Happy Wednesday!
To answer your questions, everyone here is still alive. There are a lot of work and projects which House Andrews are putting all their time and energy into, which we will hear about very soon.
In the meantime, I require your collective entertainment wisdom, please.
What have you watched lately that put you in the mood for autumn and joy?
The average human body may be made of 60% water, but the average Mod R body is made of 60% anxiety – so I usually have a curated routine of TV shows and movies that I know by heart playing in the background, which helps me keep a cozy homeostasis. The first hint of autumn means the Gilmore Girls and Agatha Christie’s Poirot marathons start, and I enjoy sipping my PSLs with dashes of Lorelai and Hercule sass.
This year, the old faithfuls are not hitting the spot. My brain wants more escapism and new things to watch, and that’s where you come in. Tell me of your favourites!
My requirements are simple: cozy is excellent, funny is even better, and lovable characters are a huge bonus. What I don’t want is a show where relentless drama, heartbreak, misery or gore is the point. No staring hollow-eyed into the middle distance contemplating the injustice of existence after each episode. We have that at home.
One of the recent things I thoroughly enjoyed was Season 2 of Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, which was even better than Season 1, imho.
It is Guy Ritchie, so the usual warnings apply: this is very much not something to put on while the kids are around, and I would give it a miss if profanity or violence bother you. There are criminals, drugs, and people who meet exceptionally sticky ends.
But it’s also very funny, and the characters are ridiculously entertaining, lovable, and stylish while they go around making terrible life decisions. It has a soupçon of P. G. Wodehouse in the 21st century, if you imagine PG writing his stories after playing a lot of GTA: posh fools + criminal chaos + immediate affection for the characters.
Then, like every self-respecting witchy Millennial woman, I have of course booked tickets to see Practical Magic 2 this week.
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are back as Sally and Gillian Owens, the aunts are back, the Owens family magic is back, and apparently an old family curse is still demanding attention.
I will be there, putting the lime in the coconut after 28 years.
There’s also Widow’s Bay, which my algorithm is convinced I have to watch, based on how desperately it’s shoving it at me.
It’s a horror-comedy set on an isolated New England island where the mayor is desperately trying to convince everyone the town is perfectly normal while the locals insist it is cursed. It certainly sounds perfect on paper, but something about it is holding me back. It’s also won loads of Emmys, so I imagine a lot of people here have seen it. Let me know whether I should pounce!
Please feed my watchlist, BDH!
First?!
I thought the app was not showing comments so went to the website to check!
Certified 🙂
Eeeek yay! First time and probably the only 🙂
Cozy TV show rec: A Discovery of Witches
+1
Just researched it!
Re-watched not researched. Dang auto correct.
+1!
The first book is very autumny too, one of my seasonal re-reads.
Fun fact, Deborah Harkness runs an annual read along of it since the book is set in the fall. She gives you a guide of which chapters are on which days. I saw this on her Instagram account.
2nd
Second?!
Ope! Third! Closest I’ve ever been to first.
3rd 😜
I love having big bang, schitt’s creek, or modern family on it I want something funny and mindless to take my mind off of things. Or literally any baking show.
+
+ agreed these are my goto as well. I’d also like to add “The good witch” series to this. Middleton looks amazing in fall.
Mod R, are you like Murderbot, who defaults to the Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon when it is stressed? Speaking of which, I hear the show is supposed to be pretty funny, but since I don’t have Apple TV, I haven’t seen it yet. I’m waiting for a free week when I can sign for the 1 week free trial, binge Murderbot and the new Jackie Chan/Tonu Leung movie, and then cancel, lol! I really want to see how they adapted it since I love the books.
Just don’t go into the tv adaptation expecting the books. It is an adaptation and the characters have changed a bit. Mensah still has her essential Mensah-ness, which is absolutely crucial for the story and Murderbot’s development, but the adaptation really plays up the “space hippy-ness” of the rest of the crew.
I will also say that the roughly 20-30 minute episodes (minus credits at the beginning and end) drove me nuts. Waaaay too short. There are 10 episodes, so you get roughly 4 hours of content
I felt like the characters were all a little less experienced than the books, which I think made sense from a storytelling perspective. I actually thought the space hippie thing was quite clever because it aligns the audience closer to Murderbot’s opinion of them initially.
That’s a good point.. I did not appreciate the increased goofy quotient but will have to rethink that
In my head canon – the murderbot tv series is murderbot POV in a very unreliable narrator kind of way, so i can deal with it
+1
I wish the episodes were longer! It was such a relief that I enjoyed the tv series, given how much I love the books. Still love the books more, but I’m very pleased with the tv adaptation.
