This request comes from Juhi, from the comments to my recent recommendation of Midnight Diner on Netflix:
Would you please do an open thread asking for comforting shows on Netflix/Hulu?
I would love to get more recs along GBBO, The Babysitter’a Club lines, shows that feel comforting and fill me with so many good feelings!
We sure can! Strap in, because, whew, do we have recs for you.
Sarah: Crass, funny, but good feelings all over the place: Letterkenny (Hulu).
Elyse: It’s on Apple TV but Ted Lasso will warm your heart and make you laugh.
Sarah: Many a person has suggested signing up for a free trial of Apple + TV and watching it before cancelling.
Elyse: Making It (Hulu) is also really comforting. It’s a crafting show with Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman.
Tara: Seconding Ted Lasso! Also, Schitt’s Creek.
It’s quite old and from the UK, but if they haven’t seen Gavin and Stacey, that’s one of my favourite shows ever. It has so much heart and its hilarious too.
Sarah: I’ll be honest: I tried two episodes of Schitt’s Creek and really struggled. Is there a point at which it starts to turn?
Claudia: I had the same experience and heard/read after first season
Elyse: It took me well into season 2.
Amanda: This is cheating but also seconding Elyse’s suggestion of Ted Lasso on Apple TV. It’s the most comforting show I’ve seen. Most of the time, I’m watching Fargo or some horror movie, which is not the assignment here.
Tara:I had a hard time with Schitt’s Creek at first too, but I stayed with a friend (before quarantimes) and she sat me down and we just powered through and it became wonderful.
Shana: I would second Gavin and Stacey. That show is just adorable, I rewatched it last year.
Black Love (on Hulu) is the sweetest show, I watch it when I need a reminder that love is real, or just to see people caring for one another.
Aarya introduced me to Julie and the Phantoms last year: it’s about a teen who befriends a boy band of ghosts from the 90s. I found it super comforting and cute, but there are some storylines around grief, so it may not work for everyone.
Oh, and how about Kim’s Convenience?
Amanda: Noooo Shana! Too sooooon!
Shana: I know…but I haven’t gotten to the last season so I’m still riding the high.
Amanda: Netflix especially has a lot of low drama wholesome reality competitions.
Tara: The Great Canadian Baking Show is also wonderful and Dan Levy co-hosts the first two seasons.
Claudia: For the laughs and baking, I love Nailed It.
Also Queer Eye, especially the middle seasons.
Maya: On Netflix, comforting cartoons I love include Magic School Bus, One Punch Man, Super Hero Girls, Avatar the Last Airbender.
Netflix has old (1994-1997) and new (Magic School Bus Rids Again) seasons of Magic School Bus and it’s always perfect for adults looking to engage with some low-stress nostalgia edutainment and great for kids who never saw the original run.
One Punch Man is this very funny anime about this guy, Saitama, who is a hero that can defeat anyone with one punch. It’s definitely not as chill as Magic School Bus, but Saitama is very funny as he tries to make a living as a paid hero. Season 1 is amazing, but in Season 2 they changed both the production company and director and the resulting product just wasn’t as wonderful.
Super Hero Girls is perfect for any DC fans who think all the movies are entirely too grimdark. The show stars teen Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Bumblebee, Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Zatanna as they manage their superhero identities, high school, and fighting teen villains (like Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn!). It’s all very upbeat and kind (Batgirl and Harley Quinn’s non-super identities are besties!). The stakes are low and jokes are numerous!
Also, Beyonce’s Homecoming.
And Sister, Sister!!!!!!!
Tara: Oh, my daughter loves the Super Hero Girls graphic novels! I should see if we get the show on Netflix Canada!
Maya: For reality tv, I love Grand Designs and Forged in Fire. Grand Designs follows people as they build homes that tend to be architecturally interesting in some way. It’s perfect as background tv or something that you aren’t paying all your attention to.
I am mildly(?) obsessed with Forged in Fire! It’s a reality tv competition show where people (ok, mostly White men) compete to make edged weapons! The competitors are all very kind to each other, so there is no manufactured by the producers unnecessary drama to roll your eyes at. Just people making pretty sharp things! That the judges try to destroy! The original host’s (Will Willis) very self-conscious performance of masculinity took me a bit to get used to, but the judges are a delight.
