There are rewatchable comfort shows, and then there is Gilmore Girls. For countless fans, Amy Sherman-Palladino's beloved series has become less of an occasional binge and more of a permanent lifestyle, a show to return to again and again, no matter the streaming schedule. Which is why subscribers to the streamer, especially longtime fans of Lorelai and Rory, may be stunned to learn the series is leaving the platform after more than a decade.

According to Netflix's X account, Gilmore Girls will leave the streamer on June 30. The post, which you can read below, marks the first time the series has been unavailable on Netflix since 2014, when the platform acquired streaming rights to the WB and CW favorite.

The relationship became so intertwined that Netflix eventually produced the follow-up miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, bringing Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel back to Stars Hollow. For many viewers, Netflix and Gilmore Girls became almost synonymous. That is partly because the series found an entirely new generation on streaming.

The original show ran from 2000 to 2007; its popularity exploded again thanks to binge culture. The rapid-fire dialogue, endless coffee and cozy autumn atmosphere transformed it into one of the most watched comfort shows. And apparently, some subscribers are not taking the breakup particularly well.

Fans Are Threatening To Follow Gilmore Girls Out The Door

Netflix's announcement quickly filled with replies from devastated fans, many of whom claimed Gilmore Girls was the primary reason they still paid for their Netflix subscription. Some of the best responses included:

• @down222mars: "This is actually my 13th reason, the rest of the day is cancelled goodnight."
• @kaiesaki: "canceling my subscription how dare u!!"
• @MarySpe05198707: "The only reason I pay for Netflix is to rewatch Gilmore Girls on repeat. I'll cancel my membership."
• @ThatJeeto: "Nooo not Gilmore Girls 😭 Stars Hollow forever, Netflix you're breaking our hearts ☕️"
• @IQDose101: "This is a crisis. A major, 'Luke storming out of the diner' level crisis."
• @CyberMonday: "lorelai gilmore would have needed more than one cup for this."
• @fruitl88p: "Noooooooo!!!!! Worst decision ever!! How will I literally sleep at night. This is my comfort show that I fall asleep to each night!"
• @hitchcockwoman: "HORRIBLE business decision. I'm in a huge Gilmore Girls group on Facebook and everyone in there is saying this is their excuse to cancel Netflix because that was the only show they binged on there every night."

Honestly, the funniest part may be how many people reacted by immediately threatening to cancel their subscriptions and follow the residents of Stars Hollow right out the door. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, but the passion is not surprising.

Unlike many long-running dramas, Gilmore Girls has become a deep part of many viewers' lives. It was not just a show people watched once, but instead, it became background noise, bedtime television and a yearly fall tradition. There are entire corners of the internet devoted to annual rewatches, coffee recipes and debates over which boyfriend deserved Rory.

The show's staying power is part of what made A Year in the Life possible back in 2016. Netflix recognized that the fandom had not disappeared and brought the cast back for four revival episodes. While the revival divided some fans, it also proved just how much affection remained in Stars Hollow.

At the moment, there haven't been any announcements on where the series will stream next. But with the intellectual property belonging to Warner Bros. Television, it wouldn't shock me if it became available to those with an HBO Max subscription in the very near future, much like what happened when Friends left Netflix back in 2020.

For now, fans still have a little time left to squeeze in one more rewatch before July 1. Judging by the reaction online, there are probably a lot of giant coffee mugs being filled across America right now.

Gilmore Girls is a wildly popular show, one that's regularly re-watched by fans (especially those with a Netflix subscription). The original series, as well as the revival A Year in the Life are some of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix, although the fandom's passion can sometimes result in some discourse online. And while some fans have a coffee-related complaint about Lorelai Gilmore, actress Lauren Graham isn't having it.

Gilmore Girls returned for a new limited series with 2016's A Year in the Life. Upon its release, some fans took umbrage with how Graham's Lorelai was holding her coffee from Luke's Diner in the opening scene. In a clip on Instagram from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, she responded to folks who thought that her cup was empty, saying:

Now that's some method acting. Both Lorelai and Rory are coffee addicts in Gilmore Girls, just one example of how they have stomachs of steel. And if folks though that Lauren Graham was carrying around an empty coffee cup on A Year in the Life they were wrong.

In the opening sequence Lorelai and Rory reunite at the Star's Hallow town square, and eventually go running around when Alexis Bledel's character frantically tried to find cell reception. That's when Graham was shown holding a coffee by the bottom of the cup. Later in her same conversation the actress went on to say:

There you have it. Lorelai herself isn't here for the discourse surrounding her coffee cup, especially because it very much had liquid in it. We'll just have to see if she ever gets the chance to play her signature character again on the small screen.

Of course, this isn't the only moment from Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life that got some backlash upon the revival show's release. The final scene was polarizing, where Rory revealed to her mother that she was pregnant. Fans are still debating who the father of Rory's child might be, with my personal choice being Milo Ventimiglia's Jess. But we'll have to see if Amy Sherman-Palladino ever actually confirms who it is one way or another. Although the mystery does feel very Mamm Mia! coded if we end up waiting for another revival series to find out.

Both Gilmore Girls and A Year in the Life is streaming over on Netflix. As for Lauren Graham, she can be seen in Reminders of Him, which is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list.

No matter how much time has passed, Gilmore Girls will always have a special place in many fans’ hearts, especially during the fall. The series is arguably one of the best shows streaming on Netflix, and it’s hard to believe that the drama is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. There were definitely a lot of great moments to come from the show, both on-screen and off. However, some weren’t all great, as Lauren Graham once admitted to still being hurt about ER filming right down the street.

In celebration of the show’s 25^th anniversary, Graham and her on-screen daughter Alexis Bledel presented at the 2025 Emmy Awards in September. For the bit, they stood on a porch that was a replica of Lorelai’s, and it was like we were briefly taken back to Stars Hollow. The two recalled what it was like filming Gilmore Girls all those years ago and how small the production actually was, i.e., they had no money.

In a clip from the Emmys posted by ET, Bledel shared how they had to save up all year long to have their one snow episode, to which Graham hilariously added that ER would wet down their street and wash it all away. Bledel then told her to let it go, but Graham insisted that since ER had George Clooney, Gilmore could have at least gotten the snow:

This is so funny, and I was particularly entertained by Graham lamenting:

Plus, to make matters even funnier, as she was saying that, the camera cut to ER alum and current star of The Pitt, Noah Wyle, who was laughing over this whole bit.

As if it wasn’t obvious from Graham and Bledel’s exchange, both ER and Gilmore Girls filmed at Warner Bros. in Los Angeles at the same time. And from the sounds of it, their stages were right next to each other. It is pretty funny to know that after all these years, the actress is still (jokingly) upset about the snow, especially since ER was set in Chicago and had plenty of it.

That being said, ER had the luxury of being able to film in the Windy City a handful of times, as confirmed in a Chicago Tribune article.

It is interesting to hear about just how different filming was for Gilmore Girls and how they had very little money. Graham has not let up about the show wetting down the streets and melting the snow for their one episode. It didn’t help that ER had an actor like George Clooney, who, during Gilmore Girls’ run, was already a rising movie star and had starred on ER in the early seasons as Doug Ross.

Luckily, Gilmore Girls was able to create memorable snow episodes and make do with what they had, even if it wasn’t a lot. They might not have had Clooney, but they certainly managed to keep fans tuned in every season. The show is now a traditional autumn watch for many fans, and you can’t really say the same about ER. Though both shows continue to live on in big and great ways.

There are a lot of things I love about Christmas movies — the festive beverages, the male strippers (you know the one), and the nostalgia of seeing actors from my favorite shows of past decades show up to star in them. There’s plenty of that on the 2025 Christmas movie schedule, and it looks like we have something to look forward to next year, because Gilmore Girls star Jared Padalecki and Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester just signed on for a Christmas movie to hit the Netflix schedule, presumably in 2026.

This year’s Hallmark calendar may feature Aaron Samuels, Superman and Sue Heck coming together for the super cute A Keller Family Christmas, but Millennials everywhere will be counting the sleeps until next Christmas when the book-to-screen adaptation of Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard comes to Netflix. Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki made the announcement on Thursday with the help of the author:

OK, my young adulthood was spent obsessing over Blair Waldorf and those iconic Gossip Girl outfits, as well as going through relationship ups and downs with Rory and her first boyfriend Dean Forester on Gilmore Girls, so this news definitely has my blood pumping.

The Bodyguard, published in 2022, is centered around a “no-nonsense bodyguard” (Meester) who is assigned to protect “a charming action star” (Padalecki) over the holidays, per THR. Sparks will fly, things will get complicated, and while I have not yet read Katherine Center’s book, I think we all know how these things tend to go.

Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum is set to direct, and if that name sounds familiar, you might remember the way she emotionally wrecked viewers with her Purple Hearts adaptation back in 2022.

Hopefully no such wreckage is on the agenda this time around, though we already know some changes will be made to the source material. For one thing, the novel is not set around Christmas, whereas the Netflix film will be. Secondly, the movie can obviously not be called The Bodyguard, given that Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner laid claim to that title back in 1992, and it’s kind of well-known.

Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum expressed excitement for the project and for the actors who have signed on, saying in a statement:

I, for one, am pretty excited about it. Leighton Meester has already given fans an A+ reunion, as she shared the screen with her real-life husband Adam Brody in Nobody Wants This Season 2. Fans couldn’t get enough of Blair Waldorf and Seth Cohen together, and this upcoming Christmas movie should provide a lot of that same nostalgia.

Jared Padalecki, for his part, not only recently reunited with Gilmore Girls co-star Matt Czuchry (sans Milo Ventimiglia), but he’ll also appear on The Boys Season 5 alongside his former Supernatural co-stars Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins.

As Millennials, we love to see that kind of thing, and I’m just glad there’s plenty to look forward to as we wait for this fun Netflix movie to come out next Christmas. Stay tuned for updates, including other cast members and what title is chosen for the adaptation.

At the present point in pop culture, Gilmore Girls and Rory’s boyfriend debate need no introduction. The debate has been a hot topic of conversation for over two decades and counting, with no signs of stopping. The discourse has become so commonplace that it almost seems like everyone and their mom has something to say. Just as I thought I’d heard it all, Scott Patterson’s surprisingly zealous take surprised me.

While the actor behind Luke Danes has shared this blunt take on Rory's boyfriends before, he recently doubled down on the matter. On the Warner Bros TV TikTok account, he weighed in on whether he was Team Logan, Jess or Dean, and he cheekily said that he refuses to stake a claim to any of them. Patterson believes none of them measure up to the Gilmore standard, as he said:

The hot take took me out for just a minute, but when I came to, I realized how much I love it. Luke, and by association, Scott Patterson, are arguably the closest to the younger half of the Gilmores, and therefore, would have such a paternal feeling about Rory’s relationships. So, the way this response comes off is as aggressive as Luke would likely be about any sort of "Team" for his stepdaughter.

Plenty of people have put in their two cents as to who they think tops the trio, and even Kelly Bishop's (Emily Gilmore) shared her allegiance. As it stands, the Sullivan’s Crossing star’s opinion of the boys makes it abundantly clear he thinks that they’re all despicable romantic partners for the Yale graduate. He instead believes there’s someone else out there that she hasn’t dated and can start fresh with:

Frankly, I think his blunt statement is one of the many reasons why Lorelai and Luke work well together onscreen and off. Regardless of whether Patterson is kidding around or not on the boys’ “bum” status, I feel that Luke's fictional wife would appreciate the thought. What he may consider “new energy” could encapsulate a lot, though. Would that leave the door open for the Wookie or even the possibility of Team Tristan rising? I for one would love to know.

While he continued the statement, he left the possibilities wide open for any new romantic ventures. The Saw V actor simply believes there’s something more for Rory:

It’ll be interesting to see if we get any new concrete storylines since there are no present Gilmore Girl projects in the works. If we do, surely we can assume we’ll get a sprinkling of Dean, Jess, and Logan since they all appeared in the Netflix revival. Based on The Gilmore's final four words, regardless of where we pick up with Stars Hollow if a continuation ever happens, Rory will certainly have a lot more than romance on her mind.

Hopefully for her sake, Scott Patterson’s same tenacity will empower Luke to support his new family members in all of their decisions. If you’d like to dive in or back in, all seven seasons are available with a Netflix subscription or a Hulu subscription. A Year in the Life is available on the former to stream.

Gilmore Girls fans who are still debating who was Rory’s best boyfriend have been able to cast their votes this fall a different way — with Panera Bread’s soups. The fast casual chain enlisted the help of Jared Padalecki and Matt Czuchry to advertise their fall soups, but hello? What about Team Jess? Turns out Milo Ventimiglia just learned about the mini-reunion, and I’m loving his reaction.

It’s been 25 years since we were first introduced to the Gilmore Girls — single mom Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and her teenage daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) — along with several boyfriends as we followed Rory into young adulthood. When Milo Ventimiglia was asked why he didn’t join his former co-stars in the Panera commercial, he responded to People:

While this might sound like the coldest burn since Mariah Carey said, “I don’t know her,” the This Is Us alum honestly didn’t know about the ad, and he’s got a pretty good excuse:

I’d have to agree. In the commercial, Jared Padalecki and Matt Czuchry passionately defend their soup choices, with Padalecki’s Fireside Chili matching traits of his character Dean — Rory’s first love — as the reliable one that “tastes like home” and is the “perfect first … bowl of soup.”

Matt Czuchry’s Autumn Squash Soup, meanwhile, is “more sophisticated,” the actor says, and “so rich” — just like Rory’s college boyfriend Logan.

Neither seem too psyched about the return of the Black Bean Soup, aka “the bad boy,” per the Supernatural star. Referencing Milo Ventimiglia’s Jess, Matt Czuchry describes it as “brooding, mysterious, hot,” which the new dad apparently found amusing, as he said:

The Panera Bread ad is certainly worth the watch for anyone who hasn’t picked a soup team yet, but I’ll spare you the trouble of having to search for it:

The “best boyfriend” debate may still be an intense one to Gilmore Girls fans, but the actors involved have never had anything but love for one another. When Milo Ventimiglia declared his love for Dean a few years ago, Jared Padalecki responded in kind with his own homemade sign professing his love for Jess.

Knowing how well all of these actors get along, hopefully Panera Bread will remember that next fall and invite Milo Ventimiglia to the reunion, so as not to disrespect the members of Team Jess.

In the meantime, fans can continue to relive Lorelai and Rory’s adventures in Stars Hollow by streaming Gilmore Girls with either a Netflix subscription or Hulu subscription. The spinoff Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life is available on Netflix.

Thanks to its popularity on streaming, Gilmore Girls feels as fresh to me today as it has for the majority of my life. Still, occasionally, a moment comes that reminds me even the Netflix series A Year In The Life came out a whopping nine years ago. Yes, nine. In another 5 years, we could get a third generation show with a brand new teenager starting high school, and Alexis Bledel as the mom. This would make Lauren Graham the grandmother and Kelly Bishop a great grandmother, which is sobering to think about.

If we were to ever get another spinoff, I do believe the enduring “Which of Rory’s boyfriends is best” debate will never be put to rest (even if Gilmore Girls' creator would love it to). This is true even if Luke actor Scott Patterson is fond of calling them all “bums.” But as a rare Team Logan stan myself I could not get enough of the recent reunion between Ms. Bishop and Matt Czuchry at Lauren Graham’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony, as captured by ABC 7's Sophie Flay.

The video itself claims Emily was “Team Logan,” and given that adorable hug, I’d have to agree. There's additional evidence to back this up, as Bishop herself has stated she's Team Logan. It helps that he showed up for the other Gilmore Girls alum’s big Hollywood moment. No offense to Milo Ventimiglia and Jared Padalecki, but I didn’t see the other two of Rory’s boyfriends making that effort. Who’s the best boyfriend now, y’all?

In fact, Graham even joked about this during her speech at the awards ceremony, noting the following (and I’m only sorry Chad Michael Murray’s Tristan didn’t make the cut):

A smattering of people from the original series did show up for Graham’s ceremony, including Bishop, Czuchry, Patterson, and Yanic Truesdale (who was until recently busy with Amy Sherman-Palladino’s canceled-too-soon series Etoile). Mae Whitman, who played her daughter on Parenthood, also attended, as did her longtime friend and former roommate Connie Britton.

It was a nice crowd, but definitely the only one earning those extra brownie points was Czuchry, and not just because he’s even gentlemanly when explaining why Rory was right to turn down Logan’s proposal. Granted, the actor’s coming off stints on AHS and The Resident while Milo Ventimiglia and Jared Padalecki have pretty full dance cards when it comes to roles coming up, but still. Just another reason why Team Logan is the best; don’t come at me Jess stans.

It’s officially been 25 years since we were first introduced to the fast-talking, pop culture-referencing mother-daughter duo of Lorelai and Rory on Gilmore Girls. Even now, though, fans will take any excuse to revive the debate that’s been going on for years about Rory’s boyfriends. In discussing the coming-of-age series’ anniversary, Scott Patterson weighed in on the Team Dean, Team Jess, Team Logan of it all, and I am obsessed with his blunt take on the matter.

Over the course of seven seasons and a revival comprising four feature-length episodes, Gilmore Girls fans watched Rory (Alexis Bledel) grow from precocious teenager to Yale graduate. We’ve seen her fall in love, suffer heartbreak, have affairs and ultimately, become pregnant, and you can bet we’ve got opinions on all of it. Somebody else who watched Rory grow up? Luke Danes, the often-grumpy diner owner, who would eventually become her stepfather, and Scott Patterson has a hilarious take on picking a team, joking to People:

This is spoken like a true father figure, despite the fact that Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) is Luke’s actual nephew. It’s totally believable to me that no man would ever be good enough for Rory in his eyes. The actor continued:

I guess we’ll put Scott Patterson down as Team Wookiee then?

I’ve got to say, he makes a really good point. I’ve always been a strong member of the Team Jess contingent, but it’s really unfair to limit Rory to three guys she met so early in life. Dean (Jared Padalecki) was her first love, so nobody can be blamed for carrying that torch, but do we really wish that had been endgame?

Then there’s Logan (Matt Czuchry), and I don’t care that Kelly Bishop — Emily Gilmore herself — thinks he was Rory’s best boyfriend, I just can’t see it. Czuchry couldn’t even fully deny his character’s shortcomings when asked if Logan was a bad partner.

I could defend Jess as the one who understood Rory the most, and it seems Scott Patterson may have sympathized with his on-screen nephew at one point, too, as he admitted to toggling between Gilmore Girls characters before coming to his ultimate conclusion. Patterson said:

So wise. This is why we need Luke (that, and for the coffee, of course). I’m not sure we’ll ever get more Gilmore Girls (or find out who the father of Rory’s child is), but the fact that we’re still debating her love life a quarter-century later speaks to how beloved this series is.

You can stream all seven seasons of the original show with either a Hulu subscription or Netflix subscription, while Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life is available on Netflix.

Milo Ventimiglia went from one of Rory's boyfriends on Gilmore Girls who almost got his own spinoff, to one of my favorite TV dads on This Is Us. Now, while one is a teen dramedy and the other is a heart-wrenching family drama, they both made pretty big impacts on television, and they're staples in the actor's career. So, Ventimiglia has opened up about what he was going for with Jess and Jack, and I’m melting.

Ventimiglia looked back at his time on Gilmore Girls and This Is Us, including being coined the “Internet’s boyfriend,” while speaking with InStyle Magazine. He was asked if his experience acting with Scott Patterson, who played Luke, on Gilmore Girls prepared him for his role as a father on This Is Us. Overall, he sees the two characters as very different, but he did elaborate on the fatherly role Luke played in Jess's life, explaining:

Luke may not have been Jess’ father, but he was the father figure that he needed. Even though the two of them certainly had their moments on more than one occasion, it was always clear how much Luke cared for Jess and how much Jess really needed him in his life.

But when it comes to Jack Pearson, Ventimiglia admitted that he was inspired by someone a lot closer to him, and just like with almost every episode of This Is Us, I feel like crying over this explanation:

Ventimiglia's career really took off after Gilmore Girls, and he exploded into another level of stardom thanks to Jack Pearson, who is arguably one of the best dads on television. Of course, he still learned from Jess when it came to acting, but knowing that he was inspired by his own father really makes Jack all the more special. It’s also sweet knowing how much he looks up to his dad and sees him as this “attainable superhero.” It’s something that we all yearn to have in our lives.

Even though Gilmore Girls and This Is Us are pretty different from each other, Milo Ventimiglia’s passion for both shows is pretty clear. Even though he previously shared his true Team Dean colors, Jess Mariano still means a lot to Ventimiglia. His wife even shares the last name.

That being said, the fact that Jess and Jack are so different from each other, with different backgrounds and inspirations, just shows the range that Ventimiglia has.

Whether or not there will ever be another Gilmore Girls revival like A Year in the Life is unknown, but the cast still hangs out from time to time, as do the This Is Us cast. So while Jess and Jack may not fully return in the future, mini reunions are a lot better than nothing. Plus, those with a Hulu subscription will be able to binge-watch both shows in their entirety and hang out with Jess Mariano, Jack Pearson, and all your favorite characters.

Every fall, Gilmore Girls is one of the most rewatched shows due to its charming New England backdrop and whimsical soundtrack. This year also happens to be its 25th anniversary, giving extra incentive to return to Stars Hollow. So, Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore) and Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) honored their beloved show by reuniting onstage at the Emmys last month, despite never receiving the coveted award during its run on TV. Now, the last time the mother-daughter duo appeared together on our screens and in character was during the finale of Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, and nearly a decade later, Lauren Graham is sharing her take on that polarizing final scene.

Fans were thrilled when Netflix revived Gilmore Girls for a four-part limited series in 2016, until they reached those four final words. Some fans didn’t like being left on a cliffhanger and still pretend the scene doesn’t exist to this day. All these years later, Graham tells Variety she still is confused by the mixed reviews:

I have no doubt it was wonderful to return to Stars Hollow with the original cast and creator to film A Year In The Life, and Lauren Graham must have been just as thrilled to see her Gilmore family reunite to support her last week as she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

As someone who has watched all of Gilmore Girls, I personally agree with the Mighty Ducks actress. I thought A Year In The Life was the perfect addendum to their story, and that the entire storyline, including the ending, was very full circle. There are plenty of fans who feel the same way, and I think many of the negative reactions stemmed from fans feeling frustrated over the shocking ending. Had they been promised another season, with answers as to who Rory’s baby daddy is, then I don’t think there would have been much backlash.

Despite trying to avoid negative reviews on her work, Graham did recognize that fans only react so strongly because they care so much about Gilmore Girls.

I certainly think writer Amy Sherman-Palladino knew what she was doing, though. Creating discourse among fans, whether it’s good or bad, is free publicity. The ending of A Year In The Life is certainly more memorable than the original Gilmore Girls ending, and I think that could have been her intention, for fans to never stop pondering the what-ifs. To me, it’s an iconic television mic drop.

Personally, I don’t feel the need to seek answers on the fate of the Gilmore Girls. It seems pretty clear to me that Rory is to be a single mother just like Loralei, with the father (who I think could be Matt Czuchry’s Logan) who is in and out of both his daughter's and Rory’s lives, similar to Rory’s own father, Christopher. Only this time, Rory has her mother, Loraelai, to lean on.

However, there are fans still seeking closure over the matter, and the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creator and Twinless actress recently provided a sliver of hope to hang onto. Sherman-Palladino has repeatedly said that she will never close the Gilmore Girls door, with Graham also saying she would always “welcome coming back,” hinting that perhaps the end of A Year In The Life could also be seen as a new beginning. This would be the obvious angle for a reboot, seeing Rory’s child going through her own teenage angst, alongside Rory’s adult storyline. I’m here for it, but as of right now, there is no confirmed reboot in the works.

Until such a time, you can always get your nostalgic dose of autumn by rewatching both Gilmore Girls and Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life with a Netflix subscription.

There are a ton of dramatic and funny stories that come from the lives of single parents. Movies and TV shows have often leaned into relationships like this across basically every genre. Sometimes they are fun and funny, and sometimes, just like real life, they are serious or heartbreaking. This list doesn't separate them, as it all adds to the rich tapestry of life. Here's our list of great movies and TV shows about the lives of single parents.

Jerry Maguire

Jerry Maguire is a movie that kind of defies genre, but at its heart, it's certainly a romance story. One of the best parts of the movie is the performance of child actor Jonathan Lipnicki, who plays an only child living with his single mother (at least at the beginning of the movie). Renée Zellweger, of course, plays his mother, whose faith in Jerry (Tom Cruise) pays off big time for everyone.

Diff'rent Strokes

In Diff'rent Strokes, Mr. Drummond (Conrad Bain) is already a widowed parent of two kids when he takes in two more kids, Willis (Todd Bridges) and Arnold (Gary Coleman). The two kids upend the lives of the rich family on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, much to the delight of audiences of the Gen X classic.

The Sound Of Music

If all you know about The Sound of Music is that the hills are alive, you might not realize that it's about a single father raising his seven children in Austria. Maria, played by the legendary Julie Andrews, is hired to help Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), and she brings so much more to the table.

Gilmore Girls

One of the most popular TV shows about a single mom and her relationship with her daughter is unquestionably Gilmore Girls. The show gained a very loyal following over its seven-season run, and it remains incredibly popular with the people who were drawn to it in the first place.

Mom

There are really two kinds of family sitcoms in TV history, one side is the idyllic family with perfect relationships, personified by shows like The Cosby Show and The Brady Bunch, and the other is more dysfunctional families, like Married with Children. Mom, starring Allison Janney and Anna Faris, definitely falls into the latter category. Still, at least until Faris left the show, it was hilarious.

Sleepless In Seattle

Rom-coms like the '90s classic Sleepless in Seattle are always fertile ground to explore single-parent/child relationships. In the movie, Tom Hanks is a widower raising his son who grabs the attention of a journalist (Meg Ryan) after his son calls a radio talk show looking for a partner for his dad. It's a sweet story, of course, and the dynamic between father and son is so darn wholesome! It helps make it one of the best rom-coms of all time.

The Single Moms Club

The Tyler Perry joint The Single Moms Club is a unique take here. It doesn't follow one single mom, but five. The five, who have little in common beyond their marital status, find themselves thrown together planning an event at their kids' school because all of their kids keep getting in trouble. It plays out pretty much as you expect, but it is charming at times.

Forrest Gump

I'll be the first to admit that I don't care for Forrest Gump. I think it's overwrought Boomer nostalgia (albeit with a great soundtrack). However, the one piece of the story I do think is well done is the relationship between Forrest (Tom Hanks) and his mother, played by Sally Field. Forrest's mom's determination to give Forrest as normal a life is actually inspiring, despite all the silliness that follows in Forrest's life. D- movie, A+ relationship.

Arrested Development

The dynamic between Michael (Jason Bateman) and his son George Michael (Michael Cera) is one of the key components that makes Arrested Development one of my favorite sitcoms of all time. Bateman plays the straight man in the show, surrounded by completely ridiculous family members, and George Michael is definitely among them, even if he is trying a little harder than the rest of the family to be a good person.

Erin Brockovich

Julia Roberts plays the real-life Erin Brockovich in the movie of the same name, and while her status as a single mother is only tangentially explored in the movie, it's the whole reason the character (and the real woman) ended up in a position to do what she did. Never underestimate a determined single mother!

Stranger Things

I have a complicated relationship with Stranger Things. I think the plot is brilliant and I love the stories, but I am on record as a Gen Xer who is annoyed with Gen X nostalgia. Obviously, the show, available with a Netflix subscription, fits the bill for this list, no matter how I feel about it.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

"Single Parent" might not be the first thing that pops into your head when you think about the Terminator franchise, but the relationship between Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and John (Edward Furlong) is critical to the series, and no more so than in the second installment, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. It's certainly not a traditional mother/son relationship.

Julia

You might not be familiar with the ABC sitcom Julia, but it was one of the most groundbreaking television shows of all time. Diahann Carroll, who played Julia, a single mother of a son, changed TV forever, both as a female lead in a sitcom and as an African-American actor as the lead in any show. The fact that she was a single mom is yet another way she broke new ground.

Mamma Mia!

Like a few other movies on this list, Mamma Mia! might not jump off the page as a single-parent story, but, of course, it is. Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried play mother and daughter, and, like others on this list as well, it's about the daughter hoping to set up the parent with a new partner.

The Parent Trap

I just had to include The Parent Trap. It's not about one single parent, but two! Sure, they were once married to each other, and sure, the plot, when you really look at it, is, frankly, disturbing. Like, why were two twins separated at birth and never told of the other one? How was this the deal that the demented parent came up with? Still, whether it's the original or the remake, everyone loves the movies, including me.

Maid In Manhattan

The Jennifer Lopez hit Maid in Manhattan is one of the trope-ier movies on this list. It kind of checks all the boxes for a standard rom-com, yet somehow it is still incredibly fun. Lopez plays a single mom trying to make it in the big city and... well... there's a rich guy, and yadda yadda yadda.

Ginny And Georgia

Almost immediately, Ginny & Georgia drew comparisons to The Gilmore Girls, and it's easy to see why. The dynamic between teen daughter Ginny and her mother, Georgia, is very similar to the one between Rory and Lorelai.

Reba

Not only was Reba one of the best shows set in the South, it also firmly belongs on this list as a great show about a single parent. The show stars Country music icon Reba McEntire as a mother of three whose husband leaves her for a younger woman, and she is left to pick up the pieces.

Panic Room

One of the more underrated David Fincher movies, Panic Room is a true thriller about a mother and daughter. Jodie Foster plays a mother who moves into a new house with her young daughter after a divorce. On their first night in the new (very nice) brownstone, some burglars break in. Luckily, there's a panic room! Okay, it doesn't sound great when you break it down like that, but like most of Fincher's movies, it's actually pretty great.

Parenthood

While it's loosely based on the 1989 movie of the same name, the television show Parenthood is quite a bit different from the movie. On the show, Lauren Graham plays Sarah, the single mother of two working on a bartender's salary. There are other parents, of course, Sarah's siblings, who aren't single, but Lauren's story is key to the show.

One Day At A Time

One Day At A Time, which was later rebooted in the 2010s, starred Bonnie Franklin as a single mother struggling to raise her teenage daughters in a small apartment in Indianapolis. It was a cornerstone show for anyone who grew up in the '70s and '80s, as it was a staple of reruns in syndication after its nine-season run on CBS.

Full House

Well, you knew I had to include Full House on this show. Even though I was personally a little too old to get into this show when it was on, I certainly recognize the cultural impact of the Tanner family and the stars that this show produced, including Bob Saget as Danny Tanner, the widowed father of DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle.

One Fine Day

Just when George Clooney was really becoming George Clooney, he starred in the rom-com One Fine Day alongside Michelle Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer plays a single mom struggling with her ex to raise their child. Enter Clooney's character, Jack, who is also recently divorced, and after a series of hijinks, the two end up finding love with each other. Yeah, it's as cheesy as it sounds, but Pfeiffer and Clooney make it work better than it should.

Shameless

Shameless was never ashamed to show the dark side of a dysfunctional family, and no family in TV history has been as messed up as the Gallaghers. At the top of the heap of screwups is Frank, the hapless, drunk father played brilliantly by William H. Macy. You can't help but love this group of misfits.

Overboard

One of the most enduring relationships in Hollywood is the one between Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. In the '80s, they teamed up a few times, and one of the best has to be Overboard. Hawn plays a snobby, rich woman with amnesia, and Russell plays a working-class guy who is raising his kids on his own. He devises a plan (that is quite disturbing in hindsight) to trick Hawn into living with the family. Hilarity ensues.

The Andy Griffith Show

The Andy Griffith Show is the quintessential show based in the South, and it's easy to forget, unless you watched it, that Andy was a single father raising Opie (Ron Howard). Sure, he had Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) there to help out, but he was a single dad, and that was pretty rare on TV in the '60s.

No Reservations

Yet another rom-com on this list, No Reservations, is about Kate, a hard-charging chef played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, who becomes guardian for her niece (Abigail Breslin) when her sister is killed in a car crash. She finds a way through her grief with a new sous chef who threatens her job, but opens up her heart, played by Aaron Eckhart.

My Three Sons

One of the earliest examples of a TV show about a single parent is the 1960s classic My Three Sons, starring Fred MacMurray as a single dad with, you guessed it, three sons. It's all right there in the title!

Mommie Dearest

When I was a kid, my mom loved to make fun of Joan Crawford (hey, it was a thing), and that was in large part due to this movie, Mommie Dearest. While the movie hasn't held up, it certainly tells a disturbing story of a single mom (Crawford, played by Faye Dunaway), raising her two kids in terror. I watched it too many times as a kid, and I still hate wire hangers.

Who's The Boss?

There isn't just one single parent in Who's The Boss?, there are two. Tony Danza plays...Tony, a single father to Sam (Alyssa Milano), who becomes a live-in maid for Angela (Judith Light,) who is helped by her mother Mona (Katherine Helmond) in raising her son Jonathan (Danny Pintauro). It may not be one of the best sitcoms ever, but it's a classic show for anyone in Gen X.

Big Little Lies

Big Little Lies is filled with complicated family dynamics, including Shailene Woodley as a single mom to Ziggy (Iain Armitage).

We Bought A Zoo

I simply had to include this one. Most people don't really like the Matt Damon movie We Bought A Zoo, but I must have been in just the right mood for it's syrupy sweet vibe when I first saw, so I love it. It's not the best movie on this list, but I really do find it cute. And like every other movie and TV show on this list, it's about a single parent!

A year has passed since Shōgun made its dramatic sweep as one of the 2024 Emmy Awards’ biggest winners, which means it’s once again time to honor television’s best. And I can think of no better way to personally honor all of this year’s Emmy-nominated entities than by live-blogging the ceremony and sharing roughly 75-85% of my waking thoughts during that runtime.

The night could easily be dominated by Apple shows, with Severance and The Studio earning the most nominations of any series that didn't feature Colin Farrell in prosthetics, though that still didn’t stop the TV Academy from making an early mistake involving Seth Rogen. In any case, I’m expecting to hear a lot of “Thank you, Sal Saperstein” on the stage tonight, and if everyone just limited their appreciation to just that one line, then Nate Bargatze’s plan to keep speeches short wouldn’t even need to be put into action.

UPDATE: Now that the telecast has wrapped, here's a full list of winners, but definitely keep scrolling to see what other highlights surrounded those wins.

• Outstanding Drama Series: The Pitt
• Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series: Britt Lower (Severance)
• Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series: Noah Wyle (The Pitt)
• Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series: Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series: Tramell Tillman (Severance)
• Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series: Adam Randall (Slow Horses)
• Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series: Dan Gilroy (Andor)
• Outstanding Comedy Series: The Studio
• Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series: Jean Smart (Hacks)
• Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series: Seth Rogen (The Studio)
• Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series: Hannah Einbinder, (Hacks)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series: Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere)
• Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series - Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (The Studio)
• Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series: Adolescence
• Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series: Cristin Miloti (The Penguin)
• Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series: Stephen Graham, (Adolescence)
• Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series: Erin Doherty (Adolescence)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series: Owen Cooper, (Adolescence)
• Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series Or Movie: Philip Barantini (Adolescence)
• Outstanding Writing For A Limited Series, Anthology Or Movie - Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham (Adolescence)
• Outstanding Reality Competition Program: The Traitors
• Outstanding Talk Series: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
• Outstanding Scripted Variety Series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Now, without further ado, let's jump into talking about everything happening, from the opening festivities to the awkward presenter moments to the heart-wrenching acceptance speeches. But as it always goes with awards ceremonies, the night starts off with red carpet hightlights, so away we go.

The Emmys Live Blog Starts Here!

First and foremost, hello and thank you to everyone for following along. Just shout your names into your computers, and I'll probably be able to hear some of them. Not really, but we don't holler our own names out loud enough as a society.

