Ah, the magic of television. It can wow us with its supernatural special effects, insane plot twists, and ridiculous time lapses. Perhaps the most amazing TV creation, however, is the flawless husband: this super-spouse that we believe could actually exist among us. For the single ladies out there, watching them week-to-week can be cruel, but always inspires a little optimism as well. So we thank you, fictional husbands, for allowing us to dream.

Adam Braverman (Parenthood)

The be-all, end-all. The Big Kahuna. The holy grail of TV hubbies. Sir Braverman is not only a living embodiment of his marriage vows, but he’s pretty easy on the eyes as well. Whether he’s defending his autistic son Max from school bullies, standing by his wife Kristina as she battles cancer, or simply busting a move at a family party to lighten the mood, it doesn’t get any better than this guy. When complaining to one of my best friends — also a Parenthood fan — about a recent encounter with a particularly shady dude, she responded with four comforting words that became my dating mantra: “Adam Braverman or bust.” Amen, sister.

Marshall Eriksen (How I Met Your Mother)

Aside from the fact that I’d really just like to hang out with Jason Segel in real life, his HIMYM character really raised the bar for men around the world. As a great fiancé, and then as a great husband to his college sweetheart Lily, Marshall is insanely supportive of his lady throughout the entire series. When he manned up and took a corporate job to help her wade through her massive credit card debt so they could purchase their first home? Shopaholics around the world teared up a little bit.

Sandy Cohen (The O.C.)

So the O.C. ended like seven years ago, but Sandy’s legacy as an all-star husband lives on. Who else takes a troubled youth into his home and puts him up in his poolhouse? Who can schmear a bagel with such finesse? Does ANYONE have better eyebrows? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding “no.” Let’s not forget that he also helped his wife Kirsten through her drinking problem, surprised her on her fortieth birthday with two first-class tickets to travel around the world, and saved her from an earthquake. All in a day’s work for Mr. Cohen.

Joe DuBois (Medium)

Joe gets major hubby points simply due to the fact that he was awoken during nearly every episode by his wife Allison, who was constantly experiencing crazy crime dreams and waking up in a panic. You need to have some major fortitude (or some major prescription sleeping pills) to deal with that supernatural business on a nightly basis. The best part is that he never seemed to take her visions seriously, despite the fact that the entire show was based around their accuracy. Men!

Bill Rancic (Giuliana & Bill)

This one sort of stings because, um, Bill is actually a real person that exists in the world. Giuliana, you lucked out, girl. Sure, there’s probably some heavy editing that goes into their reality show, but there’s no getting around the fact that Bill is a genuinely caring, sweet, and all-around good man. You can also tell that he never takes himself too seriously, either, and let’s be honest: there’s nothing more attractive than a sexy goofball. — Kim Windyka