Metro Staff Picks: Our Tried-and-Tested Comfort TV Shows

Escape and comfort television are now more prized than ever, after an entire decade where gritty, anti-hero stories took precedence. Most of all, comfort TV no longer has to be something to be ashamed of in fear of it not being well-made, as something like The Babysitters Club finds the sweet spot between being soothing and comforting and just all around good television. Below, the Metro.Style team rounds up our favorite shows to watch and rewatch, especially when days get heavy, from BoJack Horseman to The Golden Girls. 

BoJack Horseman 

“I discovered this show late last year when the series was nearing its (very satisfying) end, and it was legitimately one of my pop culture highlights of 2019. If other people turn to entertainment for escape and to indulge in over-idealistic versions of life, I prefer my shows to feel like a mirror with 10000x magnifying powers held in front of me, accurately reflecting back all of the things I have going on, good and bad, happy and sad, but mostly in-between. Also, Will Arnett’s voice acting (he plays the horseman himself) feels like the glass of single malt scotch your soul needs to bathe in after soldiering through one of those days (and there are many of ‘those days’ given that, well, the end of world feels nearer than ever). The magic is that it’s a sad show that delightfully makes you feel a lot less sad.” –Sara de los Reyes, Writer

The Carrie Diaries

“This is one of my go-to TV shows whenever I’m feeling down, since I find the main character, Carrie, very relatable. It’s a prequel based on Sex and The City, but the focus is obviously on Carrie Bradshaw and her younger years. The show only has two seasons and only lasted for about a year, but I always like to go back to Carrie’s adventures while she discovers life, love, and career in general—plus it’s set in New York city!” –Eli Montoro, Editorial Assistant

The Golden Girls

“The show first aired 35 years ago but Sophia, Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche’s antics are timeless. Watching the show feels like eating a slice of your cheesecake with your favorite people in the world.” –Raff Colmenar, Art Director

Sherlock

“No matter how many shows I binge-watch on sad days or rainy nights, I always find myself coming back to BBC’s Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The modern adaptation of Doyle’s famous fictional detective is for me, one of the cleverest and entertaining shows of the last decade. I find comfort when he successfully solved a case even if everyone doubted him. His antics, his vulnerability, and his friendship with John Watson connected to me in more ways than one. The show’s faithfulness to Doyle’s original, the killer lines—genius. Yes, Sherlock. after all this time (I still hope for a 5th season, it's been 4 years), always.” –Judy Arias, Managing Editor

Dinner Mate

“I think it has a fresh concept. It’s interesting how the love story of two strangers unfolded. The lead male character is a food psychiatrist, and I liked how he explains the connection of food to one’s emotional well-being. The lead female character is a digital content producer, and as an editor, the work that she does resonates with me. I am currently hooked on K-Dramas that have a lot of food scenes.” –Grace Libero-Cruz, People Editor

Kim’s Convenience, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Community, and K-dramas

“My girlfriend and I particularly liked watching Kim’s Convenience, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Community during this quarantine. The first, maybe because it was about family and their issues and conflicts seemed so simple compared to real life that we felt good watching it. The second because the characters were easy to get to know, and they were the good guys who always caught the bad guys. And the third, because it was light enough that you can do other things (like chores, bake, etc.) while watching it and not get lost in the plot. 

The others we watched were K-dramas (Sky Castle, Hyena, Itaewon Class, Mystic Pop-Up Bar), which we got so engrossed in because the characters and conflicts were so complex. Personally, Hi, Bye Mama hit home for me because I watched it during the start of the pandemic where we were learning about the passing of so many friends and acquaintances that it really opened my eyes about valuing family and relationships because life is short and the time we spend with loved ones even more so.” –Ceia Ylagan, Travel Editor 

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Billions, Succession, and more K-dramas

Being in quarantine for over sooooo many days has undeniably expanded what comfort TV is to me. Prior to lockdown, I’d typically put on crime dramas like The Sinner and The Blacklist or true crime documentary series like Making a Murderer after a long day’s work. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE dramas like Succession and Billions—the former of which I rewatched at the start of quarantine with newfound appreciation. I still watch shows about crime and dysfunction now, but perhaps a lot less frequently. (Maybe because reality seems to be all too much going on in the real world now?)

“In quarantine, I’ve found that I gravitate towards light-hearted shows with characters I’ve already come to know and love—The Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to name several. It’s like having some friends on speed dial when you’re having a crummy day! I’ve also discovered a budding appreciation for K-drama during this time. Staying home a lot more and researching for K-ent content for Culture section opened me up to watching dramas like Crash Landing on You, Itaewon Class, Mystic Pop-Up Bar, and my absolute favorite, The King: Eternal Monarch. I particularly found myself gravitating to shows that allowed me to escape from and tune out reality, and there are some K-dramas out there that really do this exceptionally so!

Gilmore Girls 

“Gilmore Girls is my go-to TV series when I just want to escape from reality and transport myself to the craziness of Stars Hollow. I can honestly say I’ve watched the show so many times now that I could already recite the dialogue. Gilmore Girls is the perfect mix of humor, romance and of course, drama, which makes me want to watch it over and over again. (PS: Team Logan all the way!)” –Cara Tirona, Editorial Assistant

Cougar Town

“I have a lot of emotional support sitcoms—I’ve long loved sitcoms my whole life, after all. The Nanny, Hot in Cleveland, and One Day at a Time all feel like coming home to family at the end of a long day. But if I had to choose just one, I’d say Cougar Town is my tried-and-tested comfort show. I love how colorful it is, how it’s a show about love and sunshine, set in the sunny fictional neighborhood of Gulf Haven in Florida. I love ensemble comedies and the things and antics the gang gets into on Cougar Town, from hurricane parties to the playing game they invented, Penny Can, to painting land boats.” –Renee Nuevo, Writer

Lead photos from IMdB