Top 30 Most Long-Awaited TV Kisses

These TV kisses were a long time coming. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the TV characters who took what felt like forever to finally kiss on screen. Our countdown includes "The X-Files," "Game of Thrones," "NCIS," and more! What TV kiss did YOU wait a lifetime for? Tell us in the comments!
Watch more great romance videos here:
Top 10 Most Unexpected TV Kisses - • Top 10 Most Unexpected...
Top 10 Most Iconic TV Kisses of All Time - • Top 10 Most Iconic TV ...
Top 10 Last TV Kisses - • Top 10 Last TV Kisses
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MsMojo is a leading producer of reference online video content of Top 10 Lists, Origins, Biographies, Commentary and more on Pop Culture, Celebrity, Movies, Music, TV, Film, Video Games, Politics, News, Comics, Superheroes. Your trusted authority on ranking Pop Culture.
#Kisses #TV #Romance #Relationships #Couples

[@MsMojo]

Which TV kiss did YOU wait a lifetime for? Let us know below, and check out our video of the Top 10 Most Unexpected TV Kisses - kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6W0foJtftmrl6s

[@Buffy8Fan]

#1 is the perfect #1 until the writers of L&O finally get Benson and Stabler to kiss, then they get to have that spot.

[@kellydiogo8356]

What about zoey and chase from zoey 101

[@NatanZ6172]

walter O brien and paige dineen from scorpion

[@travelcaribbean2009]

Carly and Freddie…

[@lailayen765]

Ross and Rachel... ;-)

[@MCMNasty2]

It’s been 84 years and I’m still waiting for Benson and Stabler. 😂

[@trusha_tungare]

lol same!!🤣

[@radicalreactions1633]

And you're going to keep waiting until the show is over/cancelled, which will likely be soon considering how bad the ratings are since Unstabler is back to take over everything.

[@ashleyvanzanden1184]

I know right

[@MCMNasty2]

@@radicalreactions1633 unstabler tells me all I need to know. LOL

[@ItzMzJulez2U]

@MCMNasty2 SAME! And I agree with @radicalreactions1633…I think they’ll wait til the final season. We’ve seen how once the anticipation is over, viewership dwindles on many shows, they’ve been doing SVU a long time so they know stuff!😉 Also, I’m watching SVU reruns as we speak!❤️

[@calachamberlin2470]

I can’t believe The Nanny wasn’t on this!

[@cataryad661]

I think their first kiss actually came in the first season. They got together quite late, but they kissed quite frequently.

[@DianeOliver-cu3kj]

Yes, I agree.

[@naddlrei502]

Nick and Jess kissing was one of the most iconic kisses of the decade. ❤

[@charlesquinn7622]

That Nick and Jess kiss is the best TV kiss ever. Deeply passionate with none of the ick (Moonlighting kiss -- Cybil Shepard and Bruce Willis a close second).

[@imjoannagaspar]

Ooofff the way I screamed! Wish I could see it all over again!

[@PrinceTrexus]

I know it's an animated show, but Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable definitely made my list, they made us wait 2 long seasons AND at least 2 movies before they kissed for the first time.

[@trinc9015]

Yea! 😍😍😍😍

[@firstthings_first9828]

Yes! I remember that prom scene vividly! I was 6 years old, watching it on my Disney princess tv. I remember being glued to the tv. I was so excited!

[@bikingbuggy4199]

Shawn & Jules from Psych should have been on here! Psych deserves more love. It’s a freaking awesome show that was so well done and anyone who hasn’t seen it, is missing out.

[@davidkearney7933]

They met in episode 2 and we had to wait until Season 5, it was torture.

[@jessicamagri8211]

Man, do they keep not putting them on these lists?? Disappointing!

[@Goonie1287]

I was bummed they weren’t on the list! We waited so long!

[@BarronessM]

Come'on Son

[@user-iz2mx3qq7p]

FINALLY SOMEONE WHO AGREES!

