Most Iconic TV Couples

Of all of these iconic couples, the only one that could get me happy and sad and frustrated and so glad that they finally got together was Daphne and Niles.

Carol and Mike

“The Brady Bunch” aired from 1969 to 1974 and became a TV classic. How this couple made it all work I’ll never know. Mike Brady (Robert Reed) was a widower with three sons and then met, fell in love, and married Carol (Florence Henderson), a woman who had three daughters. It worked for them, and I say it could only be done on a TV show; even the daughters and the sons were of the same age from youngest to oldest. All through the years the one thing that Carol and Mike knew was that they were in love through thick and thin.

Carrie and Mr. Big

Who could ever forget the adventures of the four best friends Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) on “Sex and the City”? These girls became a household word, and their adventure could be watched over and over again. Mr. Big (Chris Noth) met Carrie, and it appeared magic from the very start. The only problem was that Mr. Big had a fear of making a commitment. Before he could say yes to Carrie, he went through a second marriage to a much younger woman, while Carrie nearly destroyed her boyfriend Aiden (John Corbett) by having an affair with Mr. Big while he was still married. No one was sure how it was all going to end and how many bodies would fall beside the wayside, and we were sort of left hanging at the end of this series. Then came the first Sex and the City movie, and Carrie and Mr. Big, after some missteps, got married at the end of the film.

Diane and Sam

Who could ever forget the beloved and mismatched pair from one of the most favorite series of all time, “Cheers”? Diane (Shelley Long) and Sam (Ted Danson) were a pair that you just knew would not last, but they were fun to watch. Sam and Diane became a walking example of opposites attracting; the polar opposite to her level-headedness, the ex-pitcher-turned-bartender frequently frustrated the intellectual—but their chemistry and attraction were undeniable. Everyone thought it was all over for this couple when Diane left for other pastures and Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) arrived at the bar. However, when all was said and done, Diane returned for the series finale, the two reconciled and got engaged again, and they planned to move to Los Angeles together.  When their flight was delayed, Sam and Diane decided to end their relationship once and for all.

Daphne and Niles

The show “Frasier” aired from 1993 to 2004 and followed the romance of Daphne (Jane Leeves) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce). When they first met, Daphne had been recently hired by Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) as the in-home health care worker for his father, Martin (John Mahoney), and Niles was still married to his cold, eccentric wife, Maris.  The many ups and downs they had were mostly through Niles’ longing for Daphne and Daphne not really being aware of this. Then Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) spilled the beans to Daphne that Niles was in love with her. The couple finally got together, with Daphne leaving her groom at the altar, getting married, and having a child together.

Louise and George

This pair of marrieds are from “The Jeffersons” TV show that aired from 1975 to 1985. The show was a spin-off of the popular sitcom “All in the Family,” where Louise and George live next door to the Bunkers until George becomes successful in the dry cleaning business and they move to a luxury high-rise apartment in Manhattan. Their show was the first TV series to depict an interracial couple. I have no idea how Louise managed to handle hot-headed George, but since he really did love her, they managed to make it work.

Lucy and Ricky

They were a mismatched pair but loved by all who watched the TV show “I Love Lucy.” The couple was played by real-life husband Desi Arnaz and his wife, Lucille Ball. They were married for 20 years. On screen their life in an apartment in NYC could be seen on the show from 1951 to 1957. Throughout the run of the show, Lucy would come up with troublemaking schemes that usually revolved around her desire to make it in show business. However, Ricky would put a stop to her schemes because he was against his wife going into show business and wanted her to remain a loving housewife. They remained a couple very much in love and had a son called Little Ricky after his father.

Rachel and Ross

The TV show “Friends” was aired from 1994 to 2004. Ir featured Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). Right from the very start it was apparent Ross’s high school crush on Rachel had never gone away. Finally, after all the ups and downs, Ross chooses to move on and begins dating someone else. It is at this time that Rachel acknowledges her feelings for him. It's too late to change things. Ross and Rachel started on a rocky relationship and dated for a year before finally coming to an explosive breakup. All this did was start a string of misadventures resulting in Ross accidentally saying Rachel's name during his wedding to someone else, the pair getting drunk-married in Vegas, and a one-night stand that led to a pregnancy and their choice to co-parent the child. Finally, they did end up together, but you just have to watch the show.