be incredibly funny.

#20: Frank & Bill

“The Last of Us” (2023-)

Even with limited screen time, Bill and Frank delivered one of the most affecting love stories on television. Their relationship gripped our hearts because it refused to treat tenderness as weakness, even in a world that has completely collapsed. Bill starts out defensive, isolated, and convinced he can survive alone. Frank enters that life like a disruption, but also like a gift. What follows is intimate, mature, and devastatingly human. They showed how a TV romance doesn’t need years and years of episodes to leave a mark. It just needs truth, care, and an emotional center. It was proof that love can exist even in the darkest moments.

#19: Nick Miller & Jess Day

“New Girl” (2011-18)

The “will they won’t they” couple has become a mainstay of TV tropes, and yet somehow it doesn’t get old. One of the more recent versions is Nick and Jess from “New Girl,” who started off as friends but eventually progressed to be much more, despite their incompatibilities. They’re a sweet and realistic couple with undeniable chemistry that kept us watching season after season. While it seemed like these two may never make things official, they finally did in the last season in the most adorable way possible. And while we loved these two, the show also featured another much-loved pair: Schmidt and Cece.

#18: Seth Cohen & Summer Roberts

“The O.C.” (2003-07)

This early 2000s teen drama became a fan favorite soon after its release, and viewers had two couples to choose from. Marissa and Ryan may have been the more dramatic pair in Orange County, but Seth and Summer were far more lovable. In this classic tale of opposites attracting, popular girl Summer falls for comic book nerd Seth. Their banter and bickering made them feel like a very real couple and endeared them to fans who could relate. They also had one of those rare TV love stories where both people become better versions of themselves without losing what made them fun in the first place.

#17: Alec Lightwood & Magnus Bane

“Shadowhunters” (2016-19)

The 2010s welcomed a rise in relationship representation, with more and more LGBTQIA+ love stories finally getting the attention they deserved. One of the best examples comes from “Shadowhunters” with Alec and Magnus. Alec’s journey toward self-acceptance made his relationship with Magnus especially important, because it wasn’t just about romance. It was about finding a place where he could be fully himself. Magnus, meanwhile, is the kind of character who can make centuries of experience look effortless, and his spark with Alec made the pair even more magnetic. Seeing the two get married in the series finale of the show was exactly what we needed for this happily ever after.

#16: David Rose & Patrick Brewer

“Schitt’s Creek” (2015-20)

Watching David realize that Patrick actually likes him exactly as he is will never get old. David spends so much of his life carefully guarded, so seeing him become comfortable with someone who makes him feel safe is genuinely lovely. Patrick is patient without being patronizing, supportive without being boring, and well-equipped to handle David’s particular brand of drama. And the best part is that they showed relationships could be fun and interesting without heaping on the melodrama. They communicate, they make each other laugh, and they show up for one another. After years of turbulent TV couples, David and Patrick became such a breath of fresh air.

#15: Eric & Tami Taylor

“Friday Night Lights” (2006-11)

According to Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler, who play Tami and Eric Taylor respectively on the show, the reason their relationship always seemed so strong was because from the beginning, the producers told them that they would never break up. This strength is displayed from the show’s pilot until the finale, with these two facing countless obstacles together while still remaining true to one another. Even being in different cities couldn’t tear them apart. It was refreshing to see an older couple play such a significant role on a show like this and it gave viewers hope that you can still be passionately in love even many years in.

#14: Killian Jones / Captain Hook & Emma Swan

“Once Upon a Time” (2011-18)

“Once Upon a Time” has offered up a full slate of couples for us to choose from, but the story of Killian and Emma has to be our favorite from this fantastical fairy tale world. Known affectionately by fans as “Captain Swan”, these two had to face many trials before they could get to “happily ever after”, but in the end their love prevailed. In fact, no number of alternate realms or dark magic could ultimately keep them apart. Clearly, this is the love story that mattered most to viewers, because the final shots of the series finale focus on Emma, Killian and their young daughter as the picture perfect happy family.

