Top 20 TV (Married) Couples

Top 20 TV (Married) Couples
by Heather Koerner on 02/22/2008 at 1:30 PM

The editors over at AOL Television have just announced their list of Top 20 Couples of TV history. Here's the top 10:

Sam and Diane, "Cheers"

David and Maddie, "Moonlighting"

Carrie and Big, "Sex and the City"

Lucy and Ricky, "I Love Lucy"

Buffy and Angel, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

Furillo and Joyce, "Hill Street Blues"

Ross and Rachel, "Friends"

Rob and Laura, "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

Cliff and Claire, "The Cosby Show"

Veronica and Logan, "Veronica Mars"

Notice anything? Yeah, me too. Only three of these couples are married and none of those three are even from the last twenty years (although they are in syndication).

So, what shall I do? Shall I rail against the television industry? About how they claim to covet creativity but can't even come up with well-written, spunky, in love married couples? Or shall I rail against the AOL editors for agreeing, in a sense, that characters who engage in decade-long, non-committed bed-hopping are the best representatives of couples?

No, I think I shall go for option number three. I want to create a list of top 20 married couples in entertainment (how's that -- I even broadened the category for any of you movie buffs out there). Not that any of these couples will compare to the fun, godly couples I see every day around me. But, let's have a shout.

Wanna help? I'll start us off. My fave TV married couple is ... Charles and Caroline Ingalls, "Little House on the Prairie."

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1. Amir Larijani said the following at 1:33 PM on Feb 22:

My favorite TV couple is....

WAIT!!! I don't have one. I don't watch TV!

2. Tom Neven said the following at 1:40 PM on Feb 22:

How about Herman and Lily Munster? No, I'm not joking. They were the model of the loving give-and-take, forgive-in-the-end ethos that makes a good marriage. (Although poor Lily wound up having to endure the brunt of most of this.)

3. Andrew R. (aka Canadian Boy) said the following at 2:03 PM on Feb 22:

Man, these TV Guide guys are idiots. Homer and Marge deserve to be at the #1 spot. They are a couple that endure that absolute best and worst times together, and they've never called it off.

Though I would've been happy with "George and Susan"- quite the memorable couple!

4. Caitlin said the following at 2:05 PM on Feb 22:

How about Adrian and Trudy Monk from the TV show Monk? Trudy died in a car bomb, but the flashbacks to their married life show a great marriage. Monk is still faithful to her even after her death.

5. Ted Slater said the following at 2:12 PM on Feb 22:

Lucy and Ricky? They had a terrible relationship, in my opinion. As Canadian Boy said, Homer and Marge were much better to each other than Lucy and Ricky.

Though I rarely saw it on TV, I was drawn to the relationship Paul and Jamie Buchman had in "Mad About You."

The Huckstables from "The Cosby Show" were great....

6. Lindsey said the following at 2:22 PM on Feb 22:

What about Phyllis and Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration?

Sweet couple and classy wedding. Love it.

7. Jaime said the following at 2:24 PM on Feb 22:

One of my favorite TV married couples would have to be Stephen and Elise Keaton, the parents on "Family Ties". Hippies, yes. Good parents who loved their kids, yes.

8. Jeff said the following at 2:30 PM on Feb 22:

Like Andrew, first couple I thought of was Homer and Marge. They don't deserve the top of the list, but they sure beat out a lot of the rest. Cliff and Claire should be a lot higher up too.

9. Paul said the following at 2:34 PM on Feb 22:

Tim (the Tool Man) and Jill Taylor?

(hey, they seemeed like they were trying...)

(but honestly, Cliff and Claire Huxtable, that's #1 in my book).

10. Louise said the following at 2:36 PM on Feb 22:

I always enjoy Roseanne and Dan Connor.

Archie and Edith Bunker always got along well, too.

11. Chantell said the following at 2:37 PM on Feb 22:

Tami and Eric Taylor, "Friday Night Lights"

Paul and Jamie Buchman, "Mad About You"

12. Candice Watters said the following at 2:51 PM on Feb 22:

Definitely Mary and George Baily on It's a Wonderful Life!

