We live in a day and age when virtually every show known to man is at our fingertips. And yet, when we’re feeling down in the dumps, we find ourselves gravitating to the 30 best comfort shows we’ve been watching on repeat for years.
Essentially a balm for your brain, comfort shows are the feel-good, old reliables you put on as background noise when you’re falling asleep. They’re the heartwarming comedies or binge-able reality shows you revisit when you’re sick and laid up on the couch, and your tried-and-true heroes against decision fatigue when you’ve had it with scrolling through your seven subscription platforms. The best comfort shows have dozens upon dozens of episodes—so you never have to dive back into the endless scroll—and are laden with enough quirky characters and low-stakes drama to hold your interest without getting stressed by the storyline; some are even among the best series of all time.
Here, we’ve rounded up 30 of the best comfort TV shows, all available to stream in their entirety. (You’re welcome.)
'Abbott Elementary' (2021– )
Abbott Elementary may be a newer entry on this list, but it's already firmly cemented a spot among the feel-good TV greats. The show helmed by Quinta Brunson (who also stars as Janine Teagues) follows the lives of a kooky group of teachers and staffers at a public Philadelphia elementary school. Its equal parts of hilarity and heart have already earned it 24 Emmy nominations for its first three seasons alone.
'The Bachelor' (2002– )
Guilty pleasure comfort at its finest, The Bachelor has just enough romance to make us swoon and just enough drama to keep us invested. While not every couple’s story is a fairytale—we’re still not over that last-minute switcheroo Arie Luyendyk Jr. pulled on Becca Kufrin—we can always take comfort in knowing that if our faves don’t find love, they might find something better. (Like, you know, a shot at being the next Bachelor or Bachelorette!)
'Bob's Burgers' (2011– )
For those who grew up racing to the TV every Saturday morning to watch cartoons, few things are more comforting than a sweetly silly animated show. Though decidedly more family-friendly than the Adult Swim brand of primetime cartoons, Bob’s Burgers still puts a grown-up spin on those childhood memories with its distinctly bizarre sense of humor and sneakily smart writing.
'The Brady Bunch' (1969–1974)
We'd be remiss not to mention the classic TV show The Brady Bunch among our comforting faves. Filmed in a simpler time, it will take you back to when life's biggest worries were braces, tattle tales, and setting a record for the longest time spent on the seesaw. We'd venture to say that this ‘70s series about a blended family with six children sharing one roof (and one bathroom!) will be just the reprieve the doctor ordered when you're feeling overwhelmed with everyone and everything.
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997–2003)
Sure, there’s a lot that’s unsettling about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with its vampires, hellmouths, and zombies. But deep down, you already know going in that our girl Sarah Michelle Gellar is going to save the day, and she’s probably even going to do it by the end of the episode. And if she can’t handle it? The Scooby gang can. As such, it gets our vote for a top-notch comfort binge, particularly during spooky season.
'Dancing with the Stars’ (2005– )
Dancing with the Stars is about more than waltzes and fox trots. At its heart, we’d argue that it’s a reality show about redemption. The celebrity cast members are often those on the rebound of a scandal (Ariana Madix, Olivia Jade, Anna Delvey) or those making a major comeback after a public hiatus (Selma Blair). And honestly? It’s just a good feeling to see people triumph after they’ve been through some shit. After all, if they can do it, there’s got to be some hope for the rest of us.
'Firefly Lane' (2021–2022)
Firefly Lane will make your spirits soar and rip your heart out of your chest, depending on how far along you are in the two-season series. Even so, we maintain that the heartfelt highs you’ll feel while watching besties Tully (Alissa Skovbye/Katherine Heigl) and Tully (Roan Curtis/Sarah Chalke) dance around the living room to ABBA's “Dancing Queen” or smoke their first joint with Tully’s mom Cloud (the incredible Beau Garrett) make every moment of the soul-crushing lows worth it—kind of like life itself.
'Friends' (1994–2004)
There’s a reason Friends reruns are still on air two decades after its series finale. While some storylines no longer hold up, the friendships and the will-they-won’t-they relationships between the six main characters transcend time. Plus, you can throw on most of its 200+ episodes (we've already rounded up the all-time best) without much context and still enjoy its various bits.