Murderbot is not a comedy. It’s angsty and caring and we love it (although for me the book’s more than the show) but it’s not a comedy.
I binged it on an Apple TV free trial and enjoyed it because I could watch with my other half who still hasn’t read the books but felt similarly. Have you listened to the GraphicAudio adaptations? I loved them so much, don’t mind me just walking around listening to Murderbot…
+1
+1
I’m waiting for a free chunk of time to binge Murderbot on free trial. I obsessively watched all the clips I could find on YouTube and have read/listened to all of the books repeatedly. I just can’t quite bring myself to pay for Apple TV.
loved Furious on prime – very intense!
waiting to see the end!
For cozy and funny I suggest Schitts Creek. That show got me through the beginning of Covid times. The first season is a bit uneven, but it gets better as it goes.
While Widow’s Bay doesn’t really fit with your request, it is a fantastic show! Not cozy, but it’s absurdly funny throughout.
Saw another rec elsewhere for Widow Bay. Might check it out
I second Schitt’s creek! Perhaps even Letterkenny would fit for you too Mod R
I haven’t watched much traditional TV lately. I listen to Reddit podcasts to distract my brain. Mostly what I watch is Anime because even if it is Drama it doesn’t hit hard. It just feels more absurd which can be cathartic.
Based on the given examples, I am not sure my favorites would mesh.
Ascendance of a Bookworm is fun. I can relate to the main character. She died in an avalanche of books in a minor earthquake after being saved from truck-kun by her friend. She is reborn as a sickly child in a world where books are rare. And her trying to improve her living situation.
Same! Fluffy K-Dramas and anime are my cozy comforts right now when watching regular sitcoms is too much. There’s inherent whimsy baked into the genre that seems missing in western TV lately. Granted, it does require a willingness for subtitles.
Other lighter anime I’m loving right now:
Apothecary Diaries (our girl just wants to study weird plants and get asked to solve mysteries because she’s reliable)
Spy x Family (supposedly cool spy adopts a child and is trying to be a good dad while keeping his job secret)
That time I got reincarnated into a Slime (salaryman becomes a slime, decides to develop an equitable society by inventing civil engineering)
Apothecary Diaries is wonderful!
+1 on ascendance of a bookworm as peak coziness, and also +1 on apothecary ‘d diaries as a really fun time.
I always come back to Friday Night Lights (fall football). Getting ready to rewatch Dept Q and The Diplomat in advance of the series returns. Because, who doesn’t love snark.
And finally, just rewatched Steel Magnolia ( Dolly is hilarious) and Practical Magic— in anticipation. Just a couple of my favs. That is of course until I get a new Andrew’s book 😉
Dept Q is SO GOOD! Can’t wait for season 2.
And the Diplomat actually, I loved it!
Yes! Love Dept Q. The Diplomat is also amazing and was a good sub when Netflix took away Madame Secretary one of my comfort shows!
I was going to say Friday Night Lights too – such a good autumn show. Yes, some drama and sadness, but an absolute heart of gold, sense of place, and humor to soften the emotions.
I’m so excited!!! I received an email saying the vellum is on its way!!
Sorry Mod R, I don’t watch TV on time, I’ll get a month of NetFlix later or get the DVDs. You’ll be overwhelmed with suggestions, I’m sure.
When I am feeling down or simply not feeling well, my go to tv show is Doctor Who (2005), not original or Disney version. I re-watched it many times and I still enjoy it.
i too enjoy the doctor who reboot! i got the dvds thru my library.
Hmmm. I’m in the part of Texas that simply WILL NOT cool down. I’m tired of 95-105 degree weather. It’s September. Cut it out, weather. So yes, please. Bring on autumn.
Have you ever watched Eureka? It’s a fun series from Syfy from 2006. It’s based around a town of geniuses and the everyman sheriff of the town. Part of what I love is that “genius” is not limited to scientific types. Colin Ferguson’s comedic timing — including physical comedy — is brilliant. I’d put it close in vibe to USA Network’s Blue Sky programming (Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, White Collar, etc.).
Leverage is also a great feel-good show . . . especially if you’re a heist fan. Soooo great to watch terrible people get taken down. Great plots, excellent banter.
oooh if you love Eureka you should watch Warehouse 13. there are some great crossovers that happen between Warehouse 13 and Eureka
+1
+1
Yes to both!
Also, I truly loved Monk … great characters!
+100 Loved both Eureka and Warehouse 13!
