The Art of Comfort Television

There is nothing like cozying up under a blanket and clicking select on your evening TV show. If you're like me, you find that television is the ultimate way to unwind; it's the best form of peace and distraction. Yes, I love to read and watch movies, but nine times out of ten, I'm going to be watching a show. I have been TV obsessed since I was a very young child (say what you want about that), but to me, watching TV doesn't count as a form of "screen time." I'm not scrolling on my phone, polluting my brain and losing my attention span; rather, I'm escaping into twenty-to forty-minute episodes where I can turn off my brain altogether. Whether I'm sitting in Monica's purple apartment, walking the halls of Capeside High, or attending a Newport beach party, these are the worlds I go to to escape from reality. As a kid, if I ever got in trouble (which was typically to do with my sassy attitude), my punishment would always be taking away TV time. It was torture. What do you mean I was missing the new episode of Hannah Montana? That is preposterous! Getting to grow up in the prime of Disney Channel was no doubt the spark that led to my TV adoration. My love of sitcoms also started at an early age with shows like Full House, The Nanny, and Boy Meets World. Then I started on more adult comedies like Friends, Modern Family, and The Middle. This all accumulated to the big bang, aka when I first discovered teen TV. The landscape of teen television in the early 2000s is a piece of pop culture that should be revered. To be honest, I don't remember which show I discovered first; it was either Gossip Girl or Gilmore Girls. Both were unlocked around the same time when I started middle school, and what great first introductions they were. From there, the world opened up to me, and I would go on to discover my favorite, most coveted comfort shows. So here I share with you my definitive top ten list of my favorite shows (as it stands today) with a little synopsis of each show and some details from me! I would recommend any and all of these shows to you, whether you haven't seen them before or to act as a reminder that it's time for a rewatch!

1. Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)

   7 seasons - Drama/Comedy

   Notable theme song: "Where You Lead" by Carole King

   Stars: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Kelly Bishop

   In the quirky, small town of Stars Hollow, closely bonded mother-daughter duo Lorelai and Rory Gilmore navigate life, love, family, and heartbreak alongside a slew of memorable characters.

   *My Most Rewatched Episodes: "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving" (S3E09), "The Lorelais' First Day at Yale" (S4E02), "You Jump, I Jump, Jack" (S5E07)

   *Favorite Characters: Lorelai Gilmore, Emily Gilmore, Logan Huntzberger

   *Favorite Ship: TEAM LOGAN <3

2. The O.C. (2003-2007)

   4 seasons - Drama

   Notable theme song: "California" by Phantom Planet

   Stars: Ben McKenzie, Mischa Barton, Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson

   Troubled teen Ryan Atwood is taken in by the wealthy Cohen family in Newport Beach, CA, where drama and emotions runs high amongst teens and adults alike.

   *My Most Rewatched Episodes: "The Escape" (S1E07), "The Strip" (S1E26), "The Rainy Day Women" (S2E14)

   *Favorite Characters: Summer Roberts, Seth Cohen, Julie Cooper

   *Favorite Ship: Seth and Summer <3

   *PEAK SOUNDTRACK

3. Friends (1994-2004)

   10 seasons - Comedy/Sitcom

   Notable theme song: "I'll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts

   Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer

   A close-knit group of six friends live in the same apartment complex in New York City, getting into silly situations and misfortunes all while relying on each other through the good and the bad of adulting.

   *My Most Rewatched Episodes: "The One Where No One's Ready" (S3E02), "The One with the Football" (S3E09), "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" (S5E14)

   *Favorite Characters: Rachel Green, Chandler Bing, Monica Geller

   *Favorite Ship: Chandler and Monica <3

4. One Tree Hill (2003-2012)

   9 seasons - Drama

   Notable theme song: "I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin DeGraw

   Stars: Chad Michael Murray, Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, James Lafferty

   Estranged half-brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott, find their worlds suddenly intertwined when Lucas joins Tree Hill High's basketball team; girls, friends, and family are all flipped on their heads as new bonds are formed and broken.

