When you have been through a long day and nothing seems right, you need to tuck yourself in bed with hot cocoa and your favorite show instead of worrying. Well fret not, as we take a look at the best comfort shows to watch that will make you feel warm inside and remind you why life is worth living.
Top 20 Best Comfort Shows To Watch
When it comes to TV shows, everyone has their choice. Some would like to dip their toes in Anime while others go with a more realistic sitcom. Whether you like How I Met Your Mother or F.R.I.E.N.D.S., there is always a show for you out there.
Superstore
Superstore is as consistent as Brooklyn 99 in being dysfunctional and providing a laugh. The characters all hate each other but care enough to not let them fall at the end of the day. Some of them might irritate you but in the end, all of them mean well.
Superstore is one of the TV shows due to its comedy and it has enough seasons to make you come back for more.
Inside Job
Inside Job is an animated sitcom that tells the story of Raegan Ridley who is a prodigy. She is brilliant and socially awkward, an endearing combination to say the least. She is a Robotics Engineer working at Cognito Inc, which is a top-secret Government facility (among 6 others) that secretly control the world.
Her adventures are unique, funny, and consistently worse as the show always knows how to get into fifth gear. A lot of conspiracy theories are tackled on this show including JFK’s assassination, the Moon Landing, the Mandela Effect, and more.
The Simpsons
It might as well be the perfect time to start watching a show that is known for being the most controversial yet funny. The Simpsons follows the adventure of a dysfunctional family with each episode being crazier than the last. Simpsons is a cult classic that everyone deserves to enjoy at least once. You cannot go wrong with this one.
Family Guy
Coming right along to following the adventures of a dysfunctional family, Family Guy is centered around the Griffins consisting of Peter, Lois, and their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie. Don’t forget their family dog Brian who can talk.
The whole show is a way to rip off and make fun of the American Culture with cutaway gags, adult jokes, hard-hitting humor, and more. It is a perfect show that will never fail to make you laugh.
MasterChef
A reality show rarely makes it to a best comfort shows list but this one does. No matter what MasterChef you are binge-watching, it is a good choice. Although, I am talking about the Australian one because that is the most wholesome.
There is a level of comfort that this show provides that I can’t put into words. Food is the ultimate comfort and with this show, it is shown in the highest form possible, which might be a connection. Although, seeing MasterChef America can be a problem since good ol’ Gordon Ramsay can give people anxiety instead of relaxation.
The Great British Bake Off
The Great British Bake Off is an excellent alternative to the usual sitcoms and animated adult TV shows. This show has its unique vibe to it and no one can tell me otherwise. There is nothing better than seeing lots of passionate bakers competing against one another to be crowned UK’s Best Amateur Baker.
TLDR; try this if you do not like the subtle and short-change drama that MasterChef brings.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
This show was a big part of my childhood and I’m pretty sure it was yours as well. Avatar: The Last Airbender throughout all the seasons was consistent in its storytelling and action which allowed it to outshine every single animated show at the time.
It is still regarded as a pop culture icon of a show which is why revisiting it from time to time gives me a bittersweet sense of nostalgia.
Schitt’s Creek
A rich family gets knocked down a peg or two and is forced to move to a small time. This show teaches us the value of what truly constitutes a good life. It also emphasizes community and how people around you matter a lot more than you think.
Watching each character navigate their life and find a way to true happiness is something all of us love to see.
Suits
Suits might not exactly be categorized as a comfort show but the bond some of the characters share is worth highlighting and makes you feel all warm inside. In addition, the subtle humor, puns, and jabs characters make towards each other make it a really fun show to watch.
Most people come home from work and prepare dinner while Suits is always playing in the background.
Komi Can’t Communicate
Komi Can’t Communicate is about a shy and introverted girl named Komi who has social anxiety and can’t directly speak to people. Coincidently, she is also the most popular girl in school due to her beauty. What follows is a series of funny slapstick comedies that never fails to make anyone laugh.
The voice acting stands out and the snappy humor is what makes this anime a comfort show for me. I recommend that you try watching this atleast once.
