Whether it is the Yankees v the Red Sox in baseball, the Celtics v the Lakers in basketball, Real Madrid v Barcelona in Spanish football, or Australia v England in cricket, a great rivalry is always conducive to great drama. It holds a captivating gravitas that is as immersive as it is impassioned, an ever-growing and fiercely personal conflict that is ceaselessly compelling. Needless to say, television drama has mastered this dynamic many times, with some of the greatest series ever thriving off the back of their rivalries.
The best rivalries the small screen has seen consist of everything from sitcom squabbles to crime carnage, workplace warfare, and even the comedy of cartoon chaos. In some of these series, the rivalry exists as the central conflict, an ongoing feud between two diametrically opposed forces. In others, it is a background attraction, a subplot to the main story that brings added depth and drama. The one thing all these rivalries have in common is that they elevated their respective series to be must-watch shows.
10
Patrick Jane and Red John
‘The Mentalist’ (2008–2015)
Running for seven seasons through the late 2000s and early 2010s, The Mentalist struck an enticing balance between offering episodic thrills and focusing on an ongoing story of vengeance and justice. It follows Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), a former psychic and con artist, who uses his powers of observation to help the California Bureau of Investigation solve active cases. All the while, he is constantly searching for clues that will help him track down Red John, an at-large serial killer responsible for the murder of Jane’s wife and daughter.
Given the nature of the conflict, the smoke-and-mirrors intrigue of Jane’s vendetta and Red John’s manipulative toying with him, The Mentalist is unique in how it holds the rivalry as a key element of the series, yet very rarely displays the two characters confronting one another. Its cat-and-mouse allure resides in Red John always being one step ahead of Jane’s ploys, offering a cerebral and sinister rivalry that gives the series an underlying ferocity. Granted, Red John’s grand revelation lacked some of the dramatic punch viewers hoped it would have, but as an enthralling mystery of sadism and psychological intrigue, The Mentalist’s overarching rivalry is one of television’s most thrilling.
9
Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute
‘The Office’ (2005–2013)
No series has captured the chaos of the workplace as profoundly as The Office. Furthermore, no series has realized the nature of workplace relationships and rivalries with the same perfect fervor as the hit series. The series—an adaptation of the English series of the same name—follows the employees of a paper supply company in Pennsylvania, with the jovial feud between the laidback prankster Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and his awkward, authoritarian colleague Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) being an integral part of the series’ comedy punch.
With each character being perfectly portrayed by the respective actors, the dynamic between the clashing personalities manages to be both infectiously funny and, often, surprisingly sincere. It is a rivalry of rigid rule following going up against casual indifference, of seriousness and irreverence. It is little surprise that the two polar opposites form such an engaging and endearing whole, one that plays a huge part in making The Office one of the most universally adored sitcoms in the history of American television.
8
Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder
‘Justified’ (2010–2015)
Operating as something of a neo-Western crime thriller, Justified has all the suspenseful allure of other cop shows, but flaunts a unique and rich Southern attitude at times as well. Following the old-fashioned U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) as he is sent back to his hometown in Kentucky following his shooting of a mob hitman, the series revolves around active cases in Harlan County, many of which involve figures from Raylan’s past. The series’ central conflict is the complex relationship between Raylan and his former childhood friend, Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), who has since become a notorious criminal.
The contrast between Raylan’s no-nonsense demeanor and Crowder’s flamboyant effervescence is always a joy to watch, with many of the series’ best scenes simply involving the two characters talking to each other, prodding and probing as they challenge the other to do something irrational. No matter which seasonal villains are drifting in and out of the series, Justified is always defined by Givens and Crowder’s push-and-pull relationship, one that boasts both animosity and strained respect, and one that epitomizes the show at its most fiendishly enthralling.
7
Walter White and Gustavo Fring
‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013)
Breaking Bad had already established itself as a truly great series before Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) entered the fray in the 11th episode of Season 2, but the new dynamic certainly made the series all the more engrossing. He starts off as a business aid to Walter White (Bryan Cranston), taking possession of his drug cooking enterprise to distribute his crystal meth to a wider market. However, the relationship sours over the course of Season 3, eventually becoming deadly, with both Gus and Walter conspiring to have the other killed.
The saga of their feud marks one of the most gripping and intense stanzas in television history. It is a precise and perfect juxtaposition of characters, with Walter’s volatile, emotion-charged unpredictability clashing with Fring’s calculating composure to deliver a viscerally intense power struggle that pushes both men to their limit. It also beautifully illustrates just how far Walter has descended into crime after starting out as a high school teacher trying to make extra money for his family. While all of Breaking Bad was phenomenal, those passages where Walter and Gus were trying to outwit each other stand as one of the series’ most memorable and suspenseful chapters.
6
Jerry Seinfeld and Newman
‘Seinfeld’ (1989–1998)
As a series about the hilarity embedded within everyday experiences, Seinfeld has no shortage of hilarious rivalries, be it Elaine’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) vendetta against the Soup Nazi (Larry Thomas), Kramer’s (Michael Richards) feud with the cable guy, or, indeed, George Costanza’s (Jason Alexander) perpetual rivalry with the world around him. However, there is only one conflict that truly encapsulates the comedic brilliance of the series, and that is Jerry’s (Jerry Seinfeld) ongoing squabble with his neighbor, Newman (Wayne Knight).
Epitomized by the scorching spite in Jerry’s voice every time he utters the words “Hello Newman,” the rivalry is a masterpiece of comedic antagonism. While no origin for the mutual resentment is ever given, its pettiness and disdain are hilariously resonant with the animosity driven by Newman’s resentment of Jerry’s success and Jerry’s disgust at Newman’s slovenly personality and vindictiveness. It is a rivalry that takes flight with every jabbing jest from Jerry and all of Newman’s maniacal, evil laughter. It provided countless moments of comedy brilliance across Seinfeld’s nine-season stint, and remains one of the funniest feuds in television history.