[@caitlinireland4396]

I loved the friendship and ultimate relationship between Patrick Jane and Lisbon. Their banter together... Just perfect

[@karenzaslow3808]

The Mentalist was a great show, but , though it was inevitable, I never liked the romantic pairing of Jane and Lisbon. They were great as friends, but not as a couple. Other than that kiss, they had no romantic chemistry, barely even touching each other until their wedding. I think they only got together because Bruno Keller had to go somewhere else with the show once Red John was gone.

[@voxxy85]

​@@karenzaslow3808wow I never would have guessed they'd end up together. I swear they had no chemistry. But I did stop watching during the early seasons.

[@Dea_2024]

You can't forget the iconic duo of Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen from "The Rookie"! Known affectionately as Chenford, their journey is one for the books. Despite not sharing their first kiss until the finale of season 4 as a practice for an undercover operation, their first real kiss happens only in season 5, episode 10. It's remarkable how their relationship evolved, considering they weren't originally meant to be a couple. When the show started, Tim was married to a drug addict, and Lucy was dating a fellow rookie who was old enough to be her dad. Tim, once a grumpy and troubled training officer with a painful past, found solace in Lucy's sunshine-like presence. Meanwhile, Lucy, with her youthful optimism, brought light into Tim's dark world. Initially, at odds, their dynamic shifted as they became close friends, always supporting each other through thick and thin. Lucy's care and understanding healed Tim in ways he never imagined, while Tim's unwavering protection for Lucy was proven when he saved her from being buried alive after he found her ring in the middle of a desert. He not only dug her out with his bare hands but also brought her back to life by performing CPR on her. They have been with each other through thick and thin; they dated others in the meantime, but finally, in season 5, these two idiots got together.

[@splashyreacts]

Yes! I Love Chenford ❤

[@R989D]

I was coming to say the exact same thing! Their chemistry is perfect, and you could just tell from the start that their bickering/banter had so much fire behind it. I think my favourite moment was the look on Tim's face in the hallway after that first "fake" kiss.

[@motunrayoadetula5388]

I was just about to type this too!!

[@lavieenrosie.]

They are the absolute best!! Just hope the writers don't screw this up... they are perfect!

[@muthonipk]

I know I waited for that chenford kiss

[@HLIMITED]

The fact that Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford from The Rookie isn’t here is a crime. We waited 4 seasons before those two got together.

[@chelseacanales8763]

I was leaping with joy seeing Gilbert and Anne finally kissed

[@jujubees]

You should watch Anne of green gables, the Canadian tv series with Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie. Soooo good!!

[@jenmck23]

​@@jujubees Absolutely! They will always be my Anne and Gilbert! Also check out The Continuing Story if you haven't.

[@jujubees]

@@jenmck23 Oh I have!!! swoon

[@gunstarheroine5173]

All the "partners with unresolved sexual tension" on this list were directly inspired by X Files. It shaped a whole generation of TV.

[@wendysnelgrove5870]

Moonlighting and others predate X files. Even "Who's the Boss" did it. Slow burn, or "will they or won't they" has existed for a long time.

[@jadenchiu1027]

same idk u but do u wanna try and get to k each other, maybe make out bc u like kkissing?

[@angelatripp5049]

And Remington Steele predated Moonlighting

[@kawilson6628]

30:48 ​@@angelatripp5049

[@kawilson6628]

Cheers

[@PrinceTrexus]

I KNEW Booth and Brennan had to be on this list! we all knew booth and bones were gonna get together from day 1!

[@henryqu19]

I got so happy when Chloe kissed Lucifer after all the good things he said to her , she shows that she likes him as well

[@shaunakaplan5322]

The fact that Shawn and Jules from Psych aren’t on here is criminal. It took 5 seasons and some “very close talking” before their first kiss.

[@marynator007]

My favorite tv show ever.

[@cv8499]

I would add Midge Maisel and Lenny Bruce to the list. Their chemistry was bananas, and man did they make us wait for them to do something about it.

[@cmart24]

How is ALIAS not on this list? It will never be topped for me. Sydney and Vaughn taking down SD6, finally getting together and you think everyone is going to be happy, episode over...and then we get that twist. Phase One is a perfect TV episode

[@AlleyahEdream]

They legit kissed for like 20 minutes they were waiting just as long as we were

[@jackibrown3631]

Agreed!

