

Bernie and Wanda from The Bernie Mac Show
Based on the late Bernie Mac’s real life marriage and adoption of his sister’s children, Bernie and Wanda did their best to make the adjustment from childless couple to insta-parents without sacrificing the life they had built together.

George and Louise (a.k.a. Weezy) from The Jeffersons
George was never one to hold his tongue, hurling (loving) insults in Weezy’s direction every chance he could. It took a special kind of woman to endure George’s disposition, and Weezy was just that woman.

Martin and Gina from Martin
Essentially the 1990s version of George and Weezy, Martin and Gina traded insults and laughs in between their crazy adventures and hijinks with a close-knit group of friends.

Steve and Laura from Family Matters
This is probably the most unlikely couple in the history of television, but Steve Urkel’s perseverance (or annoyance) eventually won over the girl of his dreams, Laura Winslow. Their relationship gave hope to black nerds across the nation.

Julius and Rochelle from Everybody Hates Chris
These working-class heroes showed us the amusing ups and downs of raising kids in the inner-city in the mid-1980s. If the Cosby’s represented our aspirations, the Phillips were more in-line with many folks reality.

Michael and Jay from My Wife and Kids
An updated Cosby-like couple sprinkled with the Wayans signature wacky comedic style, Michael and Jay traversed the trials and tribulations of raising kids in the new millennium while attempting to maintain the spark that brought them together in the first place. They weren’t always successful, but the were generally fun to watch.

Noah and Wade from Noah’s Arc
Noah’s Arc looked to help fill the void of homosexual representation in television and with that gave us Noah and Wade, who found true love in a world that often roots against them.

James and Florida from Good Times
The Evans family may have been “scratchin’ and survivin’” for the duration of their TV existence, but through all of adversity, Florida and James did they best they could to infuse their less than favorable economic situation with an abundance of love and care.

Curtis and Ella from House of Payne
Loud, boisterous, and never short on the one-liners, this couple applies a bit of old-school thinking to modern day issues, grounding their family in spirituality…when they’re not laughing at one another.

Melanie and Derwin from The Game
Break-up to make-up is the name of the game with these two. They finally married what was presumed to be the series finale, but now that the show has been picked up by BET, fans will get to experience all new drama as Melanie and Derwin embark on a life together.

Philip and Vivian from The Fresh Price of Bel-Air
Affectionately known to the show’s star as Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv, these two were a loving couple and dedicated parents, providing for all of their children’s needs and wants. It didn’t hurt that they were filthy rich.

Overton and Synclaire from Living Single
A match made in TV heaven, the dopey Overton and the eccentric Synclaire fit together perfectly, much to the chagrin of their chronically single and searching roommates and friends.

Dwayne and Whitley from A Different World
Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert were destined to be together…well, after Denise Huxtable left Hillman College and Dwayne was forced to get over her. But once he and Whitley set their sights on each other, nothing, not even Whitley’s engagement to another man, could keep them apart.

Heathcliff and Clair from The Cosby Show
This doctor and lawyer combination represented the bourgeois aspirations of many in the post-Civil Rights era and changed the way America viewed the black family dynamic. Oh, and they were hilarious.
The television season is upon us, seeing the return of some old favorites and introducing new characters seeking our attention. NBC is rolling out a bevy of new shows, among them the Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw starring vehicle, Undercovers. The show is an action-adventure spy thriller that sees Kodjoe and Mbatha-Raw paired as a married CIA couple, seeking to build on the legacy of black TV couples that exhibit amazing on-screen chemistry. Here are 15 other television couples that have captured our hearts over the years.