#13: Jack Shephard & Kate Austen

“Lost” (2004-10)

When you’re stuck on an island together, the pickings are slim. Nevertheless, many romances managed to bloom throughout this series, but none was more beloved by fans than the one between Jack and Kate. They had a classic will they or won’t they dynamic for much of the show’s run, leaving viewers wondering until the final episode whether they would actually end up together. Like everyone on the island, they went through many difficult times together, saving each other’s lives over and over again in the process. When all was said and done, not even death could keep them apart.

#12: Marshall Eriksen & Lily Aldrin

“How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)

The focus of “How I Met Your Mother” may be Ted’s quest to find the women who will eventually become his wife, but the romantic mainstay is the relationship between his friends Marshall and Lily. After meeting on their first day in college, they’ve been together for a decade when viewers first meet them. Though the beginning of the series focuses on the problems they have and even shows them having a pretty serious breakup, no one had any doubt they would be together in the end. They perfectly exemplify what it’s like to be best friends and partners, sharing in lots of hilarious antics alongside more serious and poignant plot lines.

#11: Lord Anthony Bridgerton & Kate Sharma

“Bridgerton” (2020-)

For two people insisting they cannot stand each other, the way they look at each other is kinda hilarious. Their conversations always feel like they could turn into an argument or a kiss, and the fun is watching two people who genuinely challenge each other try to resist the pull. Watching that resistance crumble is satisfying because by the time they give in, the tension has built up so much that the audience is practically burning up. It’s hard not to talk about them alongside Penelope and Colin, because “Bridgerton” is a factory for swoony pairings. But Anthony and Kate stand out for how intensely they push and pull before finally giving in.

#10: Ben Wyatt & Leslie Knope

“Parks and Recreation” (2009-15)

First there was “The Office”’s Pam and Jim and then came their spiritual successors, Leslie and Ben. These two weren’t supposed to date because they worked together, but nothing ever could have gotten in their way. While many of the other couples on our list dealt with frequent life or death situations in the dramatic worlds their romances were set in, this love story is a sweet and simple one. In the first couple of seasons, we couldn’t have imagined the perfect match for the overly enthusiastic Leslie Knope, but when Ben came onto the scene, we all of a sudden couldn’t picture her with anyone else.

#9: Pacey Witter & Joey Potter

“Dawson's Creek” (1998-2003)

This is one case where the nice guy doesn’t get the girl - and we’re totally okay with it. Dawson may be the eponymous protagonist of the show, but the relationship that fans shipped was between his friends Pacey and Joey. While there were definitely moments where it seemed like Pacey might pick Dawson, Pacey’s wit, insecurity, and surprising depth made him a far more compelling romantic partner for Joey than the audience may have expected at first. Leading up to the series finale, it still wasn’t a done deal, but luckily the show’s creators made the right choice by keeping them together.

#8: Nathan Scott & Haley James

“One Tree Hill” (2003-12)

In a show full of dramatic twists, Nathan and Haley stayed one of the most reliable emotional constants. Their relationship began in a way many viewers never saw coming, but it quickly grew into the core of “One Tree Hill.” These two have been through pretty much everything together, from car crashes, to kidnappings, to school shootings. Their popular guy/nerdy girl dynamic was charming and relatable and created legions of fans among viewers. Even after the show’s controversial time jump, their roles as parents made them just as inspirational as ever. They made us believe that high school romances can sometimes turn into happily ever afters.

#7: Damon Salvatore & Elena Gilbert

“The Vampire Diaries” (2009-17)

Vampire romance never really gets old, and the series that arguably defined the 2010s was “The Vampire Diaries”: Elena Gilbert had to decide between two brothers, who just so happened to be vampires. Much of the series was spent with the three in a classic love triangle, but it soon became clear where Elena’s true affections lay. Fans weren’t sure what would happen with these two, considering Elena spent much of the end of the series in a coma, but viewers eventually saw her and Damon living out their lives together, even if it wasn’t exactly in the most conventional way.