13. Sylvia said the following at 3:00 PM on Feb 22:

Morticia and Gomez seemed to have a great marriage. They were madly in love and had so much fun. And when she would speak French..............

14. JBurke said the following at 3:02 PM on Feb 22:

What a ridiculous list! How did a couple from Veronica Mars and one from Buffy make it?
Although the show was crass at times, Lois and Hal from Malcolm in the Middle showed wonderful faithfulness and love towards each other despite their circumstances. Even when their boys were out of control, they had no money, and couldn't handle life in general, they were committed to each other and the family. I would say that Marge and Homer are their animated counterparts.
And Cliff and Claire totally deserve to be much higher on the list!

15. Aria said the following at 3:07 PM on Feb 22:

Dr. Quinn and Sully!

(actually Ma and Pa Ingalls and the Huckstables are probably my other picks so I don't have any others to add... which is sad - but my favorite tv shows don't have couples - now I have to analyse what that means...)

16. BDB said the following at 3:20 PM on Feb 22:

Capt. John Sheridan and Delenn of the Minbari Alliance - Babylon 5

(An intercultural marriage!)

17. Cherilyn said the following at 3:27 PM on Feb 22:

How about Archie and Edith Bunker or, also from All in the Family, Michael and Gloria. Or Mike and Carol Brady.

I don't know if comics count but Arlo and Janis and Rose and Jimbo from Rose is Rose.

I have to say that I still love the Huxtables and Rob and Laura Petrie. Definitely my favorites.

18. Motte said the following at 3:27 PM on Feb 22:

"Wash" and Zoe Washburne, "Firefly"

19. BDB said the following at 3:29 PM on Feb 22:

I guess I should say why, too:

First, because, despite involving someone from another planet, they followed a pretty much Christian courtship...

Second, because they demonstrated self-sacrifice before they ever became an "item..." True, in involved her arranging for four warships to come to his defense, but still, that's commitment...

Three - hey, John even initiated! You've gotta love that...

20. Laura said the following at 3:36 PM on Feb 22:

I think the Huxtables deserve a high spot on the list -- a sweet, playful, non-naggy wife and a smart, funny, affectionate husband enjoying each other's company... Imagine that, instead of a whiny caveman and an eye-rolling shrew bickering for 30 minutes.

But the reason most tv "couples" aren't married? Tension. Think about it -- how many shows jump the shark after the two main characters, who've been chasing each other around for 5 or 6 or 10 seasons, finally settle down together? There's a reason Carrie and Big only got together in the LAST EVER episode of S&tC -- that cycle of unrequited love and romantic tension (will they? Won't they?) is a big part of what drives plot.

21. Laura said the following at 3:40 PM on Feb 22:

Rob and Laura Petrie!! OK, they're definitely at the TOP of my list. What a sweet couple.

22. Laura said the following at 3:46 PM on Feb 22:

Ray & Marie Barone from "Everybody Loves Raymond"!

23. Laura said the following at 3:48 PM on Feb 22:

Oops! I meant FRANK & Marie:)

24. Bridget said the following at 4:04 PM on Feb 22:

Lee & Amanda Stetson (Scarecrow & Mrs. King)
A little corny, but cute and funny.

25. Chris Krycho said the following at 5:35 PM on Feb 22:

Motte, I was going to post that one, but you beat me to it. Wash and Zoe were one of my favorite couples ever.

26. Kathryn said the following at 6:03 PM on Feb 22:

Yay! Firefly! Totally on board with that! :D Go Motte (in comment #18, ;D)!

Also, Wash and Zoe being a Whedonesque couple, I'm more amenable to letting Buffy and Angel off the list.

/fangirl

27. nicole said the following at 6:23 PM on Feb 22:

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the the mother and father (and the grandparents too) from The Waltons.

28. DannieA said the following at 6:26 PM on Feb 22:

Ted....how were Lucy and Ricky terrible?

