History Main / EverybodyIsSingle

* In the Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures novels, the decision to give ex-companion Franchise/BerniceSummerfield her own spin-off series -- in which, as lead character, she would be expected to participate in romantic-interest subplots -- led directly to the messy collapse of her marriage, which upstaged the violent deaths of a tenth of the Earth's population. This, ''less than a year'' after an entire novel was devoted to the wedding and much effort was expended in assuring readers that it was HappilyEverAfter-type True Love.

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* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney''. Throughout the series, only 3 of the clients, and none of the victims or main characters, are married/have married parents (possible exception for flashbacks to Nick and Edgy as a kid, even though his parents aren't mentioned). Some (like Ms. von Karma) are never even mentioned, the Feys (Mia, Maya, Pearl, and [[spoiler:Dahlia and Iris]] are specifically said to come from unstable families, and Trucy's mother is missing from an accident. But none of the main characters (possibly excluding Manfred) have ever been married.

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* Seems to have creeped up on Franchise/TheDCU with the ''Comicbook/New52''. [[Comicbook/TheFlash Barry Allen]] is no longer in any kind of relationship with Iris West (effectively wiping out Wally West in the process), {{Franchise/Superman}} is no longer married to or interested in Lois Lane.

* Funny thing about ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', despite the fact that a decent part of the cast are parents, the only characters who are currently married are Chrono and Amy. Other parents either adopted their kids while single or lost their mate before the series began.

Compare AllLoveIsUnrequited.

* Aversion: in the Literature/InDeath series by J.D. Robb, policewoman Eve Dallas gets married shortly into the series, and has stayed that way throughout the rest of the books. Her best friend is married and has a kid, and her aide is living with a serious boyfriend. Many of the other supporting characters are also shown as more or less happily married, with a few exceptions.

* When ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' started, Tom was the only character who was married, although Ann and Andy were living together. He later got a divorce (in an episode titled "Tom's Divorce", no less).
** And even before the divorce this was a thinly-veiled [[CitizenshipMarriage green card marriage]] and so Tom acted as if he was single anyway.

* Double subverted in ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure!''. It seemed that, finally, in the sixth season of the SeriesFranchise, a character would be introduced who was already taken... but [[RelativeError the "boyfriend" turned out to be her brother.]]

* Manga/FullmetalAlchemist: the only married couples are Maes and Gracia Hughes, [[BattleCouple Izumi and Sig Curtis]] and King Bradley and his wife, [[spoiler:and the first is broken up by Maes' murder in the fourth volume]]. Especially notable given that the series is populated with attractive people.

* Averted in ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' - everyone in the Ushiromiya family, with Battler and possibly Rosa as an exception is either married or in relationship. [[spoiler: Though Kanon usually admits his love for Jessica just before his death...]]
** [[spoiler:Update: everyone but Rosa.]]
* ''OuranHighSchoolHostClub'''s cast is made up mostly of singles. All the Host Club members and their customers are single (as far as we know), as is Haruhi's father (widower), Tamaki's father (divorced, and forcibly separated from his lover and mistress), Tamaki's grandmother (widow), and Ranka's co-worker and friend Misuzu (divorced). The only couples in the series are the Hitachiin's parents, Kyouya's parents, Kyouya's sister and her husband, and a few students at the school who are in [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage perfectly arranged marriages]]. [[spoiler: And, [[OfficialCouple Tamaki and Haruhi]] at the end of the manga.]]

* Everyone in the mayor's office in ''SpinCity'' is single, except for the mayor himself, and he gets divorced during the series. Paul does attain a happy marriage at one point, but his wife later leaves him to become a nun.

** This could be a DoubleSubversion. [=McGee=] and Abby dated at one point, and Tony's [[UrbanLegendLoveLife supposedly a ladies man]], but never gets serious with anyone.

* Averted in ''VisualNovel/UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' - everyone in the Ushiromiya family, with Battler and possibly Rosa as an exception is either married or in relationship. [[spoiler: Though Kanon usually admits his love for Jessica just before his death...]]

* Subverted in the first episode of the British sitcom ''Series/TheITCrowd'' in a blatant parody (Jen even says it's just like ''AllyMcBeal''): "That's the sort of place this is, Jen. Lots of sexy people not doing much work and having affairs." Of course, Moss and Roy are both single because they're extremely nerdy.