5
Eve Polastri and Villanelle
‘Killing Eve’ (2018–2022)
While it did stumble in its final season, Killing Eve still stands as a glowing beacon of modern thriller television, a heart-racing and absorbing game of cat-and-mouse powered by two incredible performances and, in the first seasons, sharp writing from the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Emerald Fennell. It centers on the mutually obsessive relationship between Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a MI5 agent assigned to a new outfit, and Villanelle (Jodie Comer), the expert international assassin she is tasked with apprehending.
The rivalry is transfixing because of what it brings out in each character, with the descent into a new world of criminal darkness bringing out a fixation for danger in Eve, while Villanelle reveals a vulnerability and tenderness in her confrontations with her adversary. The shared fascination and fixation between the two becomes the series’ integral focus, conjuring a character dynamic that transcends typical notions of hero and villain, and immersing audiences in their twisted dance of emotional tension and electrifying lust, all while keeping the characters on opposing sides of the law.
4
Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd
‘Looney Tunes’ (1930–)
“It’s wabbit season.” Throughout the television franchise’s history—which dates back to 1930—Looney Tunes has featured plenty of memorable rivalries, be it Wile E. Coyote’s pursuit of Road Runner, Sylvester’s hunt for Tweety Bird, or even Bugs Bunny’s antagonism with Daffy Duck. However, the defining rivalry of the classic cartoon saga has always been the one between the relentless though dim-witted hunter Elmer Fudd and the elusive trickster he hunts, Bugs Bunny.
Bugs Bunny is unquestionably the defining character of Looney Tunes, and his encounters with Elmer Fudd best exemplify his wily wits, his dashing dare, and the comedic brilliance of the character’s design. Their conflict is also the most timeless and iconic of all the Looney Tunes skits, with audiences across multiple generations being left in hysterics every time Bugs outsmarts his adversary, leaving him frustrated, often injured, and comically defeated.
3
Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty
‘Sherlock’ (2010–2017)
A fiercely personal war of wits between an elite detective and a criminal mastermind is always an enchanting spectacle, one that has become quite common in television as the crime genre has grown more elaborate and daring. However, no series has executed such a rivalry quite like how Sherlock brought to life the renowned conflict between the titular sleuth Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his arch nemesis, the enterprising international criminal, Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott).
Like every other element of the series’ modernizing adaptation, the central clash between the two geniuses is realized with an infectious vibrancy, a touch of wry wit, and plenty of dramatic tension. With Moriarty often embroiling Holmes in his dastardly schemes, Sherlock is forced to utilize every ounce of his intellectual brilliance to wage war with his adversary. The feud comes to a shocking conclusion in the Season 2 finale, “The Reichenbach Falls,” and while Moriarty’s villainy lingers throughout the series, Sherlock is simply never the same after he’s gone. The entirety of the Holmes v Moriarty saga is exhilarating to watch, defining Sherlock at its compelling best, and making for one of the best rivalries of its kind to have ever graced the screen, big or small.
2
The Roy Siblings
‘Succession’ (2018–2022)
A modernized adaptation of William Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ that exchanges the royal halls of Ancient Britain for the influence and prestige of a media empire, Succession is an addictive skewering of modern-day elitism, functioning as a desperate power struggle between the Roy siblings. When aging media mogul Logan Roy (Brian Cox) starts considering a succession plan for ownership of Waystar RoyCo, a vicious feud erupts between his three children as each of them tries to best position themselves to win their father’s approval.
Defined by its shifting alliances, scathing and public personal attacks, and the lingering byproducts of their toxic upbringing, the rivalry of the Roys is laced with a visceral intensity. Compounding their fight for power and approval is their shared history of abuse and trauma, one that only they can understand, thus creating an underlying bond and even dependency between the three siblings that is surprisingly heartbreaking to watch in the moments when it comes close to shattering.
1
Tom and Jerry
‘Tom and Jerry’ (1940–)
There is cat-and-mouse dynamics, and then there is cat-and-mouse dynamics. The essential animated squabbling of cartoon comedy, the feud in Tom and Jerry is a masterpiece of imaginative slapstick sublimity that, quite simply, revolves around the ongoing conflict between Tom, a scrappy house cat, and Jerry, a sly mouse who always manages to evade his adversary’s schemes, no matter how elaborate, cunning, and callous they may be.
Originating as a 1940 short film called Puss Gets the Boot, Tom and Jerry became a hysterical cultural phenomenon throughout the 1940s and beyond, winning MGM a whopping seven Academy Awards for Best Animated Short between 1940 and 1958. Its brilliance has proven to be timeless as well, with clips of the hit series still circulating on social media today, and gaining plenty of traction, while recent films like 2021’s Tom and Jerry illustrate that the characters and their comical fighting are still enticing to fans today.
The Tom and Jerry Show
Release Date
2014 – 2021
Network
Cartoon Network, Boomerang
Directors
Darrell Van Citters
Writers
Robert Zappia, Jim Praytor, Timothy Casto, Timothy Cahill, Julie McNally Cahill, John Edwards, Denise Downer, Douglas Segal, Jeremy Mann, Amanda Jaros, Ryan Self, Irving Belateche, Jordan Gershowitz, Charles Carney, Sam Dransfield, Greg Perkins, Todd Jones, Earl Richey Jones, Jonathan Rosenthal, Darrel Campbell, Michael Daedalus Kenny, Analisa LaBianco, Adam Rudman, Jeffery Spencer
Cree Summer
Beatie (voice)
Grey DeLisle
Ginger (voice)
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Kath Soucie
Tuffy (voice)
