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Miss Piggy and Kermit – The Muppet Show
A mark of a true romance is that the couple are closer than anyone else in the world. As Emily Brontë said, “whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” This is true for Miss Piggy and Kermit. They’ve had a longer relationship than most TV couples (since 1976), although it has been tumultuous. No matter what universe, from Dickensian London to Treasure Island to their various TV shows and movies over the years, they find each other – even after their official separation in 2015. Did Ross ever say to Rachel: “You don’t need the whole world to love you, you just need one person”? I don’t think so. Michelle, 19, Manchester
Mulder and Scully – The X-Files
I watched The X-Files avidly as a teenager. Although I loved the smart, creepy stories, it was the development of the characters that had me hooked. These were two investigators that broke the TV gender mould: Dana Scully as grounded, scientific and sceptical and Fox Mulder as intuitive believer on a quest for the elusive truth. The onscreen chemistry of Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny was – and still is – incredible to watch. The show’s creators teased fans for years and denied that it was anything more than a friendship but when they finally got together, we Shippers (fans who wanted a romance) were stoked. Natalie, London
Rob and Sharon – Catastrophe
The plot (and indeed the title) of Catastrophe suggests that the unconventional start of their relationship would lead to disaster, but all I’ve seen so far is a bunch of conversations and honesty about all things, including sex, that we all wished we had in our relationships. Instead of a destructive thought leading to destructive action, it’s all aired in the open and instantly brings them closer. It helps that they’re both insanely charismatic! Anna, 42, London
Sam Tyler and Annie Cartwright – Life on Mars
My favourite TV romance is Sam Tyler and Annie Cartwright in the time-travelling police drama Life on Mars. Sam has an accident in 2006 and wakes up in 1973. The subplot of the show follows his attempts to get back home but we gradually see his resolve tested by his feelings for the kindly WPC Annie. It’s genuinely moving and builds up to a hugely tense final episode, the ultimate “will they or won’t they?” Tom Whelan, South Shields
Homer and Marge Simpson – The Simpsons
No mawkishness; just a solid, fundamental love for each other. Add in plenty of bite, patience (not just from Marge!), respect, tenderness, good humour, honesty and strength brought to all of life’s trials and tribulations – including being kidnapped by aliens – and there you go. The perfect TV, and frankly, real-life couple. Michael, Bristol
Tim and Dawn – The Office
It’s just so real. Secret longing, circumstances getting in the way and then the joy of her returning at the Christmas party. It made me cry the first time I saw her open Tim’s gift, and I smile when I see it on repeat. They were just so normal and it was so pleasing to see it come together. The Office was a masterpiece and this continuing storyline ended it beautifully. Tony Murphy, 54, Congresbury, Somerset
Sophie and Al – Stath Lets Flats
Al and Sophie from Stath Lets Flats still bring a lump to my throat when I watch them. He nervously declares his love for her outside a downstairs loo. He says he doesn’t really have any characteristics as a person – he’s just a person who loves her. She reminds him of his fondness for spicy food and, mid-jumping for joy, asks if it’s OK if she loves him too. Quite how you write and cast as flawlessly as this, I can’t begin to fathom. I suppose it helps a little if one of the actors is your sister? Al and Sophie are simultaneously ridiculous yet utterly believable, beautiful souls. I hope it’s OK if I love them too. Wendy Kirkby, 52, Conwy, Wales
Kirk and Spock – Star Trek: The Original Series
If the Guardian’s list can include JD and Turk, then it must include Kirk and Spock from Star Trek. Kirk and Spock’s friendship is legendary because the affection, devotion and connection between them is so powerful it has its own word. “T’hy’la” is a Vulcan term coined by creator Gene Roddenberry in the novelisation of Star Trek: The Motion Picture that means “friend, brother, and lover”. Kirk and Spock are all of these things to each other. Moreover, fans have been envisioning a romantic relationship between them since Amok Time, the iconic opening episode of season two, where Spock undergoes mating urges that mysteriously disappear after rolling around in the sands of Vulcan with his captain. The people (mostly women) who began writing Star Trek fanfiction after that essentially created fandom as we know it. Kirk/Spock is more than a couple on a ship. It’s a legacy! Ollie Glessner, 35, Colorado, USA
Gavin and Stacey – Gavin and Stacey
