If there is one thing that drives us as human beings, it is love. It is part of our daily lives and in every one of our relationships, whether it is with a partner, family and friends, or even pets. And perhaps that is whyromanceis a theme that runs through virtually every film and television story, regardless of their genre. Every person who makes up an audience has felt love, and most have had their hearts broken at one time or another, which is why it is so easy to identify withdifferent romantic charactersin film and television and what they go through in terms of relationships. That is, to a great extent, what made the romantic genre so popular. Over the years, many elements of romantic movies and shows have become emblematic, from quotes andgrand gestures of loveall the way to entire scenes.
Update June 06, 2025: This article has been updated by Soniya Hinduja with more heartwarming and satisfying romance TV shows.
Hundreds of romantic movies have managed to win the audience’s hearts and rank among the genre’s classics, such asTitanic,The Notebook, andNotting Hill, to name just a few. While romantic movies are great entertainment, romance TV series allow us to stay with the characters for much longer, delving more deeply into their relationships over different periods. So much so the audience gets hooked oncertain romantic couples, flooding social media with pictures and discussions about them. Here are some of the best romance TV shows.
13The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022 – Present)
Adapted from the book trilogy written by Jenny Han, who also penned theTo All The Boysseries, this coming-of-age romantic drama transports you to the most beautiful time of your childhood: summer. Belly Conklin has always had satisfying summersat Cousins Beachwith Susannah Fisher and her family. Their annual sojourns didn’t stop when the kids grew up. In fact, they only grew intense. Now Belly is caught in a love triangle between Conrad and Jeremiah, sharing magnetic moments with the both of them but finding her heart leaning a little towards one side.
Related:Best Romantic Comedies on Netflix, Ranked
As innocent affections deepen, the series mines bittersweet nostalgia. Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, and Gavin Casalengo glow in their roles. Overall,The Summer I Turned Prettyis delicate and charming, the production design is marvelous, and thesoundtrack features songs by Taylor Swift, so can’t really go wrong there.
12Starstruck (2021 – Present)
Rose Matafeo writes, directs, and stars in this BBC comedy romance that follows Jessie, a high-spirited, deeply flawed, live-in-the-moment millennial living in East London. One day, at a New Year’s Eve bash, she meets a handsome stranger. There is an instant chemistry between them, and without thinking too much, Jessie heads home with him. Recipe for a meet-cute? Hold on a second. Jessie only finds out later that the man she slept with is the movie siren, Tom Kapoor. Despite belonging from vastly different backgrounds, there beginsa will-they-won’t-they tensionbetween the two that unfurls over two seasons.Starstruckperfects its romance by putting two charming, witty, and irresistible leads on screen and adding a poppy soundtrack to their story.
11Sweet Magnolias (2020 - Present)
JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Brooke Elliott and Heather Headley star inSweet Magnolias, Sheryl J. Anderson’s romantic TV series based on Sherryl Woods' book of the same name. In this series, the actresses play Maddie, Dana, and Helen, three friends living in South Carolina who have been together all their lives. Now, they must face the complexities of love and family, as well as the different struggles in their professional lives, demonstrating that it is never too late to start over. This show premiered in 2020 on Netflix and recently aired its third season in June 2023.
10Outlander (2014 – Present)
While romances are best played out in realistic settings, there is something oddly satisfying about period pieces. They not onlyprovide a much-needed escapismbut also make you understand that soulmates can defy time or space. The beginning ofOutlanderis adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s novels. It features Claire Beauchamp Randall, a nurse serving in World War II in 1940s Britain, discovering a passageway from present-day and traveling straight into the brawny arms of Highland warrior Jamie Fraser.
The year is 1743, and the world is plagued by constant fighting, famine, death, and rebellion. Claire never intended to get involved, but with Jaime at her side, nothing seemed impossible. Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan share a steamy chemistry that fogs the screen. Moreover, the show’s rich period detail, the castles and decor, and sheer drama only make it more interesting.
