Top Ten Favorite Friendships

Too often I think TV viewers focus on romantic relationships and too little on relationships.  Since TV at its best is long form story telling there is just as much opportunity to tell stories of great friends.  Here are ten of my favorite examples of friendship.

10.  Bobby Cobb and Andy Torres – Cougar Town

What bonds these two adults together is that they are more man-children than they are man.  As members of the cul-de-sac crew they are part of a larger group of friends, but their friendship has always seemed to be more full of unconditional love than Jules (the main character) has with either her friends or her recent husband Grayson.  Andy is willing to overlook Bobby’s faults and would never nag him for living on a boat that is parked in a parking lot.  In some ways his love for Bobby is more pure than even for his wife, who lets face it, can be a bit difficult at times.  As sweet as their man love is, it is the wacky hijinx that drives a lot of the show’s comedy that gets them in the top ten.

9.  Admiral Adama and Saul Tighe – Battlestar Galactica

This is perhaps the ultimate example of how war can bond two people beyond a normal friendship.  Neither man was perfect, particularly in Saul’s case.  Saul’s tendancy to let alcohol intefere with his duty was overlooked by his old buddy Adama.  In return Adama had a loyal officer that he could trust to stand by him.  This was called somewhat into question when it was discovered that Saul was actually an original cylon, but their friendship was able to transcend even that.  This list deserves some representation of the bond of soldier, and this example has been possibly my favorite.

Probably hatching a poorly conceived plan

8.  John Crichton and D’Argo – Farscape

John, right before facing possible death, acknowledges how fun it had been to hang with D’Argo.  They certainly had some good times together and some rougher patches.  Both prone to immaturity and short fuses (especially D’Argo being prone to go into hyper rages) they more than once knocked heads.  There was a great episode that started with them getting kicked off their ship (Moya) due to their bickering that detailed their misadventrous planet side.  Another great episode featured D’Argo nearly killing John in a rage and the majority of the episode playing out in coyote/roadrunner cartoon form.  Despite those trials things always came out to them sharing a sense of humor and the camraderie having been put through the ringer multiple times.

7.  Dan Ridell and Casey McCall – Sports Night

In the pilot it is set up that the two broadcasting partners go way back.  They had been a team long before jumping to a struggling all sports network, and they would continue to be best friends no matter what.  The two had great chemistry both as friends, but especially working together as anchors of their show.  They didn’t always see eye to eye, and it got ugly once after Dan showed Casey up mid-show.  Their quick, but earned recovery as friends and co-workers is probably the best example of how strong their bond was.

6.  Leslie Knope and Anne Perkins – Parks and Recreation

The nature of TV tends to put more male characters in leading roles tha woman.  In addition to that, being a guy, I tend to identify with the male bond more than the female.  So this list is going to lean guy heavy, and the ladies of Sex and the City will have to look elsewhere for a home.  All that being said, I am completely enamored with how great Leslie and Anne are together as friends.  Leslie is easy to get.  I want to be friends with Leslie.  All she does is go out of her way to make her buddies lives better.  In many cases she is surrounded by guys though, and Anne is her great female best friend who she can’t stop complimenting for her beauty.  Anne of course is no slacker either, as she is firmly in Leslie’s corner no matter what the situation.  My favorite part of Parks and Rec is how they always nail the genuine and human moments, and the friendship of these two always plays as sweet in a real way.

Troy and Abed in the Morning is the only morning show I watch

5.  Abed and Troy – Community

When Community began it seemed unlikely that these two would find such a strong friendship.  Troy was presented as the cool, athletic type and Abed as a weird dude that fell somewhere on the autism spectrum.  As Community became the weird little gem it turned into it was revealed that Troy was way more weird than at first blush.  He seemed captivated by Abed’s ability to imagine the world as a more interesting place.  Abed in turn was delighted to meet someone who understood him as much as any person could.  As we enter the new season without Dan Harmon writing these characters it will be intersting to see if their friendship will be as wonderful as it was.  Even if the new season doesn’t live up to previous ones, I will always be able to return to one of the more compelling friendships I’ve ever seen presented on TV.

