Mental Floss

The 20 Most Unforgettable TV Kisses, Based on YouTube Views

By Ellen Gutoskey

Kristen Bell and William Jackson Harper in NBC's The Good Place.
Kristen Bell and William Jackson Harper in NBC's The Good Place. / NBCUniversal
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If you’re watching a movie, the longest you’ll ever have to wait for the two romantic leads to lock lips is roughly two hours. On television, meanwhile, the tension between two characters might build for a good five years before they finally do something about it.

When they do, you’re not likely to forget it quickly; and you may find yourself revisiting certain epic TV kisses for years to come. According to a new survey from OnBuy.com, YouTube users rewatch Ross and Rachel's kiss from Friends's “The One with the Prom Tape” (season 2, episode 14) more than any other small screen smooch. An impressive feat, considering that it was actually the couple’s second kiss—their first happened in Central Perk several episodes earlier.

The rest of the top four comprises other beloved sitcom duos: New Girl's Jess and Nick, Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Amy and Jake, and The Office's Jim and Pam, respectively. But there are plenty of other genres on the list, from sci-fi to fantasy to angsty teen drama. You could even argue that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is really all of those genres; Buffy and Spike’s impassioned love scene from season 6 earned them ninth place, just behind Damon and Elena from The Vampire Diaries.

The will-they-or-won’t-they force is strong throughout the whole list. The West Wing fans spent about seven seasons waiting to find out if Josh and Donna would ever be more than quippy coworkers, and were rewarded for their patience when the couple kissed minutes into “The Cold” (season 7, episode 13). The X-Files’s Mulder and Scully, another classic example, landed on the list, too.

You can see the top 20 below, with YouTube video view counts accurate as of May 5, 2021. (Though many have climbed since then, so the list may have shifted slightly.)

  1. Rachel and Ross // Friends (4,387,342)
  2. Jess and Nick // New Girl (2,046,201)
  3. Amy and Jake // Brooklyn Nine-Nine (1,672,211)
  4. Jim and Pam // The Office, U.S. (1,330,653)
  5. Seth and Summer // The O.C. (1,105,035)
  6. Ian and Mickey // Shameless (1,033,654)
  7. Felicity and Oliver // Arrow (998,729)
  8. Damon and Elena // The Vampire Diaries (997,521)
  9. Buffy and Spike // Buffy the Vampire Slayer (929,154)
  10. Cuddy and House // House (868,130)
  11. Joey and Pacey // Dawson’s Creek (755,982)
  12. Dawn and Tim // The Office, UK (750,935)
  13. Alex and Piper // Orange Is the New Black (645,709)
  14. Chidi and Eleanor // The Good Place (541,127)
  15. Mulder and Scully // The X-Files (435,169)
  16. Logan and Veronica // Veronica Mars (377,439)
  17. Jon and Ygritte // Game of Thrones (337,439)
  18. Alicia and Will // The Good Wife (336,083)
  19. Donna and Josh // The West Wing (299,102)
  20. Booth and Brennan // Bones (297,222)
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