It’s been almost a year since the pandemic forced all of North America into a lockdown, and stay-at-home/self-isolation orders make it incredibly difficult to go on dates and meet new people. Which means we're especially turning to everyone’s current favourite pastime – binge watching tv.

If you’re single and lonely, it’s really easy to fall out of favour with love stories. We don’t even remember what it feels like to hug another person, let alone kiss them and fall in love! If “Love in the time of COVID” is proving to be a challenge, then why not remind yourself of all the beauty the world has to offer by curling up on the couch in your PJs and laughing at the highs and lows of some of the most iconic TV love stories we’ve ever seen.

From meet-cutes, to star-crossed lovers, to veritable odd-couples, you don’t have to be lonely on Valentine’s Day when you’ve got these wacky duos. Let’s remind ourselves of some of the greatest small screen love stories of yore, because when *gestures at everything* is finally over, we’re gonna follow their cues on love and romance. 

Ross and Rachel (Friends)

They were on a break! She’s his lobster! The secret Vegas wedding! The video-tape of them knocking boots. For 10 seasons of Friends, when it came to preppy Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) and nerdy Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), all of us were wondered, “will they? Won’t they?” Ross said Rachel’s name at his wedding to another woman – the very wedding Rachel crashed to tell him that she was still in love with each other. They had a baby together! They even lived together, but still, they kept us guessing. They’d make up – they’d break up – and even though they clearly still loved each other, circumstances and pride kept getting in the way. It took the big series finale for the two of them to finally admit they were destined to be together. Unless they were on a break.

Beth and Randall (This Is Us)

Sure Randall and Beth (Sterling K. Brown and Susan Kelechi Watson) have had a tumultuous relationship on This Is Us (then again, that’s every relationship on this Kleenex-using show!) and it feels as if they are constantly on the verge of divorce (that season 3 finale had us all guessing), but their multi-decade love affair and eventual marriage has taught us that love is patient. Love takes time. The path to love is never straight and these two are a perfect example. From the first time they meet at college, to their awful first date (what was with that racist waiter!?), to Beth rejecting his first 50 proposals (we’re exaggerating here but it felt like it), this is a couple that encounters big obstacles hand-in-hand.

Jim and Pam (The Office)

Dunder Mifflin Paper’s office never had so many stolen looks, whispered jokes, pregnant pauses, and awkward realizations. Co-workers Jim (Jon Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) from The Office (US) obviously were smitten with each other – confidants at work, keepers of the inside joke, and best friends forever. So of course they had to fall in love, but she was engaged to someone else, then he switched to another branch, and every time a feeling (or even a hint of it) was revealed, either the timing, or Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) and Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) would ruin everything. Their epic dance choreography at their wedding is the stuff of viral memes (literally), and if there ever was an award for the cutest couple, they 100 per cent win. If a co-worker is constantly coming over to your reception desk just to talk and awkwardly flirt, pay attention!

Homer and Marge (The Simpsons)

She’s a loving and doting mom, he’s a goofball kid at heart, and they don’t seem to have very much in common. But for over 30 years, Homer and Marge Simpson (Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner) on The Simpsons have been our yellow, four-fingered TV lovebirds who just can’t stay mad at each other. He may not be great at writing love letters (“Maybe it’s the beer talking, Marge, but you got a butt that won’t quit”), and she may struggle to support all of his hair-brained decisions (but like, he DID become an astronaut, Marge, sooo…), and raising a hell-beast like Bart is enough to drive a wedge between any parents. But somehow all these two Springfieldians need is love to make it work.  And maybe a little sing-a-long bike ride at sunset. Series creator Matt Groening reportedly named the characters after his own parents, making their long-running affection even more striking. 

Maya and Darnell (Girlfriends)

Not many couples fall in love in high school, get married, get divorced and remarry each other after they've both had time to grow and mature as adults, but Maya and Darnell (Golden Brooks and Khalil Kain, Flex Alexander in season one) aren’t your average couple. Was Darnell controlling and possessive for parts of their first marriage? Yes. Did Maya have a prolonged emotional affair? Also, yes. But did the two eventually become loving, committed adults who realized each other’s value, as well as the necessity of compromise? Absolutely. We stan the parents of Jabari Wilkes.

