I’m sure there are more, but all three of these shows have the same basic concept. Man is in love with a blonde woman, but can’t tell her for one reason or another. Blonde woman is also in love with man, but can’t tell. Man dates brunette friend because he can’t have the blonde. However, there is no reason he can’t have the blonde, except for his inability to tell her the truth.
Ok, so I know that Ed would be over if Carol and Ed got together, but come on. How long can they drag it out? It’s such a tired and unrealistic concept. In real life, people do not just sit and yearn for someone who is right in front of them. They either get together or get rejected.
Any others? Yeah! Tons! I’ve lost track of the shows playing “will they or won’t they” for years at a time.
Northern Exposure.
Moonlighting (David & Maddie)
Who’s the Boss? (Tony & Angela)
The Nanny
Frasier (Daphne & Niles)
JAG (Harm & Mac)
It’s become a truism that shows “jump the shark” whenever the romantic leads get married, and there’s some truth to that. But I think producers are so afraid of that shark, they keep on playing the “will they or won’t they game” long after people have stopped caring.
It’s called sexual tension. It’s a very popular device and an example of how tension and anticipation can drive a plot. Once they get it together you see how the anticipation was always better than the event and the show, to all intents, is over.
Except when it’s not over, and they drag it out for another two seasons oblivious.
I hate to even mention this, but it sometimes -does- happen. I pined over a blonde for 10 years, never telling her, and always the timing was bad- then a rather dramatic medical problem happened, I was shocked into realizing what little time we might have, so I told her…
And she stomped my heart flat. Ah well.
But just sayin’, these things -do- happen, even if they’re overdone on TV