They were funny...she just didn't understand him

how about the Camdens of 7th heaven?

29. John D. said the following at 7:21 PM on Feb 22:

I would definitely think of Archie and Edith Bunker right off the top of my head (as well as their spin-off cousins Maude and Walter Findlay (Maude), or Florida and James Evans (Good Times) or George and Louise (Weezy) Jefferson (The Jeffersons).

Or how about Howard and Marion Cunningham from Happy Days.

(I know, I know. I'm showing my age.)

30. Novagirl in VA said the following at 7:24 PM on Feb 22:

Jon and Kate Gosselin from the Discovery Health show "Jon and Kate Plus 8." They have six year old twins and sextuplets who are three!

31. Katrina said the following at 7:31 PM on Feb 22:

William and Barbara Wilberforce from Amazing Grace!

32. Julie M. said the following at 9:05 PM on Feb 22:

Carl and Harriet Winslow from "Family Matters"

33. Chris said the following at 9:13 PM on Feb 22:

BDB beat me to the punch.

They're our last, best hope for a married couple.

I'd also add Gail and the late Johnston Green. And thank goodness the show is back!

34. Catherine said the following at 9:46 PM on Feb 22:

What about Will and Helen Girardi from Joan of Arcadia? They were loving parents and always tried to learn from each other and communicate. They weren't perfect, but no real marriages are. I know it was a short-lived show, but it was my favorite!

35. DT said the following at 9:52 PM on Feb 22:

How are Cliff and Claire not number one?! And where are Jill and Tim Taylor (Home Improvement)?

Oh, wait. Those were happily married couples. It wouldn't be hip to put them high on the list - or on it at all, for that matter.

36. Andrew R. (aka Canadian Boy) said the following at 9:57 PM on Feb 22:

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

Or, for that matter, Stephen Colbert and Stephen Colbert.

37. None said the following at 10:44 PM on Feb 22:

I second Phyllis and Bob Vance, The Office. They're just perfect. :P

38. Robin Munn said the following at 10:44 PM on Feb 22:

BDB #16, and Chris #33 -

Right with you on that one.

The end of "Sleeping in Light" was very touching.

Now I need to go back and re-watch my Babylon 5 DVD's. Maybe I can find someone new to introduce to my favorite thing in the universe. All right, all right, my second favorite thing in the universe. :-)

39. jj said the following at 12:54 AM on Feb 23:

I also cast my vote for Homer & Marge Simpson! My how times have changed... remember when that show used to be the controversial one?

40. P. Van Vuren said the following at 1:00 AM on Feb 23:

Mad About You - Paul and Jamie

King of Queens - Doug and Carrie

Married With Children - Al and Peggy

Everyone Loves Raymond - Ray and Debra as well as Frank and Marie

Hart to Hart - Jonathon and Jennifer

The Cosby Show - Claire and Cliff

Bewitched - Darren and Samantha

The Munsters - Herman and Lily

Happy Days - Howard and Marion

Waltons - John and Olivia as well as Grandma and Grandpa

All In The Family - Archie and Edith

Brady Bunch - Carol and Mike

Leave It To Beaver - Ward and June

The Jeffersons - George and Louise as well as the fun interracial couple next door to them.

41. James said the following at 2:09 AM on Feb 23:

I'm with DBD: John Sheridan and Delenn (I LOVED seeing their romance and marriage blossom in seasons 2 through 5). Gotta pity Lenier, though. Poor guy (even though he did make some really poor decisions in the end).

And also I'm all for Wash and Zoe. Wash was so incredibly faithful to her, and even though she could have easily "worn the pants" in their marriage, Wash always insisted upon being the husband and all that entailed, instead of cheapening out and pushing all that onto Zoe. Amazing character, that Wash. And Zoe was pretty amazing too, but it was really Wash who made the "Wash and Zoe" thing be so magnificent.

42. Ruth said the following at 2:21 AM on Feb 23:

The parents from 'The Waltons.' Classic.