Before the red carpet reactions, here are a pair of polls for the two biggest awards of the night.

Now let us know what you think will win in the other category.

My Red Carpet Fashion Hot-ish Takes

My thoughts on award nominees' fashion choices are about as useful and professional as a that of a [fill the blank with something extra-clever], but I have to do something with them. So here's a rundown of my early thoughts on some of the celebs seen on the red carpet so far.

• The Pitt's cast may win the night for cast looks

Let's run this down. Shabana Azeez is wearing a gorgeous red dress from Marchesa with a big red burst of fabric on the left shoulder. Shawn Hatosy is looking dapper AF in a black velvet tux. Katherine LaNasa is a testament to elegance in a Jason Woo dress (that she noted is the nurse-specific color of ceil blue) with a big silver bow, as well as Fred Leighton jewels. Noah Wyle is rocking a purely traditional tux look, but I'll take it.

The biggest winner of the bunch, though, has to be Tracy Ifeachor's silver and wildly intricate dress. Not sure who made it, but hat's off to them. Literally, since the look does not involve a hat. I'll update with her look when one becomes clearly available.

• Nobody Wants That star Justine Lupe's jeweled dress from iconic designer Carolina Herrera? More like Everybody Wants That.

• The White Lotus' Sam Nivola is wearing what may be the most comfortable pants to ever be worn on an awards red carpet.

• Hacks' Megan Stalter pulled off an all-timer Emmys look by wearing a white T-shirt, jeans, sunglasses and purse with a "Cease Fire!" sign on it. Obviously a statement look, but not without Stalter's spotlight personality still imbued.

• Severance's Tramell Tillman and The Last of Us' Pedro Pascal are both wearing white suits, with Tillman's being a custom, button-emblazoned Dolce ensemble. I think if there were a battle of the white suits, he'd win.

• Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson looks incredible in a Louis Vuitton dress that has enough sideboob to make an entire elementary school blush. Co-star Jannelle James looks equally stunning in a bejeweled red dress.

• Love that Hunting Wives stars Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow were hanging out on the carpet together, with both rocking different levels of pink.

• Other Severance stars are showing off fantastic looks even beyond Tramell Tillman. Sarah Bock and Britt Lower look wowzers is their respective sparkly and shimmering dresses, and Patricia Arquette pulls off opera gloves like few others. Adam Scott and Ben Stiller might both be wearing the exact same tux, but Zach Cherry's patterned suit absolutely stands out.

• Wednesday's Jenna Ortega may or may not be wearing a top made entirely out of jewels and pearls and stuff. Even Thing would do a double-take.

• Jason Segel looks like a tall glass of red wine, and fiancée Kayla Radomski's black dress kind of resembles a wine glass. Or maybe I am just really wanting a glass of wine at this point.

• Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson both look great, but just seeing the couple smiling and laughing together is the best look of all, amirite?

• Last-second highlights: Reba McEntire's sequined jacket, Kristen Bell's dress, the white outlines on Alan Cumming's Tanner Fletcher suit, Parker Posey's pink floof

The Show Finally Started, And The Opening Was Excellent!

Nate Bargatze kicked off the Emmys with a winning riff on Saturday Night Live's "George Washington" sketch, with the comedian portraying TV inventor Philip Farnsworth. It's nothing new to rip on TLC and History for not living up to their original names - with shows about "people who eat couch cushions" for instance.

But it gets more insightful once the joke is pointed to streaming (as a way to avoid talking about the lack of Asian diversity). Streaming TV truly is the home for real-life murderers as stars.

I'm also here for more jokes thrown at The Bear not being a comedy or a drama, and at more people watching NFL and Yellowstone than anything that ever gets awarded at the Emmys. Big wins all around, and without any flubs. 10 out of 10. Would watch again.

Stephen Colbert's Standing O

Stephen Colbert was a brilliant choice to be the first presenter of the night. Not only did he draw attention to all of the Late Show staffers who will be out of a job in May, but he also turned in his first headshot to Harrison Ford to pass on to Steven Spielberg. From one Steve to another.

WINNER: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series - Seth Rogen (The Studio)

Didn't expect such a big award to start things off, and Rogen's speech was shorter than Colbert's set-up.

AND HE DIDN'T EVEN THANK SAL SAPERSTEIN, THAT RASCAL!

Nate Bargatze's Acceptance Speech Rules

True to his word, Bargatze set up that everyone is being held to a 45-second speech, with a potential $100,000 donation going to the Boys and Girls Club of America, with $1,000 getting taken out for every second that a winner goes over. Alternately, the pot will be sweetened whenever everyone goes under their time.

Thanks to Seth Rogen's quick speech, the pot quickly rose to $106,000, and Bargatze immediately qorried about having to pay too much money. Love this idea, and while it seems like it'll be hard to represent next year, it should be interesting to see where things go.

WINNER: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series - Jean Smart (Hacks)

I love Jennifer Coolidge as much as the next person, but I don't know if I understand her getting 17 minutes (roughly?) to introduce this award. But okay. As long as the Boys and Girls Club didn't lose any money.

No surprise that Jean Smart took home her 7th Emmy, and her 4th win for playing Hacks' Deborah Vance. Perhaps more surprising: she compared her slow walk (due to a recent injury) to John Wayne's.

Props for her ending with this hopeful note:

• "Be good to each other. Just be good to each other."

WINNER: Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series - Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)

Well-deserved win, and I'm wondering if this is the beginning of a big sweep for The Pitt over others like The White Lotus.

WINNER: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series - Tramell Tillman (Severance)

Fuck yes! I am so damned happy for this one. Not just because I think Tramell Tillman absolutely deserves accolades for his masterful work as Severance's Seth Milchick, but also because I expected nothing but perfection from his speech. And he delivered with the following:

• "You remember what you want to remember. You make time for what you want to make time for. Do the work, show up, and most importantly, for the love of God, don’t embarrass me in public. My first acting coach was tough, y’all. But all great mothers are. Mama you were there for me when no one else was and when no one else would show up. Your loving kindness stays with me. And this is for you. Thank you to the Academy. I am full, I am humbled, I am honored, and as my mama would say, ‘Woo! Look at God!’"

A wonderful speech, through and through.

This win also doesn't disrupt The Pitt's possible sweep, since Paradise was the only non-Severance/White Lotus show to have an actor in the running. Just saying.

WINNER: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series - Britt Lower (Severance)

A shocked and tearful Britt Lower took the stage, with John Turturro and Severance creator Dan Erickson beaming with smiles in the crowd.

• "Thank you, Helly R., for choosing me."

It's wild that this year's Emmys are going to hard on handing out the acting Emmys in the first hour. What does that mean for the rest of the broadcast?

Golden Girls Tribute Performance

Reba McEntire and Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman paying tribute to The Golden Girls. Nothing could be more logical, in many ways. Not seeing how it was a logical choice to preface an award presentation, but I'll take it.

WINNER: Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)

Hannah Einbinder's hilarious speech, in which she pointed out that she was ready to lose again, was the first time the telecast showed off the quickly dropping charity donation with an on-screen graphic, which caused the Hacks actress to stammer her way through another few thousand dollars going away before she wrapped with a few choice political statements.

Bring On The Swear Jar

Nate Bargatze just suggested the clear way to up the ante during next year's acceptance speeches. A swear jar. Give this guy all the meetings.

Leanne Morgan, Presenter Extraordinaire

Leanne Morgan, star of Netflix's multicam sitcom Leanne, was a fun presenter, getting performatively flustered over Pedro Pascal and other celebs.

• "Walton Goggins, I cannot get my toe in his pants."

She even started to open the envelope before she even got around to saying the back half of her introduction.

WINNER: Outstanding Reality Competition Program - The Traitors

Alan Cumming running a class on acceptance speeches, quieting others and spitting out a lot of thank-yous quickly. Show 'em how it's done. Oh yeah, and congrats to all involved for rewarding the best reality show on TV.

WINNER: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series - Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere)

This might go down as the biggest surprise of the night, though not an unearned or easily disputable one. This marks Jeff Hiller's first Emmy nomination and win, and his humbled reaction made it clear he wasn't so confident in the win. Thank goodness he didn't listen when the world told him "...Maybe computers" instead of acting.

Yes, I realize that Hiller winning means Ike Barinholtz didn't win for The Studio, thus ruining all chances of the Sal Saperstein portrayer thanking his character. But some things are more important than my bullshit. Just some, though.

WINNER: Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series - Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (The Studio)

Despite Evan Goldberg getting left out of the winners announcement, he was there alongside Seth Rogen to receive accolades for their standout directorial work.

Boo on Walton Goggins and Parker Posey's weird Thai food intro. Less of that.

WINNER: Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Anthology Or Movie - Philip Barantini (Adolescence)

As much as I loved all of the nominees in this category, it's hard to say this show's one-shot direction was less impactful than anything else on TV in the past year.

Another appearance from the Charity Countdown Clock, also. I can't wait to see where it's at when the halfway point of the broadcast hits. (Which could either be in 20 minutes or 200 minutes, knowing the Emmys.)

WINNER: Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series - Adam Randall (Slow Horses)

I didn't necessarily see this one coming, and my Severance bullishness wanted to hear that show get named here. But no slight to Adam Randall, since anyone directing Gary Oldman is worthy of winning here.

Also, just to say it, Jesse Williams looks like he's ready to play James Bond. Or to at least hang out with James Bond at the biannual Smoothest Looking Sumbitches on Earth summit.

WINNER: Outstanding Scripted Variety Series - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

CBS definitely wasn't patting itself on the back by bringing a Survivor spin to this category's two nominees, despite neither of them actually airing on CBS.

Other than that, though, it was almost surprising to see Last Week Tonight take the prize over Saturday Night Live's landmark 50th season, which was pretty lauded and didn't do too badly in the ratings department, either. But Oliver's HBO show is extremely hard for any other series to beat.

WINNER: Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series - Dan Gilroy (Andor)

Does this mark one of the biggest award wins for the Star Wars franchise? I think maybe so? Love that he gave a shout out to brothers Tony and John for their efforts, but it seems wild to say "I don't have words" in an acceptance speech while a dollar amount is shrinking on the screen.

WINNER: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series - Owen Cooper (Adolescence)

Wow, wow, wow. The young Owen Cooper was a class act accepting his award for his stellar work on Adolescence, saying when he started on his acting journey, he didn't expect to travel to the U.S. by this point, much less get honored with an award. As he put it:

• "I was nothing about three years ago. I'm here now."

Here's hoping for even more great things from Cooper in the future. And if they're all far, far easier on one's blood pressure to watch than the Netflix limited series, no complaints on my end.

WINNER: Outstanding Writing For A Limited Series, Anthology Or Movie - Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham (Adolescence)

Unsurprisingly, Adolescence continued its winning streak, and Nate Bargatze is a winner for putting all the money back that Owen Cooper lost during his extended speech.

As far as presenters go, Kathryn Hahn and Ike Barinholtz seemed like they were truly set to deliver an awkward bit by calling out writers not being as important as others. And hey, it kinda was, but I love that they just purposefully had barely anything to say as soon as the teleprompter was turned off. It's dumb, but I like those two.

Gilmore Girls Mini-Reunion For The Win

Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham going back and forth with scripted quips has been sorely missing from my life. No more soreness, but only for a little while.

WINNER: Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series - Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Frida Perez (The Studio)

Big ups to The Studio crew for delivering the shortest speech of the night so far, with this triplet of lines:

• Alex Gregory: We would like to thank Seth and Evan.
• Frida Perez: And our amazing cast and crew.
• Peter Huyck: Apple and Lionsgate. Pay up, Nate!

Soon followed by Nate Bargatze gamely telling winners to give some long thank-yous.

WINNER: Outstanding Variety Special (Live) - SNL 50

Power to everyone for giving the mic to Lorne Michaels during a night where speed is key. But the legendary creator shared his speech with aplomb, with former stars Steve Martin and Martin Short standing at attention in the crowd.

Presenter Tina Fey's jokes about Drake and Kendrick Lamar, as well as her joke about not being pregnant, got some weird looks from the crowd. Oops.

WINNER: Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series - Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Nobody's shocked by this one, since Last Week Tonight has yet to lose in this category.

As such, let's take a second to Ooh and Aahh over how amazing Kathy Bates and Alan Cumming looked next to each other as presenters, with both changing into far more shimmering outfits from what they were wearing earlier in the night.

I can't say with confidence that I would wear what Cumming is wearing even if I knew with 100% certainty that I could pull it off. But only because I wouldn't want anyone to mistake us for each other in public. Same goes for the Matlock star's dress.

WINNER: Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series - Erin Doherty (Adolescence)

Erin Doherty, whose dress is pretty fabulous (and a total nightmare for anyone with trypophobia), carried on Adolescence's winning run, and deservedly so. And with a time-friendly speech, as well.

WINNER: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series - Cristin Miloti (The Penguin)

I was going to be so angry if The Penguin didn't get any love, and I love that Cristin Milioti took home that show's first win of the night. And that her bright and bubbly speech was the polar opposite of her work as Sofia Falcone. It was the only speech of the night that featured someone saying they wanted to freebase their show creator's brain. The only one SO FAR anyway.

Can't ignore the excellence of Colin Farrell walking his co-star up to the stage, either.

TV Academy Chairman Cris Abego's Inspirational Speech

Usually, award shows take a dip whenever chairmen and execs take the stage, but Cris Abego delivered a pretty impassioned and inspirational speech about the power of TV and storytelling to unite people in devisive times. It's kind of preaching to the choir at an event like this, but still important words.

WINNER: Bob Hope Humanitarian Award: Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen

Love that The Good Place's Kristen Bell and creator Michael Schur were given the duty of presenting this award to Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, even if it wasn't for their on-screen efforts, but for their selfless work in the real world.

Given this was a preplanned award, the couple had an inspirational speech at the ready, and they weren't limited to the 45-second speech clock that other winners were. Which is good, because that wouldn't have been enough time to be wowed by Steenburgen's fabulous dress.

The "In Memoriam" Segment

Phylicia Rashad came out to pay tribute to the late Malcolm-Jamal Warner to introduce the night's "In Memoriam" segment, which was accompanied by country giants Vince Gill and Lainey Wilson singing "Go Rest High on That Mountain."

With every year that passes, this segment gets filled with more and more icons of the industry who passed away, and there's never enough time to pay proper respects to everyone. To that end, we can likely expect for social media to pinpoint exactly who was left out of it.

It's Weird How Few Bits There Have Been

I'm not mad about it, since it's made things flow pretty smoothly. But the lack of them makes it seem like nothing has really happened on the show outside of the winners being presented. Having JB Smoove doing completely clean jokes from the crowd isn't helping much, either.

Of course, maybe that's why we're actually still seeing host Nate Bargatze showing up this late into the telecast, which usually isn't the cast.

WINNER: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series - Stephen Graham (Adolescence)

Oh man, the way that everyone around Stephen Graham reacted whenever his name was called was enough to give me a big jolt of energy. His speech was right touching as well without going overboard in any direction. Next up will no doubt be Adolescence's win in its key category.

WINNER: Outstanding Talk Series - The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Who could have seen this one coming? It's been a wild past month for The Late Show, which went from getting canceled outright to winning the Emmy. The whole squad hit the stage, and even though Colbert kicked it off by saying "Think of the children," he definitley went on for too long, but understandably so, since everyone on the show will be on different projects (hopefully) by the time the 2026 Emmys come around.

At least he ended it strong, with this closing line:

• "Stay strong, be brave, and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor! Woo!"

WINNER: Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series - Adolescence

Wait, what? I didn't see this coming at all!! [holds for delighted laughter and applause]

Of course Adolescence took home the gold here after winning just about everything else it could have. And it gave Stephen Graham a chance to thank the people that were left out in his previous speech.

Countdown Clock Update

Hliariously, the current amount of money set to be donated to the Boys and Girls Club is negative $26,000. Too bad for all the kids. But hey, Stephen Colbert had a lot of people to thank.

Everybody Loves Raymond Mini-Reunion

Another classic TV pairing took the stage in the form of Ray Ramano and Brad Garrett, who hilariously went off on how winning his award for Everybody Loves Raymond years ago didn't raise his star power like he expected it to. He even joked that the next time he appeared on the Emmy's, it'd be in the "In Memoriam" segment, questioning whether or not he'd even make the cut. Ray Ramano's response:

• "I mean...if it's a slow year, no doubt. No doubt. No question."

I'd love to watch these two working together in another capacity, especially knowing that neither wants to bring their sitcom back, in lieu of co-star deaths.

WINNER: Outstanding Comedy Series - The Studio

This was an expected win for Seth Rogen's breakout streaming hit, although it was hard to pay attention to the speech as the Countdown Clock total rose (or dropped) to well beyond negative $50,000.

Outside of that, love that this won, because Bryan Cranston's performance in the Season 1 finale is one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life.

WINNER: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series - Noah Wyle (The Pitt)

Noah Wyle may not have won any Emmys during his stellar run on ER, but it all comes back around, and it's perhaps no surprise that he did indeed take home the win for his work on The Pitt. And he delivered just the kind of tight and effective speech that one would also expect.

Go Noah!

WINNER: Outstanding Drama Series - The Pitt

Well I'll be damned. I did assume that this would happen, but I was still holding out blind hope for Severance to win. But no. The Pitt crushed it out throughout the night, and now the pressure is on Noah Wyle, R. Scott Gemmill and John Wells to deliver something just as great with Season 2.

Love the Law & Order: SVU cast members coming together to present, even if everyone else looked like Mariska Hargitay's backup singers/dancers.

Thankfully The Countdown Clock Didn't Actually Matter

Even though the winners' speeches went way over the time limited allotted, Nate Bargatze confirmed at the end of the telecast that CBS would be donating $100,000, and that he would personally donating $250,000, for a total of $350,000 being granted to the Boys and Girls Club.

How funny would it have been if the producers had some of the Boys and Girls Club kids giving a giant check to Bargatze with the amount of money that was lost? That might have been too mean for the comedian's sensibilities.

Final Thoughts

All in all, the 2025 Emmys were about a smooth and effective a ceremony as could be expected during a time when the tone could have been far more political and nasty. Perhaps Nate Bargatze's inoffensive and non-topical comedy set the right mood to keep everyone's messaging in line with celebrating television. Or maybe the thought of children not getting a charitable donation was enough to limit the more outside-the-box speeches.

Whatever the reasoning, I can't complain much, even if the lack of controversy meant things felt a bit too one-note throughout the night. There wasn't even a wildly embarrassing bomb of a presentation, with Jennifer Coolidge and Tina Fey arguably coming the closest to reaching WTF territory. I love Bargatze, though, so I'd welcome him back next year even if it meant a similarly small amount of heightened drama.

Thanks for reading along with me, everyone, and I hope to have made your night that much more bearable. Or at least that much more full of ME. Until we meet again...

Spoilers ahead for Season 3, Episode 7 of The Summer I Turned Pretty, “Last Hurrah.” You can stream it right now with an Amazon Prime subscription.

The Summer I Turned Pretty has been airing its final season on the 2025 TV schedule, and it's keeping fans hooked on the love triangle that is Conrad, Belly, and Jeremiah. Viewers are continuing the Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah debate, with some pointing out comparisons to other shows such as Friends. Now, some are comparing Conrad to a particular Gilmore Girls character after the latest episode, and I can’t unsee it.

In this week’s episode, “Last Hurrah,” we finally saw Conrad find out about what Jeremiah did in Cabo. Then, he told Belly, not knowing that she actually already knew. The scene on the beach also included Conrad calling out Belly for how she’s been acting toward her wedding to his brother, noting that having it at a country club isn’t like her. One TikTok user pointed out that he had the same energy as Jess asking Rory why she dropped out of Yale on Gilmore Girls, and I can’t say I disagree:

Not only are both boys pretty broody, but they knew when something was off with Belly and Rory, respectively, and just wanted them to be happy. So, they called the women out.

Many people in the comments of the TikTok had the exact same thought about both scenes, and they are not the only ones. One fan on X posted a screenshot of the scene from TSITP, but captioned it with what Jess said to Rory, and they really do give off the same energy:

As someone who leans mostly towards Team Jess and is 100% Team Conrad, I could not love this comparison more, and it might explain why I love Conrad as much as I do. Of course, those who have read We’ll Always Have Summer have been expecting this scene to play out, but actually getting it and seeing the energy that Christopher Briney brought to it, I was in awe. Also, the resemblance between Conrad and Jess is uncanny, making the moment even better.

Meanwhile, The Summer I Turned Pretty’s third season has been tipping the scales for some people as they flip teams from Jeremiah to Conrad. Although it's clear in the books who Belly ends up with, author Jenny Han has mentioned that the show's ending will be altered, but the extent of the change is unknown. There have been some differences between the book and the show already, so it could go in any direction.

However, before we get to the end, it appears that the battle of the brothers is really on. Conrad has called out Belly, in a very Jess Mariano way, and professed his love. Now, the question is: How will that impact her relationship with Jeremiah?

The Summer I Turned Pretty has some parallels with certain movies and shows, and it’s always interesting to see what fans are able to point out because once it’s pointed out, you can’t unsee it. Now, I'm curious to see if any more Gilmore Girls coded scenes are coming.

There are still a handful of episodes left of the third and final season, and it will definitely be entertaining and heartbreaking to see the aftermath of the beach scene. New episodes drop on Wednesday on Prime Video.

No matter how long it’s been since Gilmore Girls aired, the debate centering on who Rory should have ended up with continues to be a hot topic. Since it's streaming with a Netflix subscription and is one of the most rewatchable shows ever, more and more people are either rewatching it or discovering one of the best dramedies for the first time, with more contributing their two cents to the discourse about Rory’s love life. This debate mostly centers around Team Dean, Team Jess, and Team Logan, but there's a camp of fans who are actually Team Tristin. Now, Chad Michael Murray, who played Tristin, has revealed whether his character could have captured Rory’s heart if he had stuck around longer.

Before starring on One Tree Hill, Murray recurred in the first season of Gilmore Girls as wealthy Chilton student Tristin Dugray. His crush on Rory was evident, but due to his ego and bad behavior, she mostly didn’t give him the time of day unless she was forced to. That didn’t stop him from still pining after her, though. While she did reciprocate those feelings at one point, things got complicated. And he was later sent to military school because of his behavior, with his final appearance on the show being in Season 2, Episode 9.

Considering Tristin's arc was cut short, could there have been more between him and Rory if military school had never been an option? While Murray was promoting Freakier Friday with co-star Manny Jacinto, the two were asked by Capital Buzz which project fans come up to them the most about. After Murray mentioned A Cinderella Story and One Tree Hill, he was asked if fans ever mention Gilmore Girls. He then shared his thoughts on the relationship, and I so wish Tristin had stuck around:

Even though Murray previously fired shots at Tristin, it seems like he's changed his tune. Having his character and Rory be endgame would have definitely changed the course of Gilmore Girls, and the storylines could have been interesting.

Rory was slowly warming up to Tristin, but due to her feelings for Dean and Paris’ feelings for Chad Michael Murray's character, nothing could really come from it. But being able to flesh out those complications and see how things would have turned out even with Dean still around would have been fun.

However, as someone who has been jumping between Team Jess and Team Logan for a while now, I’m not sure how I’d feel with yet another main guy in the picture. Maybe Team Rory was the right answer.

Everything worked out for the better, though, because just four years after being involved with a love triangle on Gilmore Girls, Murray found himself involved in a different love triangle that went on for several seasons on One Tree Hill. It may not have been the same, but it was obviously as entertaining as ever.

Unfortunately, fans couldn’t see if that first romance would have worked out even years later, as Murray was not able to return for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Whether another Gilmore Girls revival will ever happen is unknown, but perhaps Tristin might still have a chance. That is, depending on who Rory’s baby daddy is.

Sometimes, you watch a show like The Wire and later discover that despite being almost universally acclaimed and often considered one of the best–if not the best–shows of all time, it never won an Emmy of any kind. How in the world does that happen? The classic, available to stream on HBO Max, is hardly alone with the dubious distinction of being a great show with no Emmys. This is a list dedicated to shows just like The Wire.

It's worth noting that we're talking about Primetime Emmys here, not Creative Arts Emmys. Some of these shows have won the latter.

Parks And Recreation

For seven seasons, Parks and Recreation made fans laugh on NBC. With an all-star cast that included Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt, Aubry Plaza, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, and Rob Lowe, the show was one of the top-rated sitcoms of its era. Still, it never managed to win an Emmy, somehow, despite eight nominations.

Chappelle’s Show

Although it only ran on Comedy Central for three seasons, Chappelle’s Show took the world by storm, and you could argue it changed sketch shows forever. There are still countless memes based on the jokes on the show, and people still quote it all the time. It was nominated for two Emmys, but didn't win either.

Better Call Saul

There may not be a show on the list of Emmy snubs that gets its fans fired up about that fact more than fans of Better Call Saul. In six seasons, the critically acclaimed show, which was beloved by fans, was nominated for 30 Emmys, including multiple times for Outstanding Drama, but never won one. It's one of the most egregious examples of a true prestige show that didn't run on HBO on this list.

Star Trek

It's well known that Star Trek wasn't the most popular show when it first aired in the mid-'60s. Still, it's kind of crazy that the groundbreaking show was nominated for 13 Emmys during its brief three-season run, but never won one. Getting shut out for an Emmy certainly hasn't dampened the show's cultural influence or its popularity.

Yellowstone

One of the more recent shows on this list, Yellowstone, wrapped up its very successful run in late 2024 without winning an Emmy. The show has always been somewhat politically divisive, but you can't deny that it's a really great show. During its five-season run, the Kevin Costner-led show was never even nominated for a Primetime Emmy. Costner did win a Golden Globe, though.

Good Times

One of the most groundbreaking sitcoms of all time, Good Times, was probably a little too radical for the Emmys. The show wasn't just funny, it was also heartwarming and poignant. IT still couldn't win an Emmy, and that's not "dy-no-mite!"

Blue Bloods

Tom Selleck is an Emmy winner. He won for Best Lead in a Drama in 1984 for his legendary character Thomas Magnum in Magnum P.I. He was never even nominated for his equally legendary role as Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods. In fact, Blue Bloods never won an Emmy of any kind despite 14 great seasons and legions of fans, who are still upset the show was canceled.

Grace And Frankie

Legends Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin starred in Grace and Frankie for seven wonderful seasons that you can watch with a Netflix subscription. Netflix is no stranger to winning Emmys, but this excellent never won one. Both Fonda and Tomlin were nominated multiple times, coming away empty each time. That's okay, they are still two of the greatest of all time.

Enlightened

A decade before Mike White kept the nation in suspense with his White Lotus series on HBO, he created Enlightened, starring Laura Dern. It's a completely unappreciated show that deserved more Emmy love than it ever got.

Veronica Mars

Kristen Bell became a hero to millions when she starred as the detective Veronica Mars in the show of the same name. It's a show that is famous for its die-hard fan support, but that support didn't translate to Emmy Awards, sadly.

My So-Called Life

Of all the shows on this list, My So-Called Life is the easiest to understand why it didn't win an Emmy. Despite being a show that helped launch the careers of stars Claire Danes and Jared Leto, the show only lasted 19 episodes and only really found its fanbase after the show was canceled.

Empire

Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson led an all-star cast in the music industry drama Empire, which despite critical acclaim and running for six seasons, the show was never bestowed with an Emmy. Howard and Henson alone should have more multiple awards, if you ask fans. Henson was nominated twice, at least, but that doesn't make up for not winning any.

The Wire

There is no small contingent of people who will argue that not only was The Wire the best show on TV when it first ran in the early '00s, but it's the best television show of all time. For five seasons, the show suffered from poor ratings, but in the years since, it's found its fanbase and more. In fact, despite all the praise it receives today, it was only ever nominated twice. Clay Davis might have something to say about that.

The Good Place

Kristen Bell and Ted Danson starred in The Good Place. It's a show that struggled to find an audience for reasons that are hard to pinpoint. It's a really funny show, and it was unique in its premise and its humor. That might be why it never managed to win an Emmy, despite certainly being deserving of some.

Narcos

Netflix's Narcos is a fantastic example of a truly great peak-era TV show that somehow got snubbed by the Emmys. There was a lot of competition, sure, but Narcos was a step above many of those shows. Wagner Moura's performance as Pablo Escobar should've won every award there was, and Pedro Pascal was fantastic as well. Maybe the content scared the voters off, or that the show was bilingual, but no matter what, it should have won something.

The Leftovers

HBO dominated prestige TV in the early 2000s with shows like The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Six Feet Under, and The Leftovers. Unlike the previous two, the latter never won an Emmy. It seemed like it would be the next show in line to collect all the Emmys like the other shows on the network, but alas, it wasn't to be, and they were left behind.

The Brady Bunch

Okay, okay, this one is a bit of a stretch to wonder why it never won an Emmy, but come on, who doesn't love The Brady Bunch? Multiple generations have grown up watching the show now, and there isn't a person in America who isn't aware of this classic family sitcom. It's a perfect example of critics and Emmy voters disagreeing with viewers.

The Comeback

Of all the shows that former cast members of Friends have starred in over the years, maybe the most underappreciated is The Comeback starring Lisa Kudrow. It wasn't an immediate hit when it hit HBO in 2005 for 13 episodes, but it proved enduring, and it returned for a second season in 2014. Don't call it a comeback...

Newhart

The '80s classic Newhart, starring Bob Newhart, features one of the greatest finales in television history. It was also nominated for an astounding 25 Emmys. It never won, though. It's almost too ridiculous to believe that a show this good and with this many nominations never won one. Adding insult to injury, Bob Newhart's first hit sitcom, The Bob Newhart Show, never won one, either.

Parenthood

NBC's Parenthood, which was very loosely based on the 1989 movie starring Steve Martin, was a bit of a surprise hit on the Peacock Network. The show, like the movie, had just the right combination of laughs and tear-jerking moments, and it did so successfully for six seasons. Despite having all the ingredients of a multiple Emmy-winning show, it was completely shut out. In fact, it was only nominated for one, and that was a guest star (Josh Ritter).

NCIS

For decades, NCIS ruled the ratings. Despite more than 20 seasons on the air, the show has never won an Emmy. It's one of the most popular shows ever, yet it's only ever been nominated for three Emmys, total. Wild.

Hannibal

Horror shows, like horror movies, often have a difficult time show business' biggest awards, and Hannibal is no exception. Despite being a fantastic (and really scary) show, it never won an Emmy.

Oz

One of the earliest examples of prestige TV is Oz. The show is one of the hardest-hitting, raw shows in TV history, with an amazing cast. It was probably a little ahead of its time, however, as it really never got the accolades it deserved when it was on the air. That includes never winning an Emmy.

Leave It To Beaver

We had to include this one. Leave It To Beaver is a show that basically invented and defined the family sitcom, and yet it never got the appreciation it deserved from the Emmys. The awards were still pretty new when the show was on the air, but it was incredibly popular, yet ignored by the Emmys.

Supernatural

Few shows in television history have a fan base as dedicated as Supernatural. For 15 seasons, the show kept them coming back for more, through casting changes, and even a network change, the fans kept showing their love. The Emmys never did, sadly.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

The quirkiness and enduring humor of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt would seemingly be enough to win at least one Emmy. Ellie Kemper's performance as Schmidt herself was also certainly good enough to win one. Alas, over three seasons and a remarkable twenty nominations, it won none.

New Girl

146 episodes. Seven seasons. Zero Emmys. Such is the fate of New Girl. Zooey Deschanel played the titular new girl, and even though she was widely praised for her comedic performance, she didn't win an Emmy, nor did the show. It was nominated five times, including Deschanel once for Lead Actress, but walked away empty-handed.

Mindhunter

It's a crying shame that Mindhunter only ran for two seasons. It's a prime example of Netflix canceled without a proper ending. While fans are still holding hope that the show could be revived one day, for now, we'll have to live with just the two excellent seasons. Despite how good those seasons are, they didn't win any Emmys.

Sons Of Anarchy

While many might say that Sons of Anarchy never deserved to win an Emmy, that's not fair. The show had some tremendous moments, like Opie's death, and frankly, the finale. It's one show that actually ended really well. For 92 episodes over seven seasons, we laughed, cried, and bled with SAMCRO, but the show never grabbed voters, it seems. It did receive a few Creative Arts Emmy nominations, but it was never nominated for a Primetime Emmy.

Bates Motel

As horror shows go, Bates Motel is among the best ever. For five seasons, the show scared the pants off fans, but it seems to have never scared the Emmy voters into getting an award. Vera Farmiga was nominated a couple of times, but alas, walked away without a win.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

It's hard to fathom just how popular and enduring It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is. It first aired way back in 2015. Now, the stars own football teams in England. It's just crazy, but not as crazy as how the gang has never won even one Emmy.

Gilmore Girls

One of the most enduringly popular shows on this list, Gilmore Girls is still as popular as ever with its fans, despite being off the air for more than 15 years. Fans still keep on the lookout for shows with the Gilmore Girls cast members, but none of those stars won an Emmy for the show. In fact, the show was completely shut out, just like the rest of the shows on this list.

You know how there are just those friendships on television that you watch, and you sit there like, “Dang, I need to have friends like that!” Here are some of the best that I’m sure you’ve loved time and again.

Troy And Abed (Community)

When I was thinking of names for this list, Troy and Abed were the first two that came to mind. When it comes to the Community cast, the chemistry among them is utterly perfect; however, the best is undoubtedly Donald Glover and Danny Pudi as Troy and Abed, respectively. I could think of no better friendship duo than these two and their weirdness – I even have a mug of them saying, “Troy and Abed in the mooorning!”

Steve And Dustin (Stranger Things)

While they are indeed the among the friendships with the most significant age gaps on this list, I can’t leave out Steve and Dustin. I feel like we were all introduced to what these two could be in Season 2 when Steve started to enter his whole “mom” era (as the memes online would say) with the kids. But throughout the four seasons, we’ve seen their friendship grow in specific ways that make it a million times better. I love this duo so much.

Chandler And Joey (Friends)

Yes, really, the entire Friends cast is something I genuinely love, but speaking specifically, Joey and Chandler are the epitome of “best friends forever.” These two have been through it all, and I swear, the episode where Chandler moves out is one that always hits me hard in the feels. They are goofy in every way.

Eleven And Max (Stranger Things)

When we watched Eleven and Max together on Stranger Things in Season 3, something was healed in our souls. There’s just something so sweet about watching two teenagers go out and live their lives and become close friends without any boys to bother them. I love these two so much.

Ekko And Powder (Arcane)

While Arcane is one of the best shows to binge on Netflix, it wouldn’t be on that list without its impressive character connections, and one of those is Ekko and Powder. That’s right, not Jinx, of course, but Powder before she went through all the trauma – and especially in that different reality in Season 2. These two had a special connection unlike any other, and my only wish was that we got more.

Cristina And Meredith (Grey’s Anatomy)

Duh. I think when anyone thinks of TV best friends, they think of Cristina and Meredith from Grey’s Anatomy. These two stuck together through thick and thin and went through some of the most dramatic instances that characters in a medical TV show could experience. You can’t get better than them.

Jackie And Donna (That ‘70s Show)

I love these two because the best thing about Jackie and Donna is that they weren’t friends at first. They did not like each other. But throughout the show, they ended up getting really close. And really, I think that’s an excellent way for a friendship to start in a show – where they see the worst versions of each other but choose to become friends anyway when they realize how much they have in common.

Ted And Coach Beard (Ted Lasso)

The Ted Lasso cast has plenty of great friendships, but one that I have to give special praise to is the one between Ted and Beard. At first, it feels like they wouldn’t get along because Beard is just so…weird in so many ways. But they vibe on a different level, and it’s a friendship that truly stands the test of time.

Jack And Liz (30 Rock)

The 30 Rock cast is so talented, but the main friendship that I’m sure we all love is Liz and Jack. Why? Because these two are brutally honest with each other. They always show up for each other in times of need, and they’re not afraid to tell each other how it is. That’s a true friend.

Jess And Cece (New Girl)

God, the list of times that these two have gone through ridiculous drama because of the boys that Jess lives with is endless. But you want to know the best part? Jess and Cece were always there for each other. Whether it was Cece dealing with Schmidt, Jess with Nick, or whatever other crazy shenanigans they went through, it was always these two.

Veronica And Fiona (Shameless)

I will literally always love Veronica and Fiona. The entire Shameless cast essentially defined my college years, as I loved the show. But these two? They were great friends. Fiona was hyped about V just as much as Veronica was about her. They were not afraid to get dirty in order to protect one another. I love ‘em.

Leslie And Ron (Parks And Recreation)

The best thing about Leslie and Ron in the Parks and Recreation cast is that they are always there for each other. Often, with many of these office shows, friendships can turn romantic in the blink of an eye, but they were always just hilarious together in so many ways. I can’t help but love them.

Bellamy And Clarke (The 100)

While a part of me will never forgive this CW show for not putting these two together because the chemistry was amazing, there’s a lot to love about Bellamy and Clarke from The 100. They went through some of the worst things together, but no matter what, they always stood by each other and let them live their lives, even if they didn’t necessarily agree with their choices. It’s perfect.

Sam And Dean (Supernatural)

Is it cheating because they’re brothers? I don’t know. To me, I think Sam and Dean’s friendship is one of the highlights of the Supernatural cast. It wouldn’t be a great show if it weren’t for Sam’s quips, Dean’s sarcastic comments, or how they work so incredibly well together. I mean, it had fifteen seasons. Of course, their friendship was amazing.

Jake And Finn (Adventure Time)

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Jake and Finn have a friendship that’s special in so many ways. They are friends forever, and you can’t take that from me.

Aang And Sokka (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

When it comes to rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender, one friendship I particularly love is that of Aang and Sokka. You’d think it'd be because they are always there for each other. Sokka will support Aang no matter what, and Aang will protect his friends as if they were his family. But the real reason is that they are just idiots together – and I mean that in the best way possible. They come up with the silliest plans. And it’s something that makes me laugh every time.

Will And Carlton (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

While they were cousins, they did not have to be friends. However, watching the evolution of Will and Carlton’s friendship throughout The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is something that I will always love. A begrudging respect began to form, and by the end, the two of them had become truly close friends, having been through a lot together.

Lily And Robin (How I Met Your Mother)

I think a reason why a lot of people like Lily and Robin from How I Met Your Mother is that, in reality, they feel like a lot of real-life friendships – especially with me. Whether it’s cracking jokes, drinking wine, or needing someone to rant to, these two were each other’s person, and that’s something we can always be grateful for.

Ted And Rebecca (Ted Lasso)

Were Ted and Rebecca close from the start? Not at all. But I love it when the grumpy x sunshine dynamic finally comes around, and these two are the epitome of that, where even Rebecca starts to see how great Ted is. By the end of the series, she was crying as she watched him leave to return to America. Now that’s a friendship.

Jimmy And Gaby (Shrinking)

The Shrinking cast has some memorable friendships, but I have to point out Jimmy and Gaby. Sure, they did have their moments of possibly having a fling, but in reality, these two are just funny together. They have some hysterical moments that make me snicker. And it’s something I rewatch when I need a laugh.

Rachel, Phoebe And Monica (Friends)

I couldn’t just pick a duo for these three because, in reality, they’re all great friends. I feel like each of them has stuck their neck out for the other on any occasion because they care so deeply. There’s something so special about having three friends who would do anything for the other, and these three take the cake.

Jimmy And Paul (Shrinking)

Does Paul continuously say they aren’t friends? Of course. Does that stop Jimmy? Nope! Watching these two interact is the highlight of my week whenever new Shrinking episodes come around, and I would fully watch an entire series dedicated to just them, with Paul turning grumpy as Jimmy’s pestering continues.

Grace And Will (Will And Grace)

Of course, I had to put these two on this list. The titular characters of Will & Grace are so iconic that they came back around in a revival back in 2017. Their friendship is hysterical, and they are always there for each other, no matter what.

SpongeBob And Patrick (SpongeBob SquarePants)

SpongeBob and Patrick are the epitome of how two characters can be as dumb as rocks, but they vibe so well. I love ‘em to death, no matter how stupid these two are together and the trouble they get into. Some of the best SpongeBob memes revolve around their friendship.

Scott And Stiles (Teen Wolf)

As someone who lived during the Teen Wolf era, Scott and Stiles were EVERYWHERE. And I mean everywhere. I looked on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr (that’s right, you remember her), and I couldn't escape their friendship – or the people shipping them.

Turk And J.D. (Scrubs)

If the term ‘bromance’ had a picture in the dictionary, it would be Turk and J.D.. They were hilarious in every way and perfectly captured what it was like to be just two guys who vibed well and absolutely loved each other. They are what made Scrubs so good.

Charles And Jake (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

There are plenty of friendships I could point to in the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast, but one that always stands out to me is Charles and Jake. I really don’t think they were the brightest bulbs when they were together, but somehow, they always managed to get the job done hilariously.

John And Sherlock (Sherlock)

Because, of course, I have to put these two together. Did Sherlock drive John out of his mind? Of course, he did. But Sherlock would also do anything to protect John and his family, and we see that even if Sherlock himself was practically unable to show emotions. That’s the kind of true friendship we all need.

Steve And Robin (Stranger Things)

Yes, because we love Steve and Robin. The hilarious part about these two is that everyone thought Robin and Steve were going to become the next big romantic thing when Season 3 came around. Still, nope, it turns out Robin was actually a lesbian, and these two ended up becoming besties – and are always there for each other.

Lorelai And Rory (Gilmore Girls)

Okay, so while they are mother and daughter, I’m pretty sure we can all collectively agree that Lorelai and Rory are best friends as well. That’s kind of the whole premise of the show. Mothers and daughters would dream of the close relationship that these two had.

Eddie And Dustin (Stranger Things)

Eddie was a true all-star of Stranger Things Season 4, but one of the biggest reasons for that is because of his friendship with Dustin. Eddie got to him on a personal level (one different from Steve's), and that friendship will always be remembered.

Toph And Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Toph and Katara have a powerful friendship. Not only do they bring out the best in each other with their powers, but they constantly challenge each other, especially in the beginning when they don’t get along. But it would be a friendship that would last a lifetime.

Ugh, now I feel like I have to rewatch all of these shows to see these guys again. I think it’s time for a marathon.

The bond between a parent and their child (or even between a person and their surrogate parental figure) is one of the most complex relationships there is. Hollywood certainly understands this, based on how many amazing parent-child duos have graced both the big and small screen for decades. The following are some of the world’s favorites.

Don Vito And Michael Corleone (The Godfather)

The entire Godfather saga is a tale of one man's rise to power as the leader of a ruthless mafia family, but the first of Francis Ford Coppola's Best Picture Oscar winners based on Mario Puzo's novel is, essentially, a father-son story. Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) never wanted his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), to take his place in the family business, but Michael's decision to avenge his father's attempted murder himself is what places him on this dark path.

Lorelai And Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)

Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's hit dramedy Gilmore Girls was one of the first series to introduce the idea of a parent and their child also being each other's best friends. In fact, single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), whom Lorelai had when she was a teenager, consider themselves best friends first and a mother and daughter second.

Atticus And Scout Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)

The American Film Institute named Southern attorney Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) from To Kill a Mockingbird cinema's all-time greatest hero for his refreshing empathy and undaunted sense of justice. What makes him a movie dad one would be proud to have is the way he passes his ideals onto his impressionable children, especially his daughter, Jean Louise, better known as "Scout" (Mary Badham), who bravely comes to her father's aid in his most challenging moments.

Fred And Lamont Sanford (Sanford & Son)

Not every person's relationship with their parent is perfect, and sometimes not even time can make it better. Take, for example, the bickering duo from the classic TV sitcom, Sanford & Son, in which the cantankerous Fred Sanford (Red Foxx) and his more conscientious son, Lamont (Demond Wilson), run a junk-dealing business together.

Anakin And Luke Skywalker (Return Of The Jedi)

There has never been a more awkward reunion between a parent and their long-lost child than in the beloved Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back, when Darth Vader (née Anakin Skywalker), played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones, reveals to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) that he is his father. Luckily, at the end of Return of the Jedi, the Sith Lord comes to his son's rescue against Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), turning back to the light side of the Force before it is too late.

Jim Hopper And Eleven (Stranger Things)

More than the intense otherworldly phenomena like Demogorgons and Mind Flayers, what keeps fans invested in Stranger Things is the relationships between the characters, none of which are as strong and heartwarming as that of Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). The Hawkins Police Chief, who previously lost a daughter to cancer, secretly takes in the psychic child as his own at the beginning of Season 2 and becomes her legal guardian by its end.

Goofy And Max Goof (A Goofy Movie)

Despite its initially poor critical reception and dismal box office returns, A Goofy Movie is now regarded as one of the best Disney animated films of all time. The secret is the complicated, but ultimately charming, relationship between the classic, eponymous animated character (voiced by Bill Farmer) and his teen son, Max (Jason Marsden), who he takes on a road trip that changes their lives forever.

Sophia Petrillo And Dorothy Zbornak (The Golden Girls)

The main Golden Girls cast was made up of four older women sharing a house in Miami, namely Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McLanahan), and Dorothy's quick-witted mother, Sophia (Estelle Getty). Getty's Emmy-winning performance was so convincing, lending wonderfully to her and Dorothy's back-and-forth relationship, you would never guess the actor was actually one year younger than Arthur.

Dr. Henry Jones Sr. And Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade)

Even if it is not the absolute best Indiana Jones movie (most would agree that honor belongs to Raiders of the Lost Ark), 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is easily the installment with the most heart. The key is seeing Harrison Ford's eponymous archaeologist team up with his estranged father, Dr. Henry Jones, Sr. (Sir Sean Connery), in a race against the Nazis to locate the Holy Grail.

Jack And Sydney Bristow (Alias)

Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) may have had a difficult relationship with her estranged father, Jack (Victor Garber). However, they prove to be a great team in the business of espionage after she discovers that they are both double agents serving the CIA on creator J.J. Abrams' hit, action-packed drama, Alias.

Mufasa And Simba (The Lion King)

Disney's 1994 hit The Lion King would not be such a devastating tragedy if not for the powerful father-son relationship at its core. Young Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) falls under the impression that he caused the untimely death of his father, Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones), driving him to go into hiding and allow the true murderer, Scar (Jeremy Irons), to usurp the throne.

Endora And Samantha Stephens (Bewitched)

Bewitched exaggerated the common trope of the disapproving mother-in-law to uproarious, fantastic proportions by putting veteran witch Endora (Agnes Moorehead) at constant odds with her son-in-law, Darrin Stephens (Dick York and, later, Dick Sargent). Luckily, Darrin's wife and Endora's daughter, fellow spellcaster Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery), managed to keep her mother in check, for the most part.

Ellen Ripley And Newt (Aliens)

It may seem like a bit of a cheat to include Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley and Newt (Carrie Henn, a child star who walked away from Hollywood after this role) from Aliens, as they are not biologically related or even bonded by law. However, through the survivor's fierce bid to protect the orphaned child from the Xenomorphs, she effectively becomes that little girl's mother by the end of that 1986 sci-fi movie classic.

Joseph And Murphy Cooper (Interstellar)

While Interstellar is certainly an intriguing space movie, Christopher Nolan's 2014 sci-fi odyssey is an even more powerful father-daughter story. Forced to leave Earth to search for a more habitable alternative home, Joseph "Coop" Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) becomes estranged from his daughter, Murphy, or "Murph" for short (played at different ages by Mackenzie Foy, Jessica Chastain, and finally Ellen Burstyn), not only by miles but also by decades after traveling through a time-dilating black hole.

Man And Boy (The Road)

Director John Hillcoat's 2009 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road is a brutal post-apocalyptic thriller about a man (played by Viggo Mortensen) and child (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) searching for sanctuary in a dystopian wasteland. However, by keeping the core duo nameless, the story of a father struggling to do what is best for his son despite insurmountable obstacles becomes a tale that any parent can identify with.

Georgia And Ginny Miller (Ginny & Georgia)

Netflix's Ginny & Georgia is a TV show often compared to Gilmore Girls for its plot involving a single mother (played by Brianne Howey) and her young adult daughter (played by Antonia Gentry) she had in her teens. However, creator Sarah Lampert's dramedy takes things in a much darker direction with distressing circumstances that tend to put the titular duo at odds with one another.

Marlin And Nemo (Finding Nemo)

The duo most people would more readily associate with Finding Nemo is the platonic pairing of Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). However, in the grand scheme of things, the Pixar movie favorite is really about the clownfish's search for his eponymous son (voiced by Alexander Gould) and the youngster's determination to reunite with his father.

Din Djarin And Grogu (The Mandalorian)

Before The Mandalorian premiered, Star Wars fans did not know what to expect from the now-acclaimed Disney+ original TV show, other than an adventure following a tough galactic bounty hunter. The moment the series and the character of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) truly won over audiences was when the show exposed his soft spot as he defied his orders and became a surrogate father to an adorable, infantile Jedi eventually called Grogu (but initially referred to by fans as "Baby Yoda").

John And Ray Kinsella (Field Of Dreams)

Field of Dreams has been described as a classic baseball movie, a mystifying ghost story, and a profound, heartwarming fantasy, but that is the tip of the iceberg. In its purest, most essential form, the 1989 favorite is the story of a farmer named Ray (Kevin Costner) given the astonishing opportunity to reunite with his late father, John (Dwier Brown), for a game of catch.

M'Lynn Eatenton And Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie (Steel Magnolias)

The 1989 adaptation of Robert Harling's play, Steel Magnolias, is an ensemble piece following multiple, strong Louisiana women from various walks of life. However, the core storyline, and the most memorable, is that of Mary Lynn "M'Lynn" Eatenton (Sally Field), and her struggles to let go of her grown-up daughter, Shelby (Julia Roberts), when she gets married and to come to terms with the risks that come with her diabetic condition.

Frank And John Sullivan (Frequency)

One of the most unique time travel movies ever made is 1999's Frequency, starring Jim Caviezel as John Sullivan, a modern-day homicide detective inexplicably given the chance to speak to his long-dead father, Frank (played by Dennis Quaid), from 30 years in the past over HAM radio. However, when they accidentally alter the past in grim ways, they must work together to prevent a series of murders before they happen.

Bonnie And Christy Plunkett (Mom)

The hit CBS sitcom, Mom, stars Anna Faris as single mother Christy Plunkett, who has enough on her plate trying to raise two children, in addition to maintaining her sobriety. Not making things too much easier is her mother, Bonnie (Academy Award winner Allison Janney), who is a recovering alcoholic herself, but unlike her daughter, rarely holds back from speaking her mind.

Julius And David Levinson (Independence Day)

Director Roland Emmerich's sci-fi blockbuster Independence Day is an alien invasion movie and disaster thriller with a nearly unmatched sense of charm and heart. Much of that can be credited to the relationship between MIT grad David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) and his relationship with his father, Julius (a hilarious, scene-stealing Judd Hirsch).

Keith And Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)

Veronica Mars was a trailblazer for coming-of-age TV shows in the way it offered more subversive and grounded takes on inter-character relationships, such as the title character's bond with her single father, who is a private investigator. While Keith (Enrico Colantoni) can be a bit overprotective of Veronica (Kristen Bell), they share a bond that almost better resembles close friends, strengthened by their mutual passion for justice.

Hal And Oliver Fields (Beginners)

Some people go their entire lives never fully getting to know their parents for who they truly are, but Oliver Fields (Ewan McGregor) gets the chance before it is too late in the 2010 dramedy, Beginners. Oliver becomes inspired to pursue a more spirited life and romance with Anna (Mélanie Laurent) following his strengthened relationship with his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer in an Oscar-winning performance), who reveals that he is gay at 75 years old after the death of his wife.

Richard And Alexis Castle (Castle)

If Richard Castle's (Nathan Fillion) professional and, eventually, romantic relationship with Det. Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) is the lifeblood of ABC's zesty crime procedural, Castle, then the heart and soul is his relationship with his daughter. The novelist-turned-police consultant has been called reckless and immature by some, but the proof that he is an exceptional father lies in the teenage Alexis (Molly C. Quinn).

Carl And Bud Fox (Wall Street)

One of the most iconic instances of a parent and child acting alongside each other is Martin and Charlie Sheen in Oliver Stone's Wall Street. Carl Fox (Martin) and his son, Bud (Charlie), are divided by their employment status (Carl being blue collar and Bud being white collar) and an ethical disagreement that nearly severs their relationship forever, but ultimately remain united by their mutual love and admiration.

Rocky And Jim Rockford (The Rockford Files)

No one made being a private investigator look cooler than James Garner as street-smart former convict Jim Rockford on The Rockford Files. Of course, the detective was lucky to be able to rely on his allies, the best being his own father, Joseph "Rocky" Rockford (Noah Beery Jr.).

Tess And Anna Coleman (Freaky Friday)

There may not be a parent-child duo on this list that understands each other better than Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna Coleman (Lindsay Lohan) from Disney's 2003 adaptation of Mary Rodgers' novel, Freaky Friday. How so? The psychiatrist and the teen musician have literally spent a day in each other's shoes, thanks to a magical fortune cookie, in the beloved body swap movie.

Calum And Sophie Patterson (Aftersun)

Writer and director Charlotte Wells' Aftersun is a heart-wrenching, but great, A24 movie starring Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal as a man trying to do right by his young daughter, Sophie (Frankie Corio), amid his struggles with depression and anxiety.

Max And Page Conners (Heartbreakers)

Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt star in Heartbreakers as a mother-daughter con artist duo. They specialize in cheating wealthy men out of their money by having Max (Weaver) marry the target, having Page (Hewitt) seduce them into being adulterous, and collecting the loot in the divorce settlement.

"Big" And "Little Edith" Bouvier Beale (Grey Gardens)

The acclaimed 1975 documentary Grey Gardens introduced the world to Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, "Little Edith," who are the cousins of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore gave acclaimed performances as the reclusive eccentrics in a dramatized adaptation of the doc made for HBO in 2009.

You know when some good relationships on television make you want to squeal the moment you see them? Yeah, these are the relationships down below. Sure, we can spend some time watching the best rom-com movies, but what about several seasons of build-up to a relationship that makes it all worthwhile? Here are some couples that define “goals.”

Chandler And Monica (Friends)

Chandler and Monica are the couple from the Friends cast, and I will not be asking any other questions about it at this time. Ross and Rachel were what people talked about, but these two? I love them. They are defined as “goals” based on how much they love each other, even if they didn’t have the typical start. Friends-to-lovers is one of the best.

Ian And Mickey (Shameless)

There was a time when Ian and Mickey were literally all I saw on my Tumblr feed back in the early 2010s. The Shameless cast featured plenty of great relationships, some healthy and others…not so healthy, but Ian and Mickey were a relationship that made it until the end. There’s nothing quite like them.

Rebecca And Jack (This Is Us)

The This Is Us cast defined my time in college when the show was airing, and Jack and Rebecca were the blueprint for how I wanted my future marriage to go. I have never seen two people just so in love with each other on TV, but also portray such a realistic marriage.

Corey And Topanga (Boy Meets World)

I think Corey and Topanga were the couple for the '90s kids. I didn’t grow up watching Boy Meets World, but I know from many that watching these two grow into teenagers and then young adults was one of the best aspects of this series. And honestly, I love that for you.

Jim And Pam (The Office)

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Sure, there were moments between Jim and Pam in later seasons that felt a little out of character, but these two were the defining relationship from The Office cast. We were all on the edge of our seats at the beginning of the series when these two were just friends, and we wanted them all to get together.

Leslie And Ben (Parks And Recreation)

Leslie and Ben from the Parks and Recreation cast are the perfect example of a relationship that took its time but blossomed beautifully. Ben was the type of person who always let Leslie shine and never tried to dim her light, which is something that I love about them. They always supported each other no matter what.

Marshall And Lily (How I Met Your Mother)

There have been so many relationships that have come and gone in How I Met Your Mother, but you want to know what one of the best was? Obviously, Marshall and Lily. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as many warm fuzzies as I did watching these two.

Stefan And Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)

Team Stefan and Team Damon? Nah, Elena was always going to pick Damon and me, but Stefan and Caroline? Perfect, excellent. There are absolutely no notes on that couple because, honestly, they were better suited for each other. Sorry.

David And Patrick (Schitt’s Creek)

I’m pretty sure watching David and Patrick in Schitt’s Creek altered my brain chemistry because I don’t think another TV couple has stood out the same as them. The Schitt’s Creek cast is filled with memorable characters, but watching the progression of their relationship throughout its five seasons was something that I will always adore. These two loved each other so much.

Luke And Lorelai (Gilmore Girls)

Look, I know that we’re all here for Team Jess or Team Dean or whoever we’re rooting for with Rory, but to me, as an adult woman now, I like Luke and Lorelai’s relationship a heck of a lot more. It feels more mature, more natural, and less dramatic. Please, give me this rather than the craziness of teenage romance.

Nathan And Haley (One Tree Hill)

The definition of high school sweethearts that somehow worked out. They definitely had their moments of doubt throughout the nine seasons of the show, but these two loved each other so much and ended with a happily married life with two children, which is all you can really ask for in most teen drama romances out there.

Phil And Vivian (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

I’m sure you weren’t expecting to see Phil and Vivian on this list because The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air isn’t really known for its romances. But honestly, Phil and Vivian are the perfect couple. They complement each other perfectly, know when to be each other’s rock or to stop the other from making a poor decision, and took care of Will as well as their biological family in the perfect way. I have no complaints.

Santana And Brittany (Glee)

The Glee cast is filled to the brim with couples, so much so that it’s hard to keep up with them. But my personal favorite was always Santana and Brittany. Not only was their relationship a great stepping stone for many lesbian/bisexual relationships on TV back in 2010, but it’s really one of the few that made it to the very end of the series. They were best friends turned lovers turned to something really real, and it ended with them getting married!

Randall And Beth (This Is Us)

“Perfectly imperfect” is a phrase that I still use to this day, ever since Randall uttered it to Beth in This Is Us. These two exemplify what it means to not only marry your best friend, but also marry a partner. They will stand by each other, support each other, and when someone is messing up, they will make them own up to it. There’s no sliding, and that’s what a genuine relationship should be like.

Jess And Nick (New Girl)

New Girl is one of those shows where relationships come and go, but there are always a few that stick the landing for the long haul. Jess and Nick were one of those, and we rooted for them, watching them fall in love, fall apart, and then fall back in love all over again.

Uncle Jesse And Aunt Becky (Full House)

I mean, of course, I have to put Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky. I feel like Full House literally never would have been the same without them. Their relationship started very early on, and it’s always fun to rewatch episodes of the show and watch them fall in love with each other time and time again.

Anthony And Kate (Bridgerton)

While I do love the specialness of Penelope and Colin and the steaminess of Daphne and Simon, there’s just something about Anthony and Kate that gets me going every time. These two, a classic enemies-to-lovers romance, clearly love each other so much by the time the season ends and Season 3 rolls around.

Claire And Jamie (Outlander)

Outlander, in general, is one of the best Starz shows, but a big reason is Claire and Jamie. Their love has transcended literal timelines. I don’t know how you can get more perfect than that.

Mitch And Cam (Modern Family)

I think when it comes to couples in Modern Family, Mitch and Cam are the perfect example of how two people work so well together, and to the outside, people wonder how the heck they function with how crazy they are. But throughout the several seasons of the show, there’s no denying that these two love each other dearly.

Lucy And Ricky (I Love Lucy)

I can’t have a relationships list without putting the OG’s here. Lucy and Ricky are the definition of “goals.” They were the first people on television to show you how in love with each other they are, no matter the amount of shenanigans that they may put the other through. You can’t get better than these two.

Phil And Claire (Modern Family)

I always see Phil and Claire as the much calmer couple of Modern Family, which is saying something because they still have their fair share of hilarious moments in their household of three kids. But what I love about Phil and Claire is that there is evident respect there, and Phil will support Claire no matter what and stand up for her, while Claire will do the same, regardless of what others think. They’re a team, through and through.

Killian And Emma (Once Upon A Time)

God, there are so many couples in Once Upon a Time, but I think the one we always return to is Killian and Emma. Whether it’s their steamy chemistry or their genuinely emotional story, they are an amazing romance with plenty of fantasy aspects that I just love.

Willow And Tara (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

As someone who loves looking back on legendary relationships that paved the way for others, I know there’s no one better to bring up than Willow and Tara. The couple was a significant landmark for LGBTQ+ representation in television and showed two people who clearly loved each other.

Kev And Veronica (Shameless)

These two were freaky, don’t get me wrong – but they were also freakishly in love with each other. Kev and Veronica stood by each other, and when someone dared to threaten the other, it was on sight. They would fight anyone to protect their love and their relationship, and no matter what, always strived to make time for the other.

Fran And Mr. Sheffield (The Nanny)

I’m pretty sure that if you’ve ever read any rom-com novel, then these two are who you picture when you think of the nanny and the billionaire falling in love. But what I love about Fran and Mr. Sheffield is that it’s not an instant lust between them. It’s more of a relationship built on respect and friendship before love was even considered.

Jake And Amy (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast features some hilarious characters, but personally, I always came back for Jake and Amy. I always saw them as rivals-to-lovers, but it feels so real watching them turn from competing with each other to becoming friends to going on dates and so much more.

Jane And Rafael (Jane The Virgin)

These two are in a strange situation, considering they didn’t even know each other when Jane fell pregnant accidentally. But watching their relationship grow organically throughout the show’s seasons is always something that I love to view.

Rick And Michonne (The Walking Dead)

When you think of couples who would literally kill for each other, I can think of no better than Rick and Michonne. Not only are they one of the best Walking Dead relationships, but there was a whole spinoff series dedicated to them finding their way back to each other after years apart. Now that is true love right there.

Poussey And Soso (Orange Is the New Black)

It hurts to even write about Poussey and Soso because it feels like they weren’t given enough time together in Orange is the New Black, but from what we were able to see, they really did work well together. Poussey was the kind of friend that Soso needed, and that blossomed into something brighter between the two of them before it was snuffed out. I needed so much more.

Morticia And Gomez (The Addams Family)

I mean, talk about a man who is obsessed with his woman. In any iteration of The Addams Family, Gomez always loves Morticia, but of course, we have to put the OG here from the 1960s TV series because these two were so in love that they ruined our expectations for all real-life romances.

Glenn And Maggie (The Walking Dead)

Yeah, I’m sad even writing about these two because the way it ends is something I don’t like to think about. But for the five seasons that we got with these two together, they were a light in the darkness that was the world of The Walking Dead. They loved each other, protected each other, and stood by the other until the very end.

Hopper And Joyce (Stranger Things)

God, I visibly remember screaming when these two finally got together in Stranger Things because it was just so apparent that they were into each other. Hopper literally risked his life for Joyce, and she risked hers to save him, and I love them together.

This just makes me want to revisit all of these television shows and watch these couples all over again. I’m in need of some cute TV romances. It's time for a binge-watch.

We know them, we love them, and most of the time, we love to hate them. Regardless of how any of us feel about the iconic, troublesome teens that round out the fabric of Hollywood’s youth-centric media, they’ve left their signature messy marks. This list covers the big hitters, the unmistakable part-of-pop-culture adolescents who derailed monumentally (dependent on their character and world, not all misguided minors are created equal). Each calling card of these chaotic characters has a few things in common–they’re lost and faced with conflict–but how they solve their issues leads to many more issues than solutions. Buckle up and grab your favorite nostalgic mix tape/playlist; we’re in for a bumpy ride.

Jim Stark and Buzz Gunderson - Rebel Without a Cause

This is by far one of the most influential movies that jumpstarted the teen genre and it’s big thanks to Jim Stark (James Dean) and Buzz Gunderson (Corey Allen). When gang leader Buzz and new-in-town Jim agree to a “chickie race,” that’s when things go up in smoke. Jim is left to face the fallout.

Marissa Cooper - The O.C.

You could probably make a case for most of The O.C. kids, but Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) undoubtedly tops them all. Coop’s undoing was a monolith and started on the wings of her parents' divorce. It led to underage drinking, tumultuous relationships, petty theft, and eventually to her passing away after a car crash at the end of Season 3.

Danny Zuko - Grease

Like many other ensembles, you could make a pick mostly anyone from the Grease cast, but Danny Zuko's (John Travolta) issues bled into everyone else’s. Not to mention, he strung Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) along until the very end of the movie.

Serena van der Woodsen - Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl is another show where you could argue a good case for any of the characters being the biggest saboteur. But like Marissa Cooper, Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) just can’t shake off trouble in most things she does. The thought of old her and Georgina Sparks together really sounds like they’d top the list together.

Veronica Sawyer - Heathers

Heathers and Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) were ahead of the curve. When awkward loner Veronica gets invited to join the school’s most popular group, she quickly realizes it’s not the place for her. After befriending new kid Jason Dean (Christian Slater), they accidentally kill one of the Heathers. This sets off an entire killing spree that wreaks havoc on Westerburg High School.

Dawson Leery - Dawson’s Creek

Even though he may have been seen more as a golden boy during his reign, Dawson (James Van Der Beek) caused some major damage in his day. We literally have a separate list showcasing all the times Leery was the worst character for his loved ones to be around. If he'd only been supportive of Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) going to Paris, who knows what could've been?

Cady Heron - Mean Girls

Tina Fey’s wildly quotable Mean Girls needs no introduction or explanation. With Cady (Lindsay Lohan) coming to terms with attending a public high school in the US after growing up in Africa, she is a poster child for this list. As she explores her new reality, she gets lost for a moment amid girl world drama, which leads to multiple friend, family, and relationship troubles.

Rue Bennet - Euphoria

The Max ‘teen’ jewel-encrusted drama juggernaut holds another ensemble of lost and morose students. However, Rue Bennet (Zendaya) and her substance abuse issues are the focal point. It's upended friendships, caused familial stresses, multiple times over, causing Rue to lie, steal and hurt everyone in the East Highlanders.

Chris Hargensen - Carrie

Stephen King’s Carrie is another classic high school staple that helped push the envelope on what fictional teen worlds could hold. Popular girl and bully, Chris Hargensen (Nancy Allen) makes Carrie’s (Sissy Spacek) life a living nightmare. Hargensen continues down a downward spiral that leads to the bone-chilling but iconic prank that happens at the dance (which has some truly grim consequences).

Tim Riggins - Friday Night Lights

If you know anything about this NBC network TV classic, you either love or hate Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch). While he was a regular womanizer, heavy partier, not to mention that he sabotaged himself and the team with some regularity, he straightened up.

Dallas ‘Dally’ Winston - The Outsiders

Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of The Outsiders is a quintessential coming-of-age story. Even though the whole gang is rough and tumble, along with any of the ‘Socs,’ Dally (Matt Dillon) is the most troubled. With an already tumultuous background, Johnny’s death sends him on to make poor decisions for himself and his friends.

Cory Matthews - Boy Meets World

Surprising, I know. The more classic choice from Boy Meets World may be Shawn Hunter, but Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) sparked plenty of trouble in his time (like fellow do-gooder, Dawson Leery). Throughout the 7 seasons, he caused more rifts between his family, friends and Topanga than anyone else.

Billy Loomis & Stu Macher - Scream

Naturally, any teen in any scary movie generally has some baggage that leads to strife in one way or another. Youths like Billy (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu (Matthew Lillard) are different, though, they are intentionally motivated to terrify and harm their fellow classmates and the people of Woodsboro. Unfortunately for them, their plans backfire on them gravely.

Lucas Scott - One Tree Hill

Like the aforementioned teen network drama shows of the mid and late ‘00s, any character is up for debate. Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray), the main protagonist, puts on a good show of commotion for everyone in his life. Being a serial heartbreaker while being unloyal and manipulative to others lands him this particular title.

Jennifer Check - Jennifer’s Body

Jennifer’s Body, again, isn’t filled with average adolescents, and especially not Jennifer (Megan Fox). While she and longtime friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) head out for a semi-average night of Jennifer-approved fun, all goes awry. We find out that Jennifer has turned into a demon feasting on the male teens of Devil’s Kettle, WY. After the friends face off, Needy gets pinned for the murders and gets taken to an insane asylum.

Rachel Berry - Glee

The destined-for-greatness Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) typically stopped at nothing to get what she wanted, regardless of the consequences. While the fictional NYADA darling had moments of hope and promise, her ego and ambition always seemed to cause more harm than good. (Any Ryan Murphy-created teen could do, though.)

Seth - Superbad

The 2007 classic was the first Seth Rogen-Evan Goldberg project, and it immediately put them on the map. The semi-biographical Superbad revolves around characters with the same names and pretty typical senior tropes. Of the fictional duo Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera), and their pal, Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), the first of the trio creates the most trouble for their celebratory evening. While the trio make up, along with the girls (Emma Stone, Martha MacIsaac), before graduation.

Rory Gilmore - Gilmore Girls

“Why did you drop out of Yale?” Even though Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) is one of the more unusual fictional high schoolers on the list, her dropping out was monumental for the world of Gilmore Girls. Even Lauren Graham didn’t like the storyline because of the turmoil it created between Lorelai and Rory. Not to mention, her sleeping with Dean, missing Lorelai's graduation and later on, being more lost than ever in her 30s.

Donnie - Donnie Darko

Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) isn’t your typical troublesome, drama-filled teen, even though his choices in one reality lead to serious consequences. His present ED signifiers (Emotional Disturbance) present Donnie as something else, but we eventually come to realize he's an anti-hero of sorts. As he comes to realize that there are multiple timelines at play, he chooses to fix it to save Gretchen Ross' (Jena Malone) life. And with his developed powers, he returns to the day when it all went awry, which leads to his destiny--death.

Archie Andrews - Riverdale

Archie of The CW’s Riverdale was one of the many, much darker TV reboots out there. And though all the drama has always hinged on the red-headed football hero regardless of genre, the TV show really packs Archie with a punch. To be fair, he also found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time quite frequently–it’s how he reacted to them that gives him the top spot for the searching students of Riverdale High.

Kathryn Merteuil & Sebastian Valmont - Cruel Intentions

Another young and terrifying twosome is Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Philippe). The oddball step-siblings wager a bet that involves innocent and new Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon). Through the scheme, the group of students is faced with continuing drama until a very sad end.

Valerie Malone - Beverly Hills, 90210

Though there was plenty of actual drama on the set of Beverly Hills, 90210, Valerie Malone (Tiffani Thiessen) wasted no time sowing seeds of chaos. Arriving in Season 5 with a lot of baggage in the form of family trauma, Malone was immediately set up to be in trouble. She dated many of the guys and regularly feuded with the girls.

Max Fischer - Rushmore

As one of the many stylized Wes Anderson films, Rushmore was one of his earliest. Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is a love-drunk student determined to date his teacher and will stop at nothing to achieve it. After an array of mishaps and his fellow acquaintance, Blume (Bill Murray), hitting it off with her, Max loses it. He leaked the affair publicly and temporarily burned bridges with both of them.

Willow Rosenberg - Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Willow’s (Alyson Hannigan) rise to raising hell for Buffy and co. may be a slow burn, but once she hits it, things get wild. While her use of telepathy, manipulation and struggling to keep her magic in check kick off the season, Tara’s death sets Willow into overdrive in trying to destroy the world.

PJ & Josie - Bottoms

Gen Z coming-of-age comedies come in all shapes and sizes, including Emma Seligman’s Bottoms. The satirical take on the high school experience is wild, especially with PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri). The BFF’s hatch a fight club for girls so they can talk to cheerleaders they have crushes on. Needless to say, a lot of drama goes down, including a car blowing up.