[@BarronessM]

JAG deserves a mention here. It took 11 seasons and the last 3 minutes of the final episode for them to get together.

[@lucii835]

What is JAG??

[@BarronessM]

The Parent show for NCIS. JAG is a crime drama that follows the cases of Harmon Rabb, a former Navy pilot and lawyer, and his colleagues in the U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General's office. The series ran from 1995 to 2005@@lucii835

[@nynkehof1924]

Yesss! My first thought watching this!

[@daniellebriganti9790]

How is Veronica and Logans FIRST KISS on Veronica Mars not on this list?????? Their chemistry and sexual tension was so INTENSE especially in s2!

[@csc7211]

💯

[@kerstinanderson6172]

I was looking for this one. They missed the mark not including it!

[@sabrinarogers2081]

I knew Tony and Ziva had to be on here. Waiting 8 seasons for them to actually get together, only to say goodbye, ripped my heart out. I can’t wait for their spin-off!

[@heyyitsjanea]

seconded. it HURT 😭

[@ashleyventimiglia9849]

How are Ross and Rachel not on this list!?!?!?

[@amy_writes_love]

Yeah they have an incredible first kiss

[@laurenmatarazzo459]

Friends is one of my all-time favorite shows, and the Ross & Rachel 1st kiss was so great... but we didn't have to wait THAT long for it. Just 1 season... I guess that's why it wasn't on here?

[@hopekeeley2122]

Dude 1-2 seasons is nothing!!!

[@davidsbunny01]

That's what I came here to say! Inconceivable!

[@andreaguillade7120]

They were on a break!

[@fudgebrownie133]

Whenever Benson and Stabler finally get together, that’s gonna take the number one spot

[@marymoran1015]

Yes! The shows are giving us breadcrumbs but the slow burn is not fair!

[@goldendusty1951]

Outlander’s Jamie & Claire should be #1. Their chemistry surpasses all of the above by far

[@shonayoung452]

@@goldendusty1951 they got together in the first season though

[@chheinrich8486]

Bones, castle, ncis, the mentalist, all are great crime shows i love and i wonder if its their slow burn romances that made them my type😊

[@RickeGnool]

Clark and Lois from Smallville. It drove me INSANE that they dragged out the Clark/Lana thing for as long as they did.

[@signalfire15]

Yes! Clark and Lois were PERFECT for one another. It drove me crazy how they kept having Clark pine after his high school crush when the woman of his dreams was right there by his side!

[@sofiavillegasmoraga1805]

Lydia and Styles... I mean, their first kiss was great! But nothing else happened after that, but then at the last season, when they finally meet again is so beautiful! 😭😍

[@avlinsaha1016]

Yes! They totally did the characters wrong after the kiss.

[@sjtimmer7]

Niles and CC, Fran Fine and mr Sheffield.

[@zeldagamelover24]

I know this doesn't count for live action but this show was the lifetime awaited. *Phineas and Isabella from Phineas and Ferb*

[@anniehouston4429]

Otis and Maeve from Sex Education!! I literally screamed "FINALLY' when they kissed in season 3

[@edoardo.bianconcini]

The Mentalist is such an underrated show

[@Abhishek.ranjan]

My favorite series, still searching something like that

[@alinekurth8273]

No. 15 NCIS Ziva&Tony was the longest wait in my life ❤😢 Loved them and it was soooo sad... I am so happy that they'll get their own show now😍

[@miamitton3421]

What show and when!?!?!

[@zoangig]

@@miamitton3421codename is NCIS: Europe. They start filming it in a couple of months :)

[@marymoran1015]

@@miamitton3421The details aren’t known yet but it will be a Paramount+ original.

[@SzerelemLove]

@@miamitton3421 NCIS: Europe, no release date yet. Paramount only announced it like a month or two ago.

[@soccersquad9377]

@@SzerelemLove They came out with the official name of the show it is gonna be called NCIS: Tony and Ziva i cant wait!

[@michaelkfoury9467]

The first Chuck and Sarah kiss should have been included. Although it happens in season 1 it is still well earned as Sarah, thinking she is going to die, breaks through her emotional walls and kisses Chuck finaly realizing her feelings for him.

