There are some surefire ways to douse a smoldering romance. Here are four of them.
No-No #1. Let them become a couple. Nothing kills a show faster than putting the leads together romantically. Daytime dramas have made an industry out of star-crossed lovers. And half a century of prime time television experience verifies it.
Criminal lawyer Perry Mason and his secretary Della Street kept things strictly legal in this long-running 60's show, but audiences were always left wondering about the briefs. If Dr. Benjamin Franklin Hawkeye Pierce and nurse Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan had broken military fraternization rules, M*A*S*H's run would have been as short as the actual Korean War instead of lasting for 11 seasons and dominating the 70's.
This rule was forgotten in the 80's, which was littered with romantic disasters. The sun quickly set on Moonlighting once bickering detectives David Addison and Maddie Hayes hit the sheets, and it was case closed for Remington Steele after Laura Holt and the man himself tied the knot. We wanted to believe in Fox Mulder and Dana Scully and the X-Files in the 90's but lost interest once the truth of their relationship was out there.
At the beginning of the new millennium, television took a turn towards procedural shows where men and women often worked together in law enforcement but did not have any kind of personal history or interaction to draw on. As the decade shifts to a close, there has been a shift back to real partnerships.
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2. Michael Westen and Fiona Glenanne, Burn Notice. When this spy got burned, one of his few allies was his explosive ex-girlfriend. But between their volatile history and his uncertain future, rekindling their romance could be playing with fire.
Just had to comment that Mad About You is another show where, after the baby arrived, just wasn't interesting enough anymore.
Just had to comment that Mad About You is another show where, after the baby arrived, just wasn’t interesting enough anymore.
I forgot about "Mad About You."nbsp; Yes, that is pretty much when I stopped watching as well.nbsp; That show had a good cast too.
I forgot about “Mad About You.”nbsp; Yes, that is pretty much when I stopped watching as well.nbsp; That show had a good cast too.
Hello, y Canadian buddy and comrade in arms ;)
Great article, and an absolutely stunning picture of Bones and Booth.
You know me, all about wanting certain couples to get together…Fringe's Peter and Olivia, Booth and Bones (as a couple, not as a "here is the container, we have placed magazines and xxx dvd's in the room should you need some enticement" sort of thing ;)
I am loving the chemistry between Pete and Myka on Warehouse 13- but I think as a couple they are doomed to fail.
(Besides, I want Pete for myself)
Hello, y Canadian buddy and comrade in arms ;)
Great article, and an absolutely stunning picture of Bones and Booth.
You know me, all about wanting certain couples to get together…Fringe’s Peter and Olivia, Booth and Bones (as a couple, not as a “here is the container, we have placed magazines and xxx dvd’s in the room should you need some enticement” sort of thing ;)
I am loving the chemistry between Pete and Myka on Warehouse 13- but I think as a couple they are doomed to fail.
(Besides, I want Pete for myself)
Thanks, Pixie. Isn't that a fab photo? I grabbed it as soon as I found it.
Do you really want them to actually be together and be lovey-dovey and all smoochy for 60 minutes a week? Or do you want to watch the tension and the angst and be able to moan and grumble about how they should be together and come back next time for more? Personally, I think the grumbling is oodles more fun.
Thanks, Pixie. Isn’t that a fab photo? I grabbed it as soon as I found it.
Do you really want them to actually be together and be lovey-dovey and all smoochy for 60 minutes a week? Or do you want to watch the tension and the angst and be able to moan and grumble about how they should be together and come back next time for more? Personally, I think the grumbling is oodles more fun.
Very nice! The writers definitely need a deft touch when handling these things. As you might have guessed, I think the writers of "Bones" could take a lesson (or 300) from the writers of "Burn Notice."
Precisely. We want them to get together. They want to get together. But they don't get together and we keep watching. No wonder BN got renewed again.
Very nice! The writers definitely need a deft touch when handling these things. As you might have guessed, I think the writers of “Bones” could take a lesson (or 300) from the writers of “Burn Notice.”
Precisely. We want them to get together. They want to get together. But they don’t get together and we keep watching. No wonder BN got renewed again.
Is it always true that the couples can't work? Yeah the tension keeps you coming back but can't there be another thing too, please? The slow dance of attraction is great, realization and valuing of one's compatibility in the non-couple pursuits such as work and play, then could be the slow courting, then the decision to be friends or something else, with real discussion about how they are feeling without silly soap distractions…I want to see trust and love people! and then the slow savor of passion; these could take years. Smoldering is so much better than wham.
Or can the excellent working relationship develop into friends of such depth that the audience comes back for that; true character stuff.
In short, I want tv to be my escape, and to show me how to be better at relating to other people… now I am going to wave my wand fix that pesky world hunger problem.
Couples can't work and be happy. It's a rule, sorry :)
I completely agree on the smoldering vs wham.
Is it always true that the couples can’t work? Yeah the tension keeps you coming back but can’t there be another thing too, please? The slow dance of attraction is great, realization and valuing of one’s compatibility in the non-couple pursuits such as work and play, then could be the slow courting, then the decision to be friends or something else, with real discussion about how they are feeling without silly soap distractions…I want to see trust and love people! and then the slow savor of passion; these could take years. Smoldering is so much better than wham.
Or can the excellent working relationship develop into friends of such depth that the audience comes back for that; true character stuff.
In short, I want tv to be my escape, and to show me how to be better at relating to other people… now I am going to wave my wand fix that pesky world hunger problem.
Couples can’t work and be happy. It’s a rule, sorry :)
I completely agree on the smoldering vs wham.
I liked Fi and Michael the first two seasons but now they're boring, putting them together would be a total bust.
Bones and Booth are so hawt there's no way they'll get together and not still remain popular and they'll keep the sexual chemistry.
I don't think Bones and Booth are going to get married but if they have a baby that'll be totally awesome.
I liked Fi and Michael the first two seasons but now they’re boring, putting them together would be a total bust.
Bones and Booth are so hawt there’s no way they’ll get together and not still remain popular and they’ll keep the sexual chemistry.
I don’t think Bones and Booth are going to get married but if they have a baby that’ll be totally awesome.