4.  Chuck Bartowski and Morgan Grimes – Chuck

This is a more conventional style of friendship than presented in Community.  It is the classic, best friends from childhood, together forever.  What makes this work beyond the stereotype is how hard the writers worked to keep Chuck grounded no matter where his secret spy life was taking him.  Morgan was key in keeping Chuck rooted in nerdom, even as he was evolving into a super spy.  It took a while before Morgan learned Chuck’s secret, but when it finally came out it was about as rewarding as any of the many, many scenes TV character X finds out TV character Y’s big secret.  Morgan’s friendship with Casey became comedy gold later in the series, but Chuck as a show always did great work defining what it means to be best friends.

3.  JD and Turk – Scrubs

Another fantastic pairing of best friends, Scrubs always got a lot of mileage out of presenting JD and Turk’s relationship as deeper than the women who they fell in love with.  I always appreciated how they treated their difference in races.  It was always acknowledged that Turk came from a different culture than the extremely caucasian one JD emerged from, but the common ground they shared was never forced.  It was always presented as these guys aren’t exactly the same, but you can see why they like each other so much.  Watching them pay tribute together to all the TV shows they grew up with was one of the better running gags, especially when they performed the Stanford and Son theme song together.

2.  Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy – 30 Rock

As 30 Rock just concluded I am reminded how much I respect this friendship.  The normal TV show format is to put to people together who don’t have a lot in common and humerous conflict results from those differences.  Check.  30 Rock did that.  The next step is to then have the man and woman fall in love.  Not check.  30 Rock is better than that.  From the very beginning of the series Donaghy and Lemon clashed in background, worldview, gender, and whatever else you can thnk of.  Yet they had a deep respect for someone.  Jack wanted someone who truly needed a mentor to mentor, and respected that Liz would always be around with an honest opinion.  Liz was a bit of a mess in her personal life and Jack’s advice was often quite good.  I wish more TV shows had the integrity to resist putting their main characters together romantically.  Friendships can sometimes be even more rewarding as TV relationships.

Two acting giants

1.  President Bartlett and Leo McGarry – The West Wing

Aaron Sorkin was often criticized for not having more romance in The West Wing.  His response was that the romance was there, it was just between Bartlett and McGarry.  Of course he didn’t mean anything romantic, just that the love that these two characters had for each other transcended anything else Sorkin had written.  The depth of their love doesn’t come right away.  Leo is clearly a trusted confidant who has the important job of running his best friends White House.  Later on, through flashback the scope of their relationship was revealed.  First with McGarry writing Bartlett for America on a cocktail napkin in an attempt to get him to run for office and later (and much more powerfuly) Bartlett returning that same napkin, framed.  That was one of the most heart melting and touching moments I’ve ever watched on TV.  It again showed how TV doesn’t have follow convention and have the guy and the girl get together as the most important relationship.  It can show two, much older men, and how their relationship serves not just to support each other, but allows them to do achieve great things.

Top 100 Favorite Shows of All Time 30-21

Since it is fun to rank things I’ve compiled my top 100 favorite shows.  Put simply, the criteria I use is that higher ranked shows are shows I’d rather watch than lower ranked shows.  I’ve tried to pull from a variety of different types of TV including reality shows, sports, and documentary series.  Everything did air on TV at one point and all of it gave me some degree of pleasure.  Usually I do these five at a time, but that would last forever, so I’m going to release my list in intervals of ten.  As always, I want to make it clear as with any of my lists that I’m listing “favorite” shows.  In no way am I arguing that my 100th ranked show is better than The Honeymooners.  I’m sure that show was important, but I didn’t watch it and all I’m saying is I’d probably enjoy watching anything on this list over anything not on it.

I also want to disclaim at this point that there were a number of shows left out for a variety of reasons.  Six Feet Under and The Sopranos were both shows I watched but didn’t love as much as most people.  Breaking Bad and Mad Men I haven’t watched enough of to decide how much I like those shows.  Louie would have made this list had I started watching it when I compiled it.  There are a few others things I just plain missed like ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series.  The point of this is to be a dynamic and changing list.  In a year I will update everything.  There should be a lot of movement of things coming and going, rising and falling.

