The Greatest TV Shows About Star-Crossed Lovers And Other Doomed Relationships
Ranker TVList RulesVote up the best scripted shows with the central themes of star-crossed lovers, one-sided relationships, and unreciprocated romance.
Sure romance is great but have you tried getting completely wrapped up in a story about unrequited love? Whether the lovers are star-crossed, their relationship is forbidden, or their ship never sails no matter how clearly it was destined to be, unrequited love adds delicious complexity to any romantic storyline.
Whether their lives just seem to never align even when their hearts do (Normal People), there is a character cultivating a passionately one-sided relationship (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), or if it just won't work because: magic (Buffy), unrequited love can be the thing that keeps us watching. Will they or won't they? And will we be actually kind of disappointed if they do? Luckily, some star-crossed romance series, like Once Upon A Time, have enough character pairings and things that get in the way of those pairings to keep our hearts going and our faves pining.
Their relationship may be star-crossed but let your vote aim true and vote up your favorite shows about unrequited love.
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377Normal People
Daisy Edgar-Jones, Paul MescalPremiered: 2020
Normal People (Hulu, BBC, 2020) is a television drama series based on the novel of the same... more2
307Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Rachel Bloom, Vincent Rodriguez IIIPremiered: 2015
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW, 2015) is an American romantic musical comedy-drama television... more3
241Carnival Row
Orlando Bloom, Cara DelevingnePremiered: 2019
Carnival Row (Amazon Video, 2019) is an American neo-noir fantasy web television series... more4
3111Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson HanniganPremiered: 1997
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (The WB, 1997) is an American supernatural drama television series... more5
224Chuck
Zachary Levi, Yvonne StrahovskiPremiered: 2007
Chuck (NBC, 2007) is an American action-comedy/spy-drama television series created by Josh... more6
2512Star-Crossed
Aimee Teegarden, Matt LanterStar-Crossed is an American science fiction romantic drama television series created by... more7
187Once Upon a Time
Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer MorrisonPremiered: 2011
Once Upon a Time is an American fairy tale drama series that premiered on October 23, 2011, on... more8
154True Blood
Anna Paquin, Stephen MoyerPremiered: 2008
True Blood (HBO, 2008) is an American fantasy horror drama television series created by Alan... more9
154Dracula
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jessica De GouwPremiered: 2013
Dracula is a British-American horror drama television series that premiered on NBC on October... more10
2011Moonlight
Alex O'Loughlin, Sophia MylesPremiered: 2007
Moonlight is an American paranormal romance television drama created by Ron Koslow and Trevor... more11
2417Still Star-Crossed
Lashana Lynch, Sterling SuliemanStill Star-Crossed (ABC, 2017) is a period drama television series produced by Shonda Rhimes'... more12
2012Just Good Friends
Paul Nicholas, Jan FrancisPremiered: 1983
Just Good Friends is a British sitcom written by John Sullivan. It starred Paul Nicholas and... more13
2115Pushing Daisies
Lee Pace, Anna FrielPremiered: 2007
Pushing Daisies (ABC, 2007) is an American fantasy comedy-drama television series created by... more14
147Ally McBeal
Calista Flockhart, Greg GermannPremiered: 1997
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama television series, originally aired on Fox from... more15
102The Ex List
Elizabeth Reaser, Rachel BostonPremiered: 2008
The Ex List is an American comedy-drama television series based on the Israeli series The... more16
1712Witches of East End
Julia Ormond, Jenna Dewan TatumPremiered: 2013
Witches of East End (Lifetime, 2013) is an American supernatural drama series developed by... more17
1712Cloak & Dagger
Olivia Holt, Aubrey JosephPremiered: 2018
Cloak & Dagger (Freeform, 2018) is an American cable television series created by Joe Pokaski,... more18
108You Me Her
Greg Poehler, Rachel BlanchardPremiered: 2016
You Me Her (HBO Canada, 2016) is an American-Canadian comedy-drama television series. The... more19
52Angel
David Boreanaz, Charisma CarpenterPremiered: 1999
Angel (The WB, 1999) is an American supernatural television series created by Joss Whedon and... more20
1010Pretty Little Liars
Troian Bellisario, Ashley BensonPremiered: 2010
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family, 2010) is an American teen drama mystery–thriller television... more21
42The Thorn Birds
Christopher Plummer, Barbara StanwyckPremiered: 1983
The Thorn Birds is a television mini-series broadcast on ABC between 27 and 30 March 1983. It... more22
42Lost Girl
Anna Silk, Kris Holden-RiedPremiered: 2010
Lost Girl is a Canadian supernatural drama television series that premiered on Showcase on... more23
1011The Thorn Birds
Kim Min-jungPremiered: 2011
The Thorn Birds is a 2011 South Korean television series shown on KBS2, where one woman... more24
50Lucifer
Tom Ellis, Lauren GermanPremiered: 2015
Lucifer (Fox, 2016) is an American fantasy police procedural comedy-drama television series... more25
21The Vampire Diaries
Nina Dobrev, Paul WesleyPremiered: 2009
The Vampire Diaries (The CW, 2009) is an American supernatural teen drama television series... more
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