[@rmiles927]

It's good to see Dwayne and Whitley on this list.

[@flowerfaeri]

Glad The Mentalist made this list. I remember crying when I saw that episode. Also loved the Jamie/Brianne affair from GOT. She brought out the best in him - if only briefly.

[@hopekeeley2122]

Im a book only person so I dodged that heartbreak, at least there I can console myself with the giant ? That is the cliffhanger there

[@studiojurigatto]

Joey and Paceyyyy ❤

[@bikingbuggy4199]

Booth & Brennan actually kiss under the mistletoe first.

[@FeliciaMcDowell-xd1jp]

It doesn't technically count because Caroline Julian kinda bribed them? I think bribes the right word? But yeah

[@davidsbunny01]

​@@FeliciaMcDowell-xd1jpMore like coerced, but yeah. 😊

[@FeliciaMcDowell-xd1jp]

Oh, yeah.. That was the word I was looking for! Thanks!

[@davidsbunny01]

@FeliciaMcDowell-xd1jp No problem. Sometimes being a grammar nazi comes in handy. 🤣

[@heyyitsjanea]

technically their first kiss happened before the first episode

[@trinadubya3406]

My first thought was Luke and Lorelai, but your #1 was spot on. No one else came close.

[@camilalvarado73]

Niles and Daphne are in other level.❤❤❤

[@jamalvargas6146]

Jake and Amy Were My Favorite

[@trinaq]

Thanks very much for including Anne and Gilbert's first kiss. I'll forever be salty that the show was cancelled, it deserved to run for longer, there was so much of the story left to tell.

[@karisgaines]

you should watch the movies Anne of Green Gables if you haven't already. I love them even though they're older now theres more after their kiss but I am also mad about there not being any more seasons for the show too

[@michelleferguson6568]

Sydney and Vaughn. Alias. ❤

[@RavenPuff934]

I had to scroll too far in the comments to find this reply!

[@aliali-ce3yf]

Whitley and Dwayne should be #1 . By far the best romantic story arc of any couple. went from frenemies to friends to good friends to lovers to engaged to broken up to married - and it was all organic and unforced. And "A Different World" still holds up today - and quality wise its far better than any other show on this list.

[@kandipiatkowski8589]

Finally!!! A list with Bones in it!!! Funny that I've only series on this list I've watched is Bones and NCIS (I'm currently watching TBBT, but I'm not finished yet)! Charmed should have been on this list too! Piper and Leo had a romance for the ages!!!

[@Pancake3225]

Buffy and Spike are my favorite TV couple of all time ❤

[@hopekeeley2122]

So good…. A fucking bumpy road don’t get me wrong but it hits just right!

[@Pancake3225]

@@hopekeeley2122 Their chemistry is insane! And watching them go from sworn enemies to literal soulmates is my favorite story of the buffyverse.

[@lindseybriggs2771]

Probably the best TV couple of all time

[@laurenmatarazzo459]

Damon & Elena from TVD was great. And the one u showed was technically their 1st real kiss, but I think of the motel kiss in S3 as their 1st kiss b/c Elena was finally really kissing him back. That kiss was explosive!!!

[@shannonnoelle4118]

Please help me because I’m confused. I thought the “if I’m gonna feel guilt about something” kiss on her porch was actually Katherine? So wouldn’t that not have been the first Delena kiss? Again, I could be wrong I haven’t watched in a while.

[@shonayoung452]

@@shannonnoelle4118 you are right as soon as I saw that scene I thought the same thing

[@nunie7834]

Ignoring the last season of The 100 and waiting eternally for Bellarke 😅

[@hopekeeley2122]

Yeah I feel bad for you guys. Sorry bout that. Hang in there

[@brittanybrooks8708]

lol I feel this!! But I take solace in the fact that the actors are married in real life! 🥹

[@nunie7834]

@@brittanybrooks8708 Yessssssss same!