43. David said the following at 6:56 AM on Feb 23:

What about Dharma and Greg? They were married in the first episode!

44. Heather Koerner said the following at 8:22 AM on Feb 23:

Canadian Boy,

C'mon. So far you've managed to list two cartoon characters, a couple that was engaged (not married--ah those cursed invitations!) and two men. Are there no TV married couples you like that don't have tall blue hair? I know you can do it! :)

45. Dani said the following at 9:14 AM on Feb 23:

Cliff and Claire are number one on my list, along with the Bradys (The Brady Bunch), the Cunninghams (Happy Days), the Taylors (Home Improvement), and the Winslows (Family Matters).

Hmm, why are all my favorite couples (a) married, and (b) off the air?

46. Chris said the following at 9:16 AM on Feb 23:

Canadian Boy writes:

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

Or, for that matter, Stephen Colbert and Stephen Colbert.

Hmmm...there is much truthiness in your statement.

47. anu said the following at 9:49 AM on Feb 23:

the first thing i noticed was that they're all white. I guess they want us to be grateful that they remembered the Cosby show.

48. Matthew said the following at 11:24 AM on Feb 23:

Olivia and John Walton from "The Waltons." Ever see a TV couple (or show) more dedicated to their children, trusting in the Lord, and working fervently to provide for their family?

49. Anastasia said the following at 11:27 AM on Feb 23:

I'm with the poster who talked about Adrian Monk. My daughter introduced me to Monk via DVD and his adoration and devotion to his deceased wife brings tears to my eyes, it's so beautiful.

And another couple overlooked in the Babylon 5 cosmology would be Ivanova and Marcus. He loved her devotedly and with purity. Only after he died literally sacrificing himself so she could live did she realize that she could have loved him back. Notice she never married.

And I have to agree that Zoe and Wash are an interesting and healthy couple. One also wonders if Mal and Inara will ever stop dancing around each other and finally declare their love - they already do love each other, but what with the captaining and the whoring . . . it's amazing she hasn't developed a completely hardened heart.

50. Chris said the following at 12:00 PM on Feb 23:

Wash & Zoe! Definitely one of the best couples in media science fiction.

51. Leah said the following at 12:01 PM on Feb 23:

Maud?! In film school, she was hailed as some monarch of liberalism because she was married and divorced multiple times and, in a rather famous episode, she decided to have an abortion. Not really my idea of a roll model. Honestly though, aside from those already listed (Wash and Zoe!) I can't think of too many good married couples in tv (although the parents from Smallville and the Cunningham's from Happy Days were pretty good). In other areas of entertainment: I've always liked Uncle Ben and Aunt Martha from Spiderman.

52. Joy W. said the following at 2:20 PM on Feb 23:

I have to agree with everyone who has said Cliff & Claire Huxtable. They were great parents, and probably the main reason they were so good at that was that they were so in love with each other!

53. Angie said the following at 2:27 PM on Feb 23:

I always thought the Fresh Prince of Bel Air's Aunt and Uncle seemed like a normal and pleasant happily married couple.

54. Sarah said the following at 2:29 PM on Feb 23:

Lois Lane and Clark Kent from "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman." They weren't married for more of the show, but once they realized they were in love (and got past a few complications, including clones and amnesia), they did get married.

Also, Amanda King and Lee Stetson from "Scarecrow and Mrs. King." Likewise, they weren't married the whole show, but they did get married over the course of the show. The show seemed to have some trouble writing them as a spunky, fun married couple (that, and the actress who played Amanda King got cancer and wasn't able to be active for a while), but they were still a great couple.

I agree with other people about the couples from the Waltons, Joan of Arcadia, Malcolm in the Middle, and Firefly/Serenity, and Home Improvement. And what about "Everybody Hates Chris?" I haven't seen very many episodes, but they seem like a good couple in the few I've seen.

55. Suzanne said the following at 3:57 PM on Feb 23:

Motte, I didn't know you were a "Firefly-head!" Yes, Wash and Zoe were a great couple.