Dexter, darkly dreaming

30.  Dexter (2006-current)

By the time Dexter rolled around there had been a number of shows that attempted to get in the mind of serial killers.  Dexter did one better and made the protagonist a serial killer who killed other murderers to satiate his desire.  This brilliant switch on years of killers as antagonists created a fertile ground for unique stories.  What always has worked for me with Dexter is that it never shied away from killing being a morally wrong act.  Dexter admittedly is filling a selfish need by killing, and not trying to right wrongs.  The first season plays out as a well constructed mystery that has plenty of satisfying twists and turns throughout.  That was based on Jeff Lindsay’s book almost page for page.  When the producers set out to tell their own stories it became more of a mixed bag.  Every season seems to have many similarities in structure, with some being told with better effectiveness than others.  The premise is strong enough that even though there have been lean times on occasion, the show remains capable of doing great things at any moment.

29.  Real Time With Bill Maher (2003-current)

When Bill Maher got fired from ABC for saying controversial things, it seemed like HBO would be a great match.  His old show Politically Incorrect was a half an hour format that aired every night and struggled to get four good guests to have a panel discussion.  In some ways I liked that crazy approach to political discourse, but it turned out that on HBO, with Real Time the match actually was perfect.  After experimenting with a few different formats the show finally settled into something solid.  A short monologue (never Maher’s strength), a one on one interview with a guest, a panel discussion with three political experts (definitely Maher’s strength), a fourth guest to add to the debate (usually an actor or comedian), a few bits sprinkled within the discussion, and New Rules.  New Rules of course has led to a couple of books that have sold well.  While Maher struggled in the monologue, somehow putting up a picture and letting him really dig into the subject really brings him alive.  Eventually he closes out with a lengthier monologue about a particular subject that is usually a combination of jokes and a sanctimonious (but not in a bad way) message.  The reason why it is the high on my list has to do with it being the most interesting current events show on TV including all non comedy news shows.  They have quality people from both sides debate, and even though the home court leans a little left, the discussions frame the issues of the day better than just about everything else.

Bob and David as guard and Queen

28.  Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995-1998)

Easily my favorite sketch comedy show of all time.  The reason largely has to do with how for out of the box Bob Odenkirk and David Cross were willing to take things.  When they mocked something it usually wasn’t topical, but more parody of the obscure.  All the episodes blended live performance and filmed segments in which one sketch would lead directly into the next.  The words irreverent and subversive don’t even begin to describe the show.  The cast was another great strength.  Most of the writers and actors on the show have gone on to do work in LA’s alternative comedy scene.  Few have been breakout stars, but despite mass appeal they were a talented bunch who are doing well respected work.

27.  Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)

How can a show about three generations of mothers and daughters hold any appeal to a guy like me?  It works only if the show is funny, the characters are interesting, and the dialogue is rapid fire.  In other words, this show is too good for me to get hung up on the premise.  Kelly Bishop, Lauren Graham, and Alexis Bledel play the three main characters and all of them knock it out of the park.  They are supported by a very deep cast, full of colorful and unique characters.  I was never as interested in the drama that drove the plots, but really enjoyed how all of the characters played off each other around that drama.  There are some minus points to give out though.  The last season was a huge letdown after the creator and driving force for the show Amy Sherman Palladino could not reach a contract agreement.  The show wasn’t bad, it was just bland and without the humor or quick dialogue the show held all the appeal that I would have originally thought before watching the good seasons.