[@jackiesmith220]

How is Remington Steele not on her? 😊

[@mfva1824]

I'm so happy to see Tony and Ziva, Jane and Lisbon and Clark and Lois on the list, they deserve it all 🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@xenijagrunschnabel7766]

Brennan and Booth were one of the biggest teases. I waited so long for that kiss :D Also very emotional one. I felt so bad for Booth.

[@FeliciaMcDowell-xd1jp]

I then I waited so long for them to get together.... And it had to be on the episode that my favorite squintern dies in *sobs*

[@lindseybriggs2771]

This is actually so funny because I was just reflecting on the fact that them getting together originally felt like forever to me because I watched the show when it was broadcast. Now I'm rewatching it with my son on streaming and we're binging it, and I'm just like oh don't worry they'll get together tomorrow... 😅😅 It's so hard to describe to kids these days the actual tension involved in waiting for these characters to get together over literal years.

[@marins.8702]

SO glad Josh and Donna were included 🥰

[@pinklady4772]

Niles and C.C. Babcock should've been number one. That relationship came out of left field,but we loved it!😂❤

[@kriscynical]

I remember back in the '90s, I think it was in an interview (or several) that Chris Carter had been ADAMANT that Mulder and Scully would NEVER be romantically involved. It's one of the things I remember as a kid watching the show, being very disappointed hearing about it, and then getting the pee scared out of me by the monster of the week. lol

[@laniegirl11]

I’m convinced M&S are why I have so much patience.

[@GoddessGirl2121]

I would’ve included Willow and Tara’s kiss from Buffy on this list at least as an honorable mention but two others that I loved that seemed to take forever to get to since they didn’t happen until their respective series finales would be Alexander and Mina from the 2016 Dracula tv series, and Mick and Beth from Moonlight because both of those kiss scenes were amazing.

[@markanthonycisneros6180]

Fran and Mr. Sheffield from The Nanny

[@holmesgirl3673]

Lois Lane and Clark Kent, from the show "Lois and Clark". Terri and Dean had some of the best chemistry I've ever seen

[@PilotHardy]

Jim & Pam only being #25 is beyond ludicrous.

[@amy_writes_love]

I agree

[@xghost03x4]

I knew Smallville would be on here. #4

[@r5lovex129]

Hello? Where is my beloved chenford on this list? 🥺 We had to wait 4 seasons!

[@devencordova7153]

Exactly

[@Phobos_Nyx]

OMG, Niles and Daphne at the top! The best couple in sitcom ever!

[@supershmueli]

Psych (Shawn and Juliet) better be on here!

[@peanutbutter1059]

I call this really close talking.

[@bikingbuggy4199]

Psych never gets the love that it deserves. 😒

[@oliviam1698]

Arrow❤ Oliver and Felicity ♥️

[@CamilleLP68]

Catherine and Vincent from Beauty and the Beast, Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman

[@Maryan_P]

I absolutely agree. What a good show!

[@christinecremen4151]

Yes!

[@donnahaynes138]

"Two characters kissing on a TV show is like opening Pandora's Box."

[@biancarodrigues4678]

Scully e Mulder sempre foram meu top 1

[@davidsbunny01]

What about Max & Liz on Roswell? (The good, original one. Not the lame reboot) It was so awesome! And Kara & Mon-El on Supergirl? Swoon!

[@karenzaslow3808]

Donna and Josh's chemistry was obvious from day one of West Wing. Their obvious love for each other, and the way they resisted it for almost 7 years, made that first kiss so hot! West Wing was the best show ever.

[@spikie985]

I cheer and laugh and cry at that part with every re-watch

[@ciaraandjojo]

“If you were in an accident I wouldn’t stop for a beer on the way to the hospital” “If you were in an accident, I wouldn’t stop for red lights”

[@laniegirl11]

Just wish we’d gotten CJ and Toby, too.

[@kypangoyi550]

Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn - Alias

[@muece]

For me Elena and Damon had their first REAL REAL kiss at this motel with Jeremy. That was an epic kiss too ;)

[@clothilde1623]

When Mulder and Scully were #2 rather than #1 I thought “Aww #1 is gonna be shite compared to them” but fair dos, you pulled a good one out of the bag at the end. Kudos.

[@sheliamoore3388]

I’m glad someone else finally said something shut Donna & Josh!! But y’all left Chenford off.