Mona Vanderwaal - Pretty Little Liars

Honestly, most characters from the 2010 series have a fair shot here. But Mona (Janel Parrish) is the reason for all of the mystery and torment. She is who sparks the series because of her grudge against the main friend group. Eventually, she becomes one of them, and even more trouble ensues.

Laura Palmer - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

In my opinion, there’s no list about misguided high schoolers complete without Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). The character was cemented into pop culture in David Lynch’s cult show, Twin Peaks, but the less popular prequel movie shows her tragic undoing. Her last days are filled with traumas relating to her drug addiction, web of lies and darker spirits. Warning, this movie isn't for the faint of heart.

DeGrassi: The Next Generation

DeGrassi: The Next Generation is maybe the only title on the list in which each character is as chaotic and troubled as the last. The iconic Canadian teen soap has multiple iterations, but the 2002-2015 series takes the cake. Between the students, they have every classic dramatic HS storyline in the book, and alumni Drake’s “I’m Upset” reunion-filled music video summarizes some key points.

Nancy Downs - The Craft

The quartet of girls in The Craft start as lost as the next, but Nancy’s (Fairuza Balk) power-hungry ways destroy what they have together. After quiet Sarah Bailey (Robin Tunney) moves to town and gets wronged, Downs and her pals take her in. All four hatch a scheme to cast a spell on the wrongdoer, and when it succeeds, that’s when Nancy starts sabotaging everything.

John B - Outer Banks

Netflix’s Outer Banks is one wild ride with wayward John B (Chase Stokes) at the helm. Sure, other characters may be outwardly more troubled (JJ, Sarah or Rafe), but everyone’s lives intensified because of John B’s initial treasure hunt.

Christine ‘Lady Bird’ McPherson - Lady Bird

As one of the more subtle teenage pot stirrers, Ladybird (Saoirse Ronan) still makes her presence and opinions unmistakably clear. Her main sources of conflict reside within her relationship with her hardworking mom (Laurie Metcalf) and nerdy best friend (Beanie Feldstein). While Lady Bird temporarily burns bridges with both in pursuit of greater life expectations and new friends, she mends things with both.

Effy Stonem - Skins UK

A cult classic that ran from 2007-2013 and largely featured the rebellious but lost Effy Stonem (Kaya Scodelario). From the jump, we see 14-year-old her sneaking home in the early morning after being out all night at a rave. Needless to say, Effy’s journey was a bumpy one filled with substance abuse, mental health crises, and a web of lies.

Gilmore Girls will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year, and it still remains one of the most popular shows on Netflix year after year. The picturesque fictional New England town of Stars Hollow provides the perfect backdrop for the relatable life challenges Lorelai and Rory Gilmore face. And fans can’t get enough of the mother-daughter besties. However, there is one storyline during the show’s 7 season run that even Lauren Graham isn’t a fan of, and I’m right there with her.

Throughout the course of the series, Gilmore Girls covered disapproving parents, being a single mom, typical teenage trials, and finding love and losing it. However, on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the Parenthood actress revealed there was one storyline she felt didn’t work well, and it involved a fight with her TV daughter:

The conflict in question happens when Rory decides to drop out of Yale in the Season 5 finale, after newspaper head honcho Mitchum Huntzberger tells her she doesn’t have what it takes to accomplish her dreams. Not to mention, she gets in a spot of legal trouble after a wild night with her boyfriend. Disappointed in Rory and not willing to watch her throw her life out the window, Lorelai cuts her only daughter off.

I’m surprised Lauren Graham doesn’t remember the reason for the explosive argument. For half a season, the mother-daughter duo lived separately and didn’t speak. This estrangement spanned months for the characters, with some pretty big milestones passing during this period, like Luke and Lorelai’s engagement and Rory’s 21st birthday.

I honestly feel so validated hearing the Parenthood actress say this out loud though. I personally refer to the majority of Season 6 as The Dark Ages of Gilmore Girls, because I really struggled to get through those episodes.

As someone who is a late-in-life Gilmore Girls fan, I binged it all with my Netflix subscription back in high school. I flew through the first few seasons up until this point in the series. I get what Amy Sherman-Palladino was trying to do with a conflict storyline, but this one just wasn’t it, and I think I know why.

Jess, Rory’s ex-boyfriend, sums it up best when he meets her and Logan for dinner in Season 6. This iconic moment in Gilmore Girls is part of the reason why he’s my personal favorite of her beaus, and he truly speaks what likely was on everyone’s minds:

The whole storyline felt out of character for Rory, and I think that was the main reason why it didn’t land with fans. Her careless attitude and actions were difficult to watch for everyone. I can’t say I blame Lorelai for giving her the cold shoulder. Oftentimes, when the mother and daughter fought, I found myself siding with Lorelai. Usually, the fights were over poor decisions Rory made that didn’t align with the character’s morals, like being the mistress in Dean’s marriage.

At the end of the day, what made the season less than enjoyable was that these actions were keeping the Gilmore girls apart. After all, it’s their dynamic, that witty and loving give and take, that was so relatable and comforting for audiences.

Thankfully, eventually, the duo made up, and the show carried on and even got a revival. Co-creator Amy Sherman-Palladino recently commented that she’s always open to the idea of more Gilmore Girls, and Lorelai herself admitted the 4-part revival didn’t feel like the end of their story. The original set still stands today, so all we need is a good idea and a green light. I will always tune in, so long as the Gilmore girls are together.

Gilmore Girls — the endlessly rewatchable series about the fast-talking, pop culture-referencing mother/daughter duo Lorelai and Rory — has remained so popular with fans that even after seven seasons and a four-part Netflix revival in 2016, they still want more. While Milo Ventimiglia has suggested that’s like asking for more cake after you’ve already had cake, it sounds like Lauren Graham and Amy Sherman-Palladino may feel differently, as they discussed another return to Stars Hollow.

Amy Sherman-Palladino — the brains behind the Gilmore Girls operation — and star Lauren Graham served up a piping hot cup of hope straight from Luke’s Diner (or, rather, PaleyFest 2025), as the producer answered questions about another revival (the first of which can be streamed with a Netflix subscription) by saying they never shut the door on more Gilmore Girls. Sherman-Palladino told TV Insider:

The fact that the Gilmore Girls cast and crew like each other so much is quite an important factor in whether or not they will reunite again after so many years. From Amy Sherman-Palladino’s comments, it doesn’t sound like anything is in the works, but with the first revival happening so unexpectedly, she knows better than to shut the door completely.

Lauren Graham, who also attended PaleyFest, certainly made no secret of her own feelings about reprising the role of Lorelai, as she said:

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life — four feature-length episodes that each represented a different season in Rory and Lorelai’s life — ended on what felt like a cliffhanger, with Rory telling her mom she’s pregnant. For the better part of a decade, fans have theorized over who Rory’s baby daddy is, so it makes complete sense that Lauren Graham would describe the revival as the “beginning” of something, rather than the end.

Amy Sherman-Palladino has previously said another revival would come down to the actors’ schedules (and that’s no small obstacle, given the Gilmore Girls cast member’s other projects). I kind of agree with Milo Ventimiglia that it feels a bit greedy to hope for more, but if Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel did ever come back together for more, I’d be the first one on that train to Stars Hollow.

For now, though, we’ll have to continue to make due with our rewatches. All seven seasons of Gilmore Girls can be streamed with a Hulu subscription, with the entire series and the revival available on Netflix.

It’s not too much of a stretch to say that we’ve all been in a position where we put off folding laundry for so long we’re left with a giant mound of clothes, sheets, towels, and orphaned socks. What do you do in that situation? Put on a show that is perfect for background noise, of course!

With some of the best cartoons of all time, one or two of the greatest sitcoms ever made, or random docuseries and educational programs, here’s a list of 32 shows that are perfect for background noise while folding laundry.

Law & Order (1990 - 2010; 2022 - Present)

Law & Order, with its 500-plus episodes, has made the laundry-folding process a little better for decades now thanks to its grisly murders, captivating courtroom sequences, and too many “Jack McCoy” moments to count. This isn’t a knock on the show, but you don’t even really have to pay attention all that much to know what’s going on.

How It's Made (2001 - 2019)

Okay, you might get distracted by the manufacturing processes for things like Crayons, crackers, pillows, bowling balls, and thousands of other items featured on this long-running educational program, but How It’s Made makes for some great background noise. The soothing narration, that catchy music, and endless shots of everyday items being made make this a perfect option.

Home Improvement (1991 - 1999)

Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor (Tim Allen) probably never folded a shirt in his life (at least not properly), but that doesn’t mean Home Improvement is a great option for the laundry-folding machine in all of us. If you’re folding one basket, or two baskets, or trying to save your room from the pile that never goes away, this beloved ‘90s TV show will help you pass the time.

The Simpsons (1989 - Present)

With countless characters we love to hate, all kinds of zany situations, and more than 700 episodes to choose from, The Simpsons is one of those shows you can have on in the background in any situation. So, it’s not all surprising that this is a great option for laundry day.

The West Wing (1999 - 2006)

Considered one of the “peak TV era” shows, The West Wing was a staple of network television in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. That said, it’s not hard to imagine that at least a few people have gone through much of the Bartlet Administration while folding and pressing their laundry.

Friends (1994 - 2004)

When you have an episode with a title like“ The One with the East German Laundry Detergent,” you know Friends is going to be a great show to have on while folding your clothes. The landmark sitcom is pretty much the TV equivalent of a warm blanket, so it makes total sense.

Unsolved Mysteries (1987 - Present)

One of the greatest true crime shows to ever hit the small screen, Unsolved Mysteries has been there for many of us for years. First, the classic episodes hosted by Robert Stack helped us pass the time and eat snacks after school. Now, those very same episodes (as well as the Netflix revival) are there for… laundry. Where all these clothes come from is the real unsolved mystery in households around the country.

Scrubs (2001 - 2010)

Bill Lawrence’s Scrubs is one of the best comedies set in a hospital and one of the best medical shows of all time. That said, it’s also a perfect show to watch while folding laundry. Well, unless you experience one of J.D.’s elaborate daydreams while sorting socks. Maybe that explains where those missing socks have gone.

Cheers (1982 - 1993)

No judging here, but some of us have a certain stack of clothes that are pretty much like Norm from Cheers at this point. You know that the laundry will be there tomorrow like it was there today and yesterday (and the day before that).

Planet Earth (2006)

Planet Earth is one of those shows that’s perfect for just about any task around the house, especially with David Attenborough’s comforting narration perfectly explaining everything on the screen. And who knows, maybe you’ll go through the entire docuseries and its various sequels and spinoffs by the time you finish.

Burn Notice (2007 - 2013)

Aziz Ansari’s cousin Harris loves Burn Notice, but does he love watching the USA Network original show while folding his clothes? We’re kind of afraid to ask. Regardless, this spy series starring Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, and Bruce Campbell is one of those shows that feels tailor-made for the mindless task of laundry sorting.

Trailer Park Boys (2001 - 2007; 2014 - 2018)

Trailer Park Boys probably isn’t the first show that comes to mind when you’re trying to be productive, but this Canadian comedy series about the residents of Sunnyvale Trailer Park is the very definition of mindless, crude entertainment. Sure, you won’t want the kids around with the show’s profanity, but this would be great for a late-night laundry session.

30 Rock (2006 - 2013)

With seven seasons and nearly 140 episodes to watch, 30 Rock has more than enough laughs and crazy moments to get you through even the biggest of laundry piles. With its cast of characters working on the fictional TGS sketch comedy series, this beloved NBC comedy will do the trick.

Full House (1987 - 1995)

What would Danny Tanner do? Well, he probably wouldn’t let his laundry situation get out of hand, despite having an ever-growing group of roommates. All jokes aside about the Full House patriarch’s obsession with cleanliness and order, this long-running sitcom has gotten millions of people through laundry baskets over the years. Join in on the fun.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005 - Present)

Now, there’s a chance you get distracted by all those absurd It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia side characters (or even the main cast), but this FX comedy series is peak-laundry folding material. Just make sure you don’t come up with some ridiculous scheme to hide the clothes or pass the task on to someone else.

The Office (2005 - 2013)

Though the series did “jump the shark” near the end, The Office is still one of the best American sitcoms ever made. With a total of 201 episodes and thousands of hilarious and iconic jokes, there’s more than enough to keep you entertained while you work your way through that basket of socks that’s been taunting you for years.

Pawn Stars (2009 - Present)

With more than 650 episodes, all kinds of remarkable and odd pieces of memorabilia and historical artifacts, Pawn Stars has been one of the most popular shows on the History Channel for years now. And while we would love to be able to say “I know a guy” who can handle all these clothes, Rick Harrison and company at Gold & Silver Pawn Shop will help make the folding process a little more entertaining.

American Pickers (2010 - Present)

Like a lot of other great History Channel shows, American Pickers is one of those series perfect for background noise. You don’t really have to follow along to the finer points of the reality program, which is perfect when you’re about halfway through a load of clothes that you really need to finish.

Seinfeld (1989 - 1998)

Who would have thought that a show about nothing would be perfect for laundry? Well, that’s the case for Seinfeld. Sure, you’re probably going to get distracted, put mismatched socks together, or accidentally merge the “keep” and “give away” stacks on the foot of the bed, but it’s worth it.

Parks And Recreation (2009 - 2015)

Though it’s unlikely that Ron Swanson would be too fond of spending hours folding clothes, Parks and Recreation is a show that is perfect for the task. Sure, you may be stuck in a pit of clothes that were washed weeks ago before you finally pull yourself out, but it’s all about the journey.

Family Guy (1999 - Present)

Family Guy, one of the best-animated series of the 21st century, is also a great show to have on in the background while doing just about anything. This includes doing laundry. Sure, there are things we’d rather be doing than folding clothes, but this long-running Fox show certainly makes the task less mind-numbing.

Gilmore Girls (2000 - 2007)

Lorelai and Rory Gilmore guiding us through the ups and downs of small-town life is a great way to make doing laundry a lot more fun, or at least more melodramatic. With seven seasons, 153 episodes, and so many romances to explore, this is definitely a great option for folks who’ve put on laundry for like two months.

The UnXplained (2019 - Present)

How did this stack of clothes get so big? Is this clean, cleanish, or dirty? Does William Shatner fold his own clothes? These are questions with no answers, but The UnXplained will distract you from those mysteries while you search for that missing sock or No Country for Old Man bootleg t-shirt that disappeared in the wash.

Suits (2011 - 2019)

From 2011 to 2019, few shows reached the heights experienced by Suits. This USA Network drama about the high-stakes world of corporate law introduced viewers to all kinds of characters and intense situations along the way. And while few, if any, of those managing partners and ladder-climbing associates did their own laundry, they can help you do yours.

The X Files (1993 - 2002; 2016 - 2018)

A show that made it more than 10 seasons, The X Files was one of the most well-known and watched series of the ‘90s. If you want to mix things up with the laundry and imagine a world in which aliens and other paranormal creatures appear (and possibly help fold those fitted sheets), this landmark sci-fi show will do the trick.

The Great British Baking Show (2014 - Present)

The Great British Baking Show, or The Great British Bake Off as it’s known in its native United Kingdom, is one of the most delicious, hilarious, and watchable cooking shows to ever grace the small screen. While we typically prefer seeing these delectable creations (or disasters) in all their glory, maybe folding clothes will distract and prevent you from mindlessly eating as you watch.

Modern Family (2009 - 2020)

There’s nothing dysfunctional about the Dunphy and Pritchett families from Modern Family, right? Well, maybe a little. This long-running sitcom is one the best options when you’re trying to fold clothes, or really do anything around the house. You’ll be so fixated by Phil coming up with some scheme, Cameron and Mitchell having a meltdown, or Jay being over it all that you’ll forget you’re doing laundry.

Somebody Feed Phil (2018 - Present)

Somebody Feed Phil, a show that follows Everybody Loves Raymond co-creator Phil Rosenthal as he travels the globe to eat anything and everything in his field of view. With so many seasons, so many culinary explorations, and some hilarious moments involving a man loving food way too much, there’s a lot to enjoy.

House (2004 - 2012)

House is one of those shows you can start watching halfway through an episode and still get a lot of enjoyment out of it. One of the best medical dramas of the 21st century, this show starring Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House will allow you to solve all sorts of medical problems and mysteries as you fold your kids' clothes that never really seem to get clean.

Grey's Anatomy (2005 - Present)

Since its debut in 2005, Grey’s Anatomy has combined elements of the medical drama genre with romance and sometimes action to create an experience like no other. If you’re looking for hundreds of hours of TV to help make the laundry go from a mound of madness to a stack of clothes you’ll soon forget to put away, this is the stuff.

MTV True Life (1998 - 2017)

MTV True Life was a long-running documentary series that chronicled pretty much every aspect of life for teenagers, adults, and everyone else. With dozens of episodes about everything from wrestling to odd obsessions, you’ll have a lot of variety when you’re folding the sheets.

How I Met Your Mother (2005 - 2014)

How I Met Your Mother has nine seasons of romance, bromance, chaos, and more twists and turns than anyone can count. That’s why it’s such a darn good show for the weekly (or monthly) laundry experience. Watch Ted Mosby fall in and out of love and back in it again as you contemplate your own life, or at least laundry decisions.

For every heartfelt, sweeping, inspirational storybook romance story, you can find plenty of violent and traumatizing nightmare couplings, too. In both fiction and reality alike, too many innocent victims wanting nothing more than to receive a person's love and support end up suffering a life of abuse and neglect from the person they, unfortunately, chose to spend it with. The following are some of the most essential examples of movie and TV characters you should never get into a relationship with.

Caledon Hockley (Titanic)

Some might call Rose (Kate Winslet) a bad girlfriend, let alone the worst character from the movie Titanic for some of her own childish behaviors and, especially, her affair with Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio). However, nothing she does in James Cameron's Best Picture Oscar winner justifies the way her arrogant, elitist, industrialist fiancé, Cal Hockley (Billy Zane), treats her, ranging from his possessive dominance to his nearly murderous reaction to Rose's relationship with Jack.

Sarah Marshall (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)

In the uproarious, 2008 romantic-comedy movie favorite, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Peter Bretter (writer Jason Segel) fails to realize how little support his eponymous girlfriend (played by Kristen Bell) shows him until after she dumps him for rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), whom we discover she was cheating with. The cop TV show actor may even be a worse ex-girlfriend from how she enviously sabotages Peter's newfound happiness with Rachel (Mila Kunis) by making a move on him when they accidentally book a vacation on the same Hawaiian island.

Ross Gellar (Friends)

For every reason a Friends fan may have had to root for Ross Gellar (David Schwimmer) and Rachel Green's (Jennifer Aniston) on-and-off romance, there are even more reasons why Ross is just the worst. He reveals himself to be extremely possessive when Rachel meets a handsome coworker at Bloomingdale's, refuses to take responsibility for cheating on her ("We were on a break" is still no excuse), and even continues to obsess over her while in relationships with other women.

Rose Armitage (Get Out)

In 2017, Get Out introduced one of modern cinema's scariest female horror movie villains in the form of Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), whose relationship with Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) was a ruse to coerce him into falling prey to her family's racist procedure that would cause him to lose control of his body to a white host. He was only one of several Black people she pulled this horrific con on, as we discover in Jordan Peele's terrifying, Oscar-winning directorial debut.

Billy Loomis (Scream)

While easily one of the most iconic examples of the classic slasher movie trope of the killer boyfriend, Skeet Ulrich's Billy Loomis is an undeserving partner even before the big reveal in 1996's Scream. He constantly pressures Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) into having relations, flirts with other women behind her back, and even belittles her for not fully recovering from her mother's murder only a year afterward.

Melissa (The Hangover)

Rachael Harris' character in 2009's The Hangover belittles and manipulates Stu (Ed Harris) to the point that he becomes helplessly defensive of her controlling nature and, even worse, her adultery. Luckily, after meeting and marrying an exotic dancer named Jade (Heather Graham) in a stupor during Doug's disastrous Las Vegas bachelor party, he gains the courage to stand up to Melissa and call her out as a "bad person all the way through to [her] core."

Michael Kelso (That '70s Show)

To be fair, Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis) is certainly not without her shortcomings, showing extreme evidence of vanity and narcissism especially in the earlier seasons of That '70s Show. However, she ultimately deserved better than her on-and-off boyfriend, Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher, who went on to marry Kunis in real life), who shares those same toxic traits in addition to being a helplessly absent-minded serial womanizer.

Judith Fessbeggler (Saving Silverman)

Dr. Judith Fessbeggler (Amanda Peet) is a psychiatrist in great need of psychotherapy, as evidenced by the way she treats Darren (Jason Biggs), the title character of the 2001 comedy, Saving Silverman. She ruthlessly controls everything in his life, from his wardrobe to the music he listens to, even forcing him to receive cosmetic surgery on his behind, which prompts his lifelong friends, Wayne (Steve Zahn) and J.D. (Jack Black), to stop their impending nuptials.

Martin Burney (Sleeping With The Enemy)

In director Joseph Ruben's 1991 adaptation of Nancy Price's novel, Sleeping with the Enemy, a constant pattern of abuse from her husband, Martin (Patrick Bergin), leads Laura Burney (Academy Award winner Julia Roberts) to fake her death and escape the marriage. Unfortunately, after donning a new identity and settling down in Iowa, where she strikes up a romance with a local named Ben (Kevin Anderson), she discovers that Martin has managed to track her down, not willing to let her go.

Amy Dunne (Gone Girl)

Early on in Gone Girl, director David Fincher's 2014 adaptation of Gillian Flynn's bestselling mystery, it seems obvious to suspect the adulterous and emotionally distant Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) of foul play when his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), suddenly goes missing. The truth is, however, that the woman left on her own accord and strategically planted evidence to incriminate her husband, which is in no way a healthy method for dealing with marital woes.

Jack Torrance (The Shining)

In Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining, Jack (Jack Nicholson) and Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall) do not seem to have a particularly perfect marriage before they become caretakers at the Overlook Hotel. Things grow infinitely worse when the malevolent spirits of the Colorado resort drive Jack to become a vicious, deranged monster.

Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)

Some Gilmore Girls fans believe that the show was ruined by the "will they, won't they" dynamic between Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) and Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia), and not just because it killed her relationship with Dean (Jared Padalecki). The ill-fated romance was merely the first of many selfish mistakes that Rory would make against her significant others that would ultimately cause some fans of the dramedy to completely turn on the character.

Christian (Midsommar)

Ari Aster told Birth.Movies.Death that he wanted to make his sophomore feature, 2019's Midsommar, a break-up movie based on a previous relationship of his, which makes a lot of sense when you consider the volatility of the relationship at the center of the folk horror story. You almost cannot help but feel happy for Dani (Florence Pugh) as she watches the selfish, emotionally stunted, and gaslighting Christian (Jack Reynor) burn to death before her very eyes at the end of the shocking A24 horror movie classic.

Ginger McKenna (Casino)

Sharon Stone's character from the 1995 Martin Scorsese movie, Casino, has just about all the most essential criteria for an unfavorable wife, from her hustling schemes, her greedy motivations, and her adulterous habits. Of course, in addition to being a bad spouse, Ginger is an even worse mother, having tied her daughter to a bed so she could have a night out clubbing on her own.

David McCall (Fear)

While there are quite a few romance movies that try to discredit the fatherly character's disapproval of his daughter's suitor, 1996's Fear is the movie that would teach audiences dad might know what he is talking about. Steven Walker (William Peterson) is the first to suspect that something is off about his daughter, Nicole's (Reese Witherspoon), new boyfriend, David (Mark Wahlberg) and, boy, do his instincts prove correct when he leaves a bloody trail that culminates in a terrifying attack on Nicole's family all for the sake of having her to himself.

Jan Levinson (The Office)

One of the best episodes of NBC's The Office, "Dinner Party," offers an inside look at the torrid relationship between Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin), who invite their Dunder Mifflin coworkers into their condo for a memorable night. The couple's heated dispute over Michael's multiple vasectomies, Jan's obsession with her assistant (an aspiring musician), and more discords ultimately get the cops involved.

Nate Cooper (The Devil Wears Prada)

A good partner supports their significant other's professional career – a concept lost on Nate Cooper (Adrian Grenier) from 2006's The Devil Wears Prada. Grenier would even agree, in a 2021 oral history by Entertainment Weekly, that his character was a "fragile, wounded boy" who was not as grown-up as Andy (Anne Hathaway) and, thus, selfishly criticized her career decisions. Not to mention, reacting to her getting hired at a fashion magazine by asking if it was a phone interview is unforgivably rude.

Asami Yamazaki (Audition)

The premise of Takashi Miike's acclaimed Japanese horror movie, 1999's Audition – in which a widower holds a fake movie casting session to find a new wife – seems to paint Ryo Ishibashi's character as the villain. However, one might agree that his actions, which did come from a place of sincerity, are not worthy of the sadistic, demented punishment that his new lover, Asami (Eihi Shiina), performs on him.

Josh (Companion)

Including Jack Quaid's character from the 2025 sci-fi movie, Companion, might be a bit of a stretch, considering Iris (Sophie Thatcher) is not really Josh's girlfriend but a highly advanced machine he purchased – er, rented. Discovering this helps her realize that the man she thought she loved is a pathetic, selfish, controlling, and violent loser, making this friendly robot the hero of the story.

Lisa (The Room)

In 2003's The Room, Lisa (Juliette Danielle) decides, completely out of the blue, that she no longer loves her "future husband," Johnny (writer, producer, and director Tommy Wiseau), and engages in an affair with his best friend, Mark (Greg Sestero), which ultimately drives Johnny to take his own life. Regardless of the cult favorite's reputation for its thoroughly nonsensical storyline, if there is one earnest analysis we can make about this awesomely cheesy movie, it is that Lisa was wrong to tear Johnny apart like that.

Nate Jacobs (Euphoria)

One of the strongest aspects of HBO's acclaimed coming-of-age drama, Euphoria, is the grounded ways it depicts certain archetypes that are commonly found in the modern high school environment. For instance, Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) – the former boyfriend of Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) and Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) – is, practically, the teenage poster child for toxic masculinity and internalized homophobia.

Lila West (Dexter)

Sometimes it is crazy to think that one of the worst major villains on Dexter was, at one time, a love interest of Michael C. Hall's titular homicidal vigilante. When his relationship with Rita hits a rough patch in Season 2, Dexter indulges in a relationship with his rehab sponsor, Lila West (Jaime Murray), who proves to be a worse sociopath than he is.

Alex Le Domas (Ready Or Not)

In 2019's Ready or Not, instant classic horror movie final girl Grace (Samara Weaving) discovers she is the target of her in-laws' deadly game of Hide-and-Seek, which her husband, Alex Le Domas (Mark O'Brien), initially tries to help her escape. However, when she rejects him as a result of the trauma his murderous, Satanic family caused (and which he failed to properly warn her about before tying the knot), he betrays her and submits to the ritual to sacrifice her which, thankfully, gloriously backfires on them.

Stacey (American History X)

Derek Vinyard's (Edward Fulong) relationship with his girlfriend, Stacey (Fairuza Balk), in 1998's American History X, seemed to be at its best before his three-year stint in prison when they both were on the same page about white supremacy. After he returns and tries to convince her to leave the neo-Nazi movement with him, she thinks he is nuts to abandon that kind of life, which is an automatic dealbreaker. Good on him.

Jeffrey Fecalman (Family Guy)

In a rare dramatic moment from Family Guy, the animated series addressed the topic of domestic abuse by introducing Quagmire's (creator Seth MacFarlane) sister, Brenda (Kaitlin Olson), and her vile, deadbeat boyfriend, Jeff (Ralph Garman). After suffering to see her submit to Jeff's verbally and physically cruel treatment, Quagmire conspires with Peter (MacFarlane) and Joe (Patrick Warburton) to actually murder him.

Mrs. Griffith (Easy A)

Not only does high school guidance counselor Mrs. Griffith (Friends cast member Lisa Kudrow) cheat on her dear husband and coworker (played by Thomas Haden Church) but she does so with a student. This makes her one of the least likable characters in 2010's Easy A by a landslide.

Jason "J.D." Dean (Heathers)

In 1988's darkly comic high school movie favorite, Heathers, Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) falls for J.D. (Christian Slater). Of course, their relationship is ruined when she discovers he is a homicidal sociopath.

Meredith Blake (The Parent Trap)

In the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, Elaine Hendrix plays the elitist, materialistic, and, ultimately, evil potential stepmother to Lindsay Lohan's dual roles as estranged twin sisters, Annie and Hallie, who torture her with a series of increasingly brutal pranks. This drives Meredith to force Nick (Dennis Quaid) to choose between her or the siblings and, much to his credit, he promptly ends the relationship by choosing his daughters.

Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl)

There is a case to be made that Ed Westwick's Chuck Bass was one of the more charming characters in the Gossip Girl cast. Of course, this was a façade to downplay his unbelievably toxic and misogynistic behavior, especially at the expense of his girlfriend-turned-wife, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester).

Jenny “G-Girl” Johnson (My Super Ex-Girlfriend)

In almost any other case, finding out that your significant other is a superhero would be pretty cool. However, in the case of Matt Saunders (Luke Wilson) from director Ivan Reitman's My Super Ex-Girlfriend, it's a nightmare because Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman), who fights crime as G-Girl, is a needy, jealous, manipulative woman who uses her powers as revenge on Matt after he dumps her.

Adrian Griffin (The Invisible Man)

Writer and director Leigh Whannell brilliantly reimagined H.G. Wells' seminal story, The Invisible Man, into something of a sci-fi version of Sleeping with the Enemy with his 2020 hit. It follows Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) who, after escaping her marriage to abusive optics engineer Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), becomes convinced that he has found a way to continue stalking her and controlling her every move without being seen.

Lori (Total Recall)

Imagine finding out everything you thought you knew about your life was a lie, including your marriage. That is what happens to Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in the 1992 sci-fi thriller, Total Recall, who eventually shoots and kills the secret agent he thought was his wife, Lori (Sharon Stone), before quipping, "Consider that a divorce."

Some of the best TV theme songs were already hits or great songs that were adapted as a theme song. These are songs that were written for the show, like the retro ones that still slap, but these are all great songs.

Like The Who contributing to the CSI franchise, or Jane's Addiction lending one of its songs to Entourage. For this list, we're going to avoid covers or reworked versions of the songs that were already famous, like the cover of The Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," which was used for the show Life Goes On. This is our list of existing songs that became awesome TV theme songs.

"Who Are You" - CSI

All of the CSI franchise shows have used songs by The Who as their theme song, creating a nice symmetry between the shows. The original show, CSI, or later CSI: Las Vegas used "Who Are You," and it turned out so great, that when CSI:Miami became the first spinoff, the producers chose

"California" - The O.C.

The band Phantom Planet released their second album, The Guest, in 2002, which included the earworm "California." It was a natural choice for The O.C. which has to be one of the most "California" shows ever. A fun fact about the song is that Phantom Planet's drummer at the time, and on the track, was actor Jason Schwartzman.

"I Don't Want To Wait" - Dawson's Creek

"I Don't Want to Wait" was first recorded and released on Paula Cole's second album, titled This Fire, in 1996. A couple of years later the song was chosen to be the theme song for the WB's first mega-hit Dawson's Creek. The song likewise became a hit, rocketing to #11 on the Billboard charts.

"Bad Reputation" - Freaks And Geeks

19 years after Joan Jett told the world she didn't care about her "Bad Reputation," the cult classic show Freak And Geeks used it as its theme song for its one and only season. The song has had a life far beyond the show, just as the show has had a long life beyond it's only season.

"With A Little Help From My Friends" - The Wonder Years

If you're going to set a TV show in the '60s, it's a good idea to dig deep into that well of amazing rock and soul music of the era. The Wonder Years smartly used tons of great music from the era, including a theme song by a famous musician who first had a hit with it in 1968. Joe Cocker's version of The Beatles song "With a Little Help from My Friends" was a bigger hit than The Beatles' version, and this was the song that led off The Wonder Years.

"We Used To Be Friends" - Veronica Mars

The Dandy Warhols are one of the great cult bands from the late '90s/early '00s. It was one of their songs, "We Used To Be Friends," that was chosen to be the theme of Veronica Mars and it's frankly the perfect choice for the show. The band, like the show, has a strong fanbase that won't let the song, or the show, be forgotten.

"Way Down In A Hole" - The Wire

This one is a little tricky because technically it breaks our rule about having cover versions of the original song (or the original hit, at least). The first season of The Wire featured a version of the Tom Waits song "Way Down In The Hole" by the Blind Boys Of Alabama. But we're in luck because the second season of the HBO classic features Tom Waits' original version. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th seasons would also feature cover versions of the song.

"C'mon, C'mon" - Rescue Me

The Von Bondies were a good band that really only gained the attention they deserved when their song "C'Mon, C'Mon" was chosen to be the theme song of Rescue Me, starring Denis Leary. For seven seasons, the song ran over the opening titles and as a result, became a big hit for the group.

"Teardrop" - House

Massive Attack has never been a...massive band in the United States. In Britain, however, they are huge. The trip-hop electronic act has released a slew of fantastic records, though their third album, Mezzanine, remains probably the most popular. One of the best songs on that album, "Teardrop" became the theme song for House, though a different, more generic song has been used on streaming and in syndication.

"Reflections" - China Beach

There aren't a lot of shows about Vietnam, but there are a lot of movies about the war. All those movies feature great songs from the era and thankfully the one hit show about the Vietnam War followed suit. China Beach chose the fantastic song "Reflections" by Diana Ross & the Supremes. Solid choice, for sure.

"Save Me" - Smallville

"Save Me" was the lead single on the album The Golden Hum, by the band Remy Zero. It was dubiously released on September 10th, 2001. A week later the WB hit Smallville debuted, using "Save Me" as its theme song. The song became a minor hit for the band, but sadly, Remy Zero broke up before recording a follow-up album.

"Woke Up This Morning" - The Sopranos

"Woke Up This Morning" by the British band Alabama 3 was a minor hit in the U.K. in 1997, when it was released, but didn't gain any traction in the U.S. That changed in a huge way when it was picked to be the theme song of The Sopranos. The song became one of those spine-tingling moments whenever viewers would here that famous HBO audio mark right before the beat of the song would hit as Tony drove from New York City to his house in New Jersey each week.

"Love And Marriage" - Married... With Children

For a show that took pride in just how crude it can be, it's kinda awesome that the theme song was by one of the classiest singers of all time. Married... With Children used the Frank Sinatra song "Love And Marriage" as its theme song and it worked amazing for that intro with the shot of a fountain in Chicago.

"Little Boxes" - Weeds

Malvina Reynolds wrote "Little Boxes" in 1962 and gave it to her friend, legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, who had a minor hit with it in 1964. It was Reynolds' version that would become the biggest hit when it was used as the theme for Showtime's Weeds.

"Superhero" - Entourage

Jane's Addiction had their biggest hits in the early '90s before they broke up (for the first time) in 1994. When they reconvened in 2001, they finally recorded their third "proper" album, Strays (JA fans will tell you it was their fourth album, including their debut live album commonly called XXX). The song "Superhero" from Strays became the best-known song from the album when it was used for the theme of HBO's Entourage.

"Stand" - Get A Life

Highlighting just how offbeat Get A Life, starring Chris Eliot, was, the show managed to score an REM hit for its theme song. "Stand" from the REM album Orange was a huge hit and the band was notorious for protecting their songs from too much commercialization. In short, they were the last band you'd expect to allow one of its songs to be used on TV. But the show was so unique, that it made perfect sense.

"Rock Around The Clock" - Happy Days

We know what you're thinking, "Wait a minute, Happy Days had its own song. You're right, but that famous theme song wasn't used until the show's second season. The theme in the first season was the Bill Haley and the Comets hit "Rock Around The Clock."