Dinklage, you brilliant bastard

26.  Game of Thrones (2011-current)

This is possibly the toughest show to place.  I haven’t seen all the episodes that have aired and I just started watching the show very recently.  I lack proper perspective in placing this show in my top 100 this year, but I know something really great is happening on it.  The creators have nailed the look and feel of a show that takes place in a world that seems familiar but doesn’t exist.  That’s quite a tall task and they’ve done it remarkably well.  The casting is also a strength, with some familiar faces but plenty of new ones as well.  Peter Dinklage is truly incredible to the point I won’t even try to describe how good he is.  Throw in a dash of beheadings and a whole lot of incest and this is easily one of the most daring shows I’ve ever seen.  Depending on the show’s ability to keep this pace up I could easily see this march into my top ten at some point.  Right now having it just outside of my top 25 seems reasonable enough.

25.  House M.D. (2004-2012)

Despite a lackluster couple of seasons at the end, House was one of the most consistently good shows I’ve ever seen.  Running with a very rigid formula in which House had to solve medical mysteries with his team.  Inevitably there would be several moments where they thought they had a cure, only to see the patient worsen.  At the last minute House would have an epiphany, usually while in conversation with someone else, and he would save the day right before the credits rolled.  There was very little other drama surrounding relationships relative to other shows like Grey’s Anatomy, so the premise and Hugh Laurie were the bulk of the show.  The fact that the show remained fresh and interesting for the majority of the seasons is a real testament to its quality.  Other shows are more brilliant in spurts, but few can claim that they did more with less, for longer.

A candid scene from the pilot

24.  Sports Night (1998-2000)

Aaron Sorkin’s first foray into TV was a good one.  Critically acclaimed, Sports Night never really developed the audience it deserved.  I think the show falls into the category of being too smart for the sitcom format.  There are a number of shows that are great, even cult hits, that always struggled to appeal to mass audiences.  Anyway, this was a show that had a great balance between being funny and serious.  In fact it may have leaned over to being more serious than funny at times.  That’s fine by me, just because a show is a half an hour doesn’t mean I have to be laughing more than I’m enjoying the other things that good TV provides.  Sorkin’s look behind the scenes at a sports news show probably won’t give great insight about the world of sports, but that may actually be more of a strength than a weakness.

23.  Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

One of the smartest ways to go when remaking something is to remake something that had a good premise but was executed awfully.  The remake of Battlestar Galactica decided to use the plot of the ’70s show that featured robots and and a nearly extinct human race fleeing in space to tell some very serious and insightful stories.  While some have become obsessed with viewing the show as a commentary on the Iraq war that was happening during production (it was to some degree) the show was really more about how societies come together.  With the human race down to a small group that mixed civilian and military personnel a group of people had to decide how they were to be governed, what culture would develop, and how they would ultimately survive the extraordinary pressure of being hunted.  The early seasons that focused on this were amazing.  While later episodes sometimes went to a place of ridiculousness, it never stopped being entertaining.

It amazes me that being a high school football coach is a viable career in Texas

22.  Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)

Turning the successful movie about high school football into a TV series actually made a lot of sense.  So many good shows use high school as a backdrop.  It tends to invite a cast of good looking people, which always improves the viewing experience.  It also allowed for in depth stories to be told.  The football season lasts the entire fall, and cramming all those events into a movie feels much more rushed than multiple hours of TV.  All that wouldn’t have mattered much if the casting hadn’t been so good.  There was your occasional Minka Kelly who looked great, but was much less an actor.  There was also Taylor Kitsch, Jesse Plemmons, and Zach Gilford.  There was also Adrianne Palicki, oh my was there some Palicki.  That doesn’t even mention Coach Taylor and Mrs. Coach (Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton).  There was humor, there was drama, there was a realistic portrayal of a family, and there was great football.  People who hate football love this movie, and there is a lot of football talk.  Truly a great testament to a great show.

21.  Chuck (2007-2012)

What is so great about Chuck is the blend of comedy, romance, and action.  The show really had it all.  Whereas Alias and other spy shows are very self serious, Chuck was completely irreverent.  Even the serious characters like Sarah and Casey were given ample opportunity to deliver hilarious comedy.  It all really starts with the character of Chuck being both likeable and accessible.  He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, but also a complete dork who was comfortable in his own skin.  Zach Levi gets a lot of credit for embodying that spirit.  The show really peaked at the end of the second season, but even though it couldn’t be as consistent afterwards it never stopped being something that completely won me over.  This is one of those shows that I would get sad after finishing a season, knowing there were fewer new episodes out there.  How is this not in my top 20?  I’ll need to rectify this in a year.

