Love on the small screen: Three defining affairs of The Afternoon Show generation

A bit over a year ago, I revisited Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, and was left largely underwhelmed, if not somewhat tickled by the cutesy contemporary visual translations. So flashy, so many sparkling pleasures. Not to mention ace soundtrack. But the tale of star crossed lovers just did not move me in the way I felt it should have, the way that story deserves to move people. The feeling of simply not really caring about R+J's fate left me wondering if there was something wrong with me - a 24 year old female not entirely resistant to the lure of the sentimental, not yet completely embittered by romantic encounters - why did it fail to seduce me?

I then tried to think of films where I had truly, madly, deeply cared about the love story on screen - and came up with nothing. I reverted to the accepted romantic classics - Gone with the Wind, Casablanca.. umm... yawn. Why was big screen love so forgettable to me? It's not that I had trouble thinking of films I loved - just none of them seemed to be about love.

However, the same weekend as watching R+J, I got my hands on The Office Christmas Special DVD, and my girlish heart almost burst with joy at its conclusion. The tortured office romance between Tim and Dawn finally blooming into life was the most convincing affirmation of l'amour I had seen in years. It seemed I had found a rival to the other Greatest Love Story of Our Time, that of Spike and Lynda from Press Gang. Those halcyon days of the Afternoon Show, rushing home from school to see what crazy antics Colin was getting up to, watching Kenny nice for Britain and Sarah blush her way to the top, but most of all hanging out for Spike's famous chat up lines and Lynda's razor sharp knock backs. And of course in between Press Gang and The Office was that other world that incites frenzied fan activity, the Buffyverse. Where would our generation be without the Scooby gang to guide us in modern relationships?

Thinking of Tim and Dawn and Spike and Lynda and the Sunnydale kids I developed a theory: when it comes to matters of the heart, small screen characters have a greater capacity to affect us as they are more a part of our everyday lives - we invest more in them and consequently the rewards are greater. To test this theory, I sent out a text message survey to friends which read "Pop quiz: When was the last time an on screen love affair made you say "Yes! I do believe in Love!!" and who were the characters?" The funniest answer was Spiderman (love your work Jodes!) but here are a few others:

Tim and Dawn, The Office x 2
Spike and Buffy, BTVS
Buffy and Angel, BTVS
Houlihan and Pierce, M*A*S*H
Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, Pride and Prejudice x 3
Spike and Lynda, Press Gang
Grant and Tiffany, East Enders
Cat and Alfie, East Enders
Phoebe and anyone she has a crush on, Charmed

Maria and Captain von Trapp, The Sound of Music
Finding Neverland (parental love)
The Wedding Crashers
Brokeback Mountain
Aragon and Arwen, LOTR
Before Sunset x 3
Breakfast at Tiffany's x 2
Lost in Translation x 2
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Love Actually
Garden State
Spiderman

So it looks like my theory fell flat on its arse, as big screen outweighed small screen (although the margin was quite respectable.) Eh, it was only ever half-baked anyway. But I would be very interested to hear more votes from anyone out there... PhDs have been written on far, far less meaningful topics!

love jen xoxo

PS The one big screen exception I came up with was the Before Sunset/Sunrise series. Watching the sequel nine years after I had seen the original at the cinema was like meeting up with an old friend who had lived overseas for nine years. I desperately wanted them to get together, profess their undying love, and live happily ever after. But this was the only example I could find. And if I'd mentioned it earlier it would have stuffed up the flow of the argument. So there.

*****Music playing in club below: Salt'n'Pepa, Push it. Oooh baby baby....