Lucy and Ricky (I Love Lucy)

Back in the early days of television, 1950s sitcoms were broadcast live (they hadn’t figured out how to tape things yet, bless ‘em), so TV actors had only one take to get it right and make it funny. Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Ricky (Desi Arnaz) made it look easy on I Love Lucy, but seeing as how they were married in real life, that probably helped solidify them as the most-beloved TV couple of an entire generation. “Lucy you’ve got some ‘splaining to do!” became a catch phrase, along with Lucy’s iconic bawling, and even though there were studio worries about depicting a Latino married to an “all American” girl, viewers didn’t mind. In fact, more than than 70 per cent of American viewers tuned in to watch “Lucy Goes To the Hospital;” the 1953 episode where Lucy gave birth to their son. Not only was their love story ground-breaking television, it made us laugh.

Sam and Diane (Cheers)

Sam and Diane from Cheers were the Ross and Rachel of the '80s – two bar-flies about as opposite as it gets. When Sam (Ted Danson) agreed to hire Diane (Shelly Long) as a waitress, he probably thought she’d just be another one of his conquests (he was once a famous baseballer, after all). But no, she was smart, she was loquacious, she was gutsy, and she always, always, always got under his skin. She drove him mad. But lo and behold, it turned out that she drove her wild too, and in some pretty exciting ways. They’d fight, they’d trade jabs and barbs, and then came the glorious make ups. She even made him insanely jealous with her romance with Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer). But when they finally decided to tie the knot, their marriage was interrupted when her career dreams suddenly landed on her doorstep. In 1986, Shelly Long left the cast of Cheers, and wasn’t seen again until the finale in 1993 when she came back to see about Sam – an episode that brought in over  84 million viewers. Once again they were up to their old hijinx, but despite all that chemistry, they just couldn’t see a way forward together. This is one of the great lessons in love – sometimes, love just isn’t enough. But the love remains. Especially where everybody knows your name.

Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

Ahhh, the enduring love to two '60s hippies who fell in love wearing dashikis and sticking it to the man, eventually becoming an attorney and a college professor with a Bel-Air mansion . . . but still never losing their spark. Phil (James Avery) and Vivian (Janet Hubert) were constantly getting it on (remember that earthquake that trapped them in his office?), and having dance parties around the mansion while Will (Will Smith) and Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) looked on in horror.  The best thing about this duo was that, despite their riches, they were never spoiled. And they made sure their kids and Will  knew the value of a dollar, and unconditional love. Instilling some of those hippie vibes with that hard-working ethos is a recipe for success. 

Angela Chase and Jordan Catalano (My So-Called Life)

My So-Called Life only had one season but it was a critic and fan favourite for the subtle and honest way it told stories of '90s disaffected teens that were dealing with angst and self-image. Angela (Claire Danes) and Jordan (Jared Leto) were opposites – she was smart and wordy on the fringes of popularity, he struggled with his education but was so dang handsome his popularity was just assumed. He treated her poorly at first; only kissing her in the quiet corners of the school, but her insistence that she be treated with respect wore off on him. Over the course of the show, we watch him step up for her, and we saw just how truly attractive it is for girls to just be themselves and demand respect.

Janet and Jason (The Good Place)

The love between a brilliant robot and a deceased man is not one we have seen on television before, so to the creators of The Good Place, we salute you. Hyper-intelligent Janet (D'Arcy Carden)—who posesses all the knowledge and secrets of the Earth since the history of time—seems an unlikely match for the loveable, but dim-witted (though at times, profound) Jason (Manny Jacinto). But it seems the adage "opposites attract" holds true especially in TV land, and we loved watching the relationship between these two blossom in the after-life. Plus, their comedic timing was simply the best.