I love Eureka and Warehouse 13 so much! I lost count of how many times I’ve watched those series!
Leverage is amazing too! The best bad guys ever!
+Eureka
+Warehouse 13
+Leverage
++ for Leverage and then Leverage: Redemption! “Bad guys make the best good guys” ❤️
Actually ++ to everything Tempest recommends. Psych is one of my go-tos as well!
+1 for Eureka. Loved watching that show!
And +1 to Warehouse 13
+1 for Leverage (&Redemption)
+1 for Eureka
+1 for warehouse 13
And also +1 for original seasons of The Librarians (but not the newest 2 seasons with new characters)
Also
Wednesday if you haven’t watched it. ESP Season 1
and
The Goes Wrong tv shows. Also Peter Pan goes Wrong and the 2 Christmas Goes Wrong longer productions. Here in the US we need Britbox to watch these. Maybe in the UK it is easier.
i loved eureka! i’ve been thinking about doing a rewatch, its been so long since i last saw it. and i agree if you like eureka, warehouse 13 is wonderfully awesome too.
leverage is one of my absolute favorites. the bad guys always get what’s coming to them, and that makes me feel good. its got a good sense of humor too, and a reboot leverage: redemption is great as well.
+1 for Eureka and Warehouse 13! I have rewatched them multiple times. Eureka especially gives me feel good/comfort vibes. ^_^
And Warehouse 13! It coincides with Eureka a little. And I second Leverage. That’s one of my comfort shows for sure. Love me a good heist.
Both good shows, but I love Eureka… watched it many times straight through…
Wow, reading the blogs always reminds me I’ve found my people 🙂
Thank you people!
+1 my people!
+1
+1 to leverage and leverage redemption. so cute and cozy and quirky yet comforting.
Where in Texas is it not 95-105? Not where I am. I’m also a fan of Eureka and Warehouse 13. To be honest, I’m not really that into feel-good shows except the obvious, like Friends and Big Bang Theory. I’m more into Grimm and Justified.
A favorite funny comfort watch for me is Spaceballs (the movie). It doesn’t really fit what you asked for, but it’s funny, over the top, and ends happily.
Golden Girls (a tv series) is always a good call too. Sophia is sassy and my favorite, but overall it’s a fun, feel good show.
Hope you find something that you enjoy! 🤗
I just thought of one you might like, but I haven’t watched it in a while. McLeod’s Daughters. It’s more of a drama, but has the same women feel to it, if that makes sense. An Australian tv series about estranged sisters who inherit a cattle ranch.
Get ready! Spaceballs has a sequel coming out in April of 2027. Mel Brooks is still crafty as ever;) it’s called: Spaceballs- The New One. Watch parties are coming;)
I’m not sure if it really fits what you want. I don’t watch TV at all, but this time of year my husband and I watch classic horror movies (little to no gore). Universal from the 1930s-1950s and Hammer from the 1950s through the 1970s.
The classics are all[or most] available on Peacock TV right now!
OMG!! Right before I got to this blog post my son was asking me if I saw The Thing, The Fog, Escape from New York, all John Carpenter’s movies ( he’s gobbling them up before football takes over his life😂) I knew this wasn’t what ModR is looking for so I wasn’t going to reply and then, viola your post appeared🤗 So cool knowing another BDHer is a horror fanatic.
My go to is Mythbusters reruns. I watched it with my kids and it never gets old. Especially when they blow stuff up.
Older movies – Ladyhawk, older musicals.
I forgot to add that I watch a lot of youtube cross stitch and knitting videos.
yes!!! needlework +fall baking + comfort shows!!! (schitt’s creek, super store, Widow’s Bay, good witch, murderbot, north of north, etc)
Mythbusters is such a nerdy go-to for me
And Adam Savage’s TESTED videos if I need random new content
Yes! When my kids were small the kids movies were just too scary for them! They couldn’t deal with the villains. (And the Road to El Dorado features human sacrifice! Yikes!). We watched old musicals, then Mythbusters, then later the original Top Gear.
Not what you are looking for right now, but I had to comment.
Their old and on BritBox, but when I want that escapism I go for “Rosemary and Thyme” which are cozy mysteries, and “New Tricks” which is police show, but hysterical at points.
+1 for new tricks
Sitcoms.
They always have holidays themed episodes that have feel-good feelings to them. And most of the time they make them so you don’t need context of the general season to enjoy them.
Just google “Sitcom Name” + “Thanksgiving /Halloween /Christmas episodes ” and you get a short list.
Seinfeld, Friends, TBBT, Two And a Half Men, Mom, etc etc.
