Tonight John and Pauline Prescott will be taking a long hard look at the UK's north/south divide – which started us thinking. What is it about couples on TV that is so fascinating? And which TV couples have we loved? (Although loved may be a little strong here – other TV couples we have known maybe?)
In any case, with John and Pauline as our starting point, we've sought out other memorable TV couples – some fictional, some factual and some in between. Who would you add?
Richard and Judy
One of the few real TV couples to have made a real dent on the British television scene, Richard & Judy asked impishly personal questions of anyone with something to plug. Richard's gaffes and Judy's nipples cemented the couple's place in the national treasure chest.
Katie Price and Peter Andre
Halfway between a real flesh and blood couple and a fictitious one, in terms of body parts alone. Now they are no longer a couple. But they're still around. Like an old fish skin in the bin you forgot to take out before you went on holiday.
Tim and Dawn
OK, so they weren't real, but their relationship in The Office seemed a lot more normal than some others – cough, above – I can mention. Also, of course, there are Jim and Pam, their counterparts in the American Office, who have been at it so long they've actually married them off now. Unlike…
Ross and Rachel
TEN SEASONS they managed to drag that sodding romance out. And it wasn't even clear it was going to last in the end. You should know when you have a really good thing. And then kill it, like…
Captain Jack and Ianto
They were lovely, until (seriously? You haven't seen Children of Earth yet? OK, OK – SPOILER ahead) one of them shuffled off this mortal coil. There, that's more of a hint than a spoiler… Except one of them's immortal. Damn.
Marge and Homer
The Simpsons have not only lasted longer than most real life non-yellow people, they will never die. Not ever. They don't even age.
Jack and Vera
Well, there has to be at least one soap couple represented in any list, and at least this one never tried to kill each other, apart from apparently trying to "really annoying nasal voice"each other to death.
Buffy and Angel
Yes, some said it was wrong: she was a high-school student, he was 240 years old, and a vampire (well, mainly) but that didn't stop them being in love and making really really loud squelching noises when they kissed. Really. Try watching them again now. Squelch squelch squelch.
Basil & Sybil
Surely there could be no better advertisement for the institution of marriage, for long-term, unquestioning, supportive commitment than Basil and … no, hang on a second, sorry. I was thinking of…
Cliff and Clair Huxtable
They raised approximately eleventy-billion beautiful children on the Cosby Show, and they did it in one of the most expensive cities in the world AND while holding down high-powered jobs as a lawyer and a doctor.
But who should have been a couple and wasn't? Daisy and Tim from Spaced were the couple who almost were but weren't quite; Mark and Jeremy from Peep Show might as well be; and Morse and Lewis were the mismatched police romance of the century.
Now, who else? Couples real or not real, and not-really couples who should have been…