#6: Amy Santiago & Jake Peralta

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (2013-21)

Sometimes the best romantic stories are the ones that are the most realistic. Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago are fellow detectives at the 99th precinct in Brooklyn and when we met them, it was hard to imagine romance in their future. Jake is the classic class clown who can’t take anything seriously, and Amy is his straight-laced try-hard counterpart. But in a classic example of opposites attracting, these two proved to have incredible chemistry, playing off one another perfectly episode after episode until it became clear that their antagonism had something more bubbling under the surface.

#5: Claire & Jamie Fraser

“Outlander” (2014-26)

Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” novel series was hugely popular for years before it was adapted into a TV series, gaining a whole new following. Considering how steamy the books are, it comes as no surprise that the show has received a reputation for scenes that would make anyone blush. At the center of it all are time traveller Claire Randall and Highlander Jamie Fraser, a mismatched couple whose love story takes our breath away time and time again. Despite every force conspiring to keep them apart, their story ends the only way it ever could: with them together.

#4: Chuck Bass & Blair Waldorf

“Gossip Girl” (2007-12)

In the “Gossip Girl” books, Chuck’s character was vastly different than the charming and sexy cad he plays in the TV series. While the book series focused on the relationship between Blair and Nate, the show put her with bad boy Chuck, which created an explosive dynamic that fans loved. They understood each other in a way no one else did. The Upper East Side just wouldn’t be the same without the tumultuous and steamy pair that these two made. Their hookups are initially steamy but superficial. By the end of the series, however, it’s clear that what they have is very real.

#3: Jack & Rebecca Pearson

“This Is Us” (2016-22)

One of the biggest surprises on TV in the later 2010s has to be the NBC drama “This Is Us”. No show is more of a tearjerker, and one of the biggest reasons it pulls at our heartstrings is because of the beautiful love story between Jack and Rebecca. Their story powerfully captured decades of enduring love, sacrifice, and everyday connection. We knew from early on that their tale would be a tragic one, but even after we found out exactly what happened to Jack all those years ago, we remained glued to our screens watching this couple in flashbacks at various points in their relationship.

#2: Luke Danes & Lorelai Gilmore

“Gilmore Girls” (2000-07)

After four seasons of buildup and sexual tension, these two finally got together. From the very beginning, it was clear that there was something more than an employee/customer relationship between Luke and Lorelai, but the creators dragged their storyline out, making fans desperate for their first kiss by the time it happened. Rory and her second boyfriend Jess are another beloved couple from this series, but since they didn’t actually end up together, they’re giving their spot to Luke and Lorelai. After Netflix’s 2016 revival, this couple has finally tied the knot and is ready for their happily ever after.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Brennan & Booth, “Bones” (2005-17)

Relentless Slow-Burn Partners Balancing Fierce Scientific Logic With Profound, Protective Devotion

Ian Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, “Shameless” (2011-21)

A Fierce, Chaotic, Enduring Bond Overcoming Trauma & Prejudice To Choose Each Other

Michael Vaughn & Sydney Bristow, “Alias” (2001-06)

High-Stakes Espionage Partners Whose Ultimate Undercover Mission Was Finding a Lifelong, Unbreakable Love.

Glenn Rhee & Maggie Greene, “The Walking Dead” (2010-22)

A Beacon of Pure, Unwavering Humanity, Hope & Loyalty Amidst Apocalyptic Horror

Mitchell Pritchett & Cameron Tucker, “Modern Family” (2009-20)

Hilariously Contrasting Personalities Whose Deep Devotion, Humor & Family-First Loyalty Anchor Them

#1: Meredith Grey & Derek Shepherd

“Grey's Anatomy” (2005-)

Starting the series with immediate sexual tension, Meredith and Derek sleep together the night before she begins working at Seattle Grace - unbeknownst to both of them. After a rocky start where these two both dated other people and hooked up and broke up with regularity, they finally settled down during the fifth season of the show. Throughout the many seasons of “Grey’s,” Meredith and Derek were the one constant that remained the same. If you stuck with the show beyond Season 11, you know that sadly, there’s no happy ending here. MerDer practically trademarked McDreamy goals, setting an impossibly high bar that every TV drama has been trying to clear ever since.

Who is your ultimate TV couple ship? Let us know in the comments