'Full House' (1987–1995)
It doesn’t get much more wholesome than Full House. You’ve got three fun-loving dudes (Bob Saget, John Stamos, and Dave Coulier) coming together to raise three young girls, including baby Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen toddling around in Pampers, and a heartfelt message in every storyline. (It wouldn’t be part of ABC’s iconic TGIF lineup without one.) Throw in the love ballads Uncle Jesse (Stamos) regularly serenades Rebecca (Lori Loughlin) with, and we’re complete balls of mush.
'Gilmore Girls' (2000–2007)
Gilmore Girls is everything one could possibly ever want or need in a comfort show. The series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino is set in a small town where it’s seemingly always autumn and wacky townspeople abound, there are endlessly relatable coming-of-age storylines, and at its core, a powerful mother-daughter relationship — need we say more?
'Gossip Girl' (2007–2012)
While most comfort shows earn their title for being cozy and relatable, Gossip Girl is comforting for the opposite reason. It’s full of twisty storylines and high school experiences so unbelievably outlandish that the show makes for a perfect escape from the real world. It's also incredibly satisfying to watch baby Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and Taylor Momsen do their thing knowing they're all about to hit the big time.
'Grace and Frankie' (2015–2022)
A take on the classic odd-couple trope, this Netflix original stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the titular roles as a pair of septuagenarian frenemies whose husbands fall in love, leaving them to also (reluctantly) start a new life together. Though it qualifies as a laugh-out-loud comedy, Grace and Frankie is also subtly packed with warm-and-fuzzy moments as the two leading ladies come to love and accept each other despite their many (many!) differences.
'The Great British Baking Show' (2010– )
Easily the sweetest (in more ways than one!) cooking show to ever hit TV screens, The Great British Baking Show is a classic competition series with a not-so-classic attitude. Rather than its contestants actively sabotaging each other, as is the norm in most reality series, contestants at this iconic tent in the English countryside are far more likely to abandon their tasks to give their competitors a hand. (We're not crying, you're crying.)
'Hart of Dixie’ (2011–2015)
Hart of Dixie’s Dr. Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) walked so Virgin River’s Melinda Monroe could run. The storyline is similar: Big city gal Zoe moves to rural Alabama and struggles to adjust to her new surroundings. They also share a local doctor in cast member in local doctor Tim Matheson. But the biggest similarity between the two? The feels you’ll get when Zoe finally starts to let down her walls and embrace her newfound life.
'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' (2005– )
Like Seinfeld, the It’s Always Sunny gang isn’t exactly made up of the most upstanding citizens. In fact, their behavior can be downright abhorrent. And yet, many have dubbed this depraved comedy “calming” for its escapism and familiarity—no matter what, the core crew of Mac (Rob McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), and Frank (Danny DeVito) will somehow wind up together at the pub. There’s something to be said for that kind of dependability, ya know?
'The King of Queens' (1998–2007)
It really doesn’t matter what season or episode we put on of The King of Queens (though we like the Arthur-heavy eps best—RIP, Jerry Stiller): We know it's good for a laugh. Doug (Kevin James) will inevitably do something ridiculous to annoy his wife Carrie (Leah Remini), and she’ll inevitably retort with a hilariously scathing comeback. For better or worse, these two make no bones about baring their true, authentic selves with each other, and really, isn’t that the greatest love—and comfort—of all?
'Modern Family' (2009–2020)
How does one begin to explain the hole Modern Family left on our hearts when it ended after its 11th season? For more than a decade, the kooky clan that was the Dunphy family drew us into their hearts and homes with their wacky escapades that involved everything from Haley (Sarah Hyland) accidentally bumping into her dad with the car to Cam (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) getting trapped in his law firm bathroom while wearing a Spider-Man suit. Our remotes remain firmly on lock anytime this one’s reruns happen to resurface.
'Murder, She Wrote' (1984–1996)
Murder may not be the first thing you think of when you think “comfort,” but procedural shows like Law & Order, CSI, Criminal Minds, and more are go-to rewatches for so many people simply for the reassurance that each case, no matter how grisly, will be solved by the end of the episode. Murder, She Wrote is the quainter cousin of those standbys: It stars Angela Lansbury as an amateur detective and professional busybody Jessica Fletcher, who somehow stumbles upon enough murder cases in her sleepy Maine town to fill more than 260 episodes.
'New Girl' (2011–2018)
With its addition to various streaming services in recent years, New Girl has seen something of a renaissance among a new and broader audience than it got while on-air throughout much of the 2010s. There’s just something so endlessly watchable (and re-watchable) about the hijinks that Jess (Zoey Deschanel) and her lovable roomies get up to with every episode and the way they always come through for each other no matter what.
