Which TV show has the greatest onscreen kiss of all time? Which is so good it saved someone’s marriage? Guardian readers pick their most beloved romcoms
Tummy-flipping kisses and a chlamydia love story: TV’s best ever romcoms
The ultimate TV romcom. I still remember watching the episode with Nick and Jess’s first kiss for the first time, and in my opinion (as well, I believe, as that of many of my generation) it remains the greatest TV kiss. While Nick and Jess are the centre, the comedy between the friends and the other romances along the way mean that I never tire of rewatching. Kate, 35, Liverpool
Two older men, both of whom believe themselves to be unlovable, find their way to each other while being pirates. It was beautifully filmed, with heartbreak along the way and love in the end. It deserved its final, yet tragically cancelled farewell season to finish its marvellous story. Missa, 63, Seattle
Mum may look like just another cosy BBC sitcom about tea, awkward relatives, and repressed emotions, but it’s actually the finest romantic comedy ever, disguised as small talk. The show’s brilliance lies in its restraint: no sweeping gestures or orchestral love themes, just Cathy (Lesley Manville) and Michael (Peter Mullan) quietly orbiting each other for three seasons while everyone around them behaves like well-meaning chaos in human form. It’s Pride and Prejudice reimagined, with Mr Darcy offering to take the bins out instead of confessing his love. What makes Mum unbeatable is its utter normality. Cathy and Michael’s romance unfolds at the speed of a polite British queue – agonisingly slow, full of gentle pauses, and absolutely worth the wait. When they finally hold hands, it feels like the emotional equivalent of fireworks, if fireworks were powered by tea and kindness. It’s the romcom that proves love doesn’t need grand declarations, just a shared smile across a crowded living room and maybe a sausage roll or two. Stephen, 51, Liverpool
