History VitriolicBestBuds / LiveActionTV

* Felix and Oscar definitely came across this way in the TV version of ''Series/TheOddCouple'', much more so than in the movie or theatrical play versions.

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* ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' and Baldrick seem to be this, especially in series 2 and 3, series 2 including Lord Percy as well, often with Blackadder making his normal snarling remarks, with Baldrick and Percy seemingly oblivious to it, however Baldrick does occasionally catch on and follows up with a bit of wit of his own. They are also shown to be quite close friends, although Blackadder would fight against this suggestion fiercely, having saved each others lives on numerous occasions, no matter how small the act, like stopping the Prince Regent killing Baldrick after mistaking him to be an assassin, or Baldrick coming in just at the right moment with a good distraction to stop Blackadder getting seriously hurt or killed (such as giving the Baby-Eating Bishop of Bath and Wells a sleeping potion in place of a glass of alcohol just before he killed Blackadder with a red hot poker up the-

* Avon and Vila in ''Series/BlakesSeven''. Although [[DeadpanSnarker Avon]] will fling insults at most of the crew, his usual target is Vila - who not only counters the attack but will sometimes actually ''win''. They actually seem to enjoy themselves, and sometimes (particularly in seasons 3 and 4) Avon insults Vila quite fondly. Avon also gets rather annoyed when Tarrant bullies Vila in Vila's ADayInTheLimelight episode, but their relationship breaks down somewhat after [[spoiler: Avon considers throwing Vila out of a spaceship to gain escape velocity.]]

** Hank Schrader constantly makes jabs about Mexicans; his partner, Steve Gomez (who is Mexican) responds with jokes about Hank's weight - and that's when they don't just insult each other in general. Each would take a bullet for the other in a heartbeat.

* Sam Axe and Fiona Glennane in ''Series/BurnNotice'', who started out hating each other on sight (well, Fiona hated Sam; there was [[NoodleIncident that time he stopped one of her weapons deals]]). They've now become TrueCompanions, Fiona helping rescue Sam in the S1 finale, Sam helping rescue Fiona in the S3 mid-finale, and they get AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther {{Friendship Moment}}s quite frequently.

* [[Series/TheColbertReport Stephen Colbert]] treats everyone this way and it's common practice at the ol' ''[[Series/TheDailyShow Daily Show]]''. Notably, Stephen has mad Vitriolic love for his Papa Bear, Bill O'Reilly. In real life Colbert did admit that, even though he disagrees with O'Reilly on alot of things, he has a great respect for him and pretty much owes his career to him. O'Reilly has also said he respects Colbert since he's rarely ever mean-spirited about any of his jabs at people.

** Also, over the seasons Niles and Roz developed into this after starting out as enemies. In an outstanding instance of CharacterDevelopment, the insults they threw back and forth in later seasons are exactly like the ones they threw back in season 1, but their delivery and demeanor changed subtly over the years from vicious contempt to good-natured teasing.
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Phoebe with Ross and Chandler, especially in later seasons. But while Ross seems to enjoy their squabbling, Chandler - despite being the DeadpanSnarker - rarely bites back, hinting he's not that comfortable with her remarks. Despite this, they were still all genuinely close, with Phoebe asking Ross for his genuine thoughts on marriage during her relationship with Mike and helping Chandler buy an engagement ring when he was planning to propose (albeit because she walked in on him looking at ring brochures).

** The Penguin and the Riddler are a VillainousFriendship example. Even when they're not in the middle of a bitter feud over something terrible one did to the other, they spend a lot of their screentime bickering and behaving quite childishly around each other, especially in seasons 4 and 5. This is despite them probably being the most important people in each others' lives, to the point that [[spoiler: [[TakingTheBullet Oswald takes a grenade for Ed with zero hesitation]]]] in the series finale.

** The end of the season two episode "Safe", a [[Awesome/{{House}} Crowning Moment of Awesome]] for Wilson, involves them getting fed up with living together and starting a prank war, which Wilson wins by sawing halfway through House's cane so it dumps him on his ass in the middle of the hospital. As Wilson shakes his head and walks away, House actually grins at the cleverness of the prank.

** And then there's the first episode of season 4, where Wilson attempts to blackmail House into [[spoiler:hiring a new team]] by stealing (and vandalizing) House's guitar. Definitely a bad influence.