"Jessica" - Top Gear

"Hold on! Top Gear used a cover version of The Allman Brothers Band's song "Jessica"" is what you're thinking here. Well, you're right. But the old Top Gear, the original version that ran from the '70s until the late '90s, used the original version by The Allmans.

"Wanted Dead Or Alive" - Deadliest Catch

Even reality shows like to use big hits. Take, for example, The Deadliest Catch, which used a perfect song, Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive." There's no way you can find a more perfect theme, nor could anyone write a more perfect one.

"Straight Up And Down" - Boardwalk Empire

One of the coolest ideas the showrunners of HBO's Boardwalk Empire had was to use a very modern song by The Brian Jonestown Massacre. For a show set in the 1920s, you wouldn't expect a song like "Straight Up and Down" and yet it works perfectly.

"Low Rider" - The George Lopez Show

It might be a little on the nose, but somehow it still works. The George Lopez Show uses the band War's hit "Low Rider" which is one of the best songs Chicano rock songs of all time.

"What A Wonderful World" - Family Matters

This is another one where you might be thinking that the show had its own, unique theme song and you're right. For most of its run Full House used its own song, but for the first five episodes of Season 1, the show used the classic "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.

"Carry On My Wayward Son" - Supernatural

If we're being honest, "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas doesn't jump out as the perfect theme song for a fantasy show like Supernatural, but today, it's impossible to think the theme song to the show could be anything other than the 1970's hit.

"Tea For The Tillerman" - Extras

"Tea For The Tillerman" by Cat Stevens is the perfect choice for the Ricky Gervais show Extras. The song wasn't a huge hit, it was more of a coda on Cat Stevens' album by the same, which was a huge hit when it was released in 1970.

"Bad Boys" - COPS

COPS is one of the longest-running TV shows of all time, as it's basically been on the air in one form or another since 1989. In total, there have been well over 1000 episodes of the groundbreaking reality show and all of those episodes have started with the song "Bad Boys" by reggae legends Inner Circle.

"Closer To Free" - Party Of Five

Wisconsin band BoDeans landed their biggest hit when their song "Closer To Free" from their fifth album became the theme song to Party Of Five. The song charted as high as #16 once the show took off.

"Bad Things" - True Blood

Singer-songwriter Jace Everett released "Bad Things" in 2005, but it failed to make a big impression on the public. It was a great song though, and when it was picked as the theme to the HBO hit True Blood, the song, like the show, took off and became a hit among fans of the show.

"Livin' On The Edge" - Ice Road Truckers

Following in the footsteps of his cousin, Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers picked another song from a hair metal band. The theme for the first four seasons of the nail-biting show was "Livin' On The Edge" by Aerosmith, a perfect choice.

"Next Year" - Ed

NBC's Ed found a cult following during its four seasons on the air, but the band whose song was the theme, The Foo Fighters, is anything but a cult band. They were then and are still one of the biggest bands in the world and their song "Next Year" is one of their many hits.

"Flagpole Sitta" - Peep Show

it's sad to say that Harvey Danger, who released "Flagpole Sitta" in 1997, is a one-hit wonder. They deserve so much better. But alas, "Flagpole Sitta" was their lone hit, but what a hit it's been. It's seemingly everywhere, even more than two decades since its release. That includes as the theme for the British show Peep Show for the show's final eight seasons.

"Where You Lead" - The Gilmore Girls

The Gilmore Girls has been a surprisingly enduring show over the years. Though it ended almost two decades ago, the show remains beloved by its fans. It's fitting that the show's theme song is an enduring hit too. "Where You Lead," by Carole King, was first released in 1970. it's worth noting that the theme song is slightly reworked by King and recorded for the show by King and Louise Goffin.

"Forever Young" - Parenthood

Parenthood pulled off quite the coup when they landed the Bob Dylan song "Forever Young" as its theme song. Dylan is famously protective of this music.

For decades, countless TV shows have relied on a trope that has come to be known as the "will they, won't they?" phenomenon, in which the story teases the romantic potential of two central characters with great chemistry. The gimmick has worked on many audiences who love tuning in to see if the couple is one step closer to breaking from their platonic dynamic, however, when that moment finally comes, it does not always lead to a happily ever after, especially for the show they were on. We looked at several classic TV sitcoms and hits of other genres, too, and found some prime examples of couples who perhaps should have stayed friends for series' sake.

Rachel And Joey On Friends

The first couple of seasons of Friends largely focused on the potential romance between Ross Gellar (David Schwimmer) and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), which ultimately proved to be one worth rooting for even during their rough patches. However, Rachel and Joey's (Matt LeBlanc) brief attempt to date after developing feelings for one another was so awkward that it was even acknowledged by the characters before they decided to go back to being platonic.

J.D. And Elliot On Scrubs

When J.D. (Zach Braff) and Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke) first come together on Scrubs, it is one of the most fun and fulfilling plot developments from the medical comedy's early days. However, their rekindling in Season 8 does not have quite the same magic, which might also be a symptom of its less-beloved final years.

Troy And Britta On Community

Following hints that Troy Barnes (Donald Glover) and Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs) had developed feelings for each other, the study group members' romance was made official in Season 4. Of course, that season, considered the worst season of the show, is also referred to as "The Gas Leak Year" to explain why everyone at Greendale was acting a little off during that time and we consider this awkward and unfunny coupling an essential example of that.

Mulder And Scully On The X-Files

Creator Chris Carter's The X-Files, which follows the unusual investigations of Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), is considered to be one of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time but another genre you could lump it in with is romance. However, the series was at its best when it only went as far as implying a spark between the FBI agents but was at its weakest any time it went in more explicit directions.

Barney And Robin On How I Met Your Mother

The first season of How I Met Your Mother saw Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) going back and forth on his feelings for Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) before they finally took the leap in a satisfying way or, at least, far more satisfying than Robin's relationship with Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris). The coupling never quite felt right and the fact that most of Season 9 is set at the weekend, which leads to divorce in the finale, makes it feel even more wasted.

Dawson And Joey On Dawson's Creek

The concept of James Van Der Beek's title character from Dawson's Creek having romantic potential with his childhood friend, Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) was already a little too on-the-nose at the time. Their tumultuous "will they, won't they" arc was so irritatingly drawn out and their inevitable coupling proved to lack some significant chemistry, ultimately making it clear that they were not right for each other.

Steve And Laura On Family Matters

You could argue that making Steve Urkel actor Jaleel White the star of the Family Matters cast was the true beginning of the end for the sitcom in terms of overall quality, considering it was originally supposed to be about his neighbors, the Winslows. However, seeing the stereotypical nerd's one-sided crush on Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams) turn into an actual relationship might be the series' furthest leap over the shark.

Sam And Rebecca On Cheers

Perhaps the quintessential example of an ideal "will they, won't they" relationship is that of Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) from the Cheers cast, whose relationship may have ended by bittersweet means but was fun and satisfying while it lasted. As a result, the bartender's similar "will they, won't they" dynamic and eventual romance with his manager Rebecca Howe (Long's replacement, Kirstie Alley) was not necessarily a detriment to the long-running series but deeply pales in comparison.

Luke And Lorelai On Gilmore Girls

An essential example of a "will they, won't they?" dynamic being far more entertaining than the inevitable romance is Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and Luke Danes (Scott Patterson) from the Gilmore Girls cast. Everything about the single mother's relationship with the diner owner, especially their witty banter, was at its peak when they were still strictly friends who occasionally flirted.

Maddie And David On Moonlighting

One of the first couples that comes to mind when the topic of "will they, won't they" arcs with disappointing turnouts is brought up is David Addison (Bruce Willis) and Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) on the Emmy-winning comedy, Moonlighting. The pair – a sarcastic detective and a former model managing a private investigation firm – drove each other nuts and teased a potential romance for several seasons until they finally gave it a shot but with an underwhelming reception from critics and audiences alike.

Erin And Andy On The Office

If there is one undeniably positive thing we can say about Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) and his relationship with Erin Haynes (Ellie Kemper), it is that the hapless Dunder Mifflin salesperson and flighty receptionist make a much better couple than he and Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey). However, Andy and Angela's tragically one-sided dynamic (particularly due to her secret affection for Dwight) led to jokes and storylines that were far more interesting by comparison.

Damon And Elena On The Vampire Diaries

The CW's hit vampire TV show, The Vampire Diaries, boasted the distinction of having a "will they, won't they" arc that branched off from a different trope: the love triangle between Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) and undead brothers Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder). While "Delena" ended up becoming the winning couple, the challenges they faced – from memory-erasing storylines to Dobrev's exit from the cast – made for an exhausting watch until their happy ending in the series finale.

Daenerys And Jon On Game Of Thrones

Most fans of Games of Thrones would agree that the HBO original series started to go downhill once the writers began deviating from the original source material, George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels. One such disappointing element of the epic fantasy show was the romance between Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) – a relationship that saw the fan-favorite characters veering into directions that seemed unnatural for how they were developed.

Nick And Jess On New Girl

Even though they retained a pleasantly platonic relationship early on, anyone who has ever seen a sitcom likely was able to predict that Jessica "Jess" Day (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick Miller (Jake Johnson) from the New Girl cast were destined for romance from the beginning. For how much it was a delight watching the roommates become a couple, most would agree that the show was always at its best when they were still friends.

Booth And Brennan On Bones

Fans of Bones would argue that seeing forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) officially becoming a couple after years of teasing did not ruin the crime procedural by any stretch. However, many viewers were disappointed to see the series immediately jump ahead and show them settled down and with a baby on the way instead of taking the time to show the natural evolution of their relationship.

House And Cuddy On House

Admittedly, it was fun to watch Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) flirt with Dean of Medicine Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) but no one could have imagined that such as selfish, manipulative, and emotionally unavailable jerk like him could be in a loving relationship with her. Of course, it was these very behaviors that doomed their romance, which ended permanently when Edelstein left the hit medical drama.

Rory And Jess On Gilmore Girls

The romance between Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) and Dean Forester (Jared Padalecki) was a sweet tale of first love that made Gilmore Girls' inaugural run a winning first season. Unfortunately, after Luke's troubled nephew, Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia), moved to Stars Hollow and piqued Rory's interest, it ruined the relationship and, after she and Jess became official, her likability began to wane.

Buffy and Spike On Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Angel (David Boreanaz) briefly shared a romance that Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans would agree was fun and exciting. In fact, we can think of several reasons why Buffy should have picked Angel over Spike (James Marsters), who was never intended to be a regular character in the first place anyway.

Josh And Donna On The West Wing

There is no denying that among the West Wing cast members, Bradley Whitford's Josh Lyman and his assistant Donna Moss (Janel Moloney) had one of the most irresistible dynamics. However, when their relationship became more than strictly professional, the coupling was largely deemed as coming too late into the political drama to make for a satisfying outcome.

Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin was an otherwise sweet and inspiring dramedy who did not know how to handle the blossoming romance at the center of it all. Because of various contrived developments and signs of incompatibility, the title character (played by Gina Rodriguez) and Rafael (Justin Baldoni) are considered one of the weakest TV couples in recent memory.

Max And Helen On New Amsterdam

One of the biggest mistakes that a TV show can make when pairing up a "will they, won't they?" couple is changing the fundamental makeup of each character. That is how many fans felt when Dr. Max Goodwin (former The Blacklist cast member Ryan Eggold) and Dr. Helen Sharpe (Freema Agyeman) struck up a relationship on the NBC medical drama, New Amsterdam.

Clark And Lana On Smallville

Smallville established at the very beginning that Clark Kent (Tom Welling) had a crush on classmate Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) and eventually formed a relationship with her that was riddled by an unstable foundation before they split in Season 8. Luckily, soon after, Clark would begin dating his true soulmate, Lois Lane (Erica Durance).

Jackie And Fez On That '70s Show

To be fair, fans and critics would agree that That '70s Show had already been experiencing a steep decline in quality by the time Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis) developed a crush on Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) out of the blue in the seventh and final season. However, seeing them finally come together in the finale following years of Jackie rejecting him just felt weird and the creators seemed to agree, based on how they split them up and got Jackie and Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) back together for That '90s Show.

Zack And Kelly On Saved By The Bell

Watching Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) pursue Kelly Kapowki (Tiffani Thiessen) to no avail was always one of the most fun things about Saved by the Bell. Watching the often horribly behaved sitcom kid become a true romantic and win Kelly's heart just felt off-brand and things only became more ridiculous when they got engaged during Saved By the Bell: The College Years.

Coulson And May On Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have enjoyed shipping characters, but few "will they, won't they?" couples in the franchise were more popular than Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his colleague, Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen). It is just a shame that it took Coulson's imminent death, and with only days left to spare, to inspire them to finally give a relationship a try.

Shawn And Juliet On Psych

Fans of Psych would likely agree that the best relationship on Psych is Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) and Burton "Gus" Guster (Dulé Hill). Yet, it might be a hot take to say that Shawn's slowly built-up coupling with Det. Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson) was added to show for a needless element of romance but without taking the time to build the relationship into something genuinely worth rooting for.

Lane And Zack On Gilmore Girls

There are many polarizing romantic storylines on Gilmore Girls but most fans have come to agree that Lane Kim (Keiko Agena) and Zack Van Gerbig (Todd Lowe) have the worst. To be frank, they just feel Lane's former bandmate is a bad influence on her.

Oliver And Felicity On Arrow

While audiences are willing to suspend disbelief for all kinds of reasons when watching a comic book TV show, fans and critics had a hard time believing the relationship between Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) and Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards). The wealthy vigilante and his employee-turned-lover were incompatible for an irritating number of reasons.

Pete And Myka On Warehouse 13

What made the coupling of Secret Service agents Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) and Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) a low point for SyFy's Warehouse 13 was that there was no actual "will they, won't they" buildup. They were clearly and perfectly platonic duo until Pete realizes he is in love with Myka completely out of the blue.

Michael And Holly On The Office

Let's make something clear: seeing Michael Scott (Steve Carell) find a happy relationship with Holly Flax (Amy Ryan) was a grandly heartwarming sight. We're only counting their relationship because it led to Carell's exit from NBC's The Office cast and, with it, the series' creative downfall.

Maeve And Otis On Sex Education

Over the course of four seasons, it seemed like Netflix's Sex Education was building toward a long-awaited happily ever after for Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) and Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey). Unfortunately, the series betrayed its centerpiece couple by introducing a long-distance relationship plot, ultimately ruining them for good.

Lucifer And Chloe On Lucifer

Despite having the actual Devil as its main "hero," Lucifer is a fun, bizarre take on the crime thriller genre. Yet, many fans felt that the show went in an overly dramatic direction when the title character Tom Ellis and Det. Chloe Decker (Lauren German) became a romantic couple.

Gilmore Girls was not just a hit that ran for seven seasons in the early 2000s, but a show that’s still beloved by fans to the point where a sequel miniseries was made in 2016 (which you can watch with your Netflix subscription), nine years after the original finale. It’s also one of the most rewatchable shows ever that gives fans a nostalgic experience, but if you’ve recently completed a binge of the family dramedy, then it’s good that we have a list for you of 32 movies and shows that feature the Gilmore Girls cast. Enjoy!

Supernatural (2005-2020)

Sure, this list could have started anywhere, but why not start with the portrayer of (mostly) sweet Dean, Jared Padalecki? His supporting role on Gilmore Girls couldn’t have prepared fans for his hugely successful run as the creature-of-the-night hunting Sam Winchester on Supernatural. The series ran for 15 seasons and has tons of amazing episodes, especially if you enjoy spooky stuff.

How To Get Away With Murder (2014-2020)

Overall, most of the players from GG saw a boost in their careers after the show, and likely helped make it possible for Liza Weil, who played the ever-stressed Paris Geller, to eventually make her way to a major role on the thrilling ABC hit, How to Get Away with Murder.

The O.C. (2003-2007)

Is bringing up Fox’s early aughts mega-hit teen drama The O.C. this quickly a bit of a cheat? Sure, but we can’t deny that without the popularity of his Dave Rygalski in Season 3, we might never have gotten actor Adam Brody as the funny, loyal, Summer-obsessed Seth Cohen in one of the defining teen shows of all time.

The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-2021)

Much like viewers were probably not prepared to watch Padalecki fight monsters after his time on Gilmore Girls, I doubt most could have expected to see star Alexis Bledel take on Dr. Emily Malek, the strong-willed and rebellious Handmaid first known as Ofglen. She won an Emmy Award for her role, so this is one drama not to miss.

Parenthood (2010-2015)

There might be no character more strong-willed, funny and quirky than Lorelei Gilmore, who was brought to life so exceptionally by Lauren Graham. If that character description sounds a lot like Sarah Braverman-Holt from NBC’s family drama, Parenthood, then you get why Graham was a perfect fit for both.

Bride & Prejudice (2004)

A small role is a role nonetheless, and if you check out the amazing Jane Austen-inspired rom-com, Bride & Prejudice, you’ll see Bledel as Georgie Darcy, Will’s younger sister.

The Good Wife (2009-2016)

Say what you will about being Team Logan, but the Huntzberger boy still has his supporters even today. This is probably because Matt Czuchry did such a good job portraying him, much like he did the charming go-getter Cary Agos on CBS’ legal drama, The Good Wife.

Fire Country (2024)

As one of the biggest dramas on CBS, Fire Country is hard to miss and even harder to dislike. That’s why it’s the perfect show to check out to see Jared Padalecki as the still-grieving firefighter Camden Casey during Season 3.

Saw IV (2007)

Honestly, were you expecting to see something as horrific as Saw IV on this list? Well, you might be even more surprised to know that Scott Patterson, who played Luke Danes, appeared in a total of three Saw films as determined FBI agent Peter Strahm.

This Is Us (2016-2022)

Can you imagine if anyone has forgotten This Is Us? NBC’s family drama was an immediate success, with the trailer for the very first season racking up a staggering number of views. Of course, you can revel in your Team Jess status by watching Milo Ventimiglia portray loving patriarch Jack Pearson.

13 Reasons Why (2017-2018)

13 Reasons Why is a teen drama that made major waves during its run on Netflix, but you might not know that Keiko Agena, who brought Lane Kim to life on GG, spent the first two seasons playing the kind and protective communications teacher, Pamela Bradley.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024)

If you can be in the mood for a holiday film all year long, then 2024’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever should be added to your viewing calendar. In it, Lauren Graham brings her signature charm to the role of Beth Bradley.

Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)

Of all the GG actors who one might have expected to appear in a giant blockbuster franchise, few fans would likely have bet on the actor who gave us the wonderfully nice but odd Kirk Gleason, Sean Gunn. After a supporting role as Kraglin in the original Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, he’s now reprised the part in seven MCU films and TV series.

Bridesmaids (2011)

For the first time on this list, we get to Melissa McCarthy, who played beloved chef Sookie St. James. She was in several projects after Gilmore Girls ended, but the comedy hit Bridesmaids, where she played the loyal but crude and somewhat erratic Megan, launched her career into the stratosphere. She received an Oscar nomination for her work, so it’s not to be missed.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (2020-2021)

The jukebox musical dramedy series, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, was a treat, but if you missed its two seasons on NBC, know that Lauren Graham played a major role in Season 1 as Zoey’s strict boss, Joan.

The Cleaning Lady (2022-Now)

Any show about gangsters needs a good cop investigating and trying to bring them down, and Liza Weil has starred as confident and cunning FBI agent Katherine Russo on The Cleaning Lady for the thriller’s entire run so far.

The Heat (2013)

Need a wild action comedy about two mismatched officers (one a prim, by-the-book FBI agent, and the other a crass, quick-to-anger, by-any-means-necessary local cop) who have to get along enough to get a drug lord off the streets? Then you should watch Melissa McCarthy as police detective Shannon Mullins ASAP.

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (2021-2022)

This follow-up to The Mighty Ducks film franchise hit Disney+ and brought GG fans more of Lauren Graham, as she starred as Alex Morrow, who forms and then coaches a new underdog hockey team after her son is cut by the Ducks.

The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants (2005)

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a two-film franchise that still means a lot to those who were young women at the time it was released. There’s no better time than now to revisit (or watch for the first time) Alexis Bledel as Lena in both films.

An Unmarried Woman (1978)

Here’s a throwback for you. The 1978 romantic comedy-drama, An Unmarried Woman, features a performance from none other than Emily Gilmore herself, Kelly Bishop, as Elaine, a good friend of the title character.

The Lost Boys (1987)

Alright, this one’s technically a throwback, too, it just doesn’t go back quite as far. But, The Lost Boys is a definite teen horror classic, along with talents like Kiefer Sutherland and Corey Feldman, stars Richard Gilmore actor, Edward Hermann, in an important role.

Prodigal Son (2019-2021)

This Fox crime drama may not have lasted long, but it certainly had a dedicated fanbase, and some of that was likely because of Keiko Agena’s work as the kind, trusting, and socially awkward medical examiner, Dr. Edrisa Tanaka.

Sullivan’s Crossing (2023-2024)

The family drama, Sullivan’s Crossing, came to The CW with a treat for Gilmore Girls fans, as it brought Scott Patterson back to the network as the estranged father, Sully, of the lead character, big city neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan, who returns to her small Nova Scotia town after a scandal.

Mike & Molly (2010-2016)

The long-running comedy Mike & Molly is another of Melissa McCarthy’s post-GG projects. This CBS hit saw the titular couple fall in love after a health-related meet-cute, and work on their relationship while attempting to deal with their often wacky families and friends, and life’s many ups and downs. Check it out for McCarthy’s Emmy-winning performance.

Sin City (2005)

Based on the comic book series of the same name, Sin City is a noirish, action-filled crime drama that just so happens to feature Alexis Bledel as a…well, not entirely trustworthy participant in the rampant criminal shenanigans that abound in the sinful city of the title.

The John Larroquette Show (1993-1996)

One of the very few series to take place in St. Louis, Missouri, The John Larroquette Show was a sitcom that saw the actor portray the night manager of a run-down downtown bus station, with Liz Torres, who played the bubbly and gossipy dance teacher Miss Patty on Gilmore Girls, as his secretary. Torres received two Emmy nominations for her work here, so it’s definitely worth a watch.

The Resident (2018-2023)

Considering the number of medical shows that tend to fill the airwaves, it’s a bit of a surprise that it’s taken this long to get to one, but it is a pretty fine one. The Resident stars Matt Czuchry as the conceited (but still somehow charming) Dr. Conrad Hawkins, a third-year resident who practices with unconventional techniques and a knowledge of the business of medicine who’s determined to stop younger residents from putting their chosen profession on a pedestal.

All In The Family (1971-1978)

If you haven’t yet watched the classic ‘70s sitcom, All In the Family, you’re missing out. Not only does the Norman Lear series use its humor to tackle a number of hot-button issues that are still very relevant for today’s audiences, but it also features Sally Struthers (she was Lorelei and Rory’s nosy neighbor in Stars Hollow, Babette) in her Emmy-winning role as Gloria, the somewhat childish, college-aged daughter of Archie and Edith Bunker.

Walker (2021-2024)

After his immensely successful run on Supernatural, Jared Padalecki moved right on to yet another show on The CW. This one, Walker, was a reimagining of the long-running Chuck Norris hit Walker, Texas Ranger, which saw Padalecki take on the lead role as he returned home after being undercover for two years while trying to reconnect with his teenage children and figure out how his wife really died.

True Blood (2008-2014)

Here’s one that’s easy to miss, even if you’re a die-hard Gilmore Girls fan. Among the many characters, human and supernatural, who populated the HBO vampire series True Blood for seven seasons, you see plenty of Merlotte's Bar & Grill short order cook, the kind but troubled Terry Bellefleur. But, did you know that he’s portrayed by Todd Lowe, the same guy who brought us Hep Alien’s dim, womanizing, guitar-playing, lead-singing wanna-be rock star Zack Van Gerbig? Well, now you do!

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

Melissa MacCarthy was able to hit the Academy Awards red carpet as a nominee again when she starred in the biographical film Can You Ever Forgive Me? As writer Lee Israel. It’s based on Israel’s memoir of the same name, where she talks about her attempt to revive her writing career by forging letters from deceased celebrities and selling them. This critically acclaimed drama is one not to miss.

Spy (2015)

Last, but not least, we have another of Melissa McCarthy’s winning comedies in Spy. The movie follows CIA employee Susan Cooper, who is only allowed to assist her James Bond-esque partner via a desk job at the home office and an earpiece. But, when an operation goes wrong and leads to her partner’s death, Susan volunteers to go into the field and get to the bottom of things. Seeing as how this is a McCarthy film, you can bet that the situation gets hilariously out of hand before all is said and done, and you’ll be better for it!

As you can clearly see, while Gilmore Girls has been off the air for nearly 20 years, not only has it not been forgotten, but its stars have continued to keep us entertained in a number of other TV shows and movies, and hopefully will for many years to come!

There are so many types of films and TV shows out there where one of the main focuses is romance, whether it's the best rom-com movie out there or it's a dramatic, neverending tale of love. But today, we'll be focusing on films and TV shows that focus on young love – teenagers and the like, obviously. Let's get into it.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before Trilogy (2018 – 2021)

This To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy defined a generation of young women like me who dream of having someone like Peter Kavinsky sweep them off their feet. We all agreed that Noah Centineo was the internet's boyfriend for years after this—indeed, a culture shift.

Teen Wolf (2011 – 2017)

While Teen Wolf certainly ranks high on our list of supernatural teen dramas because that is the basis of this show, a lot of people focus on love. And I mean a lot. The romances that happen are mainly what drives this series about a high schooler turning into a werewolf. You can't really get much better than that.

Grease (1978)

Okay, while literally, not a single person in the Grease cast was of high school age, the movie itself is about young romance. While I sometimes think Grease can be overrated, the movie musical does a good job of showing how young romance can affect a teenager – in an enjoyable musical form.

One Tree Hill (2003 – 2012)

When literally anyone thinks of teen romance, they think of One Tree Hill. Running for a total of nine seasons, the series tells the story of two half-brothers who compete for the same position on their school's basketball team, but of course, their love lives get entwined and tangled as well. This is drama to the max.

Easy A (2010)

When I think of Emma Stone's best movies, Easy A is always up there. While she's excellent in her dramatic roles, there is just something about seeing her in this comedic romance movie, which takes the cake every time. It takes young romance and makes it a joke, and honestly, it makes the relationship that her character forms with someone else even better.

Gilmore Girls (2000 – 2007)

Yes, I know I'll have some people say that Gilmore Girls isn't really based on young romance because it's more about the relationship between mother and daughter, but you tell me that you haven't spent time wondering who Rory was going to end up with in this series. Before there was Team Edward and Team Jacob, there was Team Dean and Team Jess (and Jess was the better option, BTW).

X.O. Kitty (2023 – Present)

A spinoff of To All The Boys I've Loved Before, this series, X.O. Kitty, is all about Lara Jean's younger sister, Kitty, and her adventures across the world in South Korea and honestly, I love it. While romance is a main aspect of the series, it's also a fun little coming-of-age comedy that anyone can get behind.

Dawson's Creek (1998 – 2003)

Running for six seasons, Dawson's Creek is another essential teen romance TV series that has been talked about for years. The series is like most teen romances out there, where it follows a close group of friends in high school and their lives together, as well as the relationships that follow, but man, it was huge and shot the stars to fame.

She's All That (1999)

Nah, we are not talking about He's All That. We are bringing up the original She's All That. The movie, starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook, is all about a high schooler who says he can make any girl popular and takes a bet to turn a random woman into a prom queen in six weeks. Romance ensues, and it's just a fun teen rom-com from there on.

Twilight (2008)

They are about romance when you think about it. The Twilight films are primarily all about the romance between Bella and Edward. And Bella is a teenager – and Edward is trapped in a young person's body, so technically, it is a teen romance…even if he is hundreds of years old, but THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT, OKAY? It's a teen romance.

Glee (2009 – 2015)

When I was coming up with ideas for this article, Glee was one of the first I knew I had to include here. Sure, we all love the Glee covers, but man, we ate up these romances when the show was out. Blaine and Kurt, Santana and Brittany, Rachel and Finn – it was endless, y'all. This may be about a Glee club, but we are all here for the love.

Gossip Girl (2007 – 2012)

The Gossip Girl cast undoubtedly reached a point while filming this show when they were no longer teenagers, but we all loved this series for its romances—no matter how absolutely messy they got. And they got messsssssy.

My So-Called Life (1994 – 1995)

While My So-Called Life only ran for one season, it certainly cemented itself into pop history. It was very realistic in its portrayal of teenagers and took a natural examination of romance in young love. Sure, it wasn't as dramatic as the others, but it's still a great show – and now a cult classic.

She's The Man (2006)

For a time, it felt like Amanda Bynes was the queen of teen romance comedies, and She's The Man was undoubtedly her best. Telling the story of a female soccer player who goes undercover as a man to join the men's soccer team in order to play, the movie is hysterical and creates a comedic young romance that is just too good.

Never Have I Ever (2020 – 2023)

Running for four seasons, Never Have I Ever is a great teen romance show. It's reportedly loosely based on Mindy Kaling's (the co-creator) life and her life in Boston. It follows the story of a teenager in high school and how she deals with her personal and school life in the aftermath of her father's passing. The romance is just as great as everything else.

Ginny & Georgia (2021 – Present)

While you could make the same argument for Ginny & Georgia as you could with Gilmore Girls – where it's essentially about a mother and a daughter – the Netflix series takes a hard stance on romance and really makes it a primary part of the story. Sometimes, you'll love these relationships. Other times, you'll want to pull your hair out. But hey, it's a fun time.

The O.C. (2003 – 2007)

Taking place over four seasons, The O.C. is another excellent teen drama that puts romance at its front most of the time. The series follows the life of a teenager who is adopted into a wealthy home, how he deals with his new life, and the relationships around him. It's one of the best teen series out there, so you should check it out if you haven't.

Crush (2022)

Starring Rowan Blanchard, this Hulu original film is a fun one. Crush is all about a high schooler who joins the track team in order to get close to her crush – but, in a plot twist, she ends up falling for her crush's twin sister instead and causes a whole mess of problems.

The Vampire Diaries (2009 – 2017)

Don't even get me started on this show. The Vampire Diaries may be about mythical creatures, but the romance is the plot. The show is all about a normal girl falling for a vampire that she thinks is a human, but then his brother ends up falling for her too, and she does as well as it's this whole love triangle – god, it was everywhere at the time. It's a young romance show despite the vampires being hundreds of years old.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, 10 Things I Hate About You is one of the best adaptations of a William Shakespeare piece because it is so fun. The movie is about a student who wants to date someone, so he enlists the help of the local bad boy to date the sister of the person he wishes to date—I mean, it's a recipe for success.

Dash & Lily (2020)

It's a shame because Dash & Lily came out during a time when it wasn't properly appreciated. The Netflix series stars Austin Abrams and Midori Francis and tells the story of two teenagers who fall in love while trading messages and dares in a notebook across various locations in NYC. I mean, that's adorable. Please watch it if you haven't.

Warm Bodies (2013)

I had to get one fun pick on here. Warm Bodies is one of Nicholas Hoult's best movies, and it's so funny. It's literally about a zombie teenager and a human teenager falling in love. Like, come on. That's freaking adorable.

The Secret Life Of The American Teenager (2008 – 2013)

With five seasons, The Secret Life of the American Teenager was a massive hit for ABC Family when it was released. The central premise of the first season is about a teenager who gets pregnant after her time at band camp and a one-night stand, but of course, the series takes plenty of twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time, especially with the romance.

The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022 – Present)

Now, this is a tremendous young romance pick. The Summer I Turned Pretty is based on the novels of the same name and tells the story of a teenager and the love triangle that she develops between two brothers. Yes, it is about as dramatic as you can expect it to be, and I eat it up each time.

Euphoria (2019 – Present)

Is Euphoria a lot more mature than any other picks on this list? You betcha, but that's what you get when you do a young romance show on HBO. The series mainly follows Rue and her time with drugs, but the romance aspect is a massive part of the show, mainly between other characters, but also between Rue and Jules.

Love, Victor (2020 – 2022)

A spinoff of the movie Love, Simon, this series is honestly a great one, and I wish it had more seasons. Love, Victor is all about the titular character, Victor, who comes to terms with his sexuality and learns to love himself and others over the course of its three seasons. It's a great LGBTQ+ TV show that I personally love.

The Kissing Booth (2018)

Okay, so The Kissing Booth in itself is a meme because there are so many moments that make you scratch your head and wonder how these relationships even work. But that doesn't change the fact that the first movie is entertaining as heck and certainly makes for a fun young romance.

A Cinderella Story (2004)

There are so many adaptations of Cinderella out there, but personally, A Cinderella Story is one of my favorites. It's about two teenagers who are online penpals who plan to meet up for the first time at a school's Halloween event. It's so sweet and adorable—ugh, I love it.

Sex Education (2019 – 2023)

I mean, this show is all about romance, love, and sex, thrown into a pretty bow. The series mainly follows a teenager and his experiences at school when everyone finds out that his mother is a sex therapist, but there are some excellent portrayals of young love on this show that really take the cake – ones I genuinely adore.

Love, Simon (2018)

This teen romance movie is one of the best out there. The film, starring Nick Robinson, follows the story of a closeted high schooler who is being blackmailed by someone at school while also trying to find out who the person is that he has fallen in love with online and dealing with his personal life as well. The movie does a great job of showing young love, and I love it.

Heartstopper (2022 – Present)

Based on the graphic novels of the same name, Heartstopper has three seasons and mainly follows the love story between Charlie and his feelings for Nick, a schoolboy with whom he shares a class. But as the series progresses, you get more and more relationships that make it so much more fun.

Literally, Any Romeo & Juliet Adaptation

Do I have to explain why? Whether you're talking about the one from the 1960s, Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo + Juliet, or any of the others, it's all about teen romance and what it does to us.

These are just some of the great picks I can think of, but there are so many others. I think these will be perfect for a little date night or a long weekend binge.

Is there a single TV show that, for the entirety of its run, managed to keep its story going without any retcons? For one reason or another, it is common to see a popular series amend or completely disregard a pre-established story or character detail, often leading fans to wonder if they are losing their minds. Don't worry: you're not crazy but merely a victim of some confusing or even just annoying TV retcons like the following.

Cory And Topanga's Origins (Boy Meets World)

The romance between Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) could have been the perfect sitcom love story if the classic TGIF comedy could keep the details of their relationship straight. When Fishel first joined the Boy Meets World cast, she was initially introduced as the weird student in Cory's elementary school class but, when she is later reinvented as his love interest, the show tries to play them off as sweethearts since childhood.

Dan Is Alive (Roseanne)

Not only is Season 9 of Roseanne, in which the Conners' lives change when they win the lottery, revealed to be a fantasy in the series finale but we also learn that Dan (John Goodman) was dead the entire time, having suffered a heart attack. This controversial plot twist was ignored in 2018 when the sitcom was revived for a tenth season before it was rebranded as The Conners.

The Fate Of Frasier's Father (Cheers/Frasier)

On one episode of Cheers, Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) tells his friends at the bar that his late father was a research scientist. However, in Frasier's self-titled and equally beloved TV show spin-off, we see Martin Crane (John Mahoney) is alive and well and a retired cop. In an episode where Ted Danson appears as Sam Malone, the show tries to explain that Frasier's dad was "dead to him" at the time after a bitter argument.

Sara Was Not Dead After All (Prison Break)

In the third season of Prison Break, Michael (Wentworth Miller) learns that Sara (Sarah Wayne Callies) was kidnapped and beheaded, only to see her come back in Season 4, which reveals it was never actually her head. In reality, the reason for the character's demise was due to a dispute involving Callies' contract but, when she was able to work out a deal to return to the series, her earlier death was rewritten as a head fake.