56. Motte said the following at 4:02 PM on Feb 23:

Yes, Suzanne. I'm a huge Browncoat. Someone let me borrow the DVD set and I got hooked pretty quickly. I've been keeping my eyes open for news of a Serenity 2 ever since.

You?

57. keightie said the following at 4:22 PM on Feb 23:

Monk & Trudy

Steve & Rachel Saint--End of the Spear

Landon & Jamie Carter--A Walk to Remember

58. Christy said the following at 6:27 PM on Feb 23:

how about Tom and Lynette from Desperate Housewives? They have worked through some great issues, like when Lynette had that emotional affair with the chef and Tom called her on it, then stuck by her side and helped her through it

59. Rosabacio said the following at 8:06 PM on Feb 23:

My favorite married couple on TV is Bernard and Rose from LOST. They are an interracial couple. And they are completely devoted to one another. So much so that Rose knew without a shadow of a doubt that Bernard was alive after the Oceanic plane crash. He even married Rose knowing that she had a terminal disease. Now THAT is true love!!

60. heidi said the following at 8:32 PM on Feb 23:

ok so some good tv married couples that come to my mind, yes I know some have been listed:
Dr.Quinn and Sully ( from Doctor Quinn Medicine Woman)
Jesse and Rebecca ( Full House)
Harriet and Carl (Family Matters)
Frank and Carol ( Step By step)
Claire and Cliff ( cosby show)
Amy and Allen ( Boy Meets World)
Tim and Jill (Home Improvement)
claire and Russell ( Promised Land)
Paul and Cate ( 8 simple rules)
Eric and Annie ( 7th heaven)

61. Ashleigh said the following at 10:00 PM on Feb 23:

Dannie A, I personally enjoy "I Love Lucy" and grew up watching it. But I do have to say that most of the time the humor on the show comes from one or the other being deceptive. Deception is a HUGE part of their marriage.

And, I don't know about anyone else, but why couldn't Ricky let Lucy be in the show? :-)

62. Dolores said the following at 10:31 PM on Feb 23:

Ozzie & Harriet Nelson (And yes, I'm under 30 year old. ;) )

63. DannieA said the following at 12:19 AM on Feb 24:

Ashleigh....I can see that, it's just so funny because he was just being "Cuban" and she was just being "White American"

and she couldn't be in the show cuz she was horrible...LOL

BTW, I'm Cuban so I can appreciate the corniness Ricky would do...my dad is corny like that...in a good way. My parents have a great marriage...but since both are Cuban...didn't have that 'cultural differences' Lucy and Ricky did

64. BDB said the following at 12:40 AM on Feb 24:

Robin Munn (#38) wrote:

>>Now I need to go back and re-watch my Babylon 5 DVD's.<<

Yeah - who cares if there was a writer's strike?

(I don't remember "Sleeping in Light" - I'm still on Season 3)

Incidentally, to my knowledge, it's the only Sci-Fi show where the religious humans were Christians - even portrayed in a positive light. Impressive for a non-beliving guy who created the series. But he's right - if Christianity has survived 2000 years, it would likely still be around 250 years in the future.

As for Firefly, I think the best line was, "My turn."

James (#41) wrote:

>>Gotta pity Lenier, though. Poor guy<<

Well, I guess that was one of those psuedo-relationship thingys...

When Joan of Arcadia showed up on HDNet - wow, that was some good writing. Theology was, well, I suppose no worse that Babylon 5, but very thought-provoking.

As for Marcus (#49), well, yes. Especially considering that Ivanova was mortally wounded after declaring herself to be the right hand of God...quite an example of Pride being redeemable only through the sacrifice of another...

65. BDB said the following at 1:04 AM on Feb 24:

OK Ashleigh, a question - is your "ungrind" web page set up so that someone who clicks on your name to see your URL can't go back to the Boundlessline web page?