* ''Series/{{Leverage}}'': Hardison and Eliot. While Eliot is usually the more vitriolic - to the extent that "Dammit, Hardison!" is a common {{Catchphrase}} of the character - you should not mistake his constant ragging on Hardison as [[HypocriticalHeartwarming permission for you to do the same.]] During [[DocumentaryEpisode The Office Job]] the pair are having a running debate as to whether Hardison stole Eliot's sandwich and Eliot is pissed with Hardison for most of the episode until someone tries to throw Hardison off the roof.

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'': Mr. Finch and Root start out as enemies, but by the time Season Four begins, their relationship evolves to grudging respect and eventually to a more genuine yet still prickly closeness with hints of this trope.

** Spock does hold his own in said exchanges, though, and usually manages to give as good as he gets -- either through InsultBackfire, or more directly (e.g. his ridiculing of Bones's medical competence and his illogical nature, which is surely the gravest insult a Vulcan can think of). Indeed, this was a common complaint when ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' attempted to replicate the Spock and [=McCoy=] dynamic with Data and Pulaski - since Data, unlike Spock, never talked back or stood up for himself, it looked less like a spirited exchange of give and take and more like bullying.

* [=McKay=] and Sheppard from ''Series/StargateAtlantis'': they trade barbs, which frustrates Rodney to no end, combine their skills together in nearly every episode to save the day, but in the end, they are best buds — they take turns saving each other, and despite massive blows to their friendship they continue to have an unbreakable bond.

** [=McKay=] and Beckett also qualify for this trope. On the one hand, Beckett knows that Rodney isn't kidding around when he insults medicine and everything else, but he brushes them off and sees past [=McKay=]'s exterior to his heart of gold (also almost immediately) to the extent that they become best friends which at the end of Season Three culminates in [[spoiler: after Beckett's [[OnlyMostlyDead "death"]]]] which many fans also considered the series' hardest hitting TearJerker.

* The guys from ''Series/{{Workaholics}}'' are this-they often have each other's backs, but are also capable of being very mean to each other, from destructive pranks to physical violence and more. They usually are all on the same side against outsiders, though.

* Connor and Michaela from ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder''. They start as each other's main contender to be the best in class and in the trophy competition despising each other. But as the story progresses (and the dramas as well), they get along more [[NotSoDifferent (as they're usually at the same side)]] and their [[VolleyingInsults bickering]] and SnarkToSnarkCombat become more friendlier. Connor is sometimes very intrusive in Michaela's sex life while she became the primary ShipperOnDeck for Connor and his boyfriend.

* Connor and Michaela from ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder''. They start as each other's main contender to be the best in class and in the trophy comperition despising each other. But as the story progresses (and the dramas as well), they get along more [[NotSoDifferent (as they're usually at the same side)]] and their [[VolleyingInsults bickering]] and their SnarkToSnarkCombat become more friendlier. Connor is sometimes very intrusive in Michaela's sex life while she became the primary ShipperOnDeck for Connor and his boyfriend.

* Srikant and JK in ''Series/TheFamilyMan''. Both are constantly snarking at each other and Srikant in particular balks at any display of sentiment or concern. The scene that best sums up their relationship is when JK is recovering from his injuries in hospital and Srikant comes to visit him:

** The Keating Five as a whole is this. They argue a lot but they hang up together frequently (work, class and drama being reasons of this) and have sevral [[FriendshipMoment friendship moments.]]

* Connor and Michaela from ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder''. They start as each other's main contender to be the best in class and in the trophy comperition despising each other. But as the story progresses (and the dramas as well), they get along more [[NotSoDifferent (as they're usually at the same side)]] and their VolleyingInsults tendencies and their SnarkToSnarkCombat and bickering become more friendlier. Connor is sometimes very intrusive in Michaela's sex life while she became the primary ShipperOnDeck for Connor and his boyfriend.

* Connor and Michaela from ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder''. They start as each other's main contenders to be the best in class and in the trophy comperition despising each other. But as the story progresses (and the dramas as well), they get along more [[NotSoDifferent (as they're usually at the same side)]] and their VolleyingInsults tendencies and their SnarkToSnarkCombat and bickering become more friendlier. Connor is somewhat very intrusive in Michaela's sex life while she became the primary ShipperOnDeck for Connor and his boyfriend.

