--- title: 3 Shows Every Married Couple Should Watch Together description: A fun way to learn, dream and laugh together. canonical: https://time.com/4275735/tv-show-couple/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-03-31T12:00:44.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:55:59.588Z article:section: Ideas og:title: 3 Shows Every Married Couple Should Watch Together og:description: A fun way to learn, dream and laugh together og:url: https://time.com/4275735/tv-show-couple/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2a057a9839167598/69888cea0b72e3861b6e8b8e/popcorn-tv-remote-control.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5117 og:image:height: 2878 og:image:alt: popcorn-tv-remote-control og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 3 Shows Every Married Couple Should Watch Together twitter:description: A fun way to learn, dream and laugh together twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2a057a9839167598/69888cea0b72e3861b6e8b8e/popcorn-tv-remote-control.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 3 Shows Married Couples Should Watch Together > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=09379942-1376-4e5f-ab91-699f2a01d10c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Study Says Marriage Is Good For Your Heart ... Literally [Watch (HLS stream): Study Says Marriage Is Good For Your Heart ... Literally](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/UIMQThkY.m3u8) (1:35)  _Published 2015-10-29. A new study says being married increases your chances for a better recovery after heart surgery._ by [Dave Willis / Patheos](https://time.com/author/patheos/) ## Dave Willis / Patheos Contributor Mar 31, 2016 12:00 PM UTC  TV Remote Control and a Bowl of Popcorn TV Remote Control and a Bowl of Popcorn Getty Images by [Dave Willis / Patheos](https://time.com/author/patheos/) ## Dave Willis / Patheos Contributor Mar 31, 2016 12:00 PM UTC I’ve always believed that one of best things we can do for our marriage and families is to watch _less_ television, but I also believe that watching the right shows can actually have a positive impact on us. I think every couple could benefit from watching three shows: A show to help you _learn together_, a show to help you _dream together_, and a show to help you _laugh together_. When [my wife Ashley](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/ashleywillis%20) and I cuddle up on the couch for a show, here are some of our favorites… **1\. A show to help you** **_learn together_** There are plenty of shows that teach us about history in an entertaining way (like historical fictions such as _Downton Abbey_ and highly-entertaining non-fiction like _Mysteries at the Museum_ which is also a favorite of our kids). One show Ashley and I love watching is HGTV’s _Fixer Upper_ with Chip and Joanna Gaines. Chip and Joanna are not only great at bringing new life to old houses and teaching the viewers how to do better home improvements; they’re also authentically modeling the fun, friendship and partnership necessary for a strong marriage. Watching this real-life married couple interact is one of the most beautiful love stories on TV. **_Patheos:_**[_5 Ways to Overcome a Struggle in Your Marriage_](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davewillis/5-ways-to-overcome-a-struggle-in-your-marriage/) **2\. A show to help you** **_dream together_** Ashley and I love watching shows that help us dream new dreams. One of our favorites is _Shark Tank_ which puts entrepreneurs in front of a panel of “sharks” to pitch their ideas. Watching these entrepreneurs share their dreams and watching these seasoned veteran “sharks” share their expertise helps us dream new dreams for our own ideas and future endeavors. We also love dreaming about travel by watching shows like _House Hunters International_ or _House Hunters Caribbean Life_. Watching people shop for real estate in international or exotic locations helps us dream of new places we’d like to visit someday and even gives us the feel of having had a 30-minute vacation without having to leave our couch! **_Patheos:_**[_Fatherlessness: Holes and Wounded Souls_](http://sixseeds.patheos.com/rolandwarren/2016/03/the-hole-in-my-soul-2/) **3\. A show to help you** **_laugh together_** Life’s stressful enough, so we don’t typically like a lot of “drama” in our TV shows, but we’re always up for some laughs! Laughter is good for the soul and there are plenty of good comedies out there. The trick is to find a good comedy that isn’t raunchy in the process. Some of our favorites include _The Middle_, _Everybody loves Raymond_, and _The Office_. A rerun of one of these three shows is playing nearly 24/7, so they’re easy to find. **_Patheos:_**[_To the Spouse Who’s Burned Out_](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/ashleywillis/to-the-spouse-whos-burned-out/) The more moments you can share together with your spouse, the stronger your marriage will become. I hope these show suggestions provide another opportunity to spend some quality time laughing, learning and dreaming together! _Dave Willis is an associate pastor at Stevens Creek Church in Augusta, Georgia. He and his wife, Ashley, founded StrongerMarriages.org and the “Marriage” app as a way to encourage couples to build stronger marriages._ _This_ [_article_](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davewillis/3-shows-every-married-couple-should-watch-together/) _originally appeared on_ [_Patheos_](http://www.patheos.com) ## Transcript Talk about marriage being good for the heart, literally. A new study found marriage can ease your recovery after heart surgery. The study was published Wednesday in the journal JAMA surgery. It claims patients who were married did significantly better than those who were divorced Widowed or separated, but not better than those who had never been married. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania used data from a University of Michigan study of more than 1, 500 adults over the age of 50 who had undergone heart surgery. The researchers said those who were divorced, widowed or separated were 40 % more likely to die. Die after heart surgery or develop a new disability within two years after the surgery. The researchers looked at how well the patients could perform everyday activities like dressing eating and taking showers without help. Study co author Mark Newman said the reason for the link between marriage and better heart surgery recovery remains unknown, but it may help doctors identify who may need more support after surgery. We should note that for the patients who had never been married Had about the same chances of successful recovery than people who were married. Granted, the unmarried patients only accounted for 2 % of the study participants, while the married patients accounted for 65 %. Doctor Asheesh Scholl is the head of heart transplantation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Shaw says the recent findings echo other studies that found married patients do better after surgery. Shaw says the recent findings echo other studies that found married patients do better after surgery. 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