Battlestar Galactica (2003): Whether it's the one in Gaius Baltar's head or the genuine article, Caprica Six regularly caresses Baltar's hair and face. Even when Head Baltar appears to Six, she touches him more than he touches her. The cover of one of the DVDs even has her cupping his face with her hand.
Bones: Angela can be seen stroking Hodgins’ face and brushing dirt away after he and Brennan are rescued in “Aliens in the Spaceship”.
Subverted in The Boys (2019). At a public event, superhero Homelander brushes aside the hair of his partner and ex-girlfriend Queen Maeve, to the appreciation of the crowd, when he's actually whispering in her ear that he might get really upset if he found out she'd fallen for someone else.
Anya patting Dawn, but as it's a patronizing gesture it only annoys her. Whereas Buffy stroking Dawn's hair is used to show the squabbling siblings actually do have affection for each other.
A variation in "Helpless" where Giles cleans an injury on Buffy's forehead, shortly after his surrogate-parent relationship with her is lampshaded.
Community, as is expected of such a troperiffic show, discussed this. Jeff and Annie's relationship is characterized by him being an older brother to her, except that the increasing sexual tension is making that awkward and they can't keep it up, meaning their relationship has to evolve. The discussion ends with "We can't keep doing this kiddo," with a gentle chuck of the chin. "Can't we?" [long pause], "No, it's gross."
Criminologist Himura and Mystery Writer Arisugawa: After rebuffing Akemi's request to be his assistant, Himura lessens the blow by telling her that he was worried about her and gently pats her on the head. It's then revealed that the Shangri-La cult were spying on them, and took the gesture as confirmation that Akemi is a person that Himura cares about — and thus a potential target for them.
The Crown (2016). Prime Minister Churchill always gives Queen Elizabeth the traditional kiss on the hand. When he retires from public life however, he gives the young queen a fatherly kiss on the forehead instead. In a later episode the Queen visits Churchill at home after he suffers a stroke, and when he falls asleep during their meeting she kisses him on the forehead.
In "Pyramids of Mars", there is a fairly extended scene where Sarah Jane very thoroughly massages and cuddles the Doctor's head while he's coming round to consciousness. Judging by his expression, he enjoys it quite a lot.
In "Shada", Chris allows the Doctor to wire his brain up to a man left braindead by a particularly brutal Mind Rape. The Doctor hooks him up to the machine, realises that Chris is finding it excruciatingly painful, and kisses him on the forehead out of pity. Then he kisses the Mind Rape victim on his forehead, "for luck".
The Eleventh Doctor is very fond of kissing companions and loved ones on the forehead as a reassuring gesture.
"The Pandorica Opens": Amy, who had forgotten her fiancé Rory after he'd been retgoned several episodes before, finds herself stroking a returned Rory's cheek without understanding why.
"The Big Bang": The Doctor puts his newly-acquired fez on young Amelia when she asks for a drink, which has a very similar effect to the usual form of the trope. And he does get her a drink later.
Amelia: I'm thirsty. Can I get a drink? The Doctor: Oh, it's all mouths today, isn't it! [puts his fez on her, covering most of her head]
Towards the end of her time on the series, stroking the Twelfth Doctor's cheek becomes Clara Oswald's default mode of expressing affection for him when a hug won't do. (In their final episode together, the Doctor was originally scripted to finally return the favour, but the scene was shot differently.) This replaced slapping the Doctor which Clara did (or threatened to do) a surprising number of times in their first season together.
Played with on the kids game show Double Dare. In one of the physical challenges A contestant would have a slime filed balloon put on her hat, and then sit down receiving a pat on the head from a giant hand. This would break the balloon leaving her Covered in Gunge.
Zoe cups and caresses Wash’s face while they talk after she frees him from Niska and gets him to the shuttle in Firefly
At the end of the first episode of Forever (2014), a flashback and Age Cut reveal that Abe was a baby that Henry and Abigail adopted at the end of World War II. This reveal is emphasized by Henry, who still looks 34, kissing Abe on the top of the head in a very fatherly manner.
Friday Night Lights once had Tim Riggins kiss Becky on the forehead as both an apology and a promise to come back for her.
In the very first episode, when Robert Baratheon arrives to Winterfell and gets introduced to the Stark children. He says something funny to each, save for the youngest, Rickon, instead ruffling his hair.
Subverted in "Winter Is Coming" when Daenerys isn't happy about her Arranged Marriage to some savage horselord, so Prince Viserys strokes his sister's face in reassurance... while telling her he'd let Khal Drogo's entire army (and their horses) fuck her if that's what it took to get his throne back. After their marriage Khal Drogo brushes a tear from the face of his terrified bride... then indulges his Marital Rape License.
Davos gives Shireen a kiss on the forehead for prompting his "Eureka!" Moment in "Breaker of Chains".
Volantenes believe it's good luck to rub a dwarf's head and aren't shy about doing it without permission. Tyrion is not amused.
The titular serial killer in Hannibal is creepily fond of stroking and caressing his victims' faces as he kills them.
