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When television families first populated the TV screen, we caught glimpses of the "perfect" families like Father Knows Best, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, Leave it to Beaver, and the Donna Reed Show. Each family had a little crisis situation on each show but didn't quarrel or raise their voices and always called each other "dear".

Within half an hour, the situation was resolved and we'd wait for next weeks show.

Rob and Laura Petrie of the Dick Van Dyke Show didn't live a perfect storybook life. He was boorish, she was petulant and arguments ensued over small things like Rob bringing in the laundry from off the clothesline. They had spats and he walked out of the house to spend the night elsewhere. Elsewhere happened to be in the cold garage, but it had the desired comedy effect.

The Dick Van Dyke Show was a comedy sitcom, but it was a great showcase for the talent and versatility of the entire cast that included Rosemarie and Morey Amsterdam. Van Dyke was an exceptional showman talent that was never exploited in later TV shows.

Rob and Laura weren't cast as the screens greatest lovers, but as a talented married couple they showed us a more complete image of television couples. Carl Reiner was the creator and producer.

Carl Reiner's son, Rob Reiner starred with Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton in the TV sitcom, All in the Family. If realism is your thing, Archie Bunker and Edith provided it ten fold. Bigoted, rash and loud-mouthed Archie taught us some truths about our culture and what really went on in some families back in the 1970s.

The superb acting by O'Connor and Stapleton led us to dislike him intensely and empathize with her, but to quote Edith Bunker, "No matter how many times he calls me dingbat, I always hear a little sweetheart in there." It may not be romance, but that's love. Norman Lear won a slew of Emmys for this show.

Roseanne and Dan Connor put the fun in dysfunctional in the sitcom, Roseanne. They were made for each other and perfectly cast for this raucous couple in heartland America.

Fox Mulder and Dana Scully were strikingly handsome as a working couple in the X-Files. The platonic duo had audiences hoping they would finally become a romantic couple. What, and ruin a great show? Their chemistry was wonderful.

Finally we have the official "will they or won't they list" from IGN TV listed from number five to number one.

*Jim and Pam, The Office
*Ross and Rachel, Friends
*Maddie and David, Moonlighting
*Buffy and Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
*Sam and Diane, Cheers

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Through the years, we've seen lovers yearn, couples explode with passion, and others live out the scenes portraying a different side of family life. Whatever your preference, romance and tenderness has not left the TV screen yet even in the nuttiest of families. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

The side effect of writing this article is that I can't get the closing theme of All in the Family out of my head. Thanks Archie!

Learn more about this author, Mona Gallagher.
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