66. Jo said the following at 1:43 AM on Feb 24:

I haven't watched it for a while, but I always quite liked Michael and Jay in "My Wife And Kids". And I agree with whoever mentioned "Mad About You" - man that takes me back.

67. Sarah said the following at 6:39 AM on Feb 24:

I would have to agree with a resounding "yes!" to Aria's listed couple. The relationship that Dr. Quinn and Sully have in that show really is incredible, because their relationship DID draw out for 3 seasons, WITHOUT hopping it into bed until AFTER they were married! I think also the struggles and triumphs that they went through to learn about eachother and accept eachother for who they are, is noteworthy. Try finding THAT kind of love and committiment on t.v. these days!

68. James said the following at 9:22 AM on Feb 24:

Okay, why didn't anyone pick up on this, since this is a top 20 list for entertainment (not just TV).

In #51, Leah mentioned Ben & May from Spiderman. TOTALLY right on! I especially liked the story of how Ben eventually proposed, got turned down (even though May was totally in love with him), waited and proposed again. And for ALL the right reasons. Even though we only got to see them in their old age, they were still a very sweet and devoted couple.

69. Laura said the following at 10:45 AM on Feb 24:

Ugh... I totally disagree about Ray and Debra Barone. It's the classic tv pairing -- big stupid oaf marries cute, perky girl who turns out to be a horrible, intimacy-withholding nag; they bicker constantly, sling insults, hate each others' parents, and gripe about the kids. Only the irredeemable idiocy of the secondary characters makes the main couple look normal. See King of Queens, According to Jim, etc.

Part of what makes the Simpsons such a funny show is that it deliberately plays off this tv stereotype, but tweaks it.

One of the reasons I love Rob and Laura Petrie is that they were equally silly, made equally bad choices sometimes, fought like married people fight, but were completely loyal to each other in every circumstance. They never undermined each other or made "stupid man" jokes a running theme.

70. Melissa* said the following at 11:26 AM on Feb 24:

George and Nina Banks (Father of the Bride). I particularly liked how they work things out in Steve Martin's Father of the Bride II.

The Waltons, of course.

Cliff and Claire Huxtable.

Alonzo and Anna Smith (Meet Me in St. Louis)

And since they are in entertainment, how about Will and Jada Pinkett Smith?

71. Donna said the following at 11:57 AM on Feb 24:

Ray and Debra from Everybody Loves Raymond.

72. Tabitha said the following at 1:04 PM on Feb 24:

~William and Barbara Wilberforce (Amazing Grace)
~Jesse and Rebecca (Full House)
~Mr. & Mrs. Matthews and also Cory & Topanga Matthews (Boy Meets World) I think this show, light-hearted and silly as it may be, shows a great long-lasting marriage in the parents and good principles (such commitment, loyalty, abstainance, and the joy of a relationship saved for marriage) in Cory and Topanga's developing relationship and then marriage.

73. Laur said the following at 1:36 PM on Feb 24:

i second amy and alan matthews from boy meets world, dharma and greg, and cliff & claire huxtable (who i think should be #1).

also have to add noah and allie from the notebook.

74. Abby said the following at 2:47 PM on Feb 24:

How about Phillip & Vivian Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Overall I think they had a pretty good TV marriage.

75. Maggi said the following at 3:48 PM on Feb 24:

I think whoever Steve Martin and Elizabeth Shure played on Cheaper by the Dozen. They face challenges together and talk through things and still get it on after 12 kids! ;) And they value family and responsibility.

76. Ashleigh said the following at 3:49 PM on Feb 24:

BDB, nope. Ungrind isn't configured like that. I believe that all the "clickable" names of those leaving comments on Boundless Line open the URL in a new window. So the reader wouldn't be able to "go back," they just have to close the new window and Boundless Line should still be open in the old one.

77. Hayley said the following at 5:05 PM on Feb 24:

Lucy and Ricky are probably my favorite TV married couple! I liked that they were married to each other in real-life during the run of the show. I especially enjoy the later episodes were Ricky starts joining in on Lucy's crazy schemes.