It’s on both Netflix and Hulu!
Lara: I endorse Gavin and Stacey whole heartedly. Also, The Detectorists and Partners in Crime on Acorn TV.
Maya: On Hulu, there’s Drunk History, which is basically drunk people telling you stories that are then recreated on screen with famous people acting it out. It is chaotic and hilarious.
Hulu also has Steven Universe and Adventure Time, which are both really special shows that will change your life. Not to oversell or anything. But seriously, they are really complex and kind cartoons that are perfect for any kind of audience.
Tara: Oh yes! We watched through all of Steven Universe with our kids and it’s WONDERFUL.
Maya: And Gravity Falls!! It sometimes get less adoring hype than Steven Universe and Adventure Time, but it tells a really great story about twins spending the summer right before they turn 13 with their great uncle (Grunkle Stan). There’s magic and mythical beasts and twins figuring out how to be two separate people, with different identities and interests.
And finally, Angie Tribeca. It’s this weird sitcom starring Rashida Jones filled with silly puns and sight gags that is very much a throwback to Airplane and Naked Gun. It might take an episode or two to get use the rhythm, but it is very silly and totally stress-free and I’ve watched all four seasons more than once.
(basically, for most of this pandemic, I have not had the attention span for books)
Lara: Another favorite comfort view: Kath & Kim. The Australian one. Watched it multiple times and it’s excellent medicine
Catherine: I’m not sure if The Great British Sewing Bee is on Netflix or if one has to watch it via other methods, but it is very soothing and surprisingly compelling even to someone like me who has absolutely no interest in sewing.
Maya: Oh wow that sounds AMAZING and it’s definitely not on US Netflix (because I would be watching it right now)
Catherine: They have to make garments and remake old garments and it is fabulous.
Maya: WAIT! I forgot that there’s an episode of Angie Tribeca where Maya Rudolph guest stars as a romance author helping Angie solve a case.
Maya is, unsurprisingly, perfection and all I want now is a way better version of Castle starring Maya Rudolph as the very horny, but also very astute judge of human behavior assisting the NYPD while also selling her romance novels.
Shana: Daaaammmmn.
Ellen: HBO max has 12 Dates of Christmas, which is a pretty silly and sweet reality TV dating show about the holidays. There’s some drama but it all feels very low-stakes, plus there are some genuinely sweet romantic connections that form.
Hulu has Sailor Moon (always original, not the remake!), which is a huge comfort watch for me. It’s basically all about teen girls using the power of love to create justice and I am INTO THAT. Plus the animation is beautiful. The background work alone!
What about you? What comforting shows can you recommend for Juhi?
Why isn’t She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix) on this list already?! Girl-majority cast; excellent writing, design, and voice acting; ethnic and body type diversity; autistic and non-binary rep; a bop of a theme song…oh, and most everybody’s gay.
Seconding “Queer Eye”, “Nailed It” & “Gravity Falls”!
My comfort shows are usually cosy murder mystery series like “Murder She Wrote”, “Midsomer Murders”, “Father Brown” and any Agatha Christie adaptation. I’m pretty sure that’s not comforting for everyone though. Sadly most of those aren’t on Netflix but I can recommend “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” which has the same kind of vibes (plus gorgeous costumes).
Derry Girls on Netflix always leaves me laughing, even though I’ve seen all the episodes at least three times by now. I usually have secondhand cringe issues watching fictional kids in high school making poor choices, but I think the shenanigans of Derry Girls feel so over-the-top to me that they don’t tip off my “oh no that’s so embarrassing” reaction. Looking forward to the eventual third season!
I generally like Bob’s Burgers on Hulu as well. I’ve enjoyed Avatar: The Last Air Bender and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (both on Netflix and mentioned above), although they both do so well at discussing serious themes that I don’t quite categorize them as “comfort” (spoiler alert + content warning, probably some of the dead mother stuff in both shows).