* Connor and Michaela from ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder''. They start as each other's main contenders to be the best in class and in the trophy comperition despising each other. But as the story progresses (and the dramas as well), they get along more [[NotSoDifferent (as they're usually at the same side)]] and their VolleyingInsults tendencies and their SnarkToSnarkCombat and banter become more friendlier. Connor is somewhat very intrusive in Michaela romantic/sex life while she became the primary ShipperOnDeck for Connor and his boyfriend.
** The Keating Five as a whole is this. They argue a lot but they hang up together frequently (work, class and drama being reasons of this) and have sevral [[FriendshipMoment
friendship moments.]]

** The Keating Five as a whole is this. They argue a lot but they hang up together frequently (work, class and drama being reasons of this) and have sevral [[AwLookTheyReallyLoveEachOther

** The Keating Five as a whole is this. They argue a lot but they hang up together frequently (work, class and drama being reasons of this) and have sevral [[AwwLookTheyReallyLoveEachOther

** The Keating Five as a whole is this. They argue a lot but they hang up together frequently (work, class and drama being reasons of this) and have sevral [[AwwLookTheyDoReallyLoveEachOther

** The Keating Five as a whole is this. They argue a lot but they hang up together frequently (work, class and drama being reasons of this) and have sevral [[AwwTheyDoReallyLoveEachOther

* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Phoebe with Ross and Chandler, especially in later seasons. But while Ross seems to enjoy their squabbling, Chandler - despite being the DeadpanSnarker - rarely bites back, hinting he's not that comfortable with her remarks.

** Spock does hold his own in said exchanges, though, and usually manages to give as good as he gets -- either through InsultBackfire, or more directly (e.g. his ridiculing of Bones's medical competence and his illogical nature, which is surely the gravest insult a Vulcan can think of). Indeed, this was a common complaint when ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' attempted to replicate the Spock and McCoy dynamic with Data and Pulaski - since Data, unlike Spock, never talked back or stood up for himself, it looked less like a spirited exchange of give and take and more like bullying.

** Spock does hold his own in said exchanges, though, and usually manages to give as good as he gets -- either through InsultBackfire, or more directly (e.g. his ridiculing of Bones's medical competence and his illogical nature, which is surely the gravest insult a Vulcan can think of).

** And then Wilson [[spoiler:gets cancer]] and decides to try out selfishness for himself for a change... [[spoiler:telling House that he can either accompany him on his road trip to Ohio willingly, or Wilson will drug and kidnap him. Oh, and remember that this is while House is a ''parolee'' and cannot legally leave the state of New Jersey. Naturally, House comes along, snarking at Wilson and his attempt to develop a new personality most of the way there.]]

** Angel and Spike have very strong elements of this throughout their complicated hundred year old shared history. They are ''constantly'' fighting, whether it be over the smallest of things to the more serious issues, and are shown to find a lot of delight in watching the other experience (non-serious) injury. Yet by the end of Angel's season 5, it's very clear that they care about each other a lot: They reminisce fondly over some of the better memories from their past, Angel reacts with horror when he watches Spike die (and "sacrifices" himself without thinking when the scene plays out again), a telepathic demon reveals that Spike thinks of Angel as an older brother, and they show mutual respect for each other during their final days. Angel has also been shown to feel a lot of remorse and responsibility for making Spike a monster.

** Also, very famously, Xander and Spike.

** Detectives Esposito and Ryan and Lanie the coroner also count to a lesser degree -- all three are perfectly willing to snark on Castle at every opportunity, but it's pretty clear that they think the world of him and he's long since become one of the family.

** Mercedes, Rachel, and Kurt also fit into this trope. It's moreso because Rachel is completely clueless when it comes to how friendships work and because they're all incredibly ambitious divas...which, as Rachel points out, is why they're friends in the first place.
** Sue admits that she is VitriolicBestBuds with Will (Will does bite back on occasions) after he not only calls her out on her rude behaviour toward Becky, but [[spoiler: runs her sister's funeral, including reading the speech Sue had prepared when she breaks down crying]]. Other episodes confirm this whenever someone else tries to ruin the Glee Club's chances and Sue jumps in at the last minute to save them. She even once admits that she thinks [[spoiler: Will is a great teacher and the Glee Club is good for the kids]].