When it comes to television we pretty much have seen it all. Crime shows, supernatural shows, teen drama shows, and honestly — they’re all good. So if phenomenal television can come from any genre, what makes a TV show great? Well in our opinion, it’s the presence of a killer cast and dramatic and addicting plot line. One of our favorite things to see in a show is the presence of a kick-ass dynamic duo. Whether you’re talking about great comedy teams, hot romantic couples, crime fighting partnerships, or hero-villain rivalries, the possibilities are endless.
With so many TV shows out there, there are definitely certain pairs that stand out above the rest. From reality TV to dramas and thrillers, TV has given us some of the best friendships, relationships and more. Here is a list of some of the best duos to ever star together on TV shows.
1. Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro (Fresh Prince of Bel Air)
Although the show officially ended in 1996, we still love seeing Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro in the late night reruns of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. These cousins gave us some serious laughs during the six years the show was running. Although they didn’t always get along, when they did, their personalities perfectly complemented each other. Their family dynamic made us wish we lived with our cousins all the time, too. Despite how chaotic it all was.
2. Mariska Hargitay & Christopher Meloni (Law & Order SVU)
Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler pretty much taught us everything we know about being perfect partners both inside and outside of work. We didn’t think it was possible to take a show with such violent and disturbing content and incorporate the deep and intimate relationship between two friends (with a dash of romance as well). We have to admit, like the rest of the world, we were all heart-broken when Stabler left Law & Order SVU and we are still trying to recover.
3. Steve Carrell & Rainn Wilson (The Office)
Few duos can compare to the comedians at our favorite Scranton paper supply company, Dunder Mifflin. When it comes to regional manager and assistant (to) the regional manager Michael Scott and Dwight K. Schrute take the cake. The show wouldn’t quite be the same without their shenanigans disrupting the office.
4. Lauren Graham & Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls)
This mother-daughter duo set the bar high for familial relationships and probably forced a lot of moms to think “I wish we were more like the Gilmore girls!” during family arguments. Conversely, I’m sure a lot of their daughters were thinking, “I wish my mom was more like Lorelai and less like Emily” at the same time. While we know from the Teen Mom franchise that being 16 and pregnant ain’t easy, this fictional duo sure made it look like it was. Lorelai and Rory’s quick conversations consisting of dry, family humor had all of us hooked from the beginning.
5. Matthew Perry & Matt Le Blanc (Friends)
Although the show Friends was all about the ensemble cast, one pair that truly holds a place in our heart is Joey Tribbiani and Chandler Bing. The jokesters made the perfect roommates and ultimately became best friends. Their bromance grew from a random roommate situation in a “small” New York apartment and by the end of the show, although at different points in their lives, the two were really the ones who were meant to be together.
6. Nicole Polizzi (Snookie) and Jennifer Lynn Farley (JWoww) (Jersey Shore)
It was 2009 when we first met the cast that would truly change our lives forever. Who would have thought that we would have become emotionally attached to crew at the Jersey shore. Out of all the girls, Sammi, Jenni, Nicole, Deena, and Angelina, there was one pair that really defined best friends. No, we aren’t talking about the meatballs. It was Snookie and JWoww that grew the closest throughout the six seasons of the show and even moved onto have a reality program of their own. Dysfunction and all, we definitely fell in love with the cast of Jersey Shore.
7. Paul DelVecchio (DJ Pauly D) & Vinny Guadagnino (Jersey Shore)
It’s only fair that we include the ultimate Jersey Shore bromance on the list. DJ Pauly D and Vinny showed the world what best friends are all about. From sharing rooms, traveling the world, being each others’ wingmen, planning the ultimate pranks, and of course, GTLing together, these two guys did practically everything together. Even though there were two other guys on the show, it was really Vinny and Pauly that won the award for best friends.
