The 25 Best Romantic TV Shows to Watch Now, from ‘Moonlighting’ to ‘Normal People’

If there’s anything TV is built for, it’s creating a satisfying romance. The prospect of watching the same characters for several episodes, several years potentially, and see them evolve means that fans can watch as a pairing meet, bicker, fall in love, get together (and maybe do those last two steps over and over again for some on-and-off-again tension), and reach relationship milestones that film can’t really cover with the same breadth. One of TV’s very first hits, “I Love Lucy,” didn’t have the word “love” in it for nothing — at its core, it was a story of a loving (if hectic) marriage.

As the medium has evolved, TV has been littered with absolutely iconic couples. Sitcoms like “Cheers,” “The Office,” or “New Girl” mined gold from the will-they-won’t-they between pairings like Sam and Diane, Pam and Jim, Jess and Nick. Soap operas such as “General Hospital” made the marriage between Luke and Laura a massive must-see event. You don’t have to look too far on the internet to see fans breathlessly shipping characters on procedurals like Stabler and Benson in “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.”

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In most of the shows listed above, the romance is decidedly secondary to laughs or melodrama or crime. But as the dramedy category of TV has developed, a new sort of show has emerged, one that makes romance the main attraction. Think of a show like “Sex and the City,” which combines comedy with some lusty sex scenes and many sharp observations about late ’90s dating. Or, think of shows like “You’re the Worst,” “Normal People,” “Starstruck,” or “Catastrophe,” which focuses on a single couple navigating the highs and lows of a long-term relationship. Or, think of “Bridgerton,” and the wave of period romances that have begun to follow in its blockbuster success. Whatever type of romance you want — funny, sad, sincere, campy, or realistic — you can now find it if you look hard enough on streaming.

With “Nobody Wants This,” a new romantic comedy series starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, now streaming on Netflix, IndieWire put together a guide of the best romantic series to watch right now. We excluded traditional sitcoms like “Cheers,” as well as some shows like “Fleabag” where the romance is just one part of the story instead of the main thrust, from this list. Read on for 25 great romantic TV shows to watch right now.

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