With any good television show comes an inevitable, totally shipped couple that defines what it means to be #relationshipgoals. Something about immersing ourselves into all aspects of their relationship makes it feel so real. None of their relationships ever are perfect, but some of them come damn close, were everything we wanted and then some.
Though we don’t want to admit it, sometimes we get a little too emotionally invested in these couples, but we can’t help it! There’s a certain feeling you can only get from watching the couple you ship fall for one another, get married and eventually have babies. TBH, sometimes that feels nicer than watching it happen to people you know IRL.
Our favorite TV shows wouldn’t be the same without these uplifting romances, and if we’re being honest — they were more than half the reason we loved these shows so much. Prepare to get all heart-eyes-emoji with us, and take a look at some of our favorite couples from the small screen.
1. April and Andy on Parks and Recreation
April and Andy are the equivalent of having a big, happy golden retriever and an angry cat find themselves in a loving relationship that somehow works out despite their huge differences. Andy makes serious, stone-faced April laugh with ease — that alone could qualify him to be her idea of marriage material. On the other hand, she brings keeps him grounded and down to earth, so that these two strange, sarcastic, and silly lovebirds even each other out.
2. Chandler and Monica on Friends
Sure, Ross and Rachel may have been the ultimate will-they/won’t-they couple of the early 2000s, but there was something about Chandler and Monica’s love that made the show worth watching. Whether it was at the start of their relationship when they were trying to convince Phoebe nothing was going on (an iconic ep), that tearful proposal, or later on in the series when they were going through the adoption process with Anna Farris‘ character — their love always stood the test of time and promised to be better than any other couple on the series. Sorry, R-squared, but the constant roller-coaster ride of your partnership was too much to handle.
3. Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Will Smith might have been the star of the show, but Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv (no matter which actress was playing her) gave us a vision of romance and ridiculous moments. Considering what craziness ensued in the Banks family, these heads of the household fought back twice as hard to maintain order. Handling the Fresh Prince is hard enough, not to mention raising a house full of children, but these two were more than cool parents, they were a total power couple. Viv is a professor with a doctoral degree and used to be a doctor, and Phil graduated from Princeton and Harvard Law to become a lawyer-turned-judge. Um, these two are basically just life goals.
4. Lucy and Ricky on I Love Lucy
Some would argue that this was the first power couple we ever saw in the media, and to be honest, I can’t argue with those people. No compilation of best TV couples would be complete without Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. Played by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the two were actually married IRL which brought a certain authenticity to the show and their relationship that we couldn’t help but notice.
Plus, when Lucy-on-the-show told Ricky she was pregnant, it was because Lucille-in-real-life was pregnant, too! This couple was hilarious. No one could have kept up with Lucy and her over-the-top antics quite like Ricky did and they’ve been defining #relationshipgoals since 1951.
5. Jesse and Becky on Full House
Have mercy! We thought that we couldn’t love Uncle Jesse more than we already did when this series first started in 1987, but then he fell in love with Aunt Becky and somehow he wedged himself even deeper into our hearts. Giving us a more realistic example of relationships and marriage while also casually living in a house with the coolest family ever, Jesse and Becky always worked out their problems and continued to make their relationship happier and stronger every day.
Even after getting married and having two children, these two never lost the fire or magic that kept their love alive. Can these two adopt us?
6. Luke and Lorelai on Gilmore Girls
No one could decide if Rory Gilmore was meant to be with Logan, Jess or Dean but everyone always knew that Lorelai Glmore and Luke Danes were the ultimate OTP. Sure, Christopher gave it a good try — but Lorelai’s soulmate was obviously the person who had an endless supply of coffee and junk food at the ready.
7. Seth and Summer on The O.C.
Seth and Summer are easily one of TV’s best couples, although on paper the couple seems like an unlikely match. Adam Brody plays Seth, a nerd who ~happens to be~ devilishly handsome. He’s been crushing on Summer, played by Rachel Bilson, a peppy and popular girl for as long as he can remember.
Eventually, Summer develops feelings for Seth too, and after some casual not-dating, the two make the relationship official to give us complete couple envy. They bicker, they fight, they break up and make up, but there’s something about the fact that they would do literally anything for one another that makes us have so much faith in what they have. Remember when Summer dressed up as Wonder Woman? That’s when we knew…
8. Finn and Rachel on Glee
For a show that did musical covers of artists like Madonna and Katy Perry, a serious relationship might almost seem out of place. But Rachel and Finn were everything to us and shared much more than a sweet and shallow high school romance. It was made better by Lea Michele and Cory Monteith dating IRL, though that made it all the more heartbreaking when Cory died in 2013 and subsequently, his character, Finn passed on as well. One of the most emotional episodes of all time, it’s one that also will not soon be forgotten.