And, I agree with Heather and Aria in comment #15, Charles and Carol Ingalls should be somewhere on the list.

78. Kelly said the following at 5:42 PM on Feb 24:

How cool to see other sf fans here! I have to echo the comments that mentioned Zoe and Wash, and Sheridan and Delenn.

The latter relationship is one that's almost unheard of in sf - a traditional romance where they meet, date, it takes FOREVER for them to actually kiss, and finally they marry and live out the rest of their lives together. No suggestions of infidelity or crisis, it was beautiful to watch.

Interesting how a self-proclaimed atheist, who's read the Bible several times, manages to incorporate Christian principles in his shows.

79. Josh said the following at 6:42 PM on Feb 24:

How about the Flintstones & Rubbles?

80. BDB said the following at 9:58 PM on Feb 24:

Speaking of Steve Martin - how about his parents in the movie, "Parenthood?"

81. BDB said the following at 10:01 PM on Feb 24:

Laur #73 wrote:

>>also have to add noah and allie from the notebook.<<

Hmmm...not a good Biblical example, but you can use the characters in, "A Walk to Remember" or Noah's daughter in, "The Wedding" and get some pretty Biblical couples.

82. BDB said the following at 10:09 PM on Feb 24:

Kelly wrote (#78):

>>No suggestions of infidelity or crisis, it was beautiful to watch. <<

No need for a marital crisis if you have a good interstellar war to base the plot conflict on...

And she lived, what, 100 years as a widow without remarrying?

And Ashleigh, thank's for clearing that up. (#76) Just got confused for a moment...

83. Justin T. said the following at 10:12 PM on Feb 24:

I'll third (or was it fourth) the nomination of Sheridan and Delenn.

My favorite line from the Babylon 5 series is: "Faith sustains us in the hour when reason tells us that we can not continue, that the whole of our whole lives is without meaning."

And @ number 78: Yes, I too find it ironic that an atheist came up with so much to say about faith.

84. Kacie said the following at 11:32 PM on Feb 24:

Friends: Monica and Chandler Bing
That 70's Show: Red and Kitty Foreman
Step by Step: Frank and Carol Lambert
Wings: Joe and Helen Hackett
Frasier: Daphne and Niles Crane
Growing Pains: Jason and Maggie Seaver

85. Jo said the following at 3:58 AM on Feb 25:

Ooh I do like Monica and Chandler. Immorality of how they began aside, they had a really well balanced and genuinely close relationship.

And no no not the Notebook. That film upset me because I'd have preferred it if she'd married the other guy...

86. Lucie said the following at 7:22 AM on Feb 25:

Let's not forget the Robinson parents in "Lost in Space."

87. Christina said the following at 7:23 AM on Feb 25:

The Seavers from Growing Pains
The Matthews from Boy Meets World

(My 2 personal favorites without counting the Flinstones :)

88. Erin said the following at 7:42 AM on Feb 25:

I'll echo the Ingalls, and add John and Olivia Walton, from "The Waltons".

Other favorites from that show and Little House:
Ike and Corabeth Godsey
Nels and Harriet Olsen
(true love dispite aggravating circumstances)

89. Michele Samuelson said the following at 8:01 AM on Feb 25:

Eric and Tami Taylor, Friday Night Lights. Best television marriage in probably, oh, ever.

Jason and Maggie Seaver, Growing Pains.

I have to say TV Guide was right on in citing Cliff and Claire Huxtable.

Other than that, I'm having a really tough time coming up with television marriages that didn't completely degrade the husband (see 8 Simple Rules, Everybody Loves Raymond).

90. Paul S said the following at 9:12 AM on Feb 25:

I know they only lasted for one season and but how about Jack and Teri Bauer from Season One of 24. There was a wonderful dramatic portrayal of a family trying to put the pieces back together after a time of separation. Of course you also had Jack rescuing and defending his family against murderous terrorists and Teri, in captivity, subjecting herself to a forced sexual encounter in the place of her daughter. So for once, you have a father figure portrayed as a hero, albeit a tragic one, and a selfless mother protecting her loved one. Kinda hard to top in my book.

