The push-pull that is a couple’s day-to-day interaction on T.V. is such a universal theme that nary a show exists without that plot device. Relationships breed conflict, and conflict attracts our attention. Our own lives are filled with the pitfalls and train wrecks that are relationships, so we identify with what happens on the small screen.
It is in this vein that our friends over at EW.com are in the midst of an Internet poll battle to determine the most beloved TV couples of all time. They’ve done their homework, with a March Madness-styled bracket that includes 64 famous TV couples, and voting is open to all.
That being said, there are a few that didn’t make the final cut. It might not be fair to call them “glaring omissions,” but it’s safe to say they qualify at least as “honorable mentions.” Here’s what we’re talking about:
Bull and Joy
Night Court
Bull Shannon learns that love truly is blind. Really, really blind.
What, you expected Judge Stone and Christine Sullivan? Sure, their romance arc bridged several season, whereas Bull and his blind girlfriend Joy’s (Elayne Boosler) relationship spanned two episodes. But what a tale of discovery those two episodes were… Especially where Bull decides wearing a blindfold will help him better empathize with his love interest. Blind jokes were all the rage in the ’80s.
Rudy and Bud
The Cosby Show
One of a long list of “adorable” and “precocious” youngsters on sitcom T.V., Rudy Huxtable was noted for her lispy one-liners and astute observations from a child’s perspective. And then there was Kenny, her “boyfriend” who played the blues and learned a special brand of chauvinism from his unseen older brother. The best part of their relationship was Rudy’s pet name for him: Bud. Emphasis on the “…ud.”
Rosie and Mac
The Jetsons
Yes, even robots can find love, and Rosie, the Jetson’s maid certainly does, in the form of Mac, the building’s superintendent’s robot. Sure, he’s a complete klutz, and breaks pretty much everything he touches, but Rosie can see past his bucket face and bargain transistors to a heart of pure gold. Theirs is a tale as old as future time. Robot love.
Joanie and Chachi
Happy Days
The ’50s = denim.
Okay, we’re gonna have to toss the flag on this one. This one IS a glaring omission; so much so that there was a complete spinoff show dedicated to this romance. If an alien culture’s entire understanding of Earth was formed based on Happy Days, we could understand that they would be startled to meet a black person, or find Asians who aren’t short order cooks… but they would know what love is. Because Joanie and Cha-Chi TOLD them. And also: red bandanas tied around your knee.
Mallory and Nick
Family Ties
One of the best sitcoms in history, Family Ties centered around a surprisingly liberal-minded set of parents raising their unique children – one an airheaded fashion-loving teenager named Mallory. Then, along came “artist” Nick, a monosyllabic knucklehead with a kind heart and a motorcycle. Their love endured through the rest of the run of the series, teaching us that love is not only blind… but dumb as a post.
