Male friendships on TV are rarely intimate. Any intimate relationship between men is more likely to be found in sitcoms which tend to be aimed largely at women and children. Men in TV drama who express their feelings do so largely to women. Fathers are the ones referred to most often as controlling the selection of TV programs on the family TV set, though fathers often didn't see it this way. Men were far more likely to plan a evening's viewing in advance than women were.
Men usually command the remote control to enforce their authority.
Many women complain that men often switch programs no matter what the women want to watch. Women rarely take such unilateral action. This is a reflection of male power in the home. Men like news, current affairs and documentaries, and women like fictional programs, including romantic fiction in particular. However, any tendencies for men and women to use TV differently can be oversimplified.