Episode 02 – We Should All Be More Persian

The second episode of the podcast is now available!  In this episode we discuss at length the new Aaron Sorkin show, including some of the controversy surrounding it.  We go back and talk about a few good old shows, one bad new show, and preview the new pilots on ABC.  Time markers are included, so feel free to skip ahead if you don’t want spoilers.

The Newsroom (5:25-41:13)

Sports Night (41:13-44:55)

The X-Files (45:27-50:47)

The Choice (51:26-56:35)

The Family Tools (57:35-58:53)

666 Park Avenue (58:53-1:01:01)

How to Live with Your Parents (1:01:01-1:02:53)

Malibu Country (1:02:53-1:04:45)

Last Resort (1:04:45-1:07:00)

The Neighbors (1:07:00-1:07:25)

Mistresses (1:07:25-1:08:15)

Nashville (1:08:15-1:10:31)

Red Widow (1:10:31-1:12:50)

Zero Hour (1:12:50-1:14:30)

You can stream the show or download via iTunes (note: iTunes has a delay from when the episode is available to when it shows up in the database.  If you don’t see the episode listed, subscribe and you will start downloading it automatically.)

Streaming is also available via our host podbean

Top Ten Favorite Episodes of All Time – Honorable Mentions

I kind of forgot about my honorable mentions for top episodes.  These didn’t quite make the cut, but I’d be happy watching all of these at just about any time.

The Wire – Sentencing – Episode 1.13 – September 8, 2002

The Wire is hurt in individual episode accolades because the tone of the show is so strong throughout.  Sentencing is indicative of the series’ cynical theme.  After some amazing police work things pretty much go back to business as usual on the streets of Baltimore.

That horrible clock kept on resetting

Battlestar Galactica – 33 – Episode 1.1 – October 18, 2004

This is the first episode, but not really a pilot after the mini-series set up the world.  It immediately sets the tone of the series as being much more about space battles.  The depiction of stress on those fighting for survival is somewhat jarring.  33 stands for the amount of minutes between attacks.

Veronica Mars – An Echolls Family Christmas – Episode 1.10 – December 14, 2004

This is a classic example of Veronica solving a fun mystery.  In this case them mystery revolves around a poker game featuring some great characters.  This also about where Veronica’s chemistry with Logan starts to become undeniable, despite their being bitter enemies.  It also treads a bit darkly, which is when the show was at its best.

Sports Night – Eli’s Coming – Episode 1.19 – March 30, 1999

Dan describes how the Three Dog Night song “Eli’s Coming” feels like a portent about bad things to come, despite actually being about a womanizer.  He couldn’t be more right though, it feels ominous.  Despite there being plenty of laughs in the episode, it naturally ends with bad news.  The character Isaac has a stroke (off screen), which was written in after actor Robert Guillame had a stroke in real life.  Fortunately he’s still ticking.

The picture tells the story here

How I Met Your Mother – Slap Bet – Episode 2.9 – November 20, 2006

The slap bet stuff is a great chance for Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel to fully display their physical comedy chops.  The best part of course is when the gang discovers the Robin Sparkles music video, “Let’s Go to the Mall.”  It is a bar the show hasn’t been within a country mile of for several seasons.

Scrubs – My Screwup – Episode 3.14 – February 24, 2004

Scrubs always balanced comedy and drama pretty well, but this episode goes heavier on the drama and has a nice little twist/reveal at the end.  As per usual John C. McGinley is the scene stealer, as the ultimate alpha male, being forced to cope with heavy emotion.

Wonderfalls – Safety Canary – Episode 1.9 – November 17, 2004

Odd that this has an air date, since the show was cancelled after three episodes aired.  Actress Kellie Waymire is great as a fired zoo keeper in her last role before dying well before it was her time.  Jaye and Eric go on a date, and just when Jaye is sorting out her feelings there is a monkey wrench thrown into her love life.  Classic romantic comedy beats, well executed.

