Unlikely TV heartthrobs and why we love them.

There’s nothing quite like falling in love with a fictional character.

And with most of the TV shows that grace our screens, that’s kind of the point.

Sure, we’ll tune in for the epic storytelling, edgy dialogue and nuanced analyses of human behavior that the scriptwriters tell us we need to be aware of. But, most of all, we need to connect with the characters and in many cases that connection involves intoxicating feelings of lusty love.

Thankfully, these same scriptwriters are happy to indulge our desire to shun actual human interaction in favor of finding love through a screen, and usually provide us with a lead character who is designed to make our hearts beat and our palms sweat.

Usually the character we’re meant to yearn to produce fictional children with is served up on a silver platter, with extra helpings of smoldering sexiness and masses of masculinity on the side. Frankly, they’re one step away from having a flashing neon sign secured across their pulsating pecs that reads “I Am Attractive And You Will Love Me.”

However, much like having your mum nudge you not-so-covertly in the shops and hiss that the guy behind the counter is all types of handsome, nothing sours sexy faster than having an outside party tell you that you should find someone attractive.

Sexiness and a sense of attraction isn’t something you can force and often our deepest fictional crushes are the result of a slow burn, watching a character evolve and slowly falling in love with their unlikely quirks and traits.

Right now the ABC’s The Beautiful Lie is attempting to entice us to fall in love with Skeet. He of the stringy I-can’t-be-bothered-to-wash-my-hair-because-I’m-too-busy-angsting-over-adultery and smoldering eyes.

However, while this rough-sex-having-hooligan continues  to steam up the small screen, the eyes of Australia have hooked in on the less likely to feature in a centerfold character of Peter. The quiet vet, who lives on a farm and is somewhat socially awkward, has acquired a legion of adoring fans (many of which reside in the Mamamia office).

It’s not Peter’s show, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming the source of our x-rated daydreams.

It’s also not the first time a supposedly second tier character has swooped in to become the audience’s unconventional love interest, proving that sex appeal does not always begin and end with the traditional lead.

Other unlikely TV heartthrobs include:

Glenn Rhee, The Walking Dead. 

He started off as an innocent, quiet and slightly awkward former pizza delivery boy. The guy who was constantly used as zombie fighting fodder and light relief in the early seasons of the post apocalyptic hit The Walking Dead. He wasn’t expected to exude the sex appeal of righteous lead man Rick Grimes or the raw appeal of rugged redneck Daryl Dickson and yet somehow Glen has manged to become the standout heartthrob of one of TV’s most watched shows. Proof that loyalty and bravery lead to lusty audience feelings.

Seth Cohen, The OC.

Do you remember The OC? Of course you do, it was the high school drama that engulfed tweens, teens and adults alike and caused a culture phenomenon that swept us along for four seasons, even spawning a reality TV counterpart in Laguna Beach. When the show first aired, it directed the audience to fall in love with Ryan Atwood, the bad boy wearer of wife-beaters and wrist cuffs with muscles to spare. But it was Seth Cohen, the wise-cracking comic book reading nerd who made us all tingling and ended up stealing the show.

Spencer Reid, Criminal Minds.

The quietly brilliant, yet somewhat strange, Dr Spencer Reid has built up a legion of fans during his longtime stint on Criminal Minds. While you might initially be drawn to the God-like paragon of handsomeness that his is co-worker Derek Morgan, the quiet, kind Reid proves that the sexiest traits are often the ones that take a little while to shine through.

Castiel, Supernatural. 

Supernatural is about two devastatingly handsome brothers who fight evil while maintaining perfect hair, so there’s no reason why viewers should be looking outside the Winchester family for pin-ups. Yet, there is Castiel, a fallen angle who endangers the world as much as he saves it and whose interactions with humans is so painfully awkward it makes you want to shield your eyes with a pillow. Yet, his presence has inspired an online fandom so dedicated that should he ever perish their wrath will annihilate us all.There’s something about his smile, his presence and his voice that will warm even the coldest of hearts.

Which unlikely TV character have you fallen in love with?