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The Best Slow-Burn Romances on TV

17 items

Karen Akins

Warning! This list contains spoilers. 💖 I love a good slow-burn romance. Some of my favorite TV shows feature characters that take a bit of time (and drama) to fall for each other. Here are all-time favorites! Note: this list contains affiliate and ...

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Comedies

Dramas

Comedies

There's nothing like a slow-simmering romance building in a fun rom-com scenario.

There were two well-written slow-burn romances (Nick & Jess and CeCe & Schmidt) I have to give the win to Nick and Jess, especially as they have one of the best TV kisses of all time.

New Girl - Nick & Jess

If there's a more iconic slow-burn romance than Ross and Rachel, I'd love to see it. Their on-again, off-again, complicated, “we were on a break!” relationship was maddening at times but all the sweeter when they finally found their way to each other...

Friends - Ross & Rachel

How I Met Your Mother (or HIMYM) is one of my all-time favorite shows, period. The mystery behind who the mother is keeps the intrigue fresh, and the final season was both weird and fun as the mother's identity was revealed. Technically, they fell in...

How I Met Your Mother - Ted & The Mother

I loved the show The Nanny. The two main characters had a fun, flirty, opposites attract chemistry. Definitely worth the wait for them to get together!

The Nanny - Fran Fine & Maxwell Scheffield

I could have also chosen Dwight and Angela, but Jim and Pam are so iconic. Those first few seasons of waiting for them to find their way to each other were brutal but worth it in the end.

The Office - Jim & Pam

It's a throwback, but I loved Whitley and Dwayne Wayne's sweet but slow path to each other on A Different World. They both had a lot of character growth over the years, which made the wait all the more interesting.

A Different World - Whitley and Dwayne Wayne

Ben and Leslie's romance certainly wasn't the slowest to burn, but they had the whole “forbidden romance” thing going which was super-fun. I just love their sweet love story throughout the whole series of Park and Rec.

Parks and Recreation - Leslie Knope & Ben Wyatt

The opposites attract of Jake's goofiness and Amy's uptightness make their slow-burn romance all the sweeter as it develops.

Brooklyn Nine - Jake & Amy

I love a good mismatched couple, and Miles Silverberg and Corky Sherwood were a total mismatch with great chemistry in Murphy Brown.

Murphy Brown - Miles & Corky

I loved this version of Superman in high school. It only went for a few seasons, but it was cheesy good fun and so heartwarming. They threw a gazillion and a half obstacles in Lois and Clark's way as they got together.

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

Dramas

Nothing says “drama-rama” like a super slow-burn romance. I especially like shows where the building romance is in the background.

Brennan and Booth have such a loooooong slow-burn romance with a fun love/annoy dynamic, but it was worth the wait for sure.

Bones - Brennan & Booth

Some viewers gave up hope that Mulder and Scully would ever get together, but not me. The truth (and true love) is out there.

The X-Files - Mulder & Scully

The wait for this one almost seemed cruel, but I liked how natural and friendship-based Jane and Lisbon's romance is in the end on The Mentalist.

The Mentalist - Jane & Lisbon

I'm a big Trekkie. Commander Riker and Counselor Troi had a history when the show started, but I love the development of their relationship as the series went on. (Even if there was a weird Worf detour on Troi's part.)

Star Trek - Riker & Troi

All right. Technically, this was a mini series and not a TV series, but Anne and Gilbert's long-blooming love is my favorite of all time.

Anne of Green Gables - Anne & Gilbert

They may not have gotten the HEA that they deserved, but Matthew and Mary's slow path to each other through so many obstacles was the definition of love conquers all.

Downton Abbey - Matthew & Mary

For two characters who seem so obviously destined for each other from the first episode, it sure did take them a while to work it out. But that's the fun of a slow-burn romance.

Castle - Beckett & Castle