The best part about sitcoms is usually the romance. Fans can’t help but crave more drama between their favorite sitcom characters. From the favorite “ships” to their gradual demise or growth, sitcom characters fall in love all the time. So, it’s safe to assume that any show would include somebody’s first date.
First dates can either go absolutely terrible or awkward yet cute. Being that there are countless sitcoms in television history, it’s difficult to think back on who, out of all, had the cutest and most memorable first dates? Some go down in meme history, making them unforgettable.
Lucy & Ricky (I Love Lucy)
As TV history’s most revolutionary, early sitcom couple, Lucy and Ricky had a pretty cute first date—it just didn’t start out perfect. Lucy goes to Havana for a girls’ vacation and meets Ricky. The two certainly do not hit it off immediately.
As part of Ricky and his friend’s taxi service, Ricky is driving Lucy and, although the couple is at odds with one another here, says that the star they see ahead of them is the star that makes people fall in love. The second they lock eyes is where the comedy really starts. They both gradually fall for one another and, despite the abuse and jail time they all encounter, Ricky comes back to America with Lucy to live happily ever after (well, sort of).
Adam & Bonnie (Mom)
Bonnie seems like she’s not so used to cute dates but she definitely gets one with Adam. His sense of humor goes a long way with her and they both hit it off.
The best part of their first date is when he wheels her back home, sitting on his lap in the wheelchair. They share their first real kiss at the end, agreeing to go out again. This is a very mature and relatable first date in comparison to most other sitcoms.
Zoey & Chase (Zoey 101)
Their first date began the modern familiarization with virtual dating! Zoey finally learns that Chase is in love with her, but she finds out at a terrible time. She switched boarding schools and moved to England. However, their first date doesn’t even happen until these kids make a huge switch themselves: Zoey returns to PCA and Chase enrolls at the English school!
Now, the two are separated by thousands of miles. But, their first date is still cute (although super awkward). The two talk over dinner using their laptops. Even though the two agree to put the relationship on hold, it still ends in a sweet and memorable way—one that obviously brings them back together at the prom.
Rachel & Ross (Friends)
Ross probably won’t agree that their first date was one of the cutest, but audiences loved seeing Rachel and Ross finally go out. The two apparently go to dinner and come back to Rachel and Monica’s apartment to spend some alone time.
The only problem is that Rachel keeps laughing every time they make out because she just keeps thinking about their friendship. She basically admits that she’s just so used to seeing Ross as a friend, which ruins the date in the end, but the two work it all out. It’s just too bad their first date couldn’t be the time Rachel kisses Ross after watching the prom video. That would have been a gold-winning first date.
Alex & Mason (Wizards of Waverly Place)
Who doesn’t like a sappy romantic montage? Not many would expect Alex to but she does after Mason asks her out on a date in their art class. Their first date is undeniably one of the cutest, stereotypically perfect sitcom dates.
First, they accomplish the cute-sy fabricated montage, skipping around the substation. The best part of this date though is when Alex “teaches” him how to throw water balloons from their building. Being the charmer that Mason is, he flirts with Alex exquisitely. The only problem they deal with is Alex’s spell she puts on Mason, thinking it would just cause him to paint her (since he is an artist). Once she sees how obsessed he becomes, she retracts the spell and she tells him to kiss her—in the rain! What a perfect ending to this adorable date.
Steve & DJ (Fuller House)
This spinoff of the ’90s classic is extra cheesy and cliche, but that goes a long way in DJ’s dating life. Reuniting with Steve is an adorable moment and their first date is no less.
On the couple’s first official date, the two ex-lovers-turned-future-couple cook together, and Steve even wears his old high school getup (including a wig). The date is reminiscent of their younger selves, but both are totally open to this new, adult relationship. It’s clear why DJ chooses Steve in the end, amidst that hilarious love triangle with Matt.
Penny & Leonard (The Big Bang Theory)
Although it doesn’t end so great for Leonard, this first date is still absolutely one of the cutest. Leonard and Penny’s first (official) date has everything in its mix: a sweet kiss at the start, a stereotypical dinner date, and walking each other home even if they live across the hall from one another.
Seeing Leonard work up the confidence to kiss Penny is a sweet sight, and fans know they can thank the “Schrodinger’s cat” story. The guys do something creepy at the end but things are alright for Penny and Leonard, who end the date on a somewhat positive note: to take things slow.
Robin & Ted (How I Met Your Mother)
Despite this duo’s severely up-and-down rollercoaster of a relationship, their first date is truly one of the cutest ever. The only thing that ruins it is when Ted impulsively says “I love you” at the end of the night.
But, as for the date itself, the two check every box in the list of happiness. They both are a seemingly perfect balance, as Robin despises olives and Ted loves them, for example. The two are pretty smitten for each other, but Ted is obviously the one who is head over heels. Stealing the blue french horn for Robin is even shown at the end of the entire series. So, this first date clearly goes a long way for them.
Eric & Donna (That 70s Show)
This episode is called “First Date” for a reason. Eric and Donna finally go out on a formal dinner date for him to ask Donna if he could be her official boyfriend. At first, it seems disastrous, since their parents humiliate them by snapping photos of the two. Then, Hyde comes in to admit his feelings for Donna, and finally, Donna vomits in her drunken state.
The date ends on the cutest high note ever though. Not only does Donna agree to wear Eric’s class ring and officially date him, but he also kisses her even after she vomited saying, “I don’t care. You’re my girlfriend.” Gross, but all in all, a sweet and hilariously adorable date.
Shawn & Angela (Boy Meets World)
Shawn and Angela should be considered the most adorable, in both a first date and as a relationship. The two teens go out on a date that Shawn’s best friend Cory basically orchestrates to what he personally thinks is preferable. The only problem is that it’s not Shawn and Angela’s style to go to Bareli’s: a fancy restaurant.
Although this starts to look like an uncomfortable date, it ends up with both of them understanding what they want in a relationship and finally starting one. “I want what they have,” is what Angela says after seeing how Cory and Topanga fight then sweetly make up. This first date has a great combination of awkward and nervous with sweet and romantic laced throughout it.