'The Office' (2005–2013)
It may be a basic choice, but there's no denying that The Office is a classic. Like Friends, this is one where you can jump in anywhere along its 201-episode trajectory and easily slip right back into the rhythms of Dunder-Mifflin’s Scranton branch. Wild though their antics may be, these coworkers truly care for each other at heart, making for one sweet-yet-dysfunctional family you can't help but love.
'Parks and Recreation' (2009–2015)
In the same vein as The Office, Parks and Rec—which was co-created by Michael Schur and The Office showrunner Greg Daniels—is yet another workplace sitcom that’s full of delightfully unique characters whose relationships with one another range from the obsessive to the openly antagonistic (looking at you, April!). You know, just like a real office. And that's exactly why we love it.
'Queer Eye' (2018– )
Just try to get through a marathon viewing of Queer Eye without shedding a happy tear. The transformation each person goes through while working with food and wine expert Antoni Porowski, design expert Bobby Berk (and later, Jeremiah Brent), fashion expert Tan France, grooming expert Jonathan Van Ness, and culture expert Karamo Brown is often profound, giving us every ounce of the feels.
'Saved by the Bell' (1989–1992)
Our favorite nostalgic comfort watch? Saved by the Bell. This late ‘80s staple defined our Saturday mornings throughout our most formative years with its lighthearted antics (oh, that Zack Morris!) and tough truths (caffeine pills are bad, kids). This show was so iconic that it got its own pop-up diner in 2016, permanently cementing its place in pop culture history—and on our comfort watch list.
'Schitt’s Creek' (2015–2020)
Family sitcoms are a dime a dozen, but this might be one of the best. It follows the Rose family—mom Moira (Catherine O'Hara), dad Johnny (Eugene Levy), and their adult children David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy)—as they lose their once-vast fortune and are forced to retreat to the one property they still have left: a rundown motel in the small town of Schitt’s Creek. It’s a classic fish-out-of-water story, and there’s nothing more uplifting than seeing this uppity, out-of-touch family grow and adapt to their quirky new home and neighbors.
'Seinfeld' (1989–1998)
They say that misery loves company, and no matter how bad of a day you’re having, there’s a good chance that one of these eccentric New Yorkers will have a worse one than you. After all, have you ever been banned from your favorite delivery joint for life or fired for using your boss’s bathroom? Another beautiful aspect of the show? Chronology doesn’t matter in the slightest. You can fire it up at episode 1 or episode 135, and you’ll be equally entertained—and able to follow along.
'Sex and the City' (1998–2004)
Like other turn-of-the-millennium series on this list, not every storyline on Sex and the City will hold up for a 2024 audience, and the show is nowhere near as groundbreaking as it was when it first aired. But its central themes of women owning their sexuality, embracing singledom in their 30s, and most importantly, female friendship, will never get old. All in all, this is a solid choice for a lazy weekend rewatch.
'The Simpsons' (1989– )
Know what’s comforting? Consistency. And it doesn’t get much more consistent than The Simpsons. Shocking though it may be, America’s favorite cartoon has been running for more than 30 seasons, making it one of the longest-running television shows on air. Bart and the gang keep coming up with satirical chuckles and scathing commentary on everything from politics to pop culture, and we keep comfort watching.
'Ted Lasso' (2020–2023)
Perhaps the most feel-good show in recent memory, Ted Lasso stars Jason Sudeikis in the titular role as an American football coach who’s recruited to head up a British soccer team. He may not know much about soccer, but he does know plenty about teamwork and kindness, meaning that virtually every episode is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings.
'This Is Us' (2016–2022)
Like everyone, the Pearsons have their ups and downs. They fight, get into messy situations (we’re looking at you, Kevin), and go through (more than) their fair share of hardships; the whole show is based on how the family copes after its patriarch, Jack Pearson, dies young. But no matter what’s happening in their lives, the family always comes together to help each other in their times of need—until the very end.
'Virgin River' (2019– )
Watching Virgin River is like receiving a warm hug from a friend through your TV screen: That’s the best way we can describe it. All about an L.A. doctor (Alexandra Breckenridge) who moves to a small town to escape her past, it's a sweet reminder that it's never too late to start over. Not only does Mel find herself in a tight-knit community that comes together in the face of adversity, she also gets a newfound lease on love—and a reason to hope anew.
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