9. Cory and Topanga on Boy Meets World
Most of us probably didn’t find true love in middle school, but that didn’t mean that all ’90s tweens weren’t swooning over Cory and Topanga’s fateful romance. As if they weren’t cute enough on the original run of Boy Meets World, they both came back to us in the Disney Channel spin-off, Girl Meets World where we see that the married couple had two adorable children.
You know what? I don’t even care if this is fiction, Cory and Topanga give me hope that real, unshakable love is out there for all of us.
10. Meredith and Derek on Grey’s Anatomy
Meredith and Derek have been through a lot together — including, but not limited to, a shooting at the hospital, a drowning, a plane crash, and an estranged wife re-entering the picture. Yet, somehow, the two thrived through it all. We won’t talk about the eventual heartache that ensued (in fact, let’s just pretend it never happened) but like — let’s just say this is a romance for the books, no matter how it ends.
11. Lena and Stef on The Fosters
Quite possibly the only rock-solid couple TV has ever seen, that’s not to say that Lena and Stef didn’t have their relationship ups and downs. Even so, they somehow worked through raising five children — a mix of biological, adopted and foster kids — and even struggled together through the death of Lena’s biological baby with a sperm donor, Timothy. They saw one another through personal injury and emotional turmoil. Despite their hardships, they always came out stronger than ever and showed audiences what ~true love~ is all about.
12. Hanna and Caleb on Pretty Little Liars
THESE TWO. Ezria was cute and all, but there was something about the whole Ezra-dating-Aria-when-he-was-her-high-school-English-teacher thing that we just couldn’t get over. Yes, it was in the name of true love but like… it’s just a tad bit creepy. Meanwhile, we had this gem of a couple on the side who proved each and every time that they’d be there for each other NMW. Haleb was the ultimate PLL couple and everybody knows it.
13. Morticia and Gomez on The Addams Family
For two incredibly ~quirky~ souls, Morticia and Gomez have one of the healthiest, happiest relationships to ever be shown on TV. Yes, I’m talking about the heads of the dark, spooked The Addams Family household — where there is not a lick of color in sight, and electrocution is as common amongst children as a board game.
Gomez is one of the most romantic men on television, never forgetting to remember how incredible his wife is, and never failing to tell her that. Their relationship is a good time, laid-back, and full of adventure.
14. Kurt and Blaine on Glee
Nothing like first love, right? Played by Chris Colfer and Darren Criss, Kurt and Blaine were some of the sweetest high school sweethearts on television — both at the time that the show aired and beyond. We loved these two more than most other couples on Glee, which made them breaking up when Kurt moved to New York with Rachel after graduation even more painful.
But, after the two spent some much-needed and bittersweet time apart, they came to realize what we knew all along: they were destined to be together. Whatever is meant to be will be.
15. Zack and Kelly on Saved By The Bell
The popular cheerleader and the main man on campus — both of which are gorgeous — make for a perfect on-screen high school romance. Cliche? Absolutely. But, that doesn’t make us love this old-school couple any less. Zack and Kel fed our craving for that classic, fictitious young love that would result in an unbelievable happy ending. Because if we can’t get that in real life, we might as well get it from a television show, right? As predictable as this couple was, every once in a while they’d give us a good twist that kept us watching.
16. Tami and Eric on Friday Night Lights
Texas is home to big hair, big football fans, and big love, AKA Tami and Eric Taylor. Raising their daughter through her troubling teenage years, and then welcoming another daughter when their first was practically grown, these two were model parents and ultimate couple goals. They supported one another’s career goals (though sometimes it took a little bit of convincing) and were willing to sacrifice for the relationship — which is what all good partnerships are all about.
17. Mitch and Cam on Modern Family
How can you not love a couple that introduces their adorable infant daughter to their family as if she’s Simba from The Lion King? Mitch and Cam definitely have their moments but at the end of the day, these two have nothing but pure love for one another. Being the perfect combination of neurotic, laid-back, and dramatic, this couple balances one another out like no other.
18. Jim and Pam on The Office
We spent three seasons wondering whether or not Jim and Pam would ever get together — their love was undeniable after watching just a few episodes of the first season. Who knew that eye contact from across an office could mean so much?
Once the two did start dating, we were ecstatic, emotional, and fully invested. While the later seasons of the show kind of threw us for a loop with their marital woes, we can’t deny that what these two had was real AF.