Ihave two best friends in this world, but one is my twin brother and, therefore, is genetically bound to the title. The other best friend, who willingly chooses the mantle, is a sprightly, young fellow commonly referred to as Brian. He and his wife, Angela, will be having a baby soon, and I've taken it upon myself to name the child.

I'm thinking if it's a boy, he'll be called Panthro, and if it's a girl, Cheetara. Other nominees include Admiral Rambunctious, Bosco or Brangelina. My quest would be a lot easier if they'd just tell me what sex the child will be, but they want it to remain a surprise. They also want me to stop coming up with names for their first child.

I don't know what the big deal is; the godfather of the child should be allowed to chime in his opinion. My suggestions aren't welcome, though, and neither is my declaration that I get to be the godfather of their child.

These are the completely realistic issues that come up in real life between best friends, unlike the fantastical scenarios dreamed up between best friends on television and in movies. I've been thinking about the concept of best friends as it relates to television a lot lately, as I've started watching the show "Boston Legal" for reasons known only by me and my lawyer.

The primary storyline that drives the show is the dynamic between two characters:lawyers Alan Shore (played by James Spader) and Denny Crane (played by the immortal William Shatner). Shore is a liberal; Crane is a conservative. Shore fights for the poor and indigent; Crane once shot a homeless person. Shore makes his statements by being reserved and caustic;Crane is a former captain of the starship USS Enterprise. Yet the two men end every episode, smoking cigars on the balcony of Crane's office and wrapping up the events of the episode.

We are meant to watch the show for the same reasons we watch every legal drama:dramatic courtroom showdowns and torrid affairs between better-looking-than-those-in-real-life lawyers who occupy the law firm. However, what makes this show so special is the kinship between these two larger-than-life characters who have so little in common, personally, yet still consider themselves to be best friends.

I've noticed a lot of this male best friend dynamic on television shows lately. My favorite is the relationship between best-friend doctors J.D. and Turk of "Scrubs." The best way to sum up their kinship happened on last night's musical episode, when the two sing a duet titled "Guy Love"to each other (sample lyric:J.D. "It's like I've married my best friend." Turk "But in a totally masculine way").

If you don't watch the show, that paragraph probably spooked you a little. Go ahead and take a moment.

"My Name Is Earl"is driven by the exploits of lead character Earl Hickey and his brother-best friend, Randy. "Nip/Tuck" centers around the relationship between two Miami plastic surgeons, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy. The best part of "Psych" is the interplay between lead character Shawn Spencer and his best friend and business partner, Gus. "Deal Or No Deal"succeeds because of Howie Mandel and his phone call chit-chats with his best friend, the banker.

Why is it you don't see two female best friends at the forefront of shows lately, though?This hasn't always been the case. Lucy and Ethel of "I Love Lucy" are among the foremost comedic forces in any medium. "Laverne & Shirley" did it their own way in the '70s. The '80s brought both "Cagney & Lacey"and "Kate & Allie."

Then, in the '90s, focus groups must have felt that audiences were too overwhelmed with one too many female names in the titles, or that ampersands are scary. So Roseanne and sister Jackie of "Roseanne," and Blossom and Six of "Blossom"enjoyed the quality of their own company, despite the singular booking.

If you don't count "Hope & Faith"(I never actually saw this show and believe it was merely an urban legend), the well has gone dry for female best friends on TV. Instead the context has changed, in terms of females, to shows about groups of female friends. "Sex and the City"was about sex that was had within the confines of a city, but it also was about a group of four female friends. "Desperate Housewives" rachets it up to the exploits of five girlfriends.

So, whatever happened to the female duo?Why are women only trusted to carry shows now within the structure of a gang?

I don't honestly know the answer, other than that TV follows trends, and the group dynamic is what's in when dealing with female characters, at the moment. But Ido find it odd that Hollywood seems only willing to allow two men to rhapsodize upon their bond on that balcony, every week.

(Reach columnist Kelly Hagen at 250-8259 or kelly.hagen@;bismarcktribune.com. His column runs on Fridays.)