The sign of a good TV show is that it can make us feel something, even when everything is fictional. And this is especially true for fictional relationships. These 20 TV couples may not have been real, but they felt real to us. For seasons, we rooted for them to fall in love, get married, and have kids. And many of these duos even helped to show us what true love could be.
Sure, we know that Jim and Pam from The Office or Randall and Beth from This Is Us aren't real and their storylines are made up — but that's not the point. The point is that they feel like they could be real couples. We can see ourselves and our relationships in the strengths and weaknesses of these duos.
There are so many couples who are #RelationshipGoals on TV, but we've narrowed it down to the 20 best.
Topanga & Cory From 'Boy Meets World'
We really got to see this couple blossom from the beginning. Cory and Topanga were just kids when Boy Meets World started, and we watched their young love bloom. Then when the spinoff Girl Meets World happened, we got to see them as parents with kids of their own. They've just come so far, it makes us emotional to watch!
Jim & Pam From 'The Office'
Inside the hilarious comedy that is The Office is one of the sweetest love stories that TV has ever shown. In early seasons, we watched Jim pine for Pam and then vice versa, so when they finally got together, it was like everything was right in the world. These two truly brought out the best in one another and showed that joking around and having fun are some of the cornerstones of a great relationship.
Leslie & Ben From 'Parks and Rec'
Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt have similar Jim and Pam energy, and that's thanks to Mike Schur who created Parks and Rec after working on The Office. Leslie and Ben are so supportive of one another's dreams, and we'll never get over that iconic line during their wedding vows: "I love you and I like you." That's what true love is all about.
Mindy & Danny From 'The Mindy Project'
Mindy Kaling's character on The Office had one of the worst couplings — she and Ryan were so bad for each other. So it was nice to see her get a great love story on The Mindy Project with her co-worker Danny. They definitely had their ups and downs, but all we can remember from this show are their good times.
Randall & Beth From 'This Is Us'
There are so many great couples on This Is Us — Rebecca and Jack, Kate and Toby, even Madison and Kevin — but the one who tops them all is Randall and Beth. These two have such a deep love for each other after meeting in college. They can confide in each other, be silly, and also tell it how it is. And they've navigated some pretty big life problems while staying strong through it all.
Luke & Lorelai From 'Gilmore Girls'
The flirty friendship that these two had took years to become an actual relationship, and it wasn't always the best while they were together. But in the end, Luke always had Lorelai's back and would do anything for her. We're so glad they got some justice in the A Year in the Life revival. We love seeing them together.
Derek & Meredith From 'Grey's Anatomy'
From the first episode of Grey's Anatomy, fans wanted Derek and Meredith to be together. They had to navigate a lot of drama to get there, but when they did — it was so magical. This duo really was couple goals, and we'll never really get over what happened to Derek. But at least we got this couple for the seasons that we did.
Miranda & Ben From 'Grey's Anatomy'
It's so hard to choose which couples we love the most from this show. But now that Meredith and Derek aren't a thing anymore, we really like seeing Miranda and Ben's relationship grow and evolve. There's such unconditional love and support between these two. We all deserve a relationship as strong as this one.
Chandler & Monica From 'Friends'
Sorry, but this is the only Friends duo that's making this list. Ross and Rachel were — and remain — a travesty. But on the flip side of their drama was the cute dorkiness that the Monica and Chandler relationship provided. When they first got together, it felt totally out of nowhere, but they really ended up as the great love story of the series.
Seth & Summer From 'The O.C.'
Although Seth had been crushing on Summer since he was a kid, it took her a while to come around. Once she did, these two were the cutest. And while they were able to interject love and passion into their relationship, they also never lost that witty repartee that we loved watching. Sorry Marissa and Ryan, Seth and Summer were the best O.C. couple.
Cheryl & Toni From 'Riverdale'
Like Grey's Anatomy and This Is Us, Riverdale is a show with a plethora of amazing couples to choose from. But one of our favorite is Toni and Cheryl. In every other aspect of her life, Cheryl is demanding and selfish, but when it comes to her relationship with Toni, she's so caring and loving. Toni really brings out the best in her, and the result is the sweetest duo. We'll always be rooting for them.
Brittany & Santana From 'Glee'
Before Cheryl and Toni on Riverdale came Santana and Brittany on Glee. The couples give off a very similar energy, because Santana was also sarcastic and cynical for much of the show, except when she was around Brittany. Sadly, Naya Rivera died in 2020, but she left behind a wonderful legacy thanks to her character of Santana on Glee.
Marshall & Lily From 'How I Met Your Mother'
Sure, How I Met Your Mother may have been about Ted's journey to love, but the best love story on the show was the one between Lily and Marshall. The two met in college, fell in love, and the rest was history. While all their friends suffered through relationship woes, Lily and Marshall were solid as a rock, always looking out for one another, being dorky together, and showing what true love was all about.
Ned & Chuck From 'Pushing Daisies'
And we think social distancing now is hard, Ned and Chuck loved each other but were never allowed to come into contact with each other. Ned had a special power to bring the dead back to life with a simple touch. But a second touch would kill the person forever. So once he brought Chuck back from the dead, they had to stay a few feet apart at all times. But even though they couldn't hold hands or kiss, they were still one of the sweetest couples TV has ever seen. It's a shame this show was canceled so early on.
Cam & Mitchell From 'Modern Family'
Cam and Mitch were far from a perfect couple on Modern Family, but that's what made them all the more lovable. They were always arguing and trying to one up each other, but at the end of the day, we knew they loved each other. They would do anything for one another, and their coupling was a more realistic picture of true love.
Rainbow & Dre From 'Black-ish'
Another example of a realistic TV couple is Rainbow and Dre on Black-ish. They certainly don't have a perfect marriage either, and they often argue. But what loving couple doesn't fight occasionally? After they're done bickering, we know they care for each other, and that undercurrent of true love is so sweet to watch.
Claire & Jamie From 'Outlander'
Their love has stood the test of time — literally! No matter where this time travel show takes Claire and Jamie, they're always there for one another. And we'll never get over the time Jamie told Claire, "When my body dies, my soul will still be yours." They're so, so cute. Relationship goals for sure.
Louis & Jessica From 'Fresh off the Boat'
In 2015, Vulture named Jessica and Louis TV's "best couple of the year." That's a high honor, but a deserved one. Together, the duo was able to handle all the struggles life threw them. And even when things were challenging, they never stopped loving one another and looking out for each other. It's easy to be a successful couple when everything is going right, but it's the sign of a great relationship when a couple can make the best out of a tough situation.
Coach & Tami Taylor From 'Friday Night Lights'
Eric and Tami had a real partnership. There was give and take on both ends, and they showed how important effective communication is in a healthy relationship. Sure Friday Night Lights was about a struggling high school football team, but it was also about a couple who was total marriage goals.
Jane & Rafael From 'Jane the Virgin'
Jane the Virgin fans are divided on whether they preferred Michael and Jane together or Jane and Rafael. But we'd have to say the latter. They were brought together in such a wild way (Jane accidentally got pregnant with his baby), and they not only made do — they made the best of the situation. They're forever our favorite couple from this show. Sorry, Michael.
