Aug 23 2010
The Best Five Sexual Tension TV Sitcom Couples
Not too many television shows pulled off the great sexual tension couple but having watched a number of “Who’s the Boss?” reruns over the past few days I realize that when it’s working, it’s a great element to a story. The problem is that we as viewers are always hoping that the couples finally do wind up together.
The reason it’s a problem is because when they do finally wind up together it ends up sucking big time. The great stuff is the flirting, the “almost kiss” moments, or any other thing where you kind of know they should be together but circumstances won’t allow it.
The crap is when they get all stupid and mushy. Here are my five favorite sexual tension TV sitcom couples….
Jim and Pam – The Office
How awful are these two now? With the baby? The teaming up? Ugh. Could you vomit? I know that I’ve already vomited multiple times from this sappy crap. How awesome was the show when Jim was totally sweating Pam? When there was clearly a vibe but they never actually got together? All the stuff with Roy? I miss those days. Now Pam and Jim officially suck.
Tony and Angela – Who’s the Boss?
These two were absolutely awesome. If you haven’t seen this show in a while then check out the Hallmark channel because they’ve been showing reruns non stop. It’s a constant battle between these two. Luckily they weren’t really together long enough on the show for it to get all mushy and dumb.
Ross and Rachel – Friends
There are two things that made this show bad. The first is when Ross and Rachel actually got together. The second is when Monica and Chandler became a couple. Chandler lost any ounce of coolness and it was at that point that the show went from way less funny to way more serious and sappy. Ross and Rachel however broke up, got back together, etc etc. There was always that tension that drew the show together and kept audiences wondering. And who could forget the Freudian slip of Ross when he’s about to get married and says “I take Rachel.” That was awesome.
Maddie and David – Moonlighting
For all you young people out there, Bruce Willis had a career before Die Hard. And it was on the show Moonlighting which was popular as all hell. For the first few seasons, these two were electric on screen. It was when they started dating that it got very very dumb.
Sam and Diane – Cheers (also Rebecca and Sam)
Of all the couples here, Sam and Diane actually had tension even after they finally got together, which I think puts them at the top of this list. That’s a tough one to pull off. They never got too sappy. They were always fighting. The contrast in personalities was always a hit and the chemistry was great. But deep down you kind of always wanted them to wind up together.
*Bonus: Jack and Kate – Lost
Just because it’s fun to mention Lost.
You could also argue for Jerry and Elaine but their tension didn’t really seem sexual. It was more frustration. Hard to explain.
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My biggest problem with jim and pam getting together is it made jim somehow forget his pranking ways. When was the last time jim pulled a good prank on dwight? Season 4, maybe?
I love The Office but I never considered Jim and Pam’s tension being sexual. It was more of romantic tension maybe? I think Dwight and Angela’s tension was more sexual =)
Best sexual tension is Eric and Sookie from True Blood forsure!
Best non-sitcom sexual tension couple?
Mal and Inara.
Kate and Sawyer, man! Kate and Sawyer. And how about an adorable shout out for our friends across the pond? Tim and Daisy from Spaced had the best chemistry ever.
What about George Michael and Maebe from Arrested Development?
I loved Ned and Stacy! Thomas Hayden Church was great.
not really a sitcom but for me the best sexual tension was between Malcom Reynolds & Inara Serra on the show Firefly!
Yeah, The Office pretty much sucks these days. I still rewatch the first 3 seasons all the time, but i don’t like it after that. Andy just seems like an anoying Dwight 2.
Although it is only in it’s first season..one could make a case for Jeff & Britta on Community.
No Niles and Daphne in Frasier?
@Drue
I would say Jeff and Annie have a WAY better sexual tension than Jeff and Britta – so much in fact, that I believe it changed the script and direction of the game.
What about the nanny and mr Sheffield?
@Dangerous Dave
I must say that Jeff and Annie DO have better sexual tension, but Annie loses all her spark when she’s with Jeff.
I love Britta and Jeff because they didn’t hop into bed in episode one, they actually became friends and developed a mutual admiration for each other before the hopping into bed part. They’re each growing as people and learning that they’re not the quintessence of what a human being should be. And even though their growth is, for the most part, done separately, since they’re doing it simultaneously it’s bringing them together in many ways.
That’s why I love them. I adore couples that we get to see growing together apart.
And I’d have to say Hawkeye/Margaret or Trapper/Margaret from M*A*S*H both have great sexual tension, mainly because Margaret doesn’t act like a schoolgirl around them (even though their hotshot surgeons). She’s uptight around them and Margaret is constantly a threat to Hawkeye’s and Trapper’s tomfoolery, but they both greatly respect each other.
J.D./Elliot (especially after they become sex buddies *trumpets*) from Scrubs; Kelso/Jackie, Hyde/Jackie and Eric/Donna from That 70s Show
What, no Mulder and Scully?
I 2nd Time & Daisy from Spaced, as well.
What about Booth and Bones from the show ‘Bones’? They’re my favorite couple
Northern Exposure’s Joel Fleischman & Maggie O’Connell. Easy win.
No… the last season never happened…. REALLY – IT DID NOT HAPPEN IT DID NOT HAPPEN DID NOT HAPPEN.
List fail.
Obvious winner is Mulder and Skully from X-Files.
I wouldn’t call it a list fail. I would say an omission. Cut me some slack bud.
Benson and Stabler??
How about Harm and Mac on JAG? Also, if you go back a ways, the two stars on Remington Steele used to make me crazy when they always wanted each other but never got together!!
I also vote for Niles and Daphne from Frasier. The season finale when they finally get together (driving away in an RV before Daphne’s wedding to another man) would have made the perfect series finale, but instead it got dragged out a few more years.
Jack&Kate? Is that supposed to be a joke? I agree with everybody else on your list, though, but if you’re talking sexual tension on LOST, nobody can compete with Kate&Sawyer!
Yeah, Harm and Mac on JAG, also. And more important, Dawn and Tim from The Office UK. So much better than the US couple (before and especially after the marriage).
Maddie and David on Moonlighting, that was great choice, too.
I’m not sure if this fits here, but Angela Chase and Jordan Catalano (My so-called life)
I like the list and agree with most of it. I’ve actually never seen the show with bruce but now i have a sitcom to look up on the internet and watch! But what about Fran and MR. Sheffield? Seriously! Those two have created tension from episode one and kept it up for a long time before they finally decided to let the viewers have what they wanted. But after they got together, half of the jokes went out the window…
Pfft. Pam and Jim’s getting together was (and has been) handled masterfully. If they’d drawn it out any longer then THAT would be lame.
I think JD and Elliot from Scrubs at least deserves a special mention