entertainment

14 of the most iconic TV friendships of all time.

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Everything we know about friendship, we learned from these fictional BFFs.

At the press of a button, a load of a DVD or a quick scan of Netflix, we can have all we need right there in our lounge room with us — our best friends.

These TV besties listen without judgement and entertain and comfort us endlessly.

They’re not just any friends; they’re the best of the best. And we’ve rounded up 14 of these iconic TV friendships for you to catch up with.

1. Ernie and Bert.

For nearly half a century, Ernie and Bert have been two of the most famous friends in television history. Just like it wasn’t bath time without your rubber ducky, it wasn’t a childhood without watching our pals on Sesame Street. Ernie and Bert really taught us how to get along with others and that two people with totally different personalities can still be great friends…

2. Nina and Billie Proudman.

The exploits of the Proudman family entertained, engaged and devastated viewers for five solid seasons. We fawned over Nina’s wardrobe, drooled over Patrick… and cried over every character’s wins and losses. But it was the relationship between sisters Nina and Billie that was the highlight of it all.

3. JD and Turk.

It’s guy love between twoooo guuuuys. Arguably the best moments from the Scrubs series involved the relationship between JD and Turk. They were together from college to med school, throughout residency and parenthood — with all manners of secret handshakes, scooter gangs and couple costumes in between.

4. B1 and B2.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? If you’re thinking that the Bananas in Pyjamas are basically Australian icons, then yes you are. Growing up with these besties (along with Amy, Lulu, Morgan and the Rat in the Hat) gave us serious #SquadGoals.

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5. Joey and Chandler.

Sorry Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and Monica —  but Joey and Chandler’s best-friendship was by far the best of the Friends bunch. With a shared love of Baywatch and joint custody of Duck and Chick, could there BE a cuter bromance than J-Man and Chan-Chan?

 

6. Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins.

Uteruses before duderuses. Ovaries before brovaries. Leslie and Ann’s bond on Parks and Recreation began with a shared devotion to turning lot 48 into a park, but grew into so much more. This duo proved that friends don’t always have to be on the same page – literally, Leslie was dismayed that Ann didn’t like Harry Potter — but can still love each other just the same.

7. Troy Barnes and Abed Nadir.

This duo from the cult classic Community will make you wish that you and your best friend had your own imaginary talk show, could rap in Spanish and live in a blanket fort.

8. Ryan Atwood and Seth Cohen.

Ryan Atwood was the clever but troubled kid from the wrong side of the tracks while Seth Cohen was the sheltered geek from a super-loaded family. But both felt like outsiders of the pretentious Newport scene on the ’00s classic, The OC. Through ‘juvie’, pregnancy scares, punch-ups and shoot-outs – this bromance endured. Ryan imparted his worldly wisdom on talking to the laydeez, while Seth taught Ryan about the power of Christmakkuh.

9. Bart Simpson and Milhouse Van Houten.

Bart Simpson and his much-maligned best mate Milhouse showed us that essentially, everyone needs a partner in crime, a fall guy, a goofy sidekick willing to put up with the relentless efforts to get him in trouble.

10. Lizzie McGuire and David “Gordo” Gordon.

This early noughties teen sitcom was about the shy, clumsy Lizzie McGuire who (alongside her animated alter ego) dreamed of being popular and fitting in — the usual high school business. It was her friendship with the goofy Gordo that made this show. While he was stuck in the “friend zone” for the majority of the television series, Gordo finally got the girl in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. It was what dreams are made of.

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11. Catdog.

This weird but hilarious animated kids’ show told the tale of conjoined brothers, one of whom is a cat and the other a dog. With the sophisticated Cat at constant odds with the silly Dog, this forced friendship taught us all the value of patience and understanding when it comes to those we love.

12. Karen Walker and Jack McFarland.

Sure, the show was called Will & Grace but let’s be real — the actual stars were Karen and Jack. They were equally narcissistic, inappropriate and hilarious, especially when together.

13. Cristina Yang and Meredith Grey.

Forget McDreamy or McSteamy – the real love story on Grey’s Anatomy was the friendship between Cristina and Meredith. They were each others ‘person’, the Twisted Sisters. They drink tequila and they dance it out.

14. Kermit and Miss Piggy.

This slightly dysfunctional but completely adorable interspecies relationship from The Muppets is based on a solid friendship — as much as Kermie might not have wanted to admit.

 

Who are your favourite TV BFFs and why?

 

Here are some of our favourite celeb friendships:

 

Want more? Try these:

9 of the most mind-blowing, unlikely celebrity friendships of all time.

The best fictional female friendships of all time.