Jimmy Olsen Was Not Who We Thought He Was (Smallville)

In its sixth season, the acclaimed DC TV show Smallville introduced the iconic character of photographer Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore), only to kill him off three years later. It is at his funeral that we learn that his real name is Henry James Olsen and that the real Jimmy Olsen was his never-before-seen little brother the whole time.

Kramer Was Originally Named Kessler (Seinfeld)

In the pilot episode of Seinfeld, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) calls his next-door neighbor by the name Kessler but, from the next episode on, Michael Richards' character is referred to as Kramer, after Larry David's real-life friend on whom the role is based. The series tries to explain this in Season 9's "The Betrayal" with a flashback to the characters' first meeting when Kramer tells Jerry that the name on his buzzer is incorrect.

Bobby's Death Was All A Dream (Dallas)

When Patrick Duffy decided to quit the CBS primetime soap opera, Dallas, his character, Bobby Ewing, was written off the show in Season 8 when he was run over by his sister-in-law, Katherine Wentworth (Morgan Brittany), and was buried after succumbing to his injuries in the Season 9 premiere. However, after the writers urged the actor to come back to the cast, the Season 10 opener revealed everything that happened in the previous season was imagined by his wife, Pamela Barnes Ewing (Victoria Principal), in her sleep.

Gossip Girl's True Identity Does Not Make Sense (Gossip Girl)

As revealed in the series finale of Gossip Girl, Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) was the mysterious blogger the entire time but, if that's true, why does he act surprised by several posts about him, his friends, and his relatives in earlier episodes? Furthermore, Gossip Girl publicizes the fact that Dan and his girlfriend, Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), share a half-sibling, which he adamantly wants kept secret. So, why on Earth would he make that public, even anonymously?

What Ever Happened To Judy Winslow (Family Matters)

YouTuber Vee Infuso debunked an urban legend believing that the youngest Winslow child, Judy, once walked up the stairs in a Season 4 episode never to be seen again. While Jaimee Foxworth's actual final appearance in the Family Matter cast came later that season in "Mama's Wedding," her subsequent absence (due to the writers having nothing interesting to come up with for her) was never explained nor acknowledged for the remainder of the series.

The First Time Chandler Said "I Love You" To Monica (Friends)

In one of the most ridiculous Friends episodes, "The One Where Everyone Finds Out," Chandler (Matthew Perry) is coerced by Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) feigned seduction into admitting that he is in love with Monica (Courteney Cox) to everyone's surprise, including her own. However, the otherwise touching moment seems to forget about an earlier Friends Thanksgiving episode, "The One With All The Thanksgivings," in which Chandler lets his feelings for Monica slip when she surprises him with a turkey on her head.

A Time Lord's Maximum Number Of Regenerations Changes (Doctor Who)

Early on in the long-running, classic sci-fi TV show's history, it is established that the title character of Doctor Who, like all Time Lords, can only regenerate a total of 13 times. However, that rule has since been negated as the 13th Doctor actor, Jodie Whitaker, was later replaced by Ncuti Gatwa.

The History Of Superheroes Dates Back Longer Than We Thought (Arrowverse)

After adopting his vigilante alter ego at the beginning of the hit series, Arrow, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) is said to have become the first superhero. Yet, later down the road as the Arrowverse franchise would continue to evolve with its multiple spin-offs, it was discovered that superhero teams have existed as early as World War II.

Kimmy Gibbler's Sibling Count (Full House/Fuller House)

When Kimmy Gibbler is first mentioned in the 1987 pilot for Full House, D.J. Tanner (Candace Cameron Bure) says she has three sisters but the character (played by Andrea Barber) says in Season 3 that her parents stopped having kids after her. This could imply she is merely the youngest in her family but she was also known to mention having an unseen older brother named Garth. Furthermore, in Netflix's revival, Fuller House, we are introduced to her younger brother, Jimmy (Adam Hagenbuch).

Dean Loses His Urban Philosophy (Gilmore Girls)

When Jared Padalecki first joined the Gilmore Girls cast as Dean, the character was introduced as a Chicago native who had moved to Stars Hollow fairly recently and loves obscure books and movies. However, when New York transplant and obscure book and movie lover Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) is brought into the mix, Dean is suddenly reinvented as a more rural individual who has lost his cultural interests and thinks of Stars Hollow as his true home after living "most of his life" there.

The Disappearance Of Donna's Sister (That '70s Show)

We are willing to bet that, even if you considered yourself a huge That '70s Show fan, you had absolutely no recollection that Donna (Laura Prepon) had a sister. Tina Pinciotti (Amanda Fuller) makes one appearance in Season 1 and is subsequently mentioned only once more in a throwaway joke from Season 2's "Vanstock" but, from that point on, Donna is referred to as an only child.

Daenerys Goes Bad (Game Of Thrones)

Here is an example of something that is not so much a retcon but a deeply confusing and quite maddening TV character evolution that suddenly comes out of nowhere. One of the most heavily criticized aspects of the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones sees the normally level-headed and fair Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) become a coldhearted tyrant who commits unimaginably brutal crimes without a second's hesitation.

Are Jason And Cheryl Really Twins? (Riverdale)

There are a number of notable inconsistencies regarding the characters in the Riverdale cast, but one of the more glaring involves Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) and her brother, Jason (Trevor Stines). While initially established as fraternal twins, later episodes of the Archie Comics-inspired dramedy imply that they are in two different grade levels at school.

Who Made Spike A Vampire? (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

A lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans like to count the sudden appearance of Buffy's never-before-seen younger sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) as a retcon. However, the sentient form of power's inclusion is explained by fake memories implanted into the characters' minds after she is sent to Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to protect, so we are not counting that. Instead, we will mention how Spike (James Marsters) refers to Angel (David Boreanaz) as the vampire who turned him until it is later revealed that Drusilla is his true sire.

Why Sheldon Knocks Multiple Times (The Big Bang Theory)

One of the most iconic running gags on The Big Bang Theory is Sheldon Cooper's (Jim Parsons) compulsion to knock on people's doors three times, which was only first introduced in Season 2. However, in Season 10, he explains that he formed the habit after accidentally walking in on his father having an affair and wants to give people enough time to "get their pants on" with his courteous and incessant signal.

When Claire Gets Her Powers (Heroes)

In the first season of Heroes, it is established that Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) developed her rapid healing ability later in life when she hit puberty. However, in a later episode when she meets her birth mother, it is revealed that she was indestructible even when she was an infant.

The Rules Of Being A Vessel Are Inconsistent (Supernatural)

At one point in the 15-season run of Supernatural, it is established that being a vessel for a spiritual entity will result in the host's death once the entity no longer requires their physical form. However, Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles), and even the Lucifer-possessed President Jefferson Rooney (David Chisum) end up just fine after their time as a vessel ends.

Tina Admits She Was Faking Her Stutter (Glee)

When Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) is first introduced in the first season of Glee, she speaks with a stutter that suddenly disappears after she joins the glee club. She eventually reveals she faked it hoping that it would make Artie Abrams (Kevin McHale) like her more.

Randy Suddenly Gains An Uncle (Monk)

Even a detective show as clever as Monk has been known to make a few logical errors from time to time. For instance, Lt. Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) says at one point that he has two aunts but no uncles but, in the Season 5 episode "Mr. Monk Visits a Farm," he inherits land from a recently deceased family member... his uncle, Harvey (Jack Kehler).

President Barlett's Death Tax Repeal Veto Is A Surprise (The West Wing)

In Season 2 of creator Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing, it is mentioned by political commentator Mark Gottfried (Ted McGinley) that President Josiah Bartlett (Martin Sheen) vetoed a Republican-backed education package. However, in the following season when he vetoes a repeal of the "death tax," it causes an uproar as people claim he had never used the veto before.

Barney Suddenly Knows How To Drive (How I Met Your Mother)

In Season 2 of How I Met Your Mother, we discover that Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) not only does not know how to drive a car but is absolutely terrified to get behind the wheel. Yet, two seasons later, in one of the best HIMYM episodes, "As Fast as She Can," he makes multiple attempts to get a speeding ticket to prove he can talk his way out of one and is also seen driving plenty of times afterward. Perhaps he could have worked up the courage to finally learn how to drive by then but there is absolutely no mention of it, making his sudden acquirement of this skill a bit sudden.

Fans Still Missed Moriarty (Sherlock)

At the end of Sherlock's third season, a message from the detective's archnemesis, Moriarty (Andrew Scott) suggested the criminal mastermind would play a pivotal role in the following season. Unfortunately, fans would discover that he had no involvement in Season 4, which is less of a retcon and more of an infuriating cop-out.

Walker Blood Is Not A Source Of Infection (The Walking Dead)

Early seasons of The Walking Dead established that getting blood from one of the undead in your eyes or mouth or in a wound would prove fatal, yet later seasons ignore this rule almost completely. This retcon goes further than just the TV series as it is an acknowledged and important detail in the Robert Kirkman-penned comic book series that inspired the AMC hit.

Al Dreamt Peg's Pregnancy (Married…. With Children)

By the end of Married… with Children's first season, half of which saw Peg (Katey Sagal) pregnant, it is revealed to have been all Al's (Ed O'Neill) dream but there is actually a dark truth to this retcon. As the actor explains in her memoir, Grace Notes, Sagal's real-life pregnancy at this time was written into the show but when she suffered a miscarriage, it was decided that the show would not bring another child into the cast.

SpongeBob Knew Sandy As A Child (SpongeBob SquarePants/Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years)

In the second-ever episode of SpongeBob Squarepants, "Tea at the Treedome," we see the title character (voiced by Tom Kenny) meet Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence) for the very first time. However, the prequel spin-off, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, suggests that the sea sponge and the squirrel knew each other when they stayed at the eponymous camp as children.

Peggy's Mom Keeps Changing (King Of The Hill)

The first time King of the Hill introduces Peggy's mother, she is depicted as a suburban homemaker but is later reinvented almost completely as the wife of a bitter old rancher. That is not even counting the fact that, in an episode when Bobby's secret admirer turns out to be his grandmother playing a trick, the elderly woman in question is neither Hank's nor Peggy's mother.

Andy's Father's Name Changes (The Office)

In NBC's The Office, after proposing to Angela (Angela Kinsey), Andy (Ed Helms) refers to his mother and father as Andrew and Ellen Bernard, implying that he is Andy Bernard Jr. However, when we meet his parents in "The Garden Party," the father is identified as Walter Bernard Sr. (Stephen Collins) and Andy explains that he used to be named Walter Jr. before his younger brother (played by Josh Groban) was deemed more worthy of the moniker.

The Rules For Transferring Powers (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers)

In Season 2 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, when Jason (Austin St. John), Trini (Thuy Trang), and Zack (Walter Emanuel Jones) are forced to leave, the team needs to acquire a special sword to transfer their powers to Rocky (Steve Cardenas), Aisha (Karan Ashley), and Adam (Johnny Yong Bosch). However, in the following season, when Kimberly (Amy Jo Johnson) needed to give her powers to Kat (Catherine Sutherland), she just handed over her power coin.

As Gilmore Girls approaches its 25th anniversary next year, it feels like the show just gets bigger and bigger every year, especially now that the TV series just became available to stream with a Hulu subscription (along with a Netflix subscription). In celebration of a title that has gone down in history as one of the most rewatchable TV shows ever, Warner Bros. invited CinemaBlend to experience a very special day in Stars Hollow this week. As a huge fan of the series who grew up watching it over and over, I need to talk about my experience that included a cast reunion and speaking with Luke Danes himself!

On Wednesday, I had the incredible opportunity to go to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood’s annual “Holidays Made Here” event which is happening in Burbank, California from now until January 5. Opening day of the event had tons of fans like myself lining up for coffee at Luke’s Diner, taking holiday photos around Stars Hollow and watching some of the original cast reunite to reminisce about the iconic show. Here are my main takeaways from the day.

I’m So Happy The Original Set Still Exists, And Can Be Experienced By Fans

For a show that has been off the air for over 15 years (minus the 2016 Netflix revival A Year In The Life), it’s pretty amazing to see Stars Hollow is very much intact on the Warner Bros. lot for visitors from around the world to walk around and enjoy. This isn’t new information, as the set has been made available to the public for quite some time, but getting to walk around and inside and feel like you’re really having an afternoon in the fictional Connecticut town is pretty magical. I especially loved going inside places like Kim’s Antiques, Doose’s Market and the Dragonfly Inn.

Funny enough, that day, even though we were very much in December, and California has been acting like it, it was into the 80s Fahrenheit. I ended up trading my sweater for an adorable “Stars Hollow Books” T-shirt and a smoothie from one of the counters (aptly titled “The Luke,” since it had coffee in it) to cool off. Being on the actual set gave me a real appreciation for how the production was able to completely fool me into transporting me to another side of the the United States when I watch it, even though it was technically being shot just hours away from me when it was being filmed.

The Gilmore Girls Cast Genuinely Seem Like A Family, And That Extends To The Fans

As a fan, I also got a kick out of seeing the fandom interact with not only the sets, but some of the cast members during the Warner Bros. holiday event. If you didn’t know, the actor behind Luke Danes, Scott Patterson, has had a Gilmore Girls podcast since 2021 called I’m All In, where he watched the entire series for the first time. After recently finishing his watchthrough of the whole show, he announced he’d be recording more episodes of his commentary rewatching it (“I’m All In… Again”), but this time he'll have celebrity guests on with him, including his fellow cast members.

For this event, he did a podcast taping, which had him reuniting with Michael Winters (Taylor Doose), Ted Rooney (Morey Dell), Gregg Henry, (Mitchum Huntzberger), Rose Abdoo (Gypsy) and Emily Kuroda (Mrs. Kim) on a stage in the middle of Stars Hollow for fans to watch them talk about the making of the show. It was so sweet to see how comforted and happy both the cast and the fans were. The fans would often help out the actors on specific episode moments with more details, and when they took audience questions, one fan said “they raised” her. During the event, I witnessed fans point out places in the town where certain events in the series happened, and there was also an engagement.

One Gilmore Girls Debate Is Alive And Well With The Fandom, But I Was Surprised About The Cast’s Thoughts On It

A large conversation around Gilmore Girls has always been regarding who Rory should be with. The fans are split into three camps on the topic: Team Dean, Team Jess and Team Logan. They actually were offering free buttons with one of these distinctions for fans to parade around with. Of course, the cast members who were there were asked who they think Rory’s baby daddy is (from the ending of A Year In A Life), and every one of them said Logan – except for Winters, who said he had no clue, and Henry, who provided a funny “I don’t condone this situation.” Kelly Bishop once said she was Team Logan once, too!

I obviously need to rewatch Gilmore Girls now, because I’ve lost the plot on what “Team” I am nowadays aside from Team Rory, but I was quite surprised that not a single person thought it might be Jess’s. When I watched the 2016 version, that was definitely what I got from it. I’m ok if it’s Logan’s, but I was surprised the cast wasn’t divided on it. Perhaps they know something we don’t.

The Impact Of Gilmore Girls Is Very Much With Scott Patterson, And He’s So Sweet About It

During the event, Warner Bros. also offered me the chance to spend a few minutes talking with Scott Patterson on his set, and that was surreal, particularly because Patterson was wearing a flannel T-shirt and a backwards cap on that very day to channel his character. When I asked him what it feels like to be back at Stars Hollow now that it’s an attraction. In his words:

The actor’s relevance as a Gilmore Girls icon has only grown since he shot the series in the early 2000s. When the show was made, creator Amy Sherman-Palladino has said they had “zero money.” You’d think it was Warner Bros’ biggest series these days, and as Patterson shared, being recognized as Luke is a regular part of life for him.

By the way, Scott Patterson was as genuine as can be. He's sincerely grateful to be a member of the Gilmore Girls cast and completely aware of how “meaningful” the series is to people.

And, The Cast Didn’t At All Shy Away From Offering Hope For Another Revival

That brings me to my final big takeaway from my nostalgia trip through Stars Hollow. During the Q&A, as you can imagine, one fan had to blurt out to them the question of whether another revival would be in the works. Patterson riled up the crowd with this answer:

I certainly hope so! It’s been almost a decade at this point since A Year In A Life, and we have questions about what’s next for all the characters. Here’s hoping it does come. Where you lead, we will follow! Holidays Made Here is happening now at Warner Bros. Studios, the show is streaming on two platforms now! While so many shows have tried to be like Gilmore Girls, wow, did this experience remind me again how special this series is.

Though they’re not a part of the 2024 TV schedule, shows like Friends and Gilmore Girls will always be iconic favorites that reside in the hearts of many fans. So, with such mythic legacies that could see them included on such lists as the best sitcoms to ever air, there are tons of rumors that point to “behind the scenes” facts that just aren’t true. And, in the case of both of these Warner Bros.-produced shows, the claim that they shared a wardrobe has been debunked by a costuming professional who should know - as she worked on Gilmore Girls.

The Friends And Gilmore Girls Rumor Sparked By Social Media

There was definitely a period of overlap between the two hit sitcoms that shared the same umbrella of corporate production. They also both filmed on the WB lot in the early aughts. So it doesn’t feel that strange to think that Friends and Gilmore Girls’ status as TV siblings of sorts could have led to clothing items being shared between the lot mates, which is probably how the rumors started. The theory only gained more traction after this video pointed out a couple of very specific pieces as supposed evidence:

Alas, that is simply not true. In a comment on this very post, costumer Valerie Campbell stepped in with a simple statement that put the matter to rest. As far as her thoughts on this clip were concerned, here’s what Ms. Campbell had to say:

Valerie Campbell worked on 132 of the 153 original episodes of Gilmore Girls’ multi-network TV run, as well as the entirety of the run for the Netflix original miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Given those credentials, Campbell definitely knows where the scarves are buried. Not to mention she’s also the party who took to social media to help explain that Gilmore Girls’ baby daddy drama that was left over in the cliffhanger finale of A Year in the Life.

So there seems to be very little that the costumer doesn’t know about this series. Which is why what she had to say about why this theory just isn’t true comes with a great weight of authority.

What Really Happened With Gilmore Girls' Costumes, According To Costumer Valerie Campbell

Valerie Campbell has had a lot of fun on social media discussing the ins and outs of her time working on Gilmore Girls. And the latest example of such material comes from her TikTok rebuttal, which helped clarify the point she made above. Pointing out why this rumor may have gotten started, as well as what the reality behind the situation happens to be, here’s part of how Campbell debunked this claim:

Valerie Campbell laid out that the real reason the casts between both shows had similar looking clothing is that pretty much everyone on the Warner Bros. lot shopped at the same stores. What’s more, Campbell shared a story of the rare exception that would call for borrowing clothes from another set.

As it turns out, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life actually did borrow a suit from the Supergirl wardrobe department in a massive pinch. A scenario that's really an exception that proves the rule, this is the sort of behind-the-scenes tidbit that some creators think they've stumbled upon when reporting theories such as this.

So there it is: the Friends/Gilmore Girls clothes-swapping theory is officially debunked, although this does sound like one of the most ridiculous Friends episodes that never happened. Those of you looking for fresh inspiration from GG can catch it all with a Netflix subscription, at the time of this writing. Meanwhile the entirety of Friends can be streamed with the use of a Max subscription, where it's always been there for you...since it left Netflix.

Even the best shows have their fan-favorite seasons. The seasons that most fans are perfect, or at least close to perfect. It's hard to judge based on reviews and even on Rotten Tomato rankings which one fans think is the creme de la creme of their favorite show, so we looked at Ranker, Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, and other spots to nail down just which season of these classic shows fans love the most.

The Office - Season 2

Season 2 holds the top spot for The Office. That makes a lot of sense as it's really when the classic sitcom came out from under the shadow of the British show on which it was based and found its own footing. Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) separated himself from David Brent (Ricky Gervais) and the rest is history.

The Sopranos - Season 3

The Sopranos is one of the few shows that most fans agree doesn't really have any bad seasons. Some are better than others, sure, but, especially out of the first four, how do you separate them? Season 3 is as good a choice as any as Junior gets out of prison and begins his power grab against Tony, Tony's mother is at her worst, and it ends with one of the most devastating murders in the show's run.

Atlanta - Season 1

It's no surprise here that the first season of Atlanta sits on top. The show's four-season run is great, but it never quite matched the incredible impact or lofty heights of that first magical season. It won a slew of awards in the first year, something it also never matched again.

Seinfeld - Season 5

"The Puffy Shirt," "The Marine Biologist," "The Dinner Party," and "The Hamptons" are just a few of the stone-cold classic episodes of Seinfeld in Season 5. This is a show where almost any season could be the favorite as there are classic episodes in all of them, even the first. But Season 5 seems to be the one fans love the most.

Cheers - Season 4

As much as hardcore fans of Cheers love Coach (Nicholas Colasanto), it's not surprising to see the first season with Woody (Woody Harrelson) rank at the top. Season 4 is when the show really came into its own and became the ratings monster it would remain for the rest of its run on NBC in the '80s.

The Wire - Season 4

This is one choice that some fans will definitely disagree with. Not because Season 4 of The Wire is bad, because, oh boy, it certainly is great, but because Season 3 is at least as good if not better in the eyes of many fans, with a bunch of the best episodes. Still, the season following the kids in school comes out on top here, as viewers are introduced to a whole new generation of corner boys and future crew members.

The West Wing - Season 2

It's hard to pick just one season out of the first four for The West Wing. What probably puts this one over the edge is the season finale, "Two Cathedrals," which is one of the best episodes of any television show, ever. The whole season is incredibly good, but the ending is magical.

Gilmore Girls - Season 3

Season 3 of Gilmore Girls hits the top spot for the WB favorite likely pushed to the top for moments like the big reveal of Jess' father towards the end of the season and other milestones throughout the season.

The Simpsons - Season 4

This one is sure to spur some debate. The general consensus of fans of The Simpsons is that basically Seasons 2 through 8 or 9 are basically perfect. Still, it's easy to see why Season 4 won out here, with classic episodes like "Marge vs. the Monorail," "Homer the Heretic," "Duffless," "Mr. Plow," "Last Exit to Springfield," and "Whacking Day," which has a number of the best quotes from The Simpsons.

This Is Us - Season 1

It's hard to argue that the first season of This Is Us isn't the best. The first episode ends with an incredible twist and throughout the rest of the season, audiences get, well, emotionally connected, to the characters in a way that few other shows have ever matched. The tears of later seasons would have never happened without that incredible foundation.

Saturday Night Live - Season 15

How do fans choose one season of a show that has been on the air as long as Saturday Night Live? Surely every generation has its own favorite, but Season 15 is as good a choice as any with a powerhouse cast that includes the great Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey, Jan Hooks, and Mike Myers in his first season as a full cast member.

Breaking Bad - Season 5

Yet another show on this list that has multiple amazing seasons that could be in contention here. There have been very few shows that have ended as well as Breaking Bad so it tracks that its final season would come out on top here. Even the Guinness Book of World Records named it the "most acclaimed" series of all time after it ended.

Friends - Season 5

No doubt that hardcore fans of Friends will have something to say here, but most will agree that if Season 5 isn't the best, it's one of the best. The season starts with the aftermath of Ross saying "Rachel," and ends with their drunken wedding in Vegas, all while Monica and Chandler's relationship grows into more than just hooking up.

Game Of Thrones - Season 4

This one was pretty surprising as well, as most might expect Season 3, with The Red Wedding to rank at the top, but maybe the death of Joffrey at The Purple Wedding and the rise of Daenerys as a conquerer is too much to resist. Not to mention the fight between Oberyn and The Mountain. And Tyrion killing Tywin... Okay, yeah it makes sense.

Abbott Elementary - Season 1

Abbott Elementary burst onto the scene as the freshest and best network sitcom in years. It won every award it could after that first season and while it's remained consistently great, it's never matched those early heights when it was all so new and so funny.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia - Season 5

Sometimes it feels like It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia has been on since the dawn of time, and it kind of has. There have been many great seasons, dozens of great episodes, and even more legendary scenes and lines. For fans, it reached its zenith in Season 5, but it's not like they've turned away from it in later seasons.

24 - Season 5

The most impressive thing about 24 is how it continued to raise the stakes season after season. Just when it seemed like it couldn't get any better, Season 5 came out and blew everyone away. It cleaned up at the Emmys and it's easy to see why as it was Jack's most exciting adventure, and at times the most devastating, of his brutal career at CTU.

Slow Horses - Season 3

Slow Horses is one of the outliers on this list because the seasons are so short, only six episodes in each, but they pack a ton into those six. Every season of the show has been acclaimed, with most having scores of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, Season 3 ranks best for fans, with Season 2 right behind it.

Sherlock - Season 2

The first two seasons of Sherlock are two of the best seasons of TV ever, even if they are only three episodes each. Season 2 ended with one of the all-time great cliffhangers - or cliff-fallers as it may be. In the third and final episode, "The Reichenbach Fall," Sherlock takes a dive off a building to outwit Moriarty, and viewers are left wondering about his fate.

Lost - Season 1

Lost is one of the most dissected, discussed, and disagreed over shows in TV history. One thing that almost no one argues over though, is how great the show's first season was. From the moment Jack's eyes open in the first episode to Jack and Locke looking down at the blown-open hatch in the last scene, it's a white-knuckle ride that takes viewers on one of the greatest adventures ever.

Grey's Anatomy - Season 6

Well, of all the seasons of Grey's Anatomy, and there are many, it's easy to understand why Season 6, which ends with a cliffhanger when multiple characters were shot in a mass shooting at the hospital. It was the peak of the show.

Mad Men - Season 4

Season 4 of Mad Men is really the downward descent into booze and bills for Don Draper as he continues to struggle with who he really is. It marked a shift in the decade in which it takes place as the wholesome early sixties start to get darker, just like Don's life. Of course fans are going to love this season most.

Blue Bloods - Season 1

Despite its controversial canceling, Blue Bloods has a ton of hardcore fans. Those fans still love Season 1 the most, which is understandable as it really sets the tone for the show and for the dynamics of the Reagan family and includes all the original members, some of whom left the show years before it ended.

Black Mirror - Season 3

Yet another show on the list that is sure to have people arguing over which season really is best. The consensus seems to be that Season 3, Black Mirror's first on Netflix is the best, though that may just be because of exposure. To be sure though, it's a great season with some powerful episodes that resonate, as well as some of the more controversial ones among fans.

Downton Abbey - Season 1

Downton Abbey is not a show anyone would have expected to gain such a large and loyal following, given that it's a period drama set in Edwardian England. But fans it has and passionate they are, especially for the show's excellent first season when we meet the upstairs and the downstairs parts of the Crawley family.

House - Season 1

Medical Procedurals often go on and on, but House is a show that only works with its main character so when Hugh Laurie was ready to go, so was the show. There is no question it felt like it was just running through the motions at the end, but in the beginning, there was no other show like it and that's what makes its first Season the fan favorite.

Dexter - Season 4

Season 4 of Dexter was unquestionably the peak of the show. The race to find the Trinity Killer was in full swing and by the end of the devastating season, viewers learned that maybe there was a killer out there more resourceful, more evil, and more cunning than Dexter as it ends with one of the most tragic seasons in TV history.

Luther - Season 1

Idris Elba got everyone's attention as Stringer Bell on The Wire but he proved he was more than a one-hit wonder with Season 1 of Luther. He could play a cop with loose morals as well as he could a criminal and we loved him for it.

True Detective - Season 1

Until the fourth season of True Detective, called True Detective: Night Country, there was no question that Season 1 would be at the top of fan favorites. Even now, with the show back on its feet after a couple of misses, Season 1 still wins, at least for now.

Law & Order - Season 5

Of all the Law & Order seasons, it makes total sense that Season 5 would top the list of favorite seasons. it's when the show cast really coalesced into the characters fans really love. Most notably, Sam Waterston joined as Jack McCoy and Chris Noth took his final bow on the show.

Curb Your Enthusiasm - Season 6

Is there really a "best" season of Curb Your Enthusiasm? There are great, cringy moments in every season but Season 6 comes out on top for fans for one important reason: it introduced Leon (JB Smoove) and the rest of his family to the show and the show began to reach new heights it never would have without them.

Westworld - Season 1

This one really isn't a huge surprise, as many fans really didn't like Seasons 2 or 3 of Westworld, but Seasons 1 and 4 are so good we had to include them. Season 1, especially, is brilliant.

As one of the most rewatchable shows ever, especially during the Fall TV season, Gilmore Girls has a very devoted fan base that has long debated who Rory should be with. The show ending with Alexis Bledel’s Rory declining Logan’s proposal left fans left wondering, and Netflix's limited revival gave new fire, especially with Matt Czuchry's Logan having an affair with Rory. Some loved seeing the pair together again regardless of circumstance, but others - including one of the original Gilmore Girls writers - were bothered by this major storyline scandal.

No one has ever claimed Gilmore Girls characters are perfect. In fact, many fans have acknowledged the main characters’ morals veered from hot to cold. Even so, some found the infidelity between Rory and Logan in Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life an unnecessary plot line that tainted their relationship. One such individual is former scribe Stan Zimmerman, who shared with People why this particular decision in the streaming series frustrated him so much.

That last statement, I’m not totally sold on. Let’s not forget who supported Rory leaving college (Logan) and who shook some sense into her with the ever-memorable “I know you” speech (Jess). Listen, I liked Logan and Rory together, and much like Czuchry's own opinions, I don’t think Logan was a terrible boyfriend. Many fans are Team Logan, including Emily Gilmore herself Kelly Bishop.

I thought each of Rory’s boyfriends related to different sides of her, and they were all good matches in their own respects. However, nobody is perfect, and Logan could sometimes be slightly egotistical with a habit of bending the rules, which he brought out in Rory. While Rory was not new to infidelity at the time of A Year in the Life, having slept with her first boyfriend Dean while he was married, a long term affair is an entirely different thing. It’s probably something Loralei would frown upon, and something early seasons Rory would have never pictured for herself.

However, after everything that happened during the original run from 2000-2007, I don’t think Logan’s affair with Rory was extremely out of character for the two adults. According to Zimmerman, it seems creator Amy Sherman-Palladino would agree. As he put it:

I agree with her. In fact, I think this affair needed to happen for a specific reason.

My Hot Take: The End Of Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life Was Actually Perfect

Before anyone protests, hear me out. It’s totally a full-circle moment. Rory’s pregnant, and Logan, the man she loves who is presumably also the baby’s father, can’t entirely be in the picture. Sound familiar? The mini-series ends with Rory posed to be a single mother like Loralei, with a baby daddy situation similar to that of her own father Christopher. So an affair was quite necessary to the plotline, despite its unpopular reception.

The Netflix original ends immediately following the pregnancy twist, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. If you are a Gilmore Girls fan, you have a pretty good guess how the story goes. I think the best endings are bittersweet and leave you thinking about the show long after you’ve finished it.

That being said, I wouldn't mind those questions being answered in another revival down the line. Perhaps Rory’s kid (it would have to be a girl, right?) is high school age, about to go to Chilton. Would we see the return of Jess to Stars Hollow, poised to be what Luke was to Loralei? So many possibilities.

According to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creator, a Gilmore reunion could happen again when the timing is right. I’ll hold out hope until then, while also grabbing a blanket and coffee for an epic autumn Gilmore Girls rewatch, available to anyone with a Netflix subscription.

Watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix (one of the best streaming services to subscribe to) is a perfect way to spend the fall season, especially if you are not into horror TV shows on Netflix or elsewhere. Of course, if you have already watched creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's dramedy – which originally ran from 2000 to 2007 – enough times to recite the rapid-fire dialogue from memory, you could use your Netflix subscription to check out the four-part revival series, 2016's Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, if you have not already.

Then again, you might be seeking a trip beyond Stars Hollow, Connecticut, this time, but with a series that still bears the same themes of non-traditional families, quirky small-town culture and all-around comforting vibes. I might be able to help you find what you are looking for with the following recommendations for shows like Gilmore Girls and a tip on how to stream them.

Parenthood (2010-2015)

'The daily struggles of the extensive Braverman family.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: Lead Gilmore Girls cast member Lauren Graham, who played Lorelai, later joined NBC's Parenthood cast to play another single mother named Sarah Braverman on yet another comforting dramedy dealing with the joys and pains of family.

• Stream Parenthood on Hulu
• Buy Parenthood on Amazon
• Buy Parenthood on Blu-ray on Amazon

Ginny & Georgia (2021-Present)

Fifteen-year-old Ginny (Antonia Gentry) has a complicated relationship, to say the least, with her 30-year-old mother, Georgia (Brianne Howey).

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: Creator Sarah Lampert's hit Netflix series, Ginny & Georgia (which has a Season 3 coming in 2025), immediately earned comparisons to Gilmore Girls as another dramedy about a young single mother and her teenage daughter, but would prove to be a far darker take on the topic.

• Stream Ginny & Georgia on Netflix

Felicity (1998-2002)

A high school graduate (played by Emmy nominee Keri Russell) changes her college destination in an effort to pursue her longtime crush (played by Scott Speedman).

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: From creators J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves, Felicity is another popular dramedy from the late '90, early 2000s WB era with some similar themes the same sort of cozy tone as Gilmore Girls.

• Stream Felicity on Hulu
• Buy Felicity on Amazon
• Buy Felicity on Blu-ray on Amazon

Hart Of Dixie (2011-2015)

New York-based doctor, Zoe Hart (former The OC cast member Rachel Bilson) suddenly becomes the inheritor of a modest medical practice in Bluebell, Alabama.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: After The WB became The CW, the network aired Hart of Dixie – another dramedy with eccentric small-town locals and the same cozy tone, in part for the fact that the series used many of the same sets as Gilmore Girls.

• Stream Hart of Dixie on Freevee through Amazon

Virgin River (2019-Present)

Los Angeles-based nurse practitioner Melinda Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) moves to a remote town in Northern California, which proves to have a life-changing effect on her.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: While creator Sue Tenney's Netflix hit is more in the vein of a soap opera than Gilmore Girls is, Virgin River (which has Season 6 premiering in 2025) is still a perfect destination if you're looking for another show with an eclectic character ensemble in a small town.

• Stream Virgin River on Netflix

Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)

After falling victim to fraud, a wealthy family (played by Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dan Levy, and Annie Murphy) is forced to reside in their sole remaining asset: a small town with some quirky people.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: While more overtly and uproariously comedic than Gilmore Girls is, Schitt's Creek (one of the funniest shows on Hulu) is still a perfect destination if you're looking for a series with dialogue-driven, feel-good comedy set in a rural area with eccentric locals.

• Stream Schitt's Creek on Hulu
• Stream Schitt's Creek on Freevee through Amazon
• Buy Schitt's Creek on DVD on Amazon

Freaks And Geeks (1999-2000)

The daily struggles of a group of nerdy freshmen and socially outcast upperclassmen in the early 1980s.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: Gilmore Girls is part of an era of television that Freaks and Geeks (a great TV show cancelled after one season) is often credited with pioneering by offering a more honest depiction of teen life from a uniquely funny perspective.

• Stream Freaks and Geeks on Hulu
• Stream Freaks and Geeks on Paramount+
• Buy Freaks and Geeks on DVD on Amazon

Gossip Girl (2007-2012)

A nosy internet blogger keeps tabs on the private lives of a group of wealthy, troubled teens in New York City.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: Creators Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz's scandalous CW hit follows the Gossip Girl cast as they navigate private high school, much like in Gilmore Girls when Rory (Alexis Bledel) goes to Chilton.

• Stream Gossip Girl on Max
• Stream Gossip Girl on Tubi
• Buy Gossip Girl on DVD on Amazon

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023)

A recently divorced Jewish-American woman (played by Rachel Brosnahan) finds a new lease on life after an impromptu stand-up comedy performance inspires her to pursue a new career in the late 1950s.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: For more of Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's signature style of dialogue-driven comedy, you should definitely check out one of the best comedies on Amazon Prime, the multi-Emmy-winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

• Stream The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime

If you're out on the road, feeling lonely and so cold, all you gotta do is stream these TV shows like Gilmore Girls and you should be set.

