Comfort TV Is My Therapy: Why we Keep Rewatching the Same Shows
Therapy Homework: Watch TV
Sat in therapy last week (yes on a leather couch; oh, the cliché), my therapist wrapped up our session with an unusual piece of “homework.” Normally it’s journalling prompts, a podcast, maybe a book? This time…
“Have you ever watched The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime?”
I hadn’t. But 9 days, 5 seasons, and 43 episodes later, I’d devoured the entire thing. Easily the best pilot I’ve ever seen, and one of the most bittersweet binges of my life. By my next therapy session, I wasn’t just done; I was devastated.
The crash out after finishing a show you’ve spent everyday with, is real. My bubble of a jewish female comedian’s journey in 1950s New York from housewife to global star (seriously watch it please), had popped. That hollow, “what now?” sadness when the credits roll for the last time, made me pick up my journal and I wrote:
“I’m genuinely sad I finished that show. Why do TV shows make us feel so deeply? Why do we have comfort shows?”
A Timeline of Comfort
So, I made a list of every comfort show I’ve ever had, and honestly, it reads like a timeline of me”
Childhood: Tweenies, Backyardigans, Charlie and Lola, 64 Zoo Lane & Horrid Henry. (These shows categorise generations of people, and you can probably guess my age from this list)
Disney Era: Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, Good Luck Charlie, Phineas and Ferb, Shake it up and Suite Life on Deck.
Reality TV Awakening: Cake Boss, Say Yes to the Dress, Don’t Tell the Bride, and my holy grail to this day; Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
It’s now in writing this list I can see why I am so deeply enriched with Americanisations - If blood was out of the question I have barely an affiliation to anything British Culture until the rise of the Brit Crew:
Secondary School: YouTube Brit Crew era… Zoella, Pointless Blog, Thatcher Joe, Sprinkle of Glitter, Tanya Burr. Basically my emotional scaffolding through bullying and teenage chaos, along with the inspiration behind my career today (I’m a vlogger).
I remember the rush of the Vidicon Florida vlogs, the laugh of inneundo bingos and all of the following mornings in school where we’d talk about what we’d watched asif they were our mutual friends.
Streaming Era: Friends, Modern Family, Gossip Girl, Brooklyn 99, Bridgerton, Gilmore Girls, Suits, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and of course The Kardashians.
As the brit crew disintegrated and I fell into exams we aged out of that era, which made space for streaming. In came Netflix and so did the term “comfort TV”. Whilst the sentiment of having a favourite show that triggered feelings of familiarity and warmth wasn’t new; the ability to choose what to watch in your own time, at your own (likely rapid) pace added new depth to the term.
What Makes Comfort TV Comforting?
Comfort TV exists as a form of emotional regulation. It’s entertainment that matches your expectations; you know the characters, the storyline, the feeling of safety and nostalgia it’ll bring. The predictability and security offer escapism in a complex and stressful world.
I have anxiety, often by the time I get home I’m overwhelmed and exhausted, which leads me to turn on whichever comfort show I’m rewatching.
It’s background noise when you’re alone/busy.
A low level distraction from your anxiety.
A bubble you can freely dip in and out of.
Previously we were locked into the lineup of TV chosen by broadcasters, and now we can choose it ourselves- it’s a powerful and readily available mental health tool. The ability to rewatch these shows on-demand has also allowed older to shows to lease a new life. Being available on streaming has enabled whole generations, who would’ve never watched Friends or Gilmore Girls to devour them.
This popularity of the 90s and 00s shows also speaks to the loneliness epidemic, people yearn for older times. We’re more digitally connected than ever, but I can’t say it feels the same in person. We often think of elderly generations relying on TV for companionship, but I believe that younger generations are doing it too. We use the stories of familiar characters, just as we would with friends and family in real life. I think it’s a very similar thing to comfort content creators too.
The Bigger Picture: TV vs Creators
The monoculture of TV is slipping. It’s actually fascinating to look at how quickly the industry is shifting especially over the last 7 years. Pre Covid there was considerably more mass viewership, however now with the rise of choice, Disney +, Now TV, Roku, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube, Twitch and TikTok… post covid, has shown a world where you don’t even use your TV license.
Creators like MrBeast, Kai Cenat, and Beta Squad are producing high-value shows for audiences bigger than most primetime networks. They’re building their own empires outside of the mainstream and it’s proof that TV could look very different across our lifetime. (ps. yes, they’re my not-so-secret guilty pleasure).
The takeaway? Comfort doesn’t have to come from a network. It can come from a girl or a guy, just in her bedroom making videos.
So, Why Does It Matter?
Because in a world that feels increasingly unstable, I think it’s incredible we can consume art and video as a way to regulate ourselves.
Comfort TV is underrated self-care. Just as valid as journalling, meditation, or a gym session.
So thank you Netflix and Disney+ for being the few streaming ad-free. Thank you YouTube for pioneering autonomy. Honourable mention to Emma Chamberlain and Monet McMichael for being my old school comfort creators, the way Friends and Modern Family are my comfort shows.
Ps. If you like the media I mentioned, bonus rec: Jury Duty on Amazon Prime. It’s a genius unscripted show, never seen anything comparable, very good concept.