Brenda and Dylan (Beverly Hills 90210)

There are only two types of people on this earth: Team Brenda and Team Kelly. For the first three seasons of Beverly Hills 90210, Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and Dylan (Luke Perry) had an almost 1950s Americana romance: he was a troubled bad boy, she was a goody two shoes, but they loved fiercely and honestly, despite her parents objections. He supported her when she demanded respect from her parents, and he held her when she had a breakdown at school after being held up at gunpoint one night at the Peach Pit. But their love was always tumultuous: from their first kiss to their several break ups. All it took, however, was one summer of Brenda studying in Paris for Dylan to fall for Kelly (Jennie Garth), and suddenly the dream was over. After Shannen Doherty left the show, followed by Luke Perry, it was hinted at that Brenda and Dylan met up in London to rekindle their romance, but in the end, their iconic love story couldn’t last. But dang how we loved watching them kiss.

Alice and Ralph Kramden (The Honeymooners)

Another iconic 1950s couple were Ralph and Alice Kramden (Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows) from The Honeymooners. On top of being broadcast live, these two actors managed to play off each other so well, it was hard to believe these were scripted lines. Ralph was a bus driver and Alice was a homemaker, but before you think he wore the pants and she was subservient, Alice was the original mouthy no-nonsense lovebird. She may have been the housewife but he knew dang well she wore the pants in this relationship. She took none of Ralph's back-chat, and even with all his ridiculous plots and schemes, and all his screaming and yelling, he knew he was lucky to have her. “To the moon, Alice! Bam! Zoom! Pow, right in the kisser!” became a catchphrase, said every time Alice put Ralph in his place (which was often). But so was, “Baby, you’re the greatest.” Because together, they truly were.

Rue and Jules (Euphoria)

Theirs is of course a love-story that is on-going (we’ve only had one season and two specials so far), but Rue and Jules (Zendaya and Hunter Schafer) from Euphoria are a couple all on their own. A teen, bi-racial, LGBTQ couple that struggles with drug addiction is a rarity on television, but no one ever questions just how deep their love it. Jules even says that Rue is the first person to ever actually see her truly, and really, isn’t that all we want from a partner? Someone who sees us for all we are, flaws and all, and still chooses to be with us? Their love is strong and sees them through some extremely rough patches.

David and Patrick (Schitt’s Creek)

David Rose (Dan Levy) was a character that maybe was a bit high maintenance, so the fact that he found his match with down-to-earth Patrick (Noah Reid) was something that we so adored for him. We couldn’t help but obsess over their love. They met in season three when David leased the store and they became business partners, but Patrick just kept showing up in his life, to a point that David could no longer ignore his affections. From their first kiss in the car, to their dream-like wedding, these two were “simply the best.” Patrick gave David stability, and David allowed Patrick to be who he always wanted to be. They weren’t flashy and over-the-top, they showed TV audiences the complexities of love without veering into harmful stereotypes. And they made us laugh. What else could we want from an iconic love story?

Counsellor Troi and Commander Riker (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Nerdy Trekkies, we couldn’t forget you and one of the greatest love stories that ever took place within the vacuum of space - Counselor Troi and Commander Riker (Marina Sirtis and Johnathan Frakes) from ST: TNG. When the series began in 1987, we learn in the pilot episode that the ship’s counsellor and the first-in-command were once an item, but he chose his career over her. Now, they are forced to boldy go where no exes have gone before, and they have to keep their growing feelings at bay. But Troi still calls Riker “Imzadi,” which is Betazoid for “my beloved.” And throughout the seven seasons, we see the two of them put in increasingly odd and fantastical scenarios where they fall back into each arms briefly just to tease us. In one episode, Troi discovers that Riker has an identical twin that’s still in love with her, so she figures, why not? In another, she is infected with a disease that makes her hot to trot for her Number One. Trekkies were finally rewarded after 15 years of will-they-won’t-they when the pair finally married in the last TNG movie, Star Trek: Nemesis. But even so, we just love that, if they could choose any alien from any planet in the entire universe, Troi and Riker would still choose each other. Imzadis for life!

BEFORE YOU GO: Romantic cocktails to set the mood this Valentine’s Day

[video_embed id='2136182']BEFORE YOU GO: ;Romantic cocktails to set the mood this Valentine’s Day[/video_embed]