The Repair Shop, on Netflix. People bring a treasured family possession in (a battered old trunk, a painting a kid shot a hole through, a watch someone carried through a WWII internment camp, a butter churn), and this lovely team of experts ask about its history and work to repair it. There is only one series on Netflix so far, so I am stretching the episodes out.
I’m cheating because this is on HBO Max, but “The Great Pottery Throw Down” is a British competition show modeled along the lines of GBBO, except instead of technical challenges involving a dozen scones, they involve putting handles on a dozen mugs. There are a variety of potters from various backgrounds and every week there’s a star potter and every week someone has to “pack up their wheel” (or something similar) and go home. It’s incredibly relaxing to watch very talented people take a ball of clay and make beautiful things.
/Also, I’m not sure on what streaming service you can find “Blown Away,” but it’s a similarly-styled competition show involving art glass. That has also been a lot of fun to watch.
I watch YA shows when I need comfort… Never Have I Ever, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Veronica Mars are my faves.
Hiromiya on Hulu is an absolutely adorable little slice-of-life/romance anime that i’ve been watching, and it makes me giggle every episode! I have been promised by someone who already read the manga that unlike some, there’s no surprise feels-train waiting to hit you with sobs, it stays light and fluffy!
A few Netflix recs:
1. Nadia Hussain, a former Baking Show champ, has two Netflix shows I like: Nadiya’s Time to Eat and Nadiya Bakes. I find her style rather soothing.
2. Since people are putting kids shows here, Waffles + Mochi is a very cute and weird puppet show with Michelle Obama about food around the world.
@Lynn — I also love to watch MURDER, SHE WROTE, MATLOCK, MONK, etc. even though I’ve seen most of the episodes several times.
On Netflix, I enjoyed SWEET MAGNOLIAS and VIRGIN RIVER, although beware that SM ends on a cliffhanger and VR has some serious plotlines, including the death of a spouse.
Not sure what service it’s on, but HART OF DIXIE is very lighthearted and fun. So is GOOD WITCH, which has a touch of magical realism and reruns on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.
I also enjoy the rom-coms on the Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, and Netflix, especially the Christmas ones. Not sure about Hulu, but there are tons of those on Netflix.
Everyone danced around it but never mentioned that THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW is on Netflix.
Also, I don’t know if it is still there, but THE GOOD PLACE is also there.
Finally, agree with TED LASSO and SCHITT’S CREEK. I was so taken with Ted Lasso that I watched it twice.
Y’all are making it really hard for me to not go back to Hulu since now I know they have Bob’s Burgers and Adventure Time AND Sailor Moon. (Also I think they have Brooklyn 99 which doesn’t exactly fit this request necessarily but was one of my favorite comedies, though I missed out on the last few seasons)
Seconding the rec for Nadiya Bakes; she’s very cheery and soothing and makes beautiful looking things. I watch food shows on Netflix whenever my brain needs to turn off; others I’ve enjoyed are Street Food (there’s a season for Asia and a season for Latin America so far) and a Chinese show called Flavorful Origins where the narrator’s voice just immediately soothes me (seriously, even if I don’t catch all the subtitles I don’t even mind cause his voice is just so calming.) The episodes of that are very short, too, so good when you don’t have time for a big commitment.
Schitt’s Creek is a fantastic show once you make it past the first season (I don’t think the first season is BAD per se, but it can be kind of abrasive. It softens out and the characters get away from caricature a bit. And then Patrick the greatest cinnamon roll of all time comes in, so…stick with it)
A second vote for Virgin Falls. I’d also suggest Cranford, a delightful historical drama now on Prime. The original Anne of Green Gables is great but not sure where it’s streaming. All Creatures Great & Small is based on James Herriot’s book about being a vet in Yorkshire and is a very good series on PBS. Also old movies are great — The Philadelphia Story, Bringing Up Baby are on HBO/Max. Community is funny but also sweet in the way it develops the friendship between a random group of strangers going to community college together. I recently watched some classic (not spaghetti) westerns like Big Jake — and I am not a western person — but found them fun.
Oh, coming back cause I forgot one. I’m currently watching the k-drama Navillera, which is about a 70 year old man who’s always wanted to learn ballet and finally decides to just go for it, and the young man who very reluctantly becomes his teacher. It’s very sweet, honestly a tad more sentimental than I usually go for, but very good.
Seconding the suggestion to start Schitt’s Creek on S2. Trust the hype, it’s worth sticking with.
Also seconding the Ted Lasso suggestion, it’s wonderful.
If you’re looking for something more along the romantic bent, then Lovesick on Netflix is DELIGHTFUL. The premise might sound off (guy who gets an STD needs to track down his past romantic partners to let them know) but it is one of the sweetest rom-coms I’ve watched in forever. Also has an AMAZING OT3 friendship, and the best character arc/progression for the character Luke.
I cannot recommend the K-drama, CRASH LANDING ON YOU on Netflix, enough. It has everything: Romance, humor, adventure, friendship, fish-out-of-water, parallel story stucture, greek chorus/meta-commentary.
Seconding The Repair Shop! Also, if you like Forged in Fire, you will possibly also like Blown Away, which is a glassblowing competition. Some of the things they make are UNREAL.
I have loved Kim’s Convenience, but am struggling with the later seasons, especially since most of the episodes seem to have a plot or subplot of “Janet Struggles With Secondhand Embarrassment”.
My comfort shows have been on Disney+. ‘Encore,’ which is a reality series about high-school musical casts reuniting years (sometimes decades) down the line to put on their show again; and ‘Car SOS,’ which is from the UK via NatGeo. It’s like Extreme Makeover Car Edition, with a team rebuilding old “classics” (beaters) for people who for (mostly horrifying health-related) reasons can’t do it themselves. I get to listen to English people talk, the husband gets to watch car stuff, we’re both happy. 🙂
Blitz Fansub hosts their English-subbed episodes of the live-action Gokushufudo (The Way of the Househusband) on their website, along with short explanatory notes. Meanwhile, Netflix has just dropped the anime version 🙂 I’ve never read the original manga, but I can’t recommend the live-action one enough. The humor is wonderfully wacky, such as the scene with rival ex-gangsters having a parfait face-off, but at its core it’s about a stay-at-home dad leaving his old life behind to take care of his wife and daughter.
@AO – 100% agree on LOVESICK on Netflix. I’ve watched the whole series through like three times. I love those three roommates! Great romance in the end.
For Hulu –
BROOOKLYN NINE NINE
SINGLE PARENTS — only two seasons but so cute and funny
9-1-1 — it has some serious stuff, but the relatinships, the characters and so many wacky rescues!
For Netflix-
already mentioned LOVESICK
THE INCREDIBLE JESSICA JAMES (not a series but a movie, lovely romance)
JUANITA – another movie, actually adapted from a romance novel
THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY – God I love these messed up siblings!! Season 2 was fabulous.
I realize my viewing is probably not the definition of comfort. I do enjoy episodes of Psych (I believe Amazon Prime has this) and the mystery offerings of Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel. I also enjoy Rizzoli and Isles (Lifetime and Hulu), Body of Proof (Hulu – sadly only 3 seasons long) and have started watching CSI Miami on Hulu.
PS I would watch the hell out of a Maya Rudolph reboot of Castle as a romance author.
The good place- weird premise but pretty good
Michelle Obama’s new series- technically a kid show but definitely enjoying it
A lot of classic sitcoms are out there- Gilmore girls, charmed, full house, etc.
Chef’s table- for all my foodies
The windsors- fictional sitcom not a documentary
The Dragon Prince on Netflix is a cartoon I would highly recommend. Highly diversified “cast” that I’ve been enjoying with my teenage son. We also enjoyed Never Have I Ever by Mindy Kaling – watched the first season straight through in one night.
I second Nailed It! for a good belly laugh. Look for the episode where one of the contestants is trying to roll out buttercream – even the camera man loses it!
@Lynn:
I think most of those British murder mysteries are on Acorn TV, which you can get on it’s own or as an add-on with Amazon Prime.
Netflix
k-drama:
2019 Romance is a Bonus Book (they work at a publishing company, older woman/younger man, returning to work after having a child)
2018 Meteor Garden – remake that is 49 episodes strong. I dislike several of the characters but there is growth, so I’ll take it.
Comedy:
Grace and Frankie – Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Enough said.
Glow – gorgeous ladies of wrestling, who knew it was this intricate?
Workin’ Moms – heck ya, Canada!
Hulu
Comedy
Golden Girls – I find kinship with Dorothy
The Mindy Project – I love all of the flailing
What we do in the shadows – vampires trying to negotiate New Jersey
Single Parents- I belly laugh during every episode
My partner’s tolerance for any type of drama in the last four years has shrunk to zero so we are always looking for shows with a GBBO vibe (If left on my own I’d just read so he’s in full control of the remote at our house). Happily seconding BLOWN AWAY, the glass blowing show, THE GREAT POTTERY THROW DOWN, and THE GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE. In addition, we are watching PROJECT RUNWAY (I know, we are extremely late to that party!), and just watched Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn’s new series, MAKING THE CUT, on Amazon Prime. In the past, I never paid much attention to supermodels, but all I can say is Naomi Campbell is amazeballs! Initially, she was so honest in her judgements it was a bit rough to hear, but now, I adore pretty much every word that comes out of her mouth because you can tell she genuinely wants the designers to improve and succeed. Sadly, she won’t be returning as a judge for the second season.
Just BTW, I found a great app that will tell you which streaming service to use to see a program (and if it’s available via streaming). Really helpful! It’s called “JustWatch”. I love using it to find shows that are recommended.
I love Hilda (it’s beautiful, magical, sweet) and also the new Netflix animated show City of Ghosts (title sounds scary, show is super soothing and sweet, short episodes). Also seconding Queer Eye, The Repair Shop (competent people dependably and meticulously fixing broken things!!! and cups of tea sitting around everywhere), Schitt’s Creek, & She-Ra though yeah there are some stressy episodes/content. I find Yuri on Ice extremely comforting but am not sure about streaming services for that one (I bought the dvds, old school!). Say I Do is also pretty chill.
I’ve always found comfort in shows and movies that I’ve watched and loved before, even if the content isn’t necessarily comforting. Right now that’s Supernatural, Sherlock, and the MCU.
I have a request for the rec league: I would love romances where the protagonist is a genuine bad guy. I loved Lothaire by Kresley Cole and thought she did a wonderful job of portraying a bad guy as the center of a romance. Any recs?
I’m seconding a bunch of recs that got me through this year.
KIM’S CONVENIENCE (sigh)
DETECTORISTS
TED LASSO
and a few I don’t think I saw
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (Oh, Nandor.)
CALL MY AGENT
and SHTISEL The characters shift between likeable and un-. The conflicts may not seem huge, but in the tightly circumscribed Haredi world, they are seismic. There is a scene with blue paint nearly broke my heart.
Ooooh, I forgot BROOKLYN 99 (not so much the last season)
and
KANTARO: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman about a publishing sales rep who also writes a blog about the best places in Tokyo to get sweets. It is part workplace drama, part travelogue and wholly surreal.
Kind of a cheat because it’s on Amazon Prime, but I love to rewatch Eureka. The characters are quirky, the town looks like a fun and exciting place to live, and most of the dramas have an element of humor to them.
Everyone mentioned my faves already, but I wanted to add that Psych and its two TV movies are on Peacock streaming for free!
On Amazon Prime (so doesn’t quite fit this), but LEVERAGE is my comfort show (and I think they just finished filming a reboot with most of the original cast – not sure when it’s coming out.)
Maybe the rec league could be expanded to shows on streaming? Not just on Netflix and Hulu.
And The Detectorists is so goofy!
Amazon Prime has James May’s Oh Cook! He’s one of the presenters on Grand Tour on Amazon Prime and previously presented on Top Gear. He doesn’t claim to be a chef, but he is actually a pretty good cook. And he wrote a companion cookbook that reads exactly like he talks.
So many great suggestions! One I didn’t see mentioned was Netflix Kdrama Reply 1988. It takes a few episodes to get into (or at least it did for me), but it’s a really heartwarming show about a group of families who live on a small street in Seoul in 1988. Five teens and their adventures growing up are the central plot, but you also get an ambitious older college age sister, a hilarious crew of ajumma moms, and just a really nice picture of a specific time and place.
Gavin and Stacey is one of my favorite sitcoms EVER!! I love that it was mentioned here.
Ted Lasso was so very good hearted, and the perfect antidote to where I was at the time I watched it. Seriously-do an Apple TV trial, and cancel after you watch this awesome show if you can’t add one more streaming service.
I agree with whoever mentioned Midsomer Murders-I would watch from the beginning because Inspector Barnaby (John Nettles) is one of those mysterious men that are so sexy without even trying. In the series, older, and happily married with an adult daughter-the actor has such charisma. The settings are lovely.
Rosemary and Thyme-another British mystery series with garden experts as the crime solvers. The gardens are incredible.
Parks and Rec-this is the series I watched again, after Covid hit and both my husband and I were out of work for a bit. The absolute comfort of revisiting Pawnee, Indiana with Leslie Snopes and her cohorts. There were a few rough days there, and this show really kept my spirits up.
I just spent 3 weeks on the couch recovering from surgery so I have watched All the Things on All the Places.
Netflix:
– Blown Away – Glass blowing competition show that was oddly compelling. I legit teared up over a glass POTATO.
– The Big Family Cooking Showdown – British series where families compete with each other. Like GBBO, everyone is so kind to each other and the food and families are wonderfully diverse.
– Call the Midwife – British series about midwives in the East London in the 1950s and beyond. Is it rooted in true life, so there are sad & challenging times, but it’s overall an uplifting show.
– Schitt’s Creek – It’s all been said, but it really is so worth sticking with it. The tone gentles a bit and becomes just a lovely show about oddballs loving each other and themselves.
– Grace and Frankie – Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Martin Sheen, and Sam Waterson. Two polar opposite women become reluctant roommates and friends when their husbands leave them to be with each other.
Hulu:
– Miranda – British comedy series created, written by, and starring Miranda Hart. Delightfully awkward. Also features a pre-Lucifer Tom Ellis! (There is an American remake called Call Me Kat with Mayim Bialik–avoid!)
– Single Parents – Sadly only two seasons, but still an enjoyable ensemble comedy. Precocious children are present, but I found them mostly funny and not grating (and I generally hate precocious children).
– Making It – Cute crafting competition hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman.
– Palm Springs – This one is a movie. Kind of a raunchier Groundhog Day, with Andy Sandberg.
– The Princess Bride – I mean, is there anything better?
– Pride & Prejudice (1995) – Colin Firth, the One True Darcy. Costarring Jennifer Ehle’s magnificent bosom.
AppleTV:
– Ted Lasso – Another one where much has been said and it’s all true. Sweet and warm and charming. I watched it twice back to back.
– Long Way Round/Long Way Down/Long Way Up. The first is the best, but all three are worth a watch. Ewan McGregor and his friend Charlie Boorman drive motorcycles from London to NY by heading east, then south from Scotland to South Africa, and north from the bottom of South American to Los Angeles.
Someone mentioned the original 1980s Anne of Green Gables, which I have been hunting on streaming forever. And I found it! Along with Anne of Avonlea and two additional series that I haven’t seen or heard of before. It’s on a random service (GazeboTV) that you may have to get creative with getting onto your streaming device, but it exists! https://www.gazebotv.com/products/anne-of-green-gables-complete-collection
For about 3 years now, my comfort watch is DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, which is streaming on Netflix. The first season is real rough, but it gets better with every successive season. Last season was dedicated to different types of movies—one episode was a straight up teen slasher movie, which was a lot of fun. It’s also ridiculously queer. I’m pretty sure being straight is in the minority on this show. Many of the characters define themselves as bi, although there is one who is pure lesbian. Starting in season 2, the captain of the Waverider (their time ship) is an out bi woman and in season 3, she got a romantic arc with another badass woman. One of the things I love most about this show is how it doesn’t take itself seriously—it’s what The Flash or Supergirl could have been (Arrow was always going to be dark). The writers know their show is campy af and play into it. The most recent season finale involved a fight scene set to The Thong Song. It was epic.