9How I Met Your Mother (2005 - 2014)
Who hasn’t heard the story of how their parents met over a million times? Drawing from that idea and their own experiences in life, Craig Thomas and Carter Bays createdHow I Met Your Mother, a series that ran from 2005 to 2014. Starring Josh Radnor alongside Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, and Alyson Hannigan, this showfollows Ted Mosbyas he recounts to his children the story of how he first got to know their mother, centering on the adventures he had growing up with his best friends and navigating his way through dozens of failed dates and heartbreaks. The series was so popular that it launched a spin-off series titledHow I Met Your Father, which just finished its second season on Hulu.
8New Girl (2011 – 2018)
Friends turned lovers is a trope we simply cannot resist. And to watch the same play out through five whole seasons is a feast for the hopeless romantics.New Girlbreezed into the sitcom landscape back in 2011 with Zooey Deschanel’s quirky, sometimes oblivious but always adorable Jessica Day, who moves in with three guys after dumping her boyfriend who was cheating on her.
What follows isn’t just a generation-defining friendship between Nick, Schmidt, and Winston but a laugh-out-loud romance. The characters are all incredible in their own right, and while Nick and Jess’s connection sparks an interest in the viewers, the romance of Cece and Schmidt became a breakout one. From professing their love to breaking up and getting back together, they found a home in our hearts while also being downright funny. Basically,New Girlredefined TV comfort viewing.
7Once Upon a Time (2011 - 2017)
Everyone knows that many classic Disney fairytales center on concepts of true love’s kiss, so that makes for an interesting launching point for the ABC seriesOnce Upon a Time. The series' main plot was about fairy tale characters that were transported to the real world, but the true heart of the series was the various relationships and romances that popped up.
Related:Every Season of Once Upon a Time, Ranked
There was the classic romance of Snow White and Prince Charming, whose love was so powerful that it gave birth to the savior of these fairy tale creatures. That daughter grew up to be Emma Swan, who herself had a major romance with the former villain, Captain Hook. Even many of the villains, like the Evil Queen and Rumpelstiltskin, were given major romances that helped them find redemption.Once Upon a Timewas a series centered on how love could inspire and save a person, fitting the magical fairytales that inspired it.
6Bridgerton (2020 - Present)
In December 2020,Bridgertonemerged as one of Netflix’s most popular series, garnering fans worldwide. This Chris Van Dusen production based on Julia Quinn’s novels is set in London during the Regency Era and follows the lives, conflicts, and varying love dilemmas of British high society, focusing on the Bridgerton family.Bridgerton, which already boasts two seasons and was renewed for another two, features an ensemble cast of talented actors such as Julie Andrews, Phoebe Dynevor, Regé-Jean Page, Jonathan Bailey, Nicola Coughlan, and Claudia Jessie.
5This Is Us (2016 - 2022)
This Is Usis a show that triggers all kinds of emotions in the audience, as people quickly empathize with one or several characters. Created by Dan Fogelman and starring Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, and Justin Hartley, alongside a great ensemble cast,This Is Usfollows a couple and their three children at different points in their lives as they navigate different conflicts. The series' success lies in its combination of comedic and dramatic elements, as well as common situations that arise in the lives of people and families.This Is Uspremiered in September 2016 and ran for six seasons, wrapping up in January 2022.
4Grey’s Anatomy (2005 - Present)
Grey’s Anatomyis a medical drama TV series that follows the lives of interns, doctors, and nurses at Seattle Grace Hospital (now Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital), focusing mainly on Meredith Grey’s life and career. But apart from that, this show grew so popular thanks to its numerous storylines involving love and heartbreak between characters.
The show premiered in 2005 and is still on the air in its 19th season, making it the longest-running scripted primetime show currently airing on ABC. While the cast has morphed over the seasons, some of its most popular actors are Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T. R. Knight, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr.