   *My Most Rewatched Episodes: "Every Night Is Another Story" (S1E06), "The Games That Play Us" (S1E22), "An Attempt to Tip the Scales" (S3E04)

   *Favorite Characters: Brooke Davis, Nathan Scott, Haley James

   *Favorite Ship: Nathan and Haley <3

   *PEAK SOUNDTRACK

5. Dawson's Creek (1998-2003)

   6 seasons - Drama

   Notable theme song: "I Don't Want to Wait" by Paula Cole

   Stars: James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes

   In Capeside, MA, idealist Dawson Leery confronts the dramatic highs and lows of adolescence alongside his closest friends, including Joey Potter, the girl that's been in love with him since they were childhood best friends.

   *My Most Rewatched Episodes: "A Weekend in the Country" (S3E12), "Coming Home" (S4E01), "Castaways" (S6E15)

   *Favorite Characters: Pacey Witter, Jack McPhee, Jen Lindley

   *Favorite Ship: Pacey and Joey <3

   *PEAK SOUNDTRACK (streaming platforms got rid of the original music due to copyright so you'll have to take my word on this!)

6. New Girl (2011-2018)

   7 seasons - Comedy/Sitcom

   Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris

   Quirky elementary school teacher Jessica Day moves into a Los Angeles loft with three single men where they form an unlikely, dysfunctional family.

   *My Most Rewatched Episodes: "See Ya" (S1E24), "Menzies" (S2E07), "Quick Hardening Caulk" (S2E19)

   *Favorite Characters: Jess Day, Schmidt, Nick Miller

   *Favorite Ship: Schmidt and Cece <3

7. That '70s Show (1998-2006)

   8 seasons - Comedy/Sitcom

   Notable theme song: "In The Street" performed by Cheap Trick

   Stars: Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon

   A group of teenage friends living in the Wisconsin suburbs during the 1970s get into mischief as they explore adolescence (oftentimes under the influence).

   *My Most Rewatched Episodes: "The Best Christmas Ever" (S1E12), "Ice Shack" (S3E10), "Going to California" (S5E01)

   *Favorite Characters: Jackie Burkhart, Stephen Hyde, Donna Pinciotti

   *Favorite Ship: Jackie and Hyde <3

8. Sex and the City (1998-2004)

   6 seasons - Drama

   Notable theme song: "Sex and the City Original Theme" by Douglas J. Cuomo

   Stars: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon

   Sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw and her three friends explore relationships, sex, and friendship in New York City.

   *My Most Rewatched Episodes: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (S2E01), "Twenty-Something Girls vs. Thirty-Something Women" (S2E17), "Where There's Smoke" (S3E01)

   *Favorite Characters: The Girls (Carrie Bradshaw, Charlotte York, Samantha Jones, Miranda Hobbs

   *Favorite Ship: Samantha and Smith <3

9. Gossip Girl (2007-2012)

   6 seasons - Drama

   Stars: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford

   The privileged students of an exclusive Manhattan prep school are tormented by an anonymous online gossip columnist who stirs the pot for a core group of students.

   *My Most Rewatched Episodes: "Blair Waldorf Must Pie!" (S1E09), "Roman Holiday" (S1E11), "Summer, Kind of Wonderful" (S2E01)

   *Favorite Characters: Blair Waldorf, Nate Archibald, Georgina Sparks

   *Favorite Ship: ....um, I don't ship any of them together they are all toxic oops!

   *PEAK SOUNDTRACK

10. Modern Family (2009-2020)

    11 seasons - Comedy/Sitcom

    Stars: Julie Bowen, Sofía Vergara, Eric Stonestreet, Ed O'Neill

    A somewhat untraditional family is picked to be filmed by a documentary crew and highlights how they navigate their one big, crazy, happy family.

    *My Most Rewatched Episodes: "Hawaii" (S1E23), "Little Bo Bleep" (S3E13), "Disneyland" (S3E22)

    *Favorite Characters: Cameron Tucker, Phil Dunphy, Gloria Pritchett

    *Favorite Ship: Mitch and Cam <3

Honorable mentions: Boy Meets World, Derry Girls, Glee, The Office, Parks and Recreation, The Nanny, Full House

Favorite limited series: One Day and Daisy Jones & The Six

Recent years favorites: Bridgerton, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Bear, Abbott Elementary, Heated Rivalry, Love Story, Nobody Wants This

Top of my watchlist: Smallville, Friday Night Lights, Desperate Housewives