Alias – The Telling – Episode 2.22 – May 4, 2003

In an epic show finales are the most memorable.  The second season built up to the finale from its first episode, and many story lines that were developed paid off.  Lena Olin, as Sydney’s mother Irina, was equal parts bad-ass, sympathetic, and the villain.  Francie was exposed as a spy double, and anything that Sark and his smirk were involved in was gold.

I love Little Pete

The Adventures of Pete and Pete – Apocalypse Pete

This episode wasn’t part of a particular season and I can’t easily find the air date.  Phil Hickle and Don (Pete’s father) engage in a prank war that goes too far.  There were some great pranks, but what carries this episode is the legitimate strain felt by the families as a result of the war.  Pete and Pete always did things oddly, and half of the shows lessons were beyond bizarre, but this one really struck home.  Steven Buscemi gives  a little gravitas to the role of Phil Hickle.

Arrested Development – Pier Pressure – Episode 1.10 – January 11, 2004

J. Walter Weatherman is introduced as the guy who teaches lessons by getting his arm ripped off.  Michael fears his son George Michael is smoking weed, so he arranges a fake bust to scare him straight.  The fake bust is performed by the stripper hot cops that GOB is friends with.  Ultimately there is a lesson about teaching lessons that everyone learns.

Chuck – Chuck Versus the Ring – Episode 2.22 – April 27, 2009

Not to speak badly about any other Chuck episodes that followed, but the final episode of the second season was the best the show ever pulled off.  Great stunts, two weddings, Chevy Chase, Jeffster performing Mr. Roboto (complete with indoor fireworks), and a last minute twist that changed the makeup of the show.  Despite not being able to tell how Fulcrum differs from The Ring as far as bad guy organizations go, this episode had all the best of what Chuck had to offer rolled into a single episode.

Dollhouse – Epitaph One – Episode 1.13 – July 29, 2009

This is another episode that never really aired.  It is also from Joss Whedon’s project that was ambitious, but can’t compare to his better works.  The first season of Dollhouse was a series of misfires, but they really got their act near the end of the season.  Thinking they were cancelled they filmed this episode on the cheap, to give some finality to the world they created by showing what was going to happen in the future.  Many of the characters are new, but it has a genuine feel of a post apocalyptic world, which is always fun.

Never has a TV show given such a wonderful love letter to the ballet

Angel – Waiting in the Wings – 3.13 – February 4, 2002

Angel was a more consistent show than Buffy, for which it was a spin off, but never really reached the heights of the great episodes that Buffy did.  This episode is pretty close though.  It balances the comedy, romance, and action better than any other Angel episode, and most importantly it is an excellent show piece for how cool ballet is.  It is also the debut of Summer Glau, so that’s worth something.

Farscape – Scratch ‘N Sniff – Episode 3.13 – July 20, 2001

Farscape’s best work is generally done in two and three part episodes that veer towards the epic.  This was a nice little stand alone episode that was high on comedy.  Both D’argo and John Chrichton have serious comedy potential as characters, and they are unleashed here after getting kicked off their ship for constant bickering.  Farscape was never shy about being playful in the edit room either, and this is a good example of that.

Top Ten Favorite TV Couples – Honorable Mentions

Here are a couple of couples that I like but just missed my list for one reason or another.

The happy non-couple

Mal and Inara – Firefly

There was definitely the beginning of something interesting between these two that never had a chance to develop before the show was canceled.  There was a nice moment when Inara thought Mal was dead that she admitted her feelings.

Jules and Grayson – Cougar Town

After throwing away the premise of Jules being a cougar, she began dating her neighbor Grayson.  This was a very welcome change.  It has been and interesting relationship, particularly the acting of Josh Hopkins, as he settles into a relationship despite some emotional baggage.  Last night’s episode contained one of most inspired and romantic proposals I’ve ever seen.  Usually I’m just annoyed.  One to watch.