91. Maggie said the following at 9:40 AM on Feb 25:

I totally agree with Sarah in comment 54: Lois and Clark are the best! Despite not being interested in him at first, she realized that his kindness, genuineness, and positive attitude made him a better catch than the richer and more "exciting" guys she was interested in. Such a good lesson! Plus they waited until marriage and even discussed that on television.

I'd have to add that I think Clark's parents Jonathan and Martha were an awesome couple as well. They weathered a lot of trials (infertility, raising an alien child who could fly, being held hostage...) and still loved each other, besides being devoted to their son and daughter-in-law. Ooh, what a great show!

92. Mandi said the following at 10:19 AM on Feb 25:

Honey and Max of Wind at My Back! :)

93. BDB said the following at 10:21 AM on Feb 25:

Kelly (#78) wrote:

>>it takes FOREVER for them to actually kiss, <<

Yes, it wasn't until she presented him with a fleet of warships based partially on Vorlon technology...who wouldn't marry a woman who did that?

Though now that you bring it up, there was perhaps something more important in that episode.

(Season 3, Episode 19, 'Grey 17 is Missing.')

This is the one when several ministers/faith leaders smuggle information to the space station - kind of like clergy assisted the underground in WWII. But there was also a scene very relevant to this discussion:

The Black Baptist pastor finds Capt. Sheridan in his office late at night, and makes four observations:

1) As a Chaplain in the last war, he saw officers try to carry all the responsibility themselves, and ultimately failed in leadership because of the weight of it

2) He sees Sheridan doing this, attempting to carry the weight of leadership for, essentially, billions of people himself

3) The pastor points out that God created Eve as the solution to men attempting to carry more responsibility than they can alone

4) He points out that Delenn is already in love with him.

Now, this intervention was not received positively at first. But it's definitely a much stronger case for marriage than you'd expect to find in a sci-fi show...especially one written by an atheist...

94. Ted Slater said the following at 11:18 AM on Feb 25:

Was the couple in "Sarah, Plain and Tall" a "TV couple"? If so, they'd be near the top, in my opinion.

95. Kate E. said the following at 1:28 PM on Feb 25:

I like Ed and Sandra Bloom in the movie "Big Fish."

96. Heather Koerner said the following at 3:24 PM on Feb 25:

For movies, I'm going to go with Capt. VonTrapp and Maria from "Sound of Music." She brought music and faith back to his life and cherished the kiddos. He went for substance instead of the well-dressed countess. They both stood on principle. Hmmm...why am I suddenly staring at my drapes?

97. Caitlin said the following at 6:13 PM on Feb 25:

What? No Nick Lachey & Jessica Simpson? *gasp* You can get most of their marriage on DVD!

On a more serious note, the Cosby's and the Sievers (Growing Pains) were some of the best TV marriages that I've seen. Both couples genuinely loved each other and were commited to making their marriages last--even in the midst of some truly hectic times with their kids.

98. Alex C. said the following at 6:42 PM on Feb 25:

I was going to say Lois and Clark, but Sarah beat me to it.

I like Fran and Max Shefield (sp?) from "The Nanny". That's one of my all time favorite sitcoms ^_^.

99. BDB said the following at 7:37 PM on Feb 25:

Oops - I got the episode wrong - it was Season 3, #20:

"And the rocks cry out."

100. James said the following at 9:13 PM on Feb 25:

100

I just remembered another one:

Bob and Elizabeth Rueland from "Return to Me."

Even though Elizabeth dies early on, you see clearly beforehand and afterwards how much Bob loved her, and we can only assume that Elizabeth loved him just as much.

And I think we can still place John Sheridan & Delenn at the top for best TV/Movie married couple, not just for sci-fi (well....okay, 2nd to the Huxtables (sp?) from "The Cosby Show")

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