[@victoriareece]

The Mentalist, my fav ❤️

[@JeremiahaYoung]

Glad to Stiles and Lydia on this list

[@preemiemomtotwins]

What about Ross and Rachel’s first kiss?

[@michellestratford9753]

That's exactly who I came for! 😀

[@zannabe9915]

It wasn't too "most LONG-awaited", was in season 2. ep. 7. But of course it was highly awaited. :)))

[@luisacampoverde]

I was hoping that Danny and Mindy from the Mindy Project or even Alicia and Will from the Good Wife would make it on the list, but the number one spot was well deserved.

[@samhauser3138]

Will & Alicia! Yes!

[@soonerlakerfan]

Yes! Joey and Pacey.

[@lininhagarcia]

Luke and Lorelai… I waited forever for this.

[@BeckyM2000]

The Shamy, Peraltiago and Niles and Daphne kiss were one of the best romantic onscreen kiss on each show.😘❤️

[@splashyreacts]

RICHONNE, FITZSIMMONS & CLOIS ❤❤❤❤

[@terricunningham6810]

oh yes you guys got #!1 right I am so stoked!!!!!

[@gwynwellliver4489]

Scarecrow and Mrs. King

[@wanderingtear8882]

I can’t believe we’re still waiting for Elliot and Olivia to kiss, it’s been 84 years…

[@rachelcopeland8279]

Chuck and Blair's first kiss is very iconic and the limo scene

[@tushaarverma1355]

ohhhh patrick and lisbon😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@media-mission2130]

Castle and Beckett ❤

[@anniebunny722]

Wish y’all would have mentioned Rollins and Carisi from SVU!

[@soonerlakerfan]

Yay! Donna and Harvey

[@ironwill48]

Where's Ross and Rachel from Friends???

[@melissapolat8652]

Stiles and Lydia def. number one

[@petradubose6173]

I love it when Lorla and luke kissed on the Gilmore girls ❤❤❤

[@rmo8267]

Technically Buffy and Spike did kiss in season 5 after Buffy found out he let Glory torture him rather than give Dawn up, but I don't know if that one counts since it was a peck.

[@colettepot7350]

They kissed in season 4 in “Something Blue”. Giles could hear the smacking😂

[@brandnewshawn1739]

A Great Honorable Mention Is Kyle and Jessi from Kyle XY. I Can’t Believe They Didn’t Do Another Season, That Was An Amazing Show.

[@kiranrai3450]

Yang & Blake from RWBY - only took 10 years of waiting and it was absolutely worth it

[@lisab7977]

Yay!! Frasier was the best!! I love Niles and Daphne! “I think you can call me Niles now” 😂😂

[@jamtammie]

Buffy and Spike did kiss in Season 5! Not including magic-induced kisses in Something Blue, Buffy faked being the Buffy Bot in Intervention and kissed Spike after he protected Dawn!

[@RickeGnool]

Brett and Casey on Chicago Fire. The most frustrating thing about this couple is that Casey left the show 5 episodes after they finally got together (but they got their happy ending in the end to be fair).

[@annikamuller4241]

#21 #6 #5 ❤❤❤❤ I literally waited forever for these

[@TJPaiyarat]

Kensi and Deeks from NCISLA

[@nettie_speaks]

Steve Urkel & Laura Winslow -yes they kissed on their Prom Night 🤯😳🙃

[@TheLadyLuck523]

I cannot believe they didn't have House and Cuddy on this list! I remember Fox even advertised to the Huddy fans!

[@allana-sarahbenjamin7123]

I present my favourite couple on the list I've rooted for. Joyce & Hopper Jake and Amy Castle and Beckett Jim and Pam Jess and Nick Jonah and Amy Maddie and David from Moonlighting

[@OwlcityloveBooboo]

Love these kisses 💋 👄😚 😘

[@Lillianna2478]

This is from an obscure show that I doubt many remember, but Chris and Rita from Silk Stalkings. They had kissed before for cases they were on, but when Chris finally kissed her for real 🥵

[@shawnn7502]

Good call. Total tragedy what the show did with that though.