The streaming wars have been raging on for years now, and Netflix is constantly releasing new movie and TV content. Those with a Netflix subscription were recently treated to the new romantic comedy series Nobody Wants This, which stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. And Brody's dreamy performance as a hot Rabbi is giving me some serious Gilmore Girls-related FOMO. Let's break it all down.

Nobody Wants This has a killer rotten tomatoes score, and it's wildly popular on Netflix at the moment. The internet has also been thirsting over Adam Brody, who is endlessly charismatic and dreamy as Noah Roklov. And seeing just how much of a heartthrob he is makes me bummed that his tenure as Dave Rygalski on Gilmore Girls was so short.

Brody's starpower was still growing when he guest starred in Gilmore Girls for nine episodes as Lane's love interest/ bandmate Dave. Unfortunately, he was written off after Season 3, presumably so the actor could star in The O.C.. While his replacement in the band became another beloved character, some fans maintain that Dave and Lane should have bene end game... myself included.

Of course, Gilmore Girls fans know how things ultimately turned out for Rory's best friend Lane. After Dave left the band Hep Alien continued on for the entirety of Gilmore Girls run, including the limited series sequel that hit Netflix a few years ago. A Year In The Life solved some of the show's mysteries, but Dave was unfortunately never seen again.

Lane ended up having a romantic connection with Zack, with the pair eventually marrying and having twins. Still, some fans think that Dave was the right person to end up with Keiko Agena's fan favorite character. And seeing Adam Brody go into full-on heartthrob mode for Nobody Wants This, I feel robbed for both myself as a Gilmore Girls fan, as well as robbed on behalf of Lane Kim. After all, Zack was never really the dreamy type.

Reception for Nobody Wants This has been mixed, with some Netflix subscribers taking umbrage with its overall direction and narrative. Additionally, there's been some backlash to the portrayal of Jewish characters, which some have found to be stereotypical. Still, smart money says plenty of folks are binge-watching the new Netflix show, including Gilmore Girls fans. After all, both of Amy Sherman-Palladino's shows are available to stream on the vrery same application.

I have to wonder if other Gilmore Girls fans are going to have the same FOMO about Dave and Lane upon binge-watching Nobody Wants This. Despite his short run on the beloved series, he definitely made an impact. And there's going to be a new generation of fans swooning over Adam Brody.

Nobody Wants This is streaming in its entirety on Netflix. Check the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

Amy Sherman-Palladino's Gilmore Girls might have ended its run on TV back in 2007, the show has remained a wildly popular part of the pop culture landscape. It's constantly being discovered by new audiences with a Netflix subscription, and re-watched by fans like myself. While we like to debate about Rory's boyfriends, Jess is largely the fan favorite. And a Gilmore Girls writer recently recalled failed plans to developed Milo Ventimiglia’s spinoff series.

Fans returned to Star's Hollow a few years ago with Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, which solved some mysterious but also started a huge one. Rory revealed she's pregnant, with fans left wondering who the father is. While we're left wondering if it's Jess, writer Stan Zimmerman spoke to People about trying to get his spinoff off the ground back in the day. He spoke to the backdoor pilot in Season 3 titled "Here Comes the Sun", and why Venice Beach became the setting. He offered:

During this unique episode of Gilmore Girls, Jess travels to California to see his father. It's a big change in setting from Star's Hollow, and offered a storyline that never really panned out thanks to the spinoff not being green lit. And it sounds like, just like most of the show, that location came from the personal taste and POV of Amy Sherman-Palladino.

There are plenty of fans who would have tuned in for a Jess series, as we were left wondering what happened to him after he broke up with Rory and left Star's Hollow. Of course, he'd return for later seasons, as well as A Year In the Life. During the same conversation with People, Stan Zimmerman spoke more about how Venice juxtaposed the show's typical cozy Connecticut vibes. As he put it:

Well, suddenly I've got some serious FOMO. While Milo Ventimiglia would go on to star in This is Us, there are some folks out there who will always see him as Jess Mariano. And while there's no indication that another season of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life is happening at Netflix, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed. I need to know which of Rory's boyfriends is the father of her child! And yes, I'm #TeamJess.

Gilmore Girls and its spinoff are both streaming now on Netflix. Check the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

Some people might like to argue that streaming, in becoming our dominant form of media consumption, has ruined the television industry. Well, there is no doubt that it has changed the industry in many ways and, in some cases, for the better. 

There are many TV shows that are now regarded as classics but might not have earned such an honor if not for audiences discovering it on a streaming platform, helping boost its appeal in a way traditional television could not for whatever reason. Let's take a look at some of the most beloved TV shows that were made more popular (or even saved) by streaming. 

The Wire (2002-2008)

In its initial run, The Wire was already considered one of the best shows on HBO, if not of all time, for its refreshing grounded depiction of urban crime in modern Baltimore from both sides of the law. However, thanks to having a Max subscription (formerly known as HBO Max and, earlier, HBO GO), new generations of viewers have been able to witness David Simon's masterpiece.

You (2018-2024)

Even many of the biggest fans of You might not realize that the serial killer drama starring Penn Badgley is not a true Netflix original. It was canceled after one season on the Lifetime Network and, after becoming a surprise hit on Netflix, the platform picked it up for four more seasons.

Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)

Despite achieving instant success in its home nation of Canada on CBC, creator Dan and Eugene Levy's sitcom following a family's riches-to-rags story went underseen in the States for years on the Pop Network. Luckily, when the series dropped on Netflix, America suddenly could not get enough of the Schitt's Creek cast, the comedy's remarkable quotability, and surprisingly heartfelt moments.

The Expanse (2015-2022)

Based on a series of novels by Daniel Abrahams and Ty Franck (and James S. A. Corey), The Expanse quickly found a following on SyFy as one of the network's smartest and most exciting dramas and, yet, it still got the boot after three seasons. Fortunately, the adventures of James Holden (Steven Strait) and his crew's defense against a conspiracy affecting the colonized solar system were able to continue as one of the best sci-fi TV shows on Amazon Prime for three more seasons.

Suits (2011-2019)

Despite being one of the longest-running series on USA Network, Suits really became a hit in its later years after gaining traction as one of the most-watched TV shows on Netflix. Of course, Suits cast member Meghan Markle's marriage to Prince Harry likely had an influence on the legal drama's success.

The Office (2005-2014)

Greg Daniels' Americanized update of the hilarious British sitcom was certainly a hit on NBC, but its fanbase grew exponentially when it became one of the highest-viewed series on Netflix. It is no wonder why Peacock paid the platform $500 million for the streaming rights to The Office and even released special Superfan cuts of select episodes.

Letterkenny (2016-2023)

To be honest, Letterkenny, which follows the day-to-day lives of people from the titular rural town in the Great White North, already originated on a streaming service: the Canadian-exclusive platform, Crave. However, when it became available in the United States with a Hulu subscription, the quirky sitcom's fanbase took a Texas-size expansion.

Firefly (2002-2003)

There is a variety of reasons why Firefly was canceled after Fox aired only 11 episodes, from a doomed time slot to misguided marketing. Luckily, even before streaming helped widen its fanbase, the now beloved sci-fi TV show following a crew of outlaws traveling beyond the stars released a DVD set that allowed audiences to see the epic Western-style cosmic adventures they missed out on.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)

Following the journey of a young man born with the ability to manipulate the elements air, earth, fire, and water, Avatar: The Last Airbender was a huge hit during its initial run on Nickelodeon. It would only become even more popular when it became available to stream on Netflix, which would go on to produce a live-action series update in 2024.

Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

According to Variety, after Breaking Bad won the Best Drama Series Emmy in 2013, creator Vince Gilligan admitted he owed the success of his groundbreaking drama to Netflix, which later produced El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. The thriller, following a terminally high school chemistry teacher (played by Bryan Cranston) turning to crime to support his family, could barely be called a hit during its few years on AMC.

 Freaks And Geeks (1999-2000)

One of the first titles that come to mind when people think of series that ended too soon is Freaks and Geeks, which was canceled by NBC after one season for the typical reasons: misguided marketing and a poor time slot. Since most of the Freaks and Geeks cast went on to take Hollywood by storm, the coming-of-age dramedy has become one of the most acclaimed series of its time by fans who discovered in the digital age.

Criminal Minds (2005-Present)

After lasting a whopping 15 seasons on CBS, Criminal Minds continued to captivate audiences as one of the most popular crime TV shows on Netflix. The procedural drama's enduring success eventually led to its revival, on Paramount+.

Manifest (2018-2023)

When NBC canned it after just three seasons, fans prayed that Netflix would swoop in to renew Manifest and, luckily, their wish came true. A fourth and final season of the sci-fi drama, about a commercial jet that suddenly reappears five years after mysteriously vanishing, debuted on the streaming platform, allowing it to have the smooth landing creator Jeff Rake intended.

Lucifer (2016-2021)

Based on a DC Vertigo comic book, Lucifer — starring Tom Ellis as the Devil, taking human form to be an LAPD consultant — debuted on Fox, where it lasted only three seasons. Soon after, it would be hailed as one of the best DC TV shows on Netflix when it was renewed for three more seasons exclusively on the platform.

Community (2009-2015)

Ironically enough, when Dan Harmon's comedy about a close-knit group of community students first transitioned from NBC to a streaming exclusive on the now-defunct Yahoo! Screen, it was considered a disaster. However, fans would go on to revisit the best episodes of Community on Hulu, Netflix, or Peacock, keeping the #SixSeasonsAndAMovie dream alive. 

Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)

One of the most popular shows on The CW (when it was still called The WB) was Gilmore Girls, which would only remain popular and acquire more fans who discovered it with their Netflix subscription. The streaming platform would even serve as the home of a four-episode sequel series called Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

Friends (1994-2004)

Could Friends have been a bigger bit than it was during its ten-year run on NBC? As it turns out, yes, since the popular '90s TV show became a monster hit on Netflix and, once it left the platform, likely inspired many fans to get a Max subscription just so they could keep the binge going.

Luther (2010-2019)

Some of the best evidence of the enduring popularity of Luther — an acclaimed British crime thriller starring Idris Elba in the brilliant but cantankerous title role — can be found on Netflix. In 2023, the platform distributed a feature-length spin-off called Luther: The Fallen Sun, which quickly became its highest-watched movie and led to a deal for more films.

Arrested Development (2003-2019)

Despite never getting the ratings it needed to be a hit during its three-season run on Fox, Arrested Development was remembered fondly as one of the most hilarious cult favorite TV shows of all time. That enduring legacy led to its revival in 2017 as "a Netflix semi-original series."

Boy Meets World (1993-2000)

In its prime, Boy Meets World was one of the must-see comedies from ABC's TGIF Block in the 1990s and would later spawn a sequel series following Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga's (Danielle Fishel) daughter, Riley (Rowan Blanchard) called Girl Meets World. The success of the Disney Channel series, also starring Sabrina Carpenter, inspired a new generation of fans to check out the original with their Disney+ subscription. 

Futurama (1999-Present)

Creator Matt Groening's animated satire about an average 20th Century man who wakes up from an accidental, 1000-year cryogenic slumber initially ran for just four seasons on Fox, was revived on Comedy Central from 2008 to 2013, and then, a decade later, became an exclusive on Hulu where it is more popular than ever. At this rate, it looks like Futurama might last well into the future.

Teen Wolf (2011-2017)

MTV's darker take on a funny coming-of-age creature feature from the '80s was a surprise hit, even as one of the best horror TV shows on Hulu in the years since it ended. The continued interest in the series on streaming would lead to a feature-length continuation that premiered on Paramount+ in early 2023.

iCarly (2007-2012, 2021-2023)

Miranda Cosgrove followed her role as the mischievous Megan on Drake & Josh by starring on the Nickelodeon sitcom as a teen internet sensation. People who grew up with the show would rediscover their love for it as adults when Paramount+ revived iCarly with more mature audiences in mind.

The Mindy Project (2012-2017)

Creator and star Mindy Kaling's first major follow-up after playing Kelly Kapoor in NBC's The Office cast was the aptly titled The Mindy Project, in which she plays an OB/GYN struggling to balance her personal and professional life. It premiered on Fox, where it remained for three seasons, before moving exclusively to Hulu for the latter half of its run.

Longmire (2012-2017)

Based on a series of novels by Craig Johnson, Longmire is a neo-Western drama starring Australian actor Robert Taylor as the titular Wyoming sheriff who brings his own brand of justice to his county. Despite debuting on A&E as the cable network's highest-rated original drama, it was not renewed for a fourth season, leading Netflix to step in and become its home for another three years.

Trailer Park Boys (2001-2018)

A show that Letterkenny fans would enjoy if they have not heard of it already is Trailer Park Boys — another comedy set in rural Canada which, for its first seven years, aired on a channel exclusive to the country called Showcase. A newfound interest in the documentary-style series and its feature-length spin-offs in the United States led Netflix to acquire the show in 2012, lasting several more seasons and even spawning more specials and an animated series.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

Before a new Star Wars TV show premiered on Disney+ every few months or so, one of the most beloved small-screen titles to come from a galaxy far, far away was Star Wars: The Clone Wars. However, the Force initially could have been stronger with this one as it was canceled by Cartoon Network in 2013 before gaining newfound popularity on Netflix (where a new season was distributed) the following year and, later, getting revived for one more batch of episodes on DIsney+ in 2020.

Parks And Recreation (2009-2015) 

Despite being the brainchild of The Office producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur and starring former SNL cast member Amy Poehler in the lead, Parks and Recreation struggled to find its footing on NBC for its first couple of years. The mockumentary-style political satire got a bit of a boost in popularity once it dropped on Netflix and, for years after it ended, earned a reputation as one of the most popular series on the platform.

White Collar (2009-2014)

The show that made a star out of actor Matt Bomer is White Collar, in which he stars as a suave professional criminal who works with the FBI to catch other cons like him. Like many other USA original series, the dramedy was a much bigger hit on Netflix than it was during its initial run on the network.

Designated Survivor (2016-2019)

Kiefer Sutherland stars in Designated Survivor as the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who is suddenly appointed President after everyone in the chain of command above him is killed in a catastrophic attack. The political drama was canceled after only two years on ABC but would go on for one more season on Netflix.

The Nanny (1993-1999)

Co-creator and star Fran Drescher is best known for playing Fran Fine on The Nanny, which had a strong run on CBS in the 1990s. The sitcom is noted for appealing to a new generation when it dropped on Max.

The Killing (2011-2014)

The American version of the Danish television series Forbrydelsen, The Killing, originally premiered on AMC, which would cancel the dark crime drama after its third season, which almost did not happen. The series then made an official transition to Netflix, where its fourth and final season was distributed.

Television is a valued and iconic part of the pop culture landscape and continues to create viral and memorable moments. That includes TV mistakes, whether they be poor writing or a flub that's noticed by the public. And there are 32 TV mistakes off the top of my head that stand out, spanning scripted, reality, and live television. Let's break it all down.

To be clear, this isn't a list of solely continuity errors or viral newscaster flubs. Instead, it's combining both of these categories, as well as narrative issues that have continued to plague the reputation of popular TV shows. And some of them just happen to be the most memorable TV moment from that particular show. In no specific order here is the list. Although a spoiler alert is in play for the scripted shows.

Warren Beatty And Faye Dunaway's Oscars Flub

The biggest story to come out of the 2017 Academy Awards ceremony was that presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Betty accidentally named La La Land the Best Picture winner when it was actually Barry Jenkins' Moonlight. It was a truly wild to end the night and was one of the most memorable moments to come out of the star-studded event in modern memory. That is, until the infamous Will Smith slap incident.

Jeff Varner Outs Zeke, Survivor 

Survivor is one of the best reality shows of all time and has remained wildly popular in the decades since it first premiered. The show is endlessly captivating because every season is different, and is influenced by the unique cast of characters. Unfortunately, the social experiment got ugly in Season 34, when Jeff Varner outed Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to prove that he was untrustworthy. 

Kathie Lee Forgets Martin Short's Wife Had Died

Kathie Lee Gifford has a long career on TV, and had her own hour of The Today Show for years on NBC. While she and Hota Kotb had plenty of fans, there were some noticeable missteps along the way. Chief among them was an interview with Martin Short, where Kathie Lee referred to his late wife and seemingly forgot she had actually passed away two years earlier. It's wildly awkward, although the Only Murders in the Building star handled it with grace.

Dany Burns King's Landing, Game Of Thrones

Throughout Game of Thrones' run on TV, Emilia Clarke's Daenerys Targaryen was one of the show's primary heroes. Fans were thrilled when she finally appeared in Westeros to take the Iron Throne, and were shocked and disappointed when she suddenly decided to burn King's Landing down, killing thousands of innocent people. And fans have been complaining about this plot choice, and how quickly she went mad, for years. 

Asking the Models To Change Races, America's Next Top Model

America's Next Top Model ran for many years, and had a number of controversial challenges that haven't aged very well. Chief among them was back in Cycle 4, where models were asked to portray another race for a photo shoot. Before the term "cultural appropriation" was known, this was a wild challenge that seriously gives the ick... and happens to be one of the most iconic reality TV moments. 

The Faithful Trusting Cirie, The Traitors

The first season of The Traitors US was a big experiment, with the show's second season helping to make it a wildly successful Emmy-winning hit. Season 1 featured a mix of celebrities and normal folks, including Survivor legend Cirie Fields. Unfortunately, her allies seemingly didn't know her reputation, and completely trusted her and allowed her to easily win and take the money in the end. And the reunion was super awkward. 

Miss Teen South Carolina's Map Question

Every so often a beauty pageant will go viral, usually for all the wrong reasons. There are few as iconic as Miss Teen South Carolina Caitlin Upton's interview answer from back in 2007. She's asked why young Americans can't locate the country on a map, and has a stream-of-consciousness answer that's iconic in its word salad-ness. 

Netflix Canceling Mindhunter

After the streaming wars began, it became clear that services were producing way too much original content. Netflix has canceled a number of beloved shows, but few have caused as much of a stir as Mindhunter. David Fincher's drama was a gripping story, but Netflix won't let Fincher continue with Season 3. 

Anne Hathway And James Franco Hosting The Oscars

Finding the right host for ceremonies like the Academy Awards is easier said than done, and there have been some stinkers over the years. Back in 2011 James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosted together, and it was an extremely awkward viewing experience. While the Les Miserables actress was seemingly trying to make it as perfect as can be, that stood in juxtaposition to Franco's laid-back stance.

Separating Lorelai And Rory, Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls ran for seven seasons and continues to have staying power thanks to new audiences streaming the show (and its reboot) on Netflix. However, Season 6 remains controversial for fans because Lorelai and Rory aren't on speaking terms throughout much of it. And that served as an example of a time when Lorelai was the worst.

Season 2, Heroes

The first season of Heroes was a huge success for NBC, offering a unique take on a superhero story. Unfortunately, the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike happened during Season 2, resulting in a disappointing and shorter installment. While the show would continue it never reached its former glory, and many characters and plot lines from Season 2 were abandoned altogether.

Fonzie Jumps The Shark, Happy Days

This moment changed the TV world forever and inspired a new pop culture for the masses. While "jumping the shark" is a phrase used to describe a TV show that goes off the wall, it's something that actually happened during Happy Days' run. Talk about a mistake. 

Killing Off McDreamy, Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy is one of the longest-running shows of all time and many of the OG fans (as well as the original cast) have dropped off as a result. While it was tough to continue the show without Sandra Oh's Cristina Yang, eventually the show had to write off Patrick Dempsey's Derek Shepherd... by tragically killing him. And for many the show hasn't been the same since. 

The Grape Stomping Lady

Journalist Melissa Sander became instantly recognizable thanks to a news blunder she was involved in which became one of YouTube's earliest viral videos. In it, she's stomping on grapes, and suddenly falls and gets the wind knocked out of her. The noises she makes and the instant karma of the video have helped it remain iconic through the years. 

Ralph Bohner, WandaVision

WandaVision was wildly popular upon its release on Disney+, especially as we were in the midst of isolating due to the pandemic. Fans were shocked when X-Men star Evan Peters showed up as "Pietro", since Quicksilver was played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the MCU. In the end, this was all a gag, with his character Ralph Bohner being perhaps the show's only misstep. 

Lisa Barlow's Hot Mic, The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City

Throughout the many years of The Real Housewives franchise, there have been a few notable hot mic moments. But the most iconic came from RHOSLC's Lisa Barlow, where she went off on a wild rant about Meredith Marks behind closed doors. Unfortunately, her mic was very much still on.

Ashlee Simpson's Performance, SNL

Ashlee Simpson was a popular reality TV star and recording artist in the early aughts, and eventually, she was offered a chance to perform on Saturday Night Live. But Simpson got caught lip-syncing, and that viral moment has continued to haunt her in the years since this infamous performance.  

Robert Durst's Bathroom Confession, The Jinx

True crime documentaries are super popular, and The Jinx is one of the best true crime shows on streaming. In the Season 1 finale, after denying having killed anyone, subject Robert Durst went to the bathroom with a hot mic on, where he seemingly confessed to "killing them all." 

Flash Sideways, Lost

Lost was super popular during its run on the air, although there's been some debate about how its quality dipped in later years. While the show often used flashbacks to offer context on the characters, the final season featured the controversial flash sideways, imagining a world where Oceanic 815 never crashed. The controversial Lost finale explained this, but not before fans got frustrated.

Killing Tara Offscreen, True Blood

Most shows struggle to stick the landing during their final season, and HBO's True Blood is in a long line of shows with controversial finales. But perhaps the biggest mistake the show made was killing Rutina Wesley's character Tara (who had been there from the very beginning) offscreen. Fans hoped she survived for some of the season before it was clear she was never coming back.

Jennifer Hudson's Early Elimination, American Idol 

While Jennifer Hudson is known as one of the biggest success stories to come out of American Idol, she didn't go as far as folks might assume. She actually got seventh place in Season 3 of Idol, before eventually becoming a celebrated recording artist and actress. Talk about a mistake.

Turok-Han Power Levels, Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer introduced a new type of blood-drinking villain: the Turok-Han aka Uber Vamps. In their first appearances they're shown to be way more powerful than regular vampires, with even Buffy struggling to take one on. But by Buffy's series finale, even regular humans like Giles and Wood are able to fight them off, as well as the newly activated Potentials.

Will Smith's Oscars Slap

The most memorable thing to come out of the Oscars for years has to be when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage, in a moment that continues to follow his career. The Academy and the network have both caught flak for how they handled this, and how Smith was able to accept the Best Actor Oscar so shortly after the onscreen assault. 

Valentina Asks To Keep Her Mask On, RuPaul's Drag Race

Season 9 of Drag Race was a memorable one, and contestant Valentina quickly became a fan favorite. But her most memorable moment was definitely a flub, where she asked to keep her mask on during a lip sync against Nina Bo'nina Brown. Ru insists that she take it off, and it soon becomes clear Valentina simply doesn't know the lyrics to her song. 

The Infamous Starbucks Cup, Game Of Thrones

HBO's Game of Thrones was a sensation when it was on the air, even if the final season left something to be desired. But it also went viral for unique reasons, such as the GOT error where a Starbucks cup was visible in Westeros. Oops. 

Various Stand-Ins, Friends

Friends ran for a whopping ten seasons, which saw a ton of acclaim come to its star-studded cast. Scheduling was likely a bit of a puzzle at the height of its popularity, which is why fans have spotted several scenes where actors' stand-ins are visible. Hey, it was before we were filming in HD. 

The Demogorgon, Stranger Things

Stranger Things is arguably the most popular original show to come out of Netflix since its inception. But that doesn't mean it's perfect, especially related to the use of Dungeons & Dragons lore. Because in Season 1 while the cast references the Demogorgon and even has a figure for the creature, it actually wouldn't be available in the year 1983. Given how passionate D&D fans are, the folks at Netflix probably should have seen this coming. 

Maggie's Picture, The Simpsons

Even animated shows could have some goofs, and The Simpsons isn't excluded from this. During the Sixth Season episode "And Maggie Makes Three" we see Marge and Homer talk about her being pregnant with the titular baby. But despite her not being born yet, we can see a photo of Maggie on the wall. 

Bin Ladin Reference, Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is considered one of the best TV dramas ever, and continues to be a re-watchable show. But it's not without error, especially when it referenced Osama Bin Laden's 2011 death, despite it only being around 2007 in the show. 

Erica Hahn's Story, Grey's Anatomy

Throughout its long run on the air, we've seen plenty of characters come and go on Grey's Anatomy. But few characters got the shaft as bad as Brooke Smith's Erica Hahn aka one of the most iconic LGBTQ+ Grey's characters. Shortly after dating Callie and giving a gorgeous monologue about realizing she was gay, she was promptly written off the show in favor of Arizona Robbins. 

Rose's Education Level, The Golden Girls

The Golden Girls is one of the best sitcoms of all time, and has truly aged like fine wine. However, there were some discrepancies throughout its run, particularly when it comes to the education level of Betty White's Rose. In some episodes, she claims to be the valedictorian of her high school, while in others it's said she dropped out and instead got a GED. 

Josh's Age, Boy Meets World

Boy Meets World is an iconic piece of '90s culture, one that many millennial fans grew up on. But there were a few head-scratchers/mistakes in the comedy, especially related to the age of Cory's younger brother Josh. One season he's a baby, and then he mysteriously ages to about 5 years old without anyone acknowledging how.

Moms are strong by nature but TV's toughest moms rule their roost with high standards, great expectations and strong discipline. From sitcom staples like Roseanne Conner and Clair Huxtable to dramatic dames like Cersei Lannister and Cookie Lyon, these iron-fisted mamas don't get the credit they deserve when it comes to their strict and stern parenting styles. Here are 32 of our favorites. 

Roseanne Conner (Roseanne)

The fierce working-class "domestic goddess" at the center of the ABC sitcom Roseanne was always crazy-quick with a wisecrack and was never one to hold back an opinion. But though known for her loud, sarcastic and domineering nature, Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr) was always loving and protective towards her four kids, daughters Becky (Lecy Goranson and Sarah Chalke) and Darlene (Sara Gilbert), and sons D.J. (Michael Fishman) and Jerry (Cole and Morgan Roberts).

Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show)

Despite having to juggle raising five children, maintaining a household and continuing a successful law career, The Cosby Show's Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad) was always a vision of class and composure. While her husband Cliff was the more fun-loving and boisterous parent, Clair was the disciplinarian of the Huxtable residence and was assertive in teaching her kids about responsibility and respect. 

Peggy Bundy (Married... With Children)

With her refusal to cook, clean or cater to her boorish husband Al (Ed O'Neil), Peggy Bundy (Katey Sagal) from the beloved blue-collar comedy Married... with Children was TV's ultimate anti-housewife. Where other small-screen moms used their iron fist to ensure order and discipline, Peg unapologetically prioritized her own couch-sitting, Oprah-watching "Me Time" over traditional parenting and domestic work. But that doesn't mean she didn't regularly make time to voice her opinions about her lackluster hubby and kids Kelly (Christina Applegate) and Bud (David Faustino).

Wilma Flintstone (The Flintstones) 

When you're married to a literal caveman, it's no surprise that Wilma Flintstone had to be level-headed and strong-willed for the sake of her family. Throughout the classic cartoon series The Flintstones, the Stone Age mama was tender and caring to her hubby Fred and daughter Pebbles but was known to utilize a firm hand — and a frying pan — when things got a little too rambunctious in her household. 

Claire Dunphy (Modern Family)

Often regulated to being the strict mom opposite goofy dad Phil (Ty Burrell), Claire (Julie Bowen) is the hardworking and often anxiety-ridden head of the Dunphy household. In trying to wrangle her husband and three children — Haley (Sarah Hyland), Alex (Ariel Winter) and Luke (Nolan Gould) — The Modern Family matriarch can regularly be neurotic and controlling but every ounce of that effort clearly comes from a place of love. 

Jessica Huang (Fresh Off The Boat)

Just as her husband Louis (Randall Park) described her, Jessica Huang (Constance Wu) from the ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat is "aggressive yet elegant." No-nonsense, traditional and very competitive, she pushes both her spouse and their sons Eddie (Hudson Yang), Emery (Forrest Wheeler) and Evan (Ian Chen) to succeed in their careers and academics, respectively. For example, she's plenty pleased with Evan's future plans of becoming "doctor/president," but less so when Eddie reveals that he wants to go to culinary school instead of college.

Cersei Lannister (Game Of Thrones)

Like many things in her life, Cersei Lannister's (Lena Headey) relationship with her children throughout Game of Thrones was often fueled by her own pride and need for power. However, that doesn't mean that Cersei wouldn't kill for her kids — and she did. When it came to the safety of Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free) and Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman), she parented with a leonine fierceness, to the danger of her enemies. 

Florida Evans (Good Times)

First introduced as a feisty maid in Maude, strong-willed Chicago mother Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) is the heart and soul of the original Good Times. Despite considerable financial issues and a never-ending list of chores and responsibilities, Florida always kept her household in line, offering up stern but loving discipline and instilling valuable morals in her three children J.J. (Jimmy Walker) Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis), and Michael Evans (Ralph Carter). 

Lois Wilkerson (Malcolm In The Middle)

As the mother of five highly mischievous and unruly young boys, we really can't blame Malcolm in the Middle's Lois Wilkerson (Jane Kaczmarek) for being a touch stubborn, overbearing and hotheaded. Lois genuinely cares about her children, but her idea of discipline is jokingly dubbed "sadistic" by the boys: "Your punishment isn't over until that bathroom floor is so clean you'll be eating off it. Which is what you'll be doing for the next three weeks," she memorably punished son Reese in Season 6. 

Norma Bates (Bates Motel)

Now, we're certainly not suggesting that Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) had a healthy parenting style throughout the A&E horror drama Bates Motel, but she certainly was a devoted, if domineering, mother to Norman (Freddie Highmore). Norma can be clingy and critical of her son — and has especially harsh opinions about the girls Norman hangs out with — but she always does everything in her power to protect him. 

Emily Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)

It seems like the only people Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop) is more judgmental of than her own daughter Lorelai (Lauren Graham) — no picnic in the mom department, herself — are her maids, who she seemingly hired and fired every other episode of Gilmore Girls. The wealthy matriarch of the eponymous family is known for her high standards, snooty attitude and controlling nature: a textbook example is forcing Lorelai and granddaughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) to attend Friday night dinner at her home every week, no exceptions. 

Debra Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)

A classic example of a TV mom having to play the "bad cop" to a "fun dad" type is Debra Barone (Patricia Heaton) from Everybody Loves Raymond. While husband Ray (Ray Romano) often gets up to nearly as many hijinks as their kids Ally (Madylin Sweeten), Geoffrey and Michael (Sullivan and Sawyer Sweeten), Debra is all business. She's responsible, hardworking and not afraid to speak her mind — except, it seems, when it comes to her meddling mother-in-law Marie (Doris Roberts). 

Harriette Winslow (Family Matters)

The matriarch of the Winslow family (largely played by Jo Marie Payton but replaced with Judyann Elder in Family Matters' final season) knows order and discipline: she left the police force when she became pregnant with her eldest, Eddie (Darius McCrary). Raising three kids, Harriette is regularly the voice of reason in the Winslow household but is a sharp-tongued disciplinarian when she needs to be. 

Colleen Donaghy (30 Rock)

Portrayed by the legendarily brash Elaine Stritch, the mother of Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) always dishes out tough love when it comes to her son. With just one of her many characteristically biting quips (“Don’t talk to me like that Jack. I breastfed you for nine years!”) Colleen is able to instantly turn her slick, successful businessman of a son into a fearful little boy. 

Beverly Goldberg (The Goldbergs)

The Goldbergs' Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) puts the "mother" in "smother" — hugs are mandatory and she can often be found meddling in various areas of her kids' worlds, from school to sports to social life. But the snuggies-loving matriarch can be strict, tough and opinionated, not only when it comes to her children Erica (Hayley Orrantia), Barry (Troy Gentile) and Adam (Sean Giambrone) but also herself: "I have failed as a mother!" is the character's main catchphrase. 

Galina ‘Red’ Reznikov (Orange Is The New Black)

Yes, even prisoners need a mother figure and Litchfield Penitentiary has Red (Kate Mulgrew). Compassionate but very cunning — this is a woman who was in cahoots with the Russian Mafia, after all — she rules her block of the prison with a watchful eye, explicitly prohibiting her girls from partaking in drugs whilst running a well-oiled smuggling ring to get them the contraband goods they need. 

Vivian Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

Firstly, we're specifically talking about Aunt Viv as portrayed by Janet Hubert for the first half of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. (Daphne Maxwell Reid took over the role in season four after Hubert was dismissed from the show.) As no-nonsense as she was nurturing, Hubert's take on the character was more fiery than her successor, a strong, confident university professor who wasn't afraid to lay down a hard lesson to her three children, her students or her troublemaking nephew (Will Smith). 

Marge Simpson (The Simpsons)

Marge is the blue-haired, bee-hived moralistic center of the Simpsons family. With a fam that includes an oafish husband like Homer, a notorious prankster like Bart and an eternal infant like Maggie, The Simpsons matriarch has to run a tight ship to maintain order in her antics-filled household. She doesn't approve of the kids' violent video games or cartoons, has followed Bart's whereabouts through his cell phone and is always pushing her family to go to mass. As Homer says of his wife: "If it were up to [Marge], all we would ever do is work and go to church."

Violet Crawley (Downton Abbey)

Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham (played by Dame Maggie Smith), is not exactly known for being a cuddly grandmother sort. Instead, the stately Downton Abbey matriarch is defined by her dry wit, direct nature and deep investment in maintaining the family's traditions, honor and legacy. 

Barbara Howard (Abbott Elementary)

Barbara Howard (Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph) didn't just raise kids of her own at home — she's raised whole classrooms full of impressionable youngins as a kindergarten teacher at Willard R. Abbott Elementary School for the past two decades. Super old-school (no, she will not be learning that new teaching technology, thank you very much) and strictly religion, she's the kind of teacher who quiets rowdy classrooms the second she steps foot into them. 

Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights)

As both a mother to teen daughter Julie (Aimee Teegarden) and little Gracie Belle (Madilyn Landry) and a counselor at Dillon High School to countless students, Connie Britton's tough yet compassionate Tami Taylor regularly guided the youth with equal parts firmness and fairness. Through five seasons of Friday Night Lights, she was a sounding board and a calm authority, but always with a little bit of Southern sweetness sprinkled on top. 

Jill Taylor (Home Improvement)

The lion-hearted leading lady of the Taylor family, Jill (Patricia Richardson) raises her three sons Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and Mark (Taran Noah Smith) with a stern hand and Type-A attitude while also remaining lovingly perceptive and good-naturedly allowing for silly moments. However, you know that when she addresses her husband Tim (Tim Allen) or her sons by their full name, somebody is definitely in trouble. 

Cookie Lyon (Empire)

Talk about one tough cookie: Empire's queen bee Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson) tells it like it is, demands respect and doesn't tolerate nonsense in any aspect of her life, including when it comes to her children Andre (Trai Byers), Jamal (Jussie Smollett) and Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray). She can be extremely headstrong and brash, but she definitely has a caring and compassionate side and she always puts her family first. 

Sophia Petrillo (The Golden Girls)

Sarcasm and sass certainly seem to be genetic in the Petrillo household: both mom Sophia (Estelle Getty) and daughter Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) possess each personality trait in spades. As Dorothy's actual parent and the surrogate mother of her roommates Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) and Rose Nyland (Betty White), Sophia doles out wisecracks and criticisms often — about Dorothy’s lack of love life, Blanche’s promiscuity and Rose’s stupidity — but beneath all of her hilarious put-downs beats a lot of love. 