House and Cuddy – House M.D.

The show went here because it had to.  House needed a romantic pursuit to humanize him, allowing him to do the shocking things he does without leaving the audience totally disconnected from the character.  Both actors are excellent enough to create chemistry, but they never really clicked the way some other couples have.  Cuddy has been gone from this most recent season of House and it has hurt the show.

Castle and Beckett – Castle

This show is a pretty basic detective procedural, that only is watchable thanks to Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion being dynamic and interesting.  They have yet to consummate anything yet, but even when they do I don’t quite see this being an all timer despite the attempt to make it one.  This is an example of really drawing out the “will they, won’t they” premise.  Since it is such a lightly toned show, they focus on enough stuff that it isn’t weighing everything down.

Sydney and Vaughn – Alias

Similar to the Chuck/Sarah dynamic, although a lot less fun.  I like their romance, but at times it leans towards the depressing.  They should have done a few more scenes like the one where they played hockey.  There was just very little to their relationship outside of being spies, and it made them feel like less of a real couple.

Another classic barn stare off

Clark and Lana – Smallville

Although Clark eventually has to pursue Loise Lane romantically, the early seasons are driven by his desire for Lana.  There are some good parts to this mostly owing to Kristen Kreuk, but every episode ends with 10 minutes of them staring at each other in Clark’s barn, but not communicating how they feel.  That got old fast.  This was a microcosm for the series that had good ideas, but whiffed big more often than not.

Eric and Tammy – Friday Night Lights

I just finished the first season, and so I’m not quite prepared to throw them in the top ten, although they do probably belong.  This has been the best depiction of a good marriage I think I’ve ever seen.  They don’t always agree on everything, but are totally supportive of each other.  Maybe it is just bad writing on other shows, but it is amazing to me that it took this long to have a realisticly depicted couple that is happily married on TV.  In a year when I do my updated list I have a feeling this is going to be on the top ten.

John and Cameron – Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

This got cancelled a little too soon to see where it was going, but the idea of John Connor having a romance with his protector robot was very intriguing.

Max and Logan – Dark Angel

Through a spotty first season, this was the most interesting plotline.  Although never married actors Jessica Alba and Michael Weatherly were engaged, so there was some off screen chemistry that showed up on screen.  In season two they split the two apart, and it then seemed like Alba had more chemistry with new cast addition Jensen Ackles.  No wonder those crazy kids never walked down the aisle together.

Casey and Dana – Sports Night

The season one arc was really good about getting the two together, including lots of interesting twists and turns in their feeling for each other, but it must have been decided that having them coupled would paint the show into a corner.  They came up with a ridiculous plotline that Casey had to date other women, and what made them a good couple quickly fell apart.  Then Felicity Huffman’s real life husband William H. Macy showed up for a limited arc and the scenes with them put the Casey/Dana relationship to shame.

Jeremy and Natalie – Sports Night

This was a little more consistent, and despite a heady performance by Josh Malina (again as the nerd who scored the hottie) it never had the intrigue that gave Casey and Dana more potential.

Geoffrey and Ellen – Slings and Arrows

It was fun to see to former lovers reconnecting later in life, and then dealing with the demands of a relationship they were too immature to handle.  Fun, but not great

Jaye and Eric – Wonderfalls

This short ran series, had a good romance arc for the two, that ties up neatly at the end, but we didn’t get to spend that much time with them together as a couple.

Paul and Echo – Dollhouse

While there is a lot alluding to the attraction between the two, there isn’t much that really happens.  When Paul is unceremoniously killed in the series finale, Echo finally expresses some real emotion about how she felt for Paul.  Not enough there though to make a top ten list.

Here is the man himself... Fred Wesley

Wesley and Fred – Angel

This was a great relationship, but mostly from the Wesley to Fred direction.  It was clear he loved her, and eventually they got together, but in true Joss Whedon fashion, happiness is the portent of imminent tragedy, and Fred’s body was used as vessel to birth an ancient demon god.  Hate when that happens.