Rearranging files on my computer in preparation for one of my twice a year reformats when I came across this piece on TV spouses.  I thought of three things: one, update this and maybe include girlfriends; or two, make one for movie characters; or three, explore the idea of women in fiction being either Ginger or Maryann archetypes. Update for sure--I am not in the states nor am I married.

Here are my favorite and least favorite TV characters for spouses:

Now that I've been in the states for a while AND been married for a while I watch TV couples a little differently. I see things that have happened between me and my wife and also things that I have seen between my friends and their spouses. This of course brings me to another list and this one is "Top TV Spouses I Wouldn't Mind Being Married to".

For this list, the character had to be a spouse so Maryann from Gilligan's Island wouldn't make the cut.  Send me back your picks, especially the husbands.

Before I show you that list I would like to unveil my list of spouses to whom I wouldn't ever wish to be married.

Follow up:

Jeanne Nelson from I Dream of Jeannie

I wouldn't pick Jeanne because that would be extremely self-indulgent. The ditzy-ness would get to me (but I could probably deal) but I wouldn't pick Samantha Stephens (Bewitched) for similar reasons. To digress for a moment, Samantha has huge personal issues otherwise why would she let her stupid husband Darrin rule her life like that? You can't practice witchcraft?!? If it bothers you, maybe you shouldn't have married a witch.

Getting back to Jeanne Nelson, though, I think she would be every man's all-star pick, the first round draft choice in the great wives in fiction.

June Cleaver Leave it to Beaver

Who wants a woman in black and white? Seriously though, there are just too many time/culture issues here that I think are local to June. After all i did mention that my favorite fictional wife was Nora Charles.

Jamie Stemple Buchman Mad About You

I used to find her character attractive but I think she would drive me nuts, in the same fashion that Grace Adler would drive me nuts.  Still I could cook for Grace Adler; that would be a plus.

Carrie Heffernan  King of Queens

I feel sorry for Doug. While I don't dislike her character, I wouldn't like being married to her.

Carmela Soprano The Sopranos

Dude. Scarier than Tony.

Top TV Spouses to Whom I Wouldn't Mind Being Married

Debra Barone  Everybody Loves Raymond

Watches the kids well, level headed, in charge; definitely the type of woman I need since I just love to read books, watch TV, and play videogames all day.  Okay her cooking leaves much to be desired but I like to cook so that evens out.

Emily Hartley  The Bob Newhart Show

Kind of the same as Debra but with no kids and better cooking. And she has The Voice.

 Morticia Addams  The Addams Family

Okay there is a black and white love. Carolyn Jones was hot in this role and the combination of macabre and sexy was a powerful imprint on my prepubescent mind.

Emma Peel The Avengers

They couldn't all be from sitcoms. A hottie with a gun. Cool in stressful situations and always optimistic. She believed her husband would come back and he did. You never saw her with her husband except at the end of her run in the series when she is driving off in cabriolet.

Dharma Finklestein Montgomery  Dharma and Greg

Wouldn't like making tofu lasagne all the time but I think the family get-togethers would be super fun. Imagine my father and Dharma's father together.