8. Lili Reinhart & Cole Sprouse (Riverdale)
If you haven’t jumped on the Riverdale bandwagon, now is the time to do so. This CW Drama based on a comic book will have you hooked from the beginning. Not only is the show addicting, but on screen and (recently outed) real-life couple, Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse are also a huge reason to watch the show. This duo not only makes a great couple on and off screen, but they are also almost too good looking for words.
9. Jason Segel & Allison Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother)
Everyone always says that marriage is hard work and unfortunately in many TV shows we have seen couples who can’t always handle the stress brought about in their lives. But this isn’t always the case. A perfect example of relationship goals can be seen on How I Met Your Mother, with our all-time favorite married couple, Marshall and Lily. Sure, they go through their fair share of problems, but these two are truly partners in crime, and definitely earned a place on our list.
10. Kyle Chandler & Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)
One of our favorite TV relationships began back in 2006. It’s clear that Coach Taylor and Tammi Taylor had mastered the art of marriage. The couple somehow managed to raise two kids, work at a high school, deal with incredible amounts of drama and still maintain a happy marriage that has all of us dreaming finding our own Coach Taylor one day.
11. Jon Hamm & Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
If you’re like us, then you probably spent a serious amount of time binging the AMC drama Mad Men. Jon Hamm is eye candy for sure, but he’s not the only reason to watch the show. Our favorite duo here is ad man Don Draper and his former secretary, Peggy Olson. The co-protagonists build an unexpected, yet incredibly codependent friendship that gives us some of the most moving and emotional movement in the show. Their mutual respect and understanding of one another truly make them what we consider #friendshipgoals.
12. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler (SNL)
Out of everyone these two comedians have paired up with on TV, there just isn’t anything quite like seeing these two on Saturday Night Live together. Their SNL careers even jump started their career as movie stars and comedy moguls. It doesn’t get much funnier than these on-screen and off-screen best friends, and although we don’t always see them on NBC anymore, we still love seeing the duo team up for projects and films.
13. Bryan Cranston & Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
One of the most dysfunctional pairs on the list is Walter White and Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad. The two actually embody the common archetype of teacher and student, but on a whole new level. It’s not every day that a student pairs up with his chemistry teacher on an adventure involving mass murder and meth, but none the less, they still make the list as one of our favorite duos.
14. John Krasinski & Jenna Fischer (The Office)
We are pretty sure the whole world is still devastated that Pam and Jim are not actually a real life couple, but they really did make the perfect team on our favorite comedy The Office. If you didn’t watch their wedding episode at least five times and cry every single time, then you seriously have no heart. While both of them were rumored to be a bit annoying on-set, the fact that they both were, somehow, made it cute. Some might say there has never been a better couple to appear on television.
15. Ashton Kutcher & Mila Kunis (That 70s Show)
If you need evidence that Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were one of the best dynamic duos to ever come out of television, just look at their picture perfect relationship in real life. Okay, so they didn’t end up together at the end of That 70s Show, but everyone knows they should have. Their young, shallow high school love inspired all of us who wanted that picture perfect romance. Sure, half the reason we love this pair so much is because of their IRL relationship, but in the show it’s still pretty adorable.
16. Tyler Posey & Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf)
Have you ever seen a show with a more handsome cast? There are very few. Whether you are a fan of werewolves and vampires shows doesn’t really matter here. Because there really is no denying that Tyler Posey and Dylan O’Brien deserve a place on this list for best duo. Not only do they look great next to one another but they truly make the greatest best friends, both on screen and off. Before they even got the parts as Scott McCall and “Stiles” Stilinski, they had an instant connection and the dynamic duo even lived together while filming the first couple of seasons of Teen Wolf
17. Jerry Seinfeld & Jason Alexander (Seinfeld)
Last but not least, who could forget the relationship between Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza. The NBC sitcom was known for the group of four friends living in New York City, but it was Jerry and George whose partnership truly stood out. The childhood friends grew up together and were pretty much inseparable since they met. We can’t forget about Elaine and Kramer, but we just love Jerry and George together more than anything.