Gavin and Stacey start out fancying each other, which grows into a real and long lasting love, despite their goofy families. They accept each other’s friends as they are. It is nice to see two people being brave enough to be vulnerable. Neither want the upper hand; they just want each other. I still have Stacey’s voice in my head saying: “Gavinnnnnn”. Sadiye, 57, London
Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov – Heated Rivalry
Maybe it’s recency bias, but Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov absolutely take the cake for me. Heated Rivalry is steamy, yes, but entirely earnest in its depiction of these two men so palpably yearning for one another even as they lie naked in bed together. The social constructs and professional expectations that Ilya and Shane experience create a perfect forbidden love. The romance is elevated by the extraordinary chemistry between the two leads and production that makes up in sincerity and care what it lacks in budget. Moreover, its cultural impact has been incredible for the queer community as well as the worlds of sport and media. Beth Anthony, 27, Norfolk
Willow and Tara – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
I can’t express how important this couple was to me growing up. It was the first time I had seen two women represented in mainstream media as being in a loving and romantic relationship. From moving a vending machine all the way up to some distinctly steamy levitation, their relationship had me hooked. I knew I loved them well before I knew that I loved like them. They showed me that it was possible and OK to exist in a queer space. Besides that, they were beautiful women who were adorable together. Ruby Grant, 38, York
Fleabag and Hot Priest – Fleabag
The love story between Fleabag and the Hot Priest is brief yet unforgettable. Both are damaged: he wrestles with alcoholism and the demands of his Catholic calling, while she masks grief and guilt with brittle wit. Despite his faith and her atheism, they fall deeply in love, bound by rare emotional honesty. Their connection strips away irony and self-defence, exposing raw vulnerability. But it cannot last. Her whispered “It’s God, isn’t it?” and his gentle, heart-breaking reply, “It’ll pass,” capture the tragedy of choosing faith over love, even as they quietly heal one another. Coral Ash, Buckinghamshire
Chidi and Eleanor – The Good Place
My favourite TV couple. They are so oppositional, both witty in different ways, and yet amazing together. I’ve never rooted for a fictional couple so hard. James Gosnell, 57, Seattle, USA
Cathy and Michael – Mum
The most touching, real television romance is between Cathy and Michael in Stefan Golaszewski’s Mum. There is the ache of Michael’s love for Cathy against our understanding of Cathy’s feelings. Not only is she dealing with widowhood, but she is the person upon whom her family leans, in fact, puts upon. Michael sees all this. He waits. Oh my word, the silences … the weight of knowing. What beautiful writing and outstanding performances from Lesley Manville and Peter Mullan. It’s domestic, “real life”, sure and pitch perfect. Bronnie Mayho, Hertfordshire
Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard – Our Flag Means Death
My favourite TV couple is Stede Bonnet and Ed/Blackbeard in Our Flag Means Death. They’re both so different, yet complement each other. Their relationship is messy, but they realise that they’re happier with each other than without and put in the work to be together. Best of all, they portray queer love and joy in a way that uplifts viewers. There is importance in talking about emotions and personal struggles instead of trying to “man up” and power through, and accepting people for who they are. Whenever I’m sad about all of the anti-LGBTQ+ hatred in my country, I watch an episode or two to remind myself that David Jenkins gave us something beautiful, respectful and loving, even if it was only for two seasons. Sylvia Rowe, 58, Jackson, Tennessee, USA
Jerry and Margo Leadbetter – The Good Life
One of the most quietly perfect marriages on British television is Jerry and Margo Leadbetter from The Good Life. Their relationship is built on rhythm, contrast and razor-sharp comic timing. What makes them so compelling is that Margo is the dominant force in the marriage. She is socially ambitious, impeccably turned out, proud of her status, and certain that standards must be maintained. In another show, that might make her unlikable. But Margo is written and played with such conviction that she becomes magnificent. Her control isn’t rooted in cruelty; it’s rooted in anxiety about slipping down the social ladder. Her obsession with appearances, dinner parties and proper behaviour is her armour. Jerry, meanwhile, is gloriously unthreatened by her strength. He’s mild, affable, occasionally pompous in a small way, but fundamentally good-natured. Rather than competing with Margo, he cushions her. That dynamic – strong female lead, compliant but not spineless husband – was particularly refreshing for 1970s television. Mark Hardy, Leamington Spa