Nalini Vishwakumar (Never Have I Ever)

Never Have I Ever's Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) can be hard on her teen daughter Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) but her overly strict and at times overbearing nature stems from not only her traditional Indian upbringing but also her sheer love and concern for her child. (As fans no doubt remember, Nalini lost her husband to a heart attack before the start of the series, a trauma which sparked temporary paralysis in her daughter.) Sometimes it's hard for her to show tenderness, but her heart is always in the right place. 

Olivia Walton (The Waltons)

Yes, Olivia Walton (Michael Learned) is an exceedingly sweet and compassionate lady, but there's one area of her life in which she does not play around: her parenting. She prompts all seven of her children (John-Boy, Jason, Mary-Ellen, Ben, Erin Walton, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth) to have good manners and posture, requires them to read the Bible and never miss Sunday service, and will resort to scolding her children if they misbehave. 

Carmela Soprano (The Sopranos) 

Steely and steadfast, Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco) is like any good Italian-American mom: she's armed with a deep sense of obligation to her family, works hard to create a (somewhat) stable environment for daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and son A.J. (Robert Iler), and can make a mean lasagna. With her husband Tony (James Gandolfini) busy with Mafia business, Carmela does the lion's share of the parenting and when it comes to chastising her children, she's proven to be just as formidable as her spouse.

Thelma Harper (Mama’s Family)

Known simply as Mama, Thelma Harper (Vicki Lawrence) from the NBC sitcom Mama's Family headed her household with a sharp wit, an acid tongue and a quick temper. Bluntly outspoken and hilariously grumpy, the series version of the character was actually reportedly softer-edged than the original iteration conceived for The Carol Burnett Show. And despite Mama's frequent bickering and bad attitude, all of her cooking, cleaning and curmudgeonly care is clearly out of love.  

Gemma Teller Morrow (Sons Of Anarchy) 

A more hard-edged mama than her other famous TV mom character Peg Bundy, Katey Sagal's Gemma Teller Morrow is unapologetic about how protective she is of not only her son Jax (Charlie Hunnam) and grandchildren but also her surrogate family, the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. Equipped with equal parts savagery and vulnerability, she's adapted to her gritty environment and can be tough, competitive and manipulative in the lengths she'll go to to defend those she loves.

Penelope Alvarez (One Day At A Time)

Don't let her quirky, fun-loving demeanor fool you — as One Day at a Time's main madre Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado) is quick to remind you, she's a "total badass." As a single Cuban-American mother, a nurse practitioner and a former Staff Sergeant in the United States Army, "Lupe" has a strong work ethic and sense of discipline, which she makes sure to instill in her children Elena (Isabella Gomez) and Alex (Marcel Ruiz).

Evelyn Harper (Two And A Half Men)

Son Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) doesn't jokingly call her "the queen of darkness" for nothing. Yes, the wealthy and five-time-widowed Evelyn (played by Holland Taylor) can be quite cold, callous and critical when it comes to her sons Alan and Charlie (Charlie Sheen) and grandson Jake (Angus T. Jones). She majorly disapproves of Alan's failed marriages as well as Charlie's personal hobbies — granted, the latter is drinking, gambling and womanizing, so she might be onto something. 

Lynette Scavo (Desperate Housewives)

Having to deal with four demanding children (Porter, Preston, Parker and Penny) as a stay-at-home mom while her husband Tom (Doug Savant) is at the office every day, Lynette (Felicity Huffman) is understandably stressed much of the time, which tends to manifest itself as a neurotic and controlling nature. She also often tends to go over the top when it comes to disciplining her children — for example, she once ditched her kiddos on the side of the road to teach them about following orders. 

We've been experiencing a TV renaissance for years now, to the delight of superfans like myself who love watching my weekly stories. But even before the small screen became a place for A-listers, there were a number of iconic moments that stuck with fans. And this will be all about the single most memorable moment of 32 iconic TV shows.

Obviously not every beloved TV title can be on this list, so apologies in advance if your favorite isn't included. The small screen is simply an embarrassment of riches in this regard, especially once you factor in streaming shows that have arrived in recent years. In no particular order, here are the biggest moments from 32 beloved shows. But be warned: a major SPOILER ALERT is needed, as some of these episodes feature big plot twists and/or character deaths. You've been warned!

The Red Wedding, Game of Thrones

During its run on HBO, Game of Thrones was jam-packed with wild, violent, and truly memorable sequences. And while fans are still debating the final season, perhaps the most iconic scene occurred during the Season 3 episode "The Rains of Castamere". This is the infamous Red Wedding, where Walder Frey betrays the Starks, resulting in the brutal deaths of Robb, Catelyn, and Talisa (as well as her unborn baby).

Nomi's Wedding, Sense8

When Netflix was rolling out expensive and ambitious new content early into its run, The Wachowskis helmed the sci-fi series Sense8. The show followed eight strangers who were connected psychically and was canceled after two seasons, but fan campaigns resulted in a Sense8 finale movie being produced. After beating the bad guys, the show ends with Nomi and Amanita's wedding on the Eiffel Tower, followed by one last, wild, party.

Fonzie Jumps The Shark, Happy Days

The beloved sitcom series Happy Days is known for bringing the phrase "jumping the shark" into the pop culture lexicon. This originates from a Season 5 episode of the classic series, where Henry Winler's Fonzie jumps over a live shark while on waterskis. Say what you want about this plot point, but it's remained the most lasting and iconic plot line from the show's tenure on the air.

"Pick Me, Choose Me, Love Me", Grey's Anatomy

During its long tenure on the air, Grey's Anatomy had a number of iconic love stories. But the biggest has always been Meredith and Derek. Fans waited a long time for them to be together, and one of the show's most iconic moments is when she pleads for McDreamy to "pick me" instead of his wife Addison.

Rory's Graduation Speech, Gilmore Girls

When Gilmore Girls began its run on TV, it followed as Alexis Bledel's Rory struggled to adjust to life at her new fancy school, Chilton. Eventually, she becomes a leader in the school and delivers a graduation speech in Season 3. Not only did it make characters like Lorelai and Sookie cry, but it's one of the most iconic scenes of the entire show, where she pays tribute to all that her mother has given her.

Negan Kills Glenn And Abraham, The Walking Dead

For fans who watched The Walking Dead at the height of its popularity, there's life before Negan and after Negan. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's villain made a horrifying splash when he entered the scene, brutally killing fan favorites Abraham and Glenn with his bat Lucille. Some folks thought that killing was too much for the brutal apocalyptic drama.

The Plane Crash, Lost

Lost's pilot episode started a new must-see television show, with the sci-fi series instantly becoming water cooler talk. While some folks stopped watching as it ran, the first (wildly expensive) episode remains the most iconic, thanks to the thrilling plane crash sequences.

Tyra Banks Screams At Tiffany, America's Next Top Model

There are a handful of reality TV show moments on this list because of their impact on pop culture. America's Next Top Model might not be considered one of the best reality shows of all time, but it left its mark. Particularly the episode where host Tyra Banks screamed at one of the contestants after her elimination.

The Gift, Buffy The Vampire Slayer 

The first five seasons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer aired on the WB, before it eventually changed networks to UPN for the final two entries. Season 5 went out with a serious bang, with Buffy dying after sacrificing herself to save Dawn and the world. After wondering for half the season, we finally understood that death was her gift.

The Movements, The OA

The OA was an ambitious series that ran on Netflix for two seasons and was canceled far too soon. In the Season 1 finale, the group of teenagers (plus Phyllis Smith's BBA) decide to use the reality-traveling movements to distract a school shooter, saving the day in the process. It's a moment we waited all season for, and is an emotional and epic sequence.

The Lake House Fight, Girls

HBO's Award-winning comedy series Girls was a huge hit when it was on the air, and has been getting a lot of positive attention in the years since it wrapped. One of the best episodes of all time is Season 3's "The Lake House", where the four titular girls drink, dance and have an epic argument that shows just how messed up their friendships truly are.

Dexter Finds Rita's Dead Body, Dexter

Dexter was hugely popular during its original run on Showtime, and many consider Season 4 to be its strongest chapter. While Michael C. Hall's character eventually manages to murder the Trinity killer, he doesn't realize that the villain has already murdered his wife Rita. This represented a huge switch for the series and showed the consequences of Dexter's dark passenger.

The Final Scene, The Sopranos

The Sopranos' ending is one that has lived in infamy since it aired back in 2007. With an all-out mob war looming, fans expected Tony and the rest of the crew to go out with a bang. Instead, the finale famously cut to black during the final sequence, with audiences thinking their cable broke when it originally aired.

I Am The One Who Knocks, Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad was a delightful slow burn, with audiences following as Bryan Cranston's Walter White goes from chemistry teacher to bonafide drug lord. Things got more and more dangerous for Walt and his family throughout the show's run, to the dismay of his wife Skyler. When she finally confronts him in Season 4, he gives a truly iconic speech where he claims that he isn't waiting for someone dangerous to knock on the door because "I am the one who knocks."

The Final Sequence, Six Feet Under

Six Feet Under goes in the long list of quality shows to come from HBO. But it stands out as having arguably the best series finale of all time, where the audience is shown how the characters live and (more importantly) die. Set to the tune of Sia's "Breathe Me", try to get through that final sequence without crying.

The Departure, The Leftovers

The Leftovers was a thrilling drama with a super fascinating concept: on October 14th, 2% of the world's population suddenly vanished. While the show follows the fallout of that event, the pilot episode opened on The Departure, with a mother desperately searching for her baby after he disappeared.

Jessie's Song, Saved By The Bell

During its run in the late '80s and early '90s, Saved By The Bell was a favorite show among young people. While it was largely a comedy, certain episodes got more serious. Case in point: the episode "Jessie's Song", where Elizabeth Berkley's character becomes addicted to caffeine pills.

Fiona confronts Monica, Shameless

The US version of Shameless had a super long run on Showtime, ending after a whopping 11 seasons on the air. But it was best during its early years, and perhaps the most iconic moment came back in Season 1. When Monica returns to the Gallagher family and tries to take Liam away with her, Emmy Rossum's Fiona reaches her breaking point and confronts her over years of neglect.

Ross Says The Wrong Name, Friends

Throughout all of Friends' decade-long run on the air, the biggest question was whether or not Rachel and Ross would end up together. They had plenty of starts and stops (they were on a break!) but perhaps the most dramatic part of this saga came during Ross' wedding to Emily. In the middle of his vows, he accidentally refers to Emily as Rachel, ending his marriage before it even began.

The Hallway Fight, Daredevil 

While Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock is taking center stage in the MCU with Daredevil: Born Again, his tenure as the hero began with the Netflix Daredevil show. The series was gritty and featured dizzying fight choreography, with the most iconic being the long hallway fight, which was a thrilling one.

The Family Portrait, Modern Family

The Emmy-winning comedy Modern Family had a long life on the air, with the audience watching as the child actors grew up before their eyes. Season 1 was especially great, and the first finale "Family Portrait" is the show at its best. After stressing to try and pose for the perfect picture, the mixed family ends up throwing mud on each other and letting it all go in a heartwarming story.

Don Draper's Happy Ending, Mad Men

While it had a wildly successful run on AMC, arguably the most iconic moment from Mad Men came from its series finale. Fans have long debated the meaning behind the final shot, where Don Draper is seen happy and meditating, seemingly leaving the advertising world behind him. Although Jon Hamm's interpretation of the ending offers another, less hopeful perspective.

Pam And Jim's First Kiss, The Office

The Office had plenty of long love stories, with fans rooting for the staff of Dunder Mifflin. Jim and Pam's is the biggest example of this, and fans had to wait years for them to finally get together. In Season 2 the pair finally share their first kiss, although they didn't end up together just yet.

Teresa's Table Flip, The Real Housewives of New Jersey

The Real Housewives franchise is a huge behemoth at this point, but in the beginning, there were just a handful of cities. Chief among them was The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which entered the pop culture zeitgeist forever when OG Teresa Giudice flipped a table during a heated argument with Danielle Staub in the Season 1 finale.

Sue Hawk's Speech, Survivor

The first season of Survivor changed the TV world forever, and the show is still running to this day. Perhaps the most memorable moment from that prolific first chapter was Sue Hawk's scathing speech about snakes and rats, where he let out her rage about runner-up Kelly Wiglesworth.

Poussey's Death, Orange Is The New Black

Orange is the New Black was one of the first original Netflix shows, and it remained wildly popular until it ended. Fans know that the show was forever changed when Poussey was tragically killed in Season 4, inspiring a prison-wide riot that would take up all of Season 5.

Nina Kills Teri, 24

24 became a wild sensation when it started airing on Fox, with an entire season of action taking place in just one day. The Season 1 finale offered one more gut punch for audiences, when Jack finds the body of his wife Teri, realizing that she was killed by his former friend and colleague Nina.

Diane And Sam Breakup For Good, Cheers

Diane and Sam were the will they/won't they couple in the comedy Cheers, and fans all had their own opinions about them. In the series finale, we finally get some closure, and the pair realizes they shouldn't be together after all.

Nancy Burn Her House Down, Weeds

When Weeds started airing on Showtime, it was about a single mother who resorts to selling drugs to her suburban neighborhood. In Season 3 she burns down her house to avoid being caught, and the show was never the same after.

Kurt Dances To 'Single Ladies', Glee

Season 1 of Glee hit the world by storm, thanks to its colorful cast of characters and non-stop stream of hit songs. The first season was a huge deal, and there are perhaps no more iconic episodes when Kurt dances to Beyonce's "Single Ladies", and has to try and keep his identity from his father.

'Let's Go To The Mall', How I Met Your Mother

During the How I Met Your Mother episode "Slap Bet" the group of friends (and the audience) are introduced to Robin's teen pop culture persona Robin Sparkles. The song "Let's Go To The Mall" is a hilarious spoof on '80s stars like Tiffany, and is arguably the most iconic moment of the comedy series' run on TV.

Eleanor Realizes The Truth, The Good Place

The Good Place ran for four seasons on NBC, offering a hilarious and complex story. Season 1 was arguably its best, and the most memorable moment came when Kristen Bell's Eleanor realizes that they've been in the Bad Place all along.

From the best sitcoms that are perfect for a comfort watch to intense dramas that you rewatch in an effort to dissect a juicy story even more, there’s something incredible about returning to a great show. It’s a pastime many enjoy, however, the choices of what to watch seem endless. With that in mind, here are some of the most rewatchable television shows. 

Parks And Recreation 

If you are like me, you’ve seen the best episodes of Parks and Recreation – like “Flu Season,” for example – so many times you can recite the majority of said episodes from memory. OK, maybe that’s an over-exaggeration, however, it highlights just how good and rewatchable this workplace mockumentary is. Led by Amy Poehler, the Parks and Rec cast was always firing on all cylinders, cracking viewers up with hilarious one-liners, fantastic inside jokes (like Treat Yo’ Self) and a heartfelt story about a dysfunctional parks department. 

The Office

From deeply funny office shenanigans to heartfelt relationships like Pam and Jim’s The Office captured folks’ hearts from 2005 to 2013, and it’s continued to in the years since. To this day, this workplace mockumentary is a favorite among many, and it’s a zeitgeist staple as viewers continue to watch it on repeat, quote it constantly and use iconic memes that have surfaced because of it. As it gets older, it just feels like The Office gets stronger, because not only is it finding new audiences all the time, but it’s also infinitely rewatchable. 

New Girl

While workplace comedies are great, there's nothing quite like simply hanging out with friends, and that’s what New Girl is. Filled with a cast of quirky characters, New Girl follows Jess (Zooey Deschanel) as she moves in with three random guys, and what ensues is a hilarious and lovably chaotic story about found family. It’s because of silly inside jokes and bits, like True American, deeply complex and romantic storylines like Nick and Jess’s and the adorable friendship that’s formed between these roommates that makes this Fox comedy something folks always return to. 

The Good Place

The Good Place is one of those projects that you’ll have a different experience with every time you view it. The first time, you’re simply trying to figure out what in the afterlife is going on, and once you have the epiphany with Kristen Bell’s Eleanor and yell “Holy mother-forking shirtballs” your entire perspective on the show changes. However, it’s not just the plot twists that make this philosophical comedy rewatchable; its cast, led by Bell and Ted Danson, is beyond lovable and hilarious, and The Good Place’s heart is so big, all you’ll want to do is spend more time in this afterlife. 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Led by Saturday Night Live legend Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a delightful comedy all about a group of detectives working together in New York City. While whodunnits and crimes of the week are involved, what makes this show rewatchable is Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s silly cast of characters who are played by incredible comedic actors like Samberg, Andre Braugher, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews and so many more. 

Gilmore Girls

These days, Gilmore Girls is considered the perfect autumnal comfort show, and many go back to it over and over again because of its cozy vibes. On top of the lovely energy that radiates out of Stars Hallow, the Gilmore Girls cast is also staked with an incredible crew of regulars and a revolving door of iconic recurring characters. Plus, how could you not want to rewatch the love story of Luke and Lorelai, Rory’s messy romantic drama with Dean, Jess and Logan as well as the incredible tale of a mother and daughter that lies at the heart of this beloved show? 

Gossip Girl

You know, sometimes you just need a good drama that will make you want to scream at the TV, and Gossip Girl is just that. The 2000s CW drama was a teen staple back in the day as it followed a group of high schoolers whose lives were always on blast because of the titular gossip site. It was praised and criticized at the time for how scandalous it was, and to this day people come back to Gossip Girl for the relationships, fashion, characters and, of course, the gossip, because as the titular writer says, “you know you love me…”

Arrested Development

Dysfunctional comedy is always fun, however, it’s hard to think of a show that does it better than Arrested Development. Of course, the series is rewatchable for its hilarious storylines and quippy dialogue, however, it’s the incredible ensemble that really makes it, as actors like Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat and more brought the funny all the time.  

Futurama

While it’s been canceled, renewed and moved networks numerous times, Futurama remains one of the most rewatchable shows, and that’s why these attempted cancellations and moves haven’t sent it to its ultimate end yet. The animated series has been around since 1999, and for over two decades, it has been a fun animated comfort show that many have turned to when they need a good laugh and some fun sci-fi. 

Friends

Whether you tuned in live during the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, caught chunks of episodes on Nick at Night when it was in syndication or streamed all ten seasons on Netflix (back in the day) or Max (now), Friends has been a seminal show for many. Watching the shenanigans of Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe and Monica was not only hilarious but relatable. It’s simply a show about six friends living their lives, and I think it's that relatability mixed with an incredibly special cast that has kept people coming back to it for decades. 

Breaking Bad

The story of Walter White almost feels like a legend now. Widely considered one of the best television shows of all time, Breaking Bad tells the story of a down-on-his-luck man who turns into a drug lord. Led by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, this series made an unforgettable mark on television history when it was released in 2008, and it’s something worth studying and watching over and over again. 

Bob’s Burgers

Can I apply a few personal anecdotes here? When I was in high school, I had a friend who would watch Bob’s Burgers every night before going to bed. As an adult, I have another friend who just completed another rewatch of the series. So many adore this wonderful animated series about a family who owns a burger joint, and it is so easy to rewatch and fall in love with. So, it rightfully deserves a place on this list. 

Dexter

The world loves an anti-hero, and it doesn’t get much better than Dexter. The series follows a blood splatter expert, played by Michael C. Hall, however, the thing is, he’s also a serial killer. Going on this journey with the titular character, and getting into his mind to figure out why he goes about life in the way he does is fascinating. It’s also one of many reasons why people keep coming back to Dexter. 

Fleabag

If you need a short, sweet and perfect two seasons of television, Fleabag is the show for you. The series was created by and stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and it follows her titular character as she goes about life in London while handling grief. On top of that, Season 2 introduces Andrew Scott’s Priest – a.k.a. The Hot Priest, as the internet likes to call him – and the incredible love story between him and Fleabag. 

Scrubs

Bill Lawrence has made a lot of terrific shows, however, Scrubs is his classic. The series, starring Zach Braff, is a fun workplace comedy about a hospital, and its irresistible ensemble and heartfelt friendships are what keep many coming back to it. 

Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso started out as an ad for NBC Sports, and then by some miracle it turned into one of the best comedies in recent memory. The titular coach of AFC Richmond is played by the mastermind behind the show, Jason Sudeikis. And he and his creative team brought together Ted Lasso’s epic cast that made names like Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Phil Dunster those of the household variety.

Overall, this show about an American football coach in the UK coaching soccer (I know, I know...it’s actually football) is heartfelt and thoughtful, and it’ll have you smiling from ear to ear from beginning to end. You know what they say, “We’re Richmond ‘til we die!”

The X-Files

What makes a supernatural case of the week show even better? Having David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson lead it as the beloved crime-solving duo of Mulder and Scully. 

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Vampires, action, romance and high school drama. Honestly, this show has everything. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a seminal early 2000s teen drama about Sarah Michelle Gellar’s titular vampire slayer, and it was impossible not to fall in love with her and her friends. 

The West Wing

If you are in need of a fast-talking, snappy and fun drama, The West Wing is your show. It follows Martin Sheen’s President Bartlet and his incredible staff who are played by fantastic actors like Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff and Rob Lowe. From the mind of Aaron Sorkin, this show all about what it’s like to be the president is a quippy yet thoughtful series about running a country and it’s irresistible and infinitely rewatchable. 

Yellowstone

Between the deep family story at the center of this show and the intense moments in Yellowstone, this modern Western was born to rewatch. It’s filled to the brim with compelling stories about the Dutton family that will have you hitting the next episode button immediately. While the show’s primary conflict has always been the same – they’re always battling to save their ranch – the new threats and long-lasting deep relationships are what make it so great.  

Seinfeld

Seinfeld is famously “a show about nothing,” and that might be the primary reason why it’s so easy to view over and over again. The series, starring Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards, works because of these four and their chemistry, and watching them simply live life and make jokes is something so many can do over and over again.

Sherlock

It’s elementary my dear Watson, the Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman-led Sherlock is a fantastic modern adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work, and with each viewing new details emerge that make it even better. The series was comprised of 15 episodes across four seasons, and each mystery Sherlock and Watson solved was dense with detail and intrigue.

There’s a reason the story of the great detective keeps getting told, and you’ll understand why when you realize that you can watch Sherlock over and over again. 

Supernatural

I realize 15 seasons – or 327 episodes – is overwhelming, however, it also proves just how beloved Supernatural is. The series about Jared Padalecki’s Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles’ Dean Winchester is beloved by many, and watching the two of them fight off evil over and over again is something so many fans can do on repeat, as proven by its 15 seasons. 

That ‘70s Show

That ‘70s Show is all about a group of teens growing up in the suburbs of Wisconsin who all gather in a basement to hang out. It’s a simple and relatable concept, and between that and its stellar ensemble, it’s no wonder everyone loves to say “Hello Wisconsin!” more than once. 

Psych

A silly case-of-the-week show about a guy who is pretending to be a psychic is obviously made for comfort viewing, and fans have been doing just that since 2006. 

Avatar: The Last Airbender

No matter what age you are, it’s always a good time to watch Avatar: The Last Airbender. As someone who watched the show for the first time in elementary school, and has seen it many times since, I can attest to this. Seeing Aang master the elements and work to defeat the Fire Lord and his evil plan is a masterful work of animation that is action-packed, deep, silly and heartfelt. 

Its handling of hard themes like prejudice and colonization are poignant and accessible, and its morals about love and acceptance are something everyone needs. So, yeah, this is 100% a show you should see multiple times throughout your life. 

Schitt’s Creek

How can you not want to watch David and Alexis bicker, Johnny aimlessly try to wrangle his family and Moira be Moira over and over again? The beloved comedy from Dan and Eugene Levy about a rich family who loses their money and has to move to a small town is quirky and unique while also fitting right in with the best comedies. Also, how can you not rewatch it simply to try and nail Moira’s ambiguous accent?

Community

Between the silly classes, paintball battles and Troy and Abed’s end credits, Community is a quirky comedy that’s one for the ages. It’s so fun to go back and remember all the silly inside jokes and ridiculous moments that happened at Greendale Community College. 

Cheers

Sometimes, you just want to go where everybody knows your name. Need I say more? No. But I will, because returning to that bar to see Sam, Carla, Cliff, Norm, Frasier, Woody and more is always a wonderful time. 

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

This fast-talking period piece about a woman making her way in the world as a stand-up comedian in the 1950s is a wonderful romp. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, this series has the quick-witted silliness Gilmore Girls has, and it’s chock full of incredible and high-octane performances from Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, Tony Shalhoub and more. 

The Simpsons

Talk about an all-time classic. The Simpsons has been around since 1989, and it’s still going strong. The animated comedy is so easy to watch, and the characters – like Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa – are so iconic that this show is one that fans want to come back to over and over again. 

Grey’s Anatomy

Medical drama, romance, McDreamy; Grey’s Anatomy has it all. Between its heart-pounding medical cases and simultaneously heartwarming and heartwrenching romance, it’s easy to understand why this show has been on for over two decades and why folks keep coming back to see what’s going on at Grey Sloan Memorial. 

What all these shows have in common is they’re all deeply loved by their fans, which is why they keep returning to them time and time again. 

Team Dean. Team Jess. Team Logan. Instead of a love triangle, Gilmore Girls was always significant because it followed the coming of age of Rory Gilmore and the young men she let into her life and heart along the way. Fans all have their picks for favorite boyfriend, and I’ve been working on the Internet long enough to know there’s a lot of team Jess with a little team Dean thrown in. But I’ve always been a Logan girlie, and when Kelly Bishop recently shared her pick for the best of Rory’s boyfriends, I may have let out a little whoop!

Listen, Kelly Bishop played Emily Gilmore, aka Rory’s grandmother and Lorelei’s mother on the hit drama. She reprised her role when A Year In The Life hit Netflix. She recently appeared at a Gallery Books event where an interviewer asked her about each of Rory’s boyfriends. You can see the fun TikTok below.

When asked about which of Rory’s boyfriends she preferred, Ms. Bishop candidly admitted she’s always been “Team Logan,” the young man played by later Good Wife and The Resident star Matt Czuchry. Though, to be fair, she did like the other two of Rory’s mainstays, played by Jared Padalecki and Milo Ventimiglia.

Really, Rory didn’t have a bad beau in the mix, at least when it came to choosing actors who would have relevance for a really long time. As noted prior, Czuchry has worked steadily on network TV since Gilmore Girls aired, and also had a really relevant role in A Year in the Life. Jared Padalecki’s the same situation. He parlayed Gilmore Girls into Supernatural and Supernatural into the only recently canceled Walker. Finally, Milo Ventimiglia had a tough time in Hollywood after starring in Heroes, but had a fantastic run on This is Us. He most recently led The Company You Keep and has said he's open to more Gilmore Girls down the line.

Over the course of the history of Gilmore Girls, Logan has been villainized quite a bit by quite a few fans. In fact, Matt Czuchry used to get randomly insulted by fans in public. He’s the rich kid Rory dates, unlike the other two, and early on in their relationship he was maybe not so concerned about being a good boyfriend. Fans think he’s “rude” and “classist.”

But I’ve defended Logan, and I’ll do it again here. Logan isn’t burdened by personal problems. Jess acts out because he’s going through stuff and Alexis Bledel once even called him "a shock to her system." Meanwhile, once Logan chooses to devote himself to Rory, he’s a good boyfriend and he put his focus on their relationship, particularly during the early run of the series. One other thing I like is he also gives Rory no-nonsense advice.

When asked if Logan was a “bad boyfriend” a few years ago, Matt Czuchry had a diplomatic answer that simultaneously called out Logan for not being perfect but also mentioned the other two of Rory’s boyfriends had strengths and weaknesses as well. Jess couldn’t really be there for Rory and was sometimes a straight up bad boyfriend. Dean was married later in the series and behaved, imo, very badly. Meanwhile, a lot of people might not love Logan as a person, but objectively I still think he was the best boyfriend Rory had.

Kelly Bishop's answer seemingly had more to do with working with Matt Czuchry as a person, or at least had to do with the type of character he inhabited than whether or not Logan was a "good boyfriend." Still, I gotta say it feels pretty nice to have a Gilmore Girls OG in my corner, particularly given my friends have all taken shots at me for not being Team Jess over the years.

So here’s the thing – I may not be the biggest lover of rom-coms, as most tend to be pretty cheesy. But there are some men out there from both movies and TV that I have fallen for – many of which have completely ruined me for real life and have set my standards way too high. And while I’ve been in a committed relationship for several years now, there are just some fictional guys that do it for me – so today, we’ll be going over the top ones. 

Chandler Bing (Friends)

I know that out of everyone in the Friends cast, people talk about Joey being the cutest or however you want to play it, but for me, it’s always been Chandler. I don’t think there’s ever been a better interpretation of best friends to lovers than him with Monica, and I swear to God, he loves her so much. In today’s world, it’s rare to find someone as loving as Chandler Bing. 

Graham Simpkins (The Holiday)

Because who isn’t attracted to Jude Law? But on a real note, Graham Simpkins in The Holiday is probably a clear example of a great movie boyfriend. He’s straightforward with his feelings, is sweet, and somehow still looks good even when he’s pouring his entire heart out. Every time I see him on my TV screen, I know it’s Christmas time again. 

Kevin (Shameless)

Shameless is hands-down one of the best Showtime shows, but you want to know how it’s one of the best characters. Kev, and how he absolutely adores Veronica. This man will go with whatever his wife says or wants and do anything to make her happy, even if it’s totally out there and nonsensical, but he has a good heart – and that’s all that really matters in the end, if we’re being honest. 

Ian Miller (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

Any man—and I mean any man—who is not from a Greek Orthodox family but is willing to learn all the traditions and rules that it entails while throwing themselves into a huge and intense family is a man worth loving. Trust me—as someone who is dating a Greek Orthodox person, this movie is the most clear-cut example of what it’s like—and how loving Ian Miller truly is. 

Gomez (The Addams Family)

Any portrayal of Gomez, whether it be older versions or Luis Guzmán from the Wednesday cast, sets our standards so high. There is no other man in movies and TV who loves his wife more than Gomez loves Morticia. That’s the kind of love that we take to the grave – and it’s something that they clearly intend to do as well. 

Troy Bolton (High School Musical Franchise)

Okay, so maybe this is little me who absolutely adored Troy Bolton and the High School Musical movies, but Troy really was the perfect teen boyfriend. While he certainly had his moments of selfishness (as all teenagers do), he cared for both his friends and, of course, Gabriella, trying to figure out how he could work things out while making everyone happy. That’s dedication. 

Flynn Rider (Tangled)

Oh, Flynn. I swear to God, this man was the love of my life when I was about twelve years old and pretty much set me up for the type of men I would have crushes on in movies and TV. He literally sacrificed his life to cut off Rapunzel's hair so she could be free from Mother Goethel. That is love right there. 

Jesse (Full House)

Every girl at some point in their lives had a crush on Jesse from Full House. I mean, if we’re being honest, the entire Full House cast was good-looking, and all had their fair share of good traits, but Jesse was just another level of dreamboat man – and John Stamos plays him. You can’t get much better than that. 

Augustus Waters (The Fault In Our Stars)

You know how every girl always has that one character that absolutely shatters their soul at a young age? Yeah, Augustus Waters was mine. When I saw The Fault in Our Stars in the theater at the ripe age of fourteen years old, I was beside myself with this teenager and how lovely he was and I was devastated by the end. He was the epitome of mindfulness and listening to what the other person wanted. 

Prince Philip (Sleeping Beauty)

He literally slayed a dragon for Aurora. He got off his horse and took on a whole mythical beast. You can’t raise your standards higher than that. Honestly, he’s underrated when it comes to Disney princes. 

Charlie (The Perks Of Being A Wallflower)

To this day, I don’t think I have ever met a more sensitive soul than Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He’s not precisely the hunky type, obviously, but there’s something about Charlie’s sensitivity and how much he truly cares about others that makes me want someone just like him, and I could only imagine how those feelings would adapt as he grew older. 

Kristoff (Frozen)

While we all anxiously wait for more Frozen movies, let’s be honest here and say that Kristoff is actually one of the best Disney princes because he’s real. He doesn’t hide behind fancy suits and high titles. He’s an ordinary man who loves his reindeer and his trade, and he clearly loves Anna. Sometimes, that is literally all you need. 

Matt Flamhaff (13 Going On 30)

As someone who had an unhealthy obsession with this movie and the 13 Going On 30 cast, Matt Flamhaff was the movie's boyfriend for a long time. He’s loyal and sweet and tells it like it is, even when he and Jenna haven’t been in contact for years in the film. I really, really love it. 

Simon Bassett (Bridgerton)

When Bridgerton was first released back in 2020, it seemed that everyone was focused on Simon Bassett, and while the character hasn’t been in the show since the first season, he is undoubtedly still highly handsome and was able to beat his trauma in order to be with the women he loved and give her the child she desperately wanted. They’re both not perfect, but I think they work well for each other, and she helped him become a better version of himself. 

Noah Calhoun (The Notebook)

Noah from The Notebook is the definition of a man who waits. Who waits for just that single chance to be with the person he wants and craves more than anything in this world. There’s a reason why people love Noah and cry every time they watch this movie. He’s just that romantic, even if he comes from nothing. It just goes to show that love has no boundaries. 

Jake Perry (Sweet Home Alabama)

Oh, there is nothing like little kids meeting, falling in love, falling out, and then coming back together. Jake Perry is that and more. While he’s almost as stubborn as Melanie, he knows how to keep up with her like no one else and still loves her just as much to this day. I just get all warm and tingly inside when I watch this film. 

Nick Young (Crazy Rich Asians)

Nick is just uncomplicated. He’s uncomplicated and a good guy who happens to have a boatload of money and loves his girlfriend even more than his family. Do you know how many men are portrayed as being emotionally closed off but have fortunes? So many. So many. But Nick is just good – and that’s really what matters if we’re being honest. 

Edward Lewis (Pretty Woman)

Oh, Edward. Pretty Woman was one of those films that I ended up watching as a teenager, and it became a comfort film. It’s certainly one of Julia Roberts’ best rom-coms, but Edward, in general, is the definition of “I Can Change Him.” A man with money and emotionally closed off but learns how to appreciate life and open himself up to someone new – like, come on. Plus, Richard Gere is always a win. 

Jack Dawson (Titanic)

Good god, Jack Dawson was every teenage girl’s dream back in the 1990s. I mean, I wasn't even born yet when Titanic was released, but I can see the appeal even now. Even if he comes from nothing, he has a good soul, is quippy and handsome, and has an appeal for breaking the rules and having fun. He’s like a good, bad boy, if that makes sense.

Nick (New Girl)

Okay, I want to preface this by saying that I mean Nick from later seasons of New Girl. I think he had some serious growing up to do for a bit, but once he started to date Jess and especially when they ended up getting back together later down the line, he really turned into a great boyfriend, a good listener, and he’s just funny. Sometimes, all you need is a jokester. 

Mr. Darcy (Pride And Prejudice)

Mr. Darcy was the pride of my entire generation. I can’t tell you how many people are so focused on this man, how just his movements and how he shows his love are everything. This film is the epitome of an enemies-to-lovers movie, and yes, I eat it up every single time, no matter what. 

Westley (The Princess Bride)

What makes Westley such a great pick from The Princess Bride is that he knows when to listen. He knows when to take charge and save the people he cares about, but he also knows when to back off and listen to those around him. He’s brave but not stubborn, and so many men are the complete opposite in films. We need more of him, and I will stand on that hill.

Luke (Gilmore Girls)

I think Luke is another example of the type of man that we all fall for at least once in television shows. And what makes him such a great pick is that he waited. He waited for eight years so that that woman he loved would be ready for him, and that isn’t just the most romantic thing you have ever heard. I mean, he even kept a picture of her in his wallet, for crying out loud. 

William Thacker (Notting Hill)