I recommend “The Good Witch” its so sweet and cozy and I just love it. It’s feel good and perfect for a lovely fall day and PSL!!
Absolutely!
+1
My favorite comfort show!
+1
I would love to visit her store😂
The Good Witch is the perfect blend of a Gilmore girl + witchy vibe. I also really liked Once and always the Great British Baking Show
+1 I came here to recommend The Good Witch. Fits all your criteria. Very fall based, cozy, similar to GG, and lots of female empowerment.
+1 definitely I love Middleton. I wish I had a Cassie in my life.
Although it is not new and it covers all seasons, not just fall, Netflix’s “Anne with an ‘E'” has been refreshing for me.
Just ran across Nobody Wants This on Netflix and the repartee between the main characters has pulled me back in again.
An oldie, but Hart of Dixie fulfills the cozy, funny heartfelt vibe! The season cover most of the year, not all autumn like gilmore Girls. I think you’d like it!
Hart of Dixie is one of my perpetual favs. I also think it sticks the landing better than Gilmore Girls, so I am much more likely to do a rewatch of it.
The Owl House.
I have no idea why, (maybe the whole whitchy theme) is but is such a comfort show for me during the holidays.
It’s a kids show, so even if as an adult I can get the nuace of it, It’s still pretty chill and I always know that no matter what, everything will be fine.
I have been watching Anna Pigeon, a story of a widow who changes/escapes her old life becoming a National Park Ranger. She is still haunted by her husband’s murder, and her commitment phobia. The scenery is amazing and the story lines are interesting. Also I taught a class on Stress, something we need to keep spice in our life but too much and we are overwhelmed. The final question in a stressful situation is: will/did you die from the situation…Thanks for your always interesting posts.
They made Anna a TV show? Where? What? I loved the books!
Since you don’t seem to be put off by dark humor, I have two recommendations for you. Schitts Creek is both hilarious and heartwarming and is a completed series. If you like that, one of the main characters just dropped season one of a new series on Netflix called Big Mistakes—also hilarious but with a slightly darker setting (brother and sister get blackmailed into mob activity). Season two is in production.
Also, two of my favorite murder series are Shetland and Vera. Murder calms me 🤪
Hope something in here lifts your spirits!
Death in Paradise and the spin-off Beyond Paradise are both good.
I was going to recommend these also, although I always end up with island envy 😎. But my real go to is anything from David Attenborough, there’s just something about his voice that is music to my ears.
Yes. These are cosy mysteries with lovely tropical outlook.
I actually recommend Hallmark movies for this. Some are better than others, but they do fall themed movies and they are cozy and zero percent depressing.
Some suggestions:
Haunted Wedding
3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost
Adventures in Love and Birding
Autumn at Apple Hill
Autumn in the City
Field Day
Much About Love
Notes of Autumn
October Kiss
The Real West
Haunted Harmony Mysteries (currently a 4 movie series)
Ah, yes! Can’t go wrong with a Hallmark movie for coziness!
Ride or Die on Prime is my current favorite! It’s got Hannah Waddingham (she is goals, I aspire to be like that when I’m 50) and Octavia Spencer and they are both excellent as best friends! It’s funny, emotional, and at times had me yelling at my tv but in a good way! (Requesting a season 2, please!)
Oh, Ride and Die was great, I loved it! I should rewatch that!
YES! Ride or die is awesome!! I second your request for season 2!
(and since I’m a huge Hannah Waddingham fan I’d say Ted Lasso)
I, too have been doing a Poirot watch lately. Something new, I loved loved loved The Sheep Detectives movie!
A couple of things I enjoyed this year have been Murder Mindfully (about a lawyer who takes a mindfulness workshop and decides a certain client is better off dead), Dept Q (there is some drama, as it’s about solving a cold case, but there’s also a lot of humour), and The Residence. All of them are on Netflix, I believe. They aren’t super new, but if you haven’t seen them yet, I recommend giving them a try!
Well I did a re watch of Discovery of Witches on Netflix because they were removing it. All three series.
Then they changed their mind so it’s still there. A fun time.
+1
one of the rare times I loved a show and not the book
Are you okay with reading subtitles and watching Kdramas? I really enjoyed “Lovely Runner” when it was airing, and it’s one of my comfort watches among quite a few other kdramas and cdramas.
It’s a romantic-fantasy/time-travel drama that is cheesy and funny in a good way. Doesn’t take place in seasonal fall but definitely is cozy and will give you the feels. You experience a sense of nostalgia with the characters and will be kicking your feet in delight