There’s at least one Highlander episode, “Revenge is Sweet”, where Duncan strokes Tessa’s face while they talk.
Towards the end of the first season of Homeland, Tom Walker ties up an old woman and uses her home as a sniping post. After he's finished, he musses her hair before leaving.
"The Duchess and the Devil" from Horatio Hornblower has this trope all over the place.
The Duchess of Wharfedale is a lady who is cheeky, spirited, older yet still sexy as hell. She gently touches Horatio's face when she teases him about not having any razors to shave himself because he's in Spanish jail. That lady knows how to flirt.
The Duchess affectionately strokes Archie Kennedy's forehead when he lies in bed, slowly recovering from his suicide attempt by starvation. Lucky Duchess and lucky Archie.
Horatio caresses Archie's head and loose hair when he tries to take care of him and nurse him into health. He also hands him a cup of water and tries to make him drink. These are extremely intense hurt/comfort moments between Heterosexual Life-Partners.
"...After the Phantoms of Your Former Self": After Louis de Pointe du Lac joins Lestat de Lioncourt (who are lovers) in feeding on the blood of the tenor, Lestat tenderly holds Louis' head as a gesture of intimacy.
"Like Angels Put in Hell by God": Lestat delicately runs the tips of his fingers along the top of Louis' hair as they nestle together in the latter's coffin. Because Lestat nearly killed Louis in the previous episode, he's attempting to prove to his boyfriend that he can be gentle and caring.
It's a Big Big World: In "Not Found Here," Burdette headpats Snook after he compliments her beauty.
In series one, episode one of Jeeves and Wooster, Bingo Little pats Oliver Glossup (the boy he's tutoring) during dinner, dismissing something the boy just said.
In an early arc of Kamen Rider Double, the heroes protect a politician whose daughter is convinced that Double is her father (who was assassinated the year before). Philip researches her father and, at the end of the arc, Double says goodbye to her by performing the very specific head-pat he would give her every day before going to work.
Lucifer: In "God Johnson", Lucifer and God (inhabiting a human body) are Strolling Through the Chaos of a riot in a mental hospital. God gets a feather from a torn pillow stuck in his hair, which Lucifer removes. Despite Lucifer's resentment of God being an ongoing theme, it's clear some part of Lucifer still loves his father and enjoys spending time with Him again.
The Mandalorian: In the first season finale IG-11, Cara Dune and Greef Carga all stroke The Child's big ears as a way of saying goodbye to him.
Merlin (2008): Given the copious amount of Les Yay between the two, Morgause and Morgana can’t keep their hands off each other whenever they’re together and Morgause loves to play with Morgana’s cheeks and caress her face.
NCIS: The jury is still out as to whether Gibbs’ dope slaps to DiNozzo are kind gestures or an attempt to stop him being so... erm... so DiNozzo. DiNozzo claims he's sure they're affectionate. In one of Ziva's first episodes, she takes it as both a sign of affection and a badge of honour to receive one from Gibbs, so the reality is that it's a combination of both.
It firmly lands on affectionate in DiNozzo's final episode. After he explains why he's leaving, Gibbs gives him a hug and rubs the back of his head.
Player: Ha-ri treats A-ryeong like a little sister, and when teasing her he ruffles her hair.
JJ from Skins is forever having his hair ruffled; he's well aware that it's mostly patronizing.
"Then I'd tell Freddie and Cook to stop fighting over Effy before they hate each other forever, and not make me take sides. And they'd listen to me for once and not fucking ruffle my hair!"
And then about two minutes later, Karen [Freddie's sister] does exactly that.
In Stargate SG-1, Jack sometimes gently ruffles or smooths Daniel's hair to show affection or to comfort himself if he's worried about Daniel. He also does it to annoy Daniel sometimes.
Alex does this to Supergirl in Season 1 episode, "Falling", by caressing her cheek to let her know that she forgives her for saying all the bad things to her under the influence of red kryptonite, even though there are some things she said were right about her.
In the Robin of Sherwood episode "The Greatest Enemy", Robin of Loxley gently ruffles Much's hair before sending him away.
Uchu Sentai Kyuranger: Stinger sometimes pats Kotaro on the head in comforting manner as big brother to younger brother. It's a gesture that Stinger's older brother used to do when Stinger was a child and it reminds him of the good times he had with his brother before it all went to hell.
The White Queen: After Queen Anne experiences an acute coughing fit in the middle of a party, she rests in bed while King Richard III caresses the top of her head to soothe her. Although their marriage is in trouble in Episode 10, spending time with his ill wife and performing this gesture demonstrate that there are still some remnants of his romantic affection for her, even if it's nowhere near as strong as it used to be.
The X-Files: Mulder and Scully would frequently touch each other's forehead, stroke each other's hair, hold each other's head, or cup each other's face. Unresolved Sexual Tension at its best.
◊ (something he rarely gives a companion, let alone anyone else) on the forehead after finding her safe and sound in "Colony in Space". Both Jon Pertwee and Katy Manning seem to fumble awkwardly in the lead-up to it.