Any Old Animated Show
Any Old Animated Show can be a stressbuster for me. Ranging from Kid’s Next Door, Ed, Edd n Eddy, The Powerpuff Girls, Beyblade, Pokemon, Tom and Jerry, Recess, Horrid Henry, Swat Katz, Dragon Tales, and more. If I could list all of them it would take a while.
That is why, I recommend finding out Old Animated Shows and watching them just so you can relive the nostalgia one more time.
Power Rangers
Power Rangers were a constant for any kid growing up in the 1990s and 2000s. These heroes provided us with so many life lessons and made our after school so much more exciting. It does not matter which show you go for, whether it’s SPD, Mystic Force, Samurai, Mighty Morphin, Dino Thunder, or Ninja Storm. Each series was unique and enjoyable.
Power Rangers will always stay in our hearts as one of the most comforting shows no matter our age.
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is a cut above the rest as fans keep coming back to see the antics of Jerry Seinfeld, the main character of the show. The characters are not perfect which makes it so relatable. Their flaws are portrayed which makes them human.
This show won’t ever fail to put you in a good mood and make you feel warm inside.
Parks and Recreation
Moving right along to another sitcom, Parks and Recreation is one of the best and funniest shows about people living in a small town. Most of us know the show for the deadpan humor, the opening theme song, and Amy Poehler’s loveable character, Leslie.
It is beautiful, I have been looking at it for five hours now.
Rick and Morty
This one is one of the best comfort shows to watch in my opinion. Rick and Morty have adult humor followed by deadpan jokes and a no-nonsense double whammy in the form of our titular characters. Rick is an old but badass inventor who might as well be the God of his universe while Morty is unsure of his existence. These two fish out of water jell well together and the voice acting is dry which is what makes this show fun.
The supporting characters fit their roles well and the episodes after pop culture spectaculars.
The Office
The Office is one of the most iconic TV shows of all time and deservingly so. It is a show filled with dry humor at its peak, the camera work is on point and the characters have their unique personalities. The Office never fails to comfort me and gives me a reason to laugh and end the day on a good note.
This show and some pizza (preferably from Alfredo’s) are all you need to let go of your worries.
Big Bang Theory
Big Bang Theory gave us nerds an escape. We could look at this show and see that even the most shy ones can find a home among people. Every character in this show is unique, has their ideals and agendas, and never fails to make us laugh. From Raj’s antics to Sheldon’s no-nonsense approach to communicating and Bernadette’s subtle jabs, you can get everything you want from this show.
Plus the pop culture references make the inner nerd in me swell up with pride.
Modern Family
There is no comfort show that can rival Modern Family, not even the ones that are on the top of this list. It is a league above its own. The characters in this show, no matter how dysfunctional, value their family even if they show it in sometimes, hateful and bizarre ways.
Most of the characters are busy dealing with problems of their own but if you watch it from start to end, you get to see them grow up, come together and become a family. A Modern Family.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
One of the best comfort shows to watch ever, Brooklyn Nine-Nine starts off as a show that appears similar to The Office with almost the same camera work but then turns into its own identity. An identity that is created by the characters, their problems and their sassiness. By sassiness, we are referring to Gina and Captain Holt exclusively, who never fail to steal the show.
Boyle’s comedy is always awkward and Jake’s extra attitude towards everything never fails to make me laugh. A definite watch for anyone on the hunt to pick up a new comfort show.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
Was there even a doubt in anyone’s mind on what the first pick would be? This show isn’t flawless but it does the job of making us feel warmth inside. The best part? Pick any episode and a plate of comfort food and you’d be on your way to feeling relaxed and comfortable.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S. is the undisputed king of comfort shows. The characters have flaws but they fit perfectly with the progression of each episode. 6 main characters, one long story arc.
The Verdict
That was my list of the Top 20 best comfort shows to watch when you want to relax and melt away. What are your go-to comfort shows?
For more TV shows, books and movies, check out the Pop Culture section.