ShupFace

Romantic tension is a well-documented method of attracting audiences to a new show, but it is not without its risks. It’s not unusual that a show based too heavily on romantic tension only remains popular as long as its lead romance remains interesting. If the characters never get together people lose interest. If the characters get together and stay together too long people lose interest. But if the characters alternate too much or for too long people still lose interest. In short, romantic tension is rarely enough to hang a whole show on, which is probably why Ed sucked after the first season.

The main premise of the show is that Ed moves back to his small town and starts chasing his high school crush Carol. He’s also a lawyer and he runs a bowling alley, but that stuff is relatively inconsequential TV show formula fodder. My theory is that if Ed had relied a little more on the friendship between Ed and Mike then it would’ve been a better show. I particularly enjoyed the recurring dares they used to do.

I’m watching a new show called Community and, while the whole thing is pretty funny, my favourite part is not the main character or the sexual tension between him and anyone else in the show. My favourite part is actually the unlikely friendship that forms between Troy and Abed. Troy is a clueless jock and Abed is an awkward geek and together they’re touching and hilarious. Troy and Abed actually remind me a lot of another dynamic duo from television and so I decided to present a list of my favourite bromances:

Dante and Randal from Clerks have an abusive friendship but aren’t they all a little bit? Most of the bromances on my list involve one of the dudes being “the bitch”. Dante is totally it.

The original bromance in the show Reaper was between Sock and Sam (the show’s main character). But when Sam started to attract more drama and romantic tension, Ben took Sam’s spot as Sock’s best friend. The new bromance works better.

Gabe and Tycho from Penny Arcade are notable for being the only webcomic bromance on my list and possibly also the longest running. Also they are pseudonyms for real people who may or may not be bromantically involved in real life.

The relationship between Veronica and Wallace in Veronica Mars isn’t technically a bromance, but I like to think it has many of the hallmarks. There is even less sexual tension than usual and they are clearly just pals, plus they bring the funny on a regular basis.

My favourite Bromance is between Turk and J.D. in Scrubs. There is something strangely satisfying about a friendship so tight people could be forgiven for thinking you’re a little fruity (at least to me anyway). And Turk and J.D. certainly have that.

Finally, I started watching the O.C. around the same time that I embarked on a bromance of my own with my real life bff. So the friendship between Seth and Ryan is very special to me… in a totally manful way. It’s the perfect combination of humour, pathos and fruitiness.

And speaking of fruitiness, I’d like to end with a musical number: