Jose-Andres Alegria We all have our comfort shows that we can endlessly watch even when new and great things come out. Gen Z and Millennials alike seem to latch on to tv shows for dear life. The big three that come to mind are The Office, Friends, and Grey’s Anatomy. Some people have attached liking those shows akin to having a personality trait, while others have taken on hating them as a trait as well.
I don’t care if you like or dislike these shows, watch whatever makes you happy or entertains you, but please mix something else in between each viewing of your favorite show. So here are a few of my go-to binge-able comfort shows.
Friends (Shows about friends)
New Girl (Netflix)
New Girl is arguably one of the best modern sitcoms. This isn’t me trying to overhype the show, but if you need a good laugh mixed with some great character development, then New Girl is for you. At some point, Jess stops being the main character. Sure the story revolves around her, but Winston, Schmidt, and Nick steal the show.
I think we would all trade places with Jess to live in the loft with those three guys – what I would give to be in on some of those inside jokes. But, there is also something comforting to a 24-year-old like myself that these 30-year-olds don’t have their life completely together. This is a show that once you start, you won’t want to stop.
The League (Hulu)
Shivakamini Somakandarkram!!! Okay, now that I got that out of my system. The League is one of the most underrated shows out there. It follows a group of friends who play fantasy football, and while you might think watching a show about fantasy football might be dated or boring, it’s not. You don’t even have to like football to love this show. I’m not a huge football fan myself. I might watch a few Dolphins games a year and then go to a Super Bowl party for the food and the commercials, but this show had me absolutely crying from laughter at times. This show is the closest depiction of how my friends are that I have ever seen. If you have the type of friends that love to rag on each other and can be super competitive over the dumbest reasons, then you really love this show. My friends and I quote this show all of the time. It really is one of the best to binge.
Grey’s Anatomy (Medical/First Responder Dramas)
9-1-1
Medical dramas are great because they throw us into high-pressure situations that we, as an audience, will never get to experience. Then they sprinkle in the drama of everyday life and love into it all just to keep our attention even more, but what happens before a patient gets to the hospital? 9-1-1 follows the lives of first responders, firefighters, cops, and dispatchers, and they handle some of the craziest calls in LA. Who doesn’t love a good show where we watch people save lives while helpless fumbling their own.
Night Shift
Night Shift has everything that makes Grey’s Anatomy great, except Meredith Grey, but it has that Texan charm to it. I’m not a huge fan of medical dramas, they gross me out most of the time, but I fell in love with the cast of characters so fast that I couldn’t turn off my tv. If you like your medical dramas filled with action and improvised field care, then you will really enjoy the crazy whirlwind that is Night Shift.
The Office (Workplace Comedies)
Parks and Recreation
I’m not one to give you a hard time for your favorite show, but I find it so hard to believe that people genuinely like The Office more than Parks and Rec. Granted, the first season of Parks feels like it’s trying too hard to be the Office, but season 2 is when the show really finds itself. I love Parks and Rec so much. It covers such a wide array of humor with some of the most iconic lines on television. Is there a more iconic tv character than Ron Swanson? I think not, but you are free to state your case in the comments.
Scrubs
This is the best medical show out there, but I put it in the workplace comedy section instead because I felt like it. Scrubs is by far one of the most endearing medical shows out there that really throws you into the life of a new doctor. Yeah, Grey’s Anatomy does that too, but it is nowhere near as funny. Where Grey’s focuses on the drama of it all, Scrubs focuses on the comedy. But don’t get it twisted; when Scrubs decides to have its serious moments, it doesn’t hold back the punches. And if you are already a huge fan of Scrubs and want more content about it, check out Shea Serrano’s 10 illustrated essays about Scrubs. Actually, go check out everything by Shea Serrano. He is one of my favorite content creators and writers.
To sum it up
We all have our comfort shows that we have rewatched 100 times. Mine tend to be animated and Japanese, but when I’m in the mood to binge a show that isn’t anime, it tends to be one of the ones listed above. I’ve watched New Girl three times through and Scrubs just as many times. I’m not telling you to drop your favorite show. It’s your favorite for a reason, but maybe including some new ones into your rotation won’t hurt.
And if you are more of a movie person, check out our list of The Most Ridiculous Movies You Can Watch Right Now.