*** The Spider-Man example is particularly notable, since both the above comic and ComicBook/TheCloneSaga were explicitly made to be an extremely convoluted series of {{Retcon}}s all for the purpose of making Spider-Man single again. This backfired ''monumentally'' with the fans (Mary Jane was really popular with them, and StanLee), and the flaws can be summed up in [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara's]] tirade on reviewing ''One More Day''.

* In fact, most HumongousMecha shows usually play this straight with the pilots & support crew, with a few exceptions, probably the best example of which would be ''ShinkonGattaiGodannar'', where the pilots of the titular robot are a husband & wife.

* Narrowly averted in ''PatLabor'', as shinshi often mentions having a wife at home. The rest of the main cast are single, but considering their personalities, that's hardly surprising.

* Funny thing about ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', despite the fact that a decent part of the cast are parents, the only characters who are currently married are Chrono and Amy. Other parents either adopted their kids while single or lost their mate before the series began.
* Averted in ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' - everyone in the Ushiromiya family, with Battler and possibly Rosa as an exception is either married or in relationship. [[spoiler: Though Kanon usually admits his love for Jessica just before his death...]]

* Any show with military underpinnings usually does this as well, since it would be "improper" to actually have a relationship within the ranks. ''Franchise/StarTrek'' in particular usually plays fast and hard with this trope (and when two officers ''do'' get married, they always seem to be the same rank at least).
** Not actually considered much of an issue in the British Army, provided those involved are not in the same chain of command, i.e. no boinking the boss. (There are strict rules against any sexual contact- including kissing or holding hands- between any personnel on tour (rules that get broken a lot, but rules never the less). It's okay to declare that you're in a relationship, though.)
** The US military rules about "fraternization" are thus: 1) The two parties cannot be in the same chain of command. 2) You cannot cross the officer/enlisted divide. 3) You'd both better be either married to each other, or not married to anybody.
*** Note that #2 can have exceptions, as long as numbers 1 & 3 are followed. See [[http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforce/a/fraternization_4.htm #3, bold item 2, here]].
**** As far as the Navy goes, #2 is actually regarded as the most important of these rules. The only way an Officer and Enlisted can be in a relationship is if they were married (''married'', not dating or engaged) prior to one entering an officer training program.

* Played largely straight in the original ''MobileSuitGundam'', which isn't surprising, since most of the main cast are junior officers still in their late teens. Averted in ''ZetaGundam'', with two couples from the original who had gotten married in the intervening years (although the wives had left the EFF to raise their children), and with lead protagonist Kamille Bidan's own parents. Most Gundam shows play it straight, though.

** Averted a little with HHH and Stephanie [=McMahon=], as their marriage is frequently used in feuds.
** There are the two classic examples of Macho Man Randy Savage being married to Miss Elizabeth for years before an on-screen wedding, then still using her as a valet for years after their divorce, and Kevin Sullivan pairing his wife up with Chris Benoit and booking his own divorce.

* At the beginning of the ''[[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined Battlestar Galactica]]'' miniseries, almost every member of the main and supporting cast is single, but by the end of Season 2 everyone is already hooked up or on their way there. During the year-long gap in the timeline between the Season 2 finale and the beginning Season 3, the LoveDodecahedron of the previous season has resolved itself into four reasonably HappilyMarried couples.

* Double subverted in ''FreshPrettyCure!''. It seemed that, finally, in the sixth season of the SeriesFranchise, a character would be introduced who was already taken... but [[RelativeError the "boyfriend" turned out to be her brother.]]

** Averted in the DCU by the [[TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] [[Franchise/TheFlash Flash]], Jay Garrick and his wife Joan.

* The vast majority of ponies in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' are single; the only OfficialCouple is Mr. and Mrs. Cake. There are frequent {{Ship Tease}}s for Golden Harvest and Written Script (with an occasional hint that Golden Harvest [[YourCheatingHeart plays the field]]) or Dr. Hooves and Roseluck, but everypony else looks to be single. In fact, of the Mane Six, only Rarity has shown [[NoHuggingNoKissing any romantic interest whatsoever]], and this always for single-episode [[AnAesop lessons about]] [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle not compromising for a crush]].

* The vast majority of ponies in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' are single; the only OfficialCouple is Mr. and Mrs. Cake. There are frequent {{Ship Tease}}s for Golden Harvest and Written Script (with an occasional hint that Golden Harvest [[YourCheatingHeart plays the field]]) or Dr. Hooves and Roseluck, but everypony else looks to be single. In fact, of the Mane Six, only Rarity has shown any romantic interest whatsoever, and this always for single-episode [[AnAesop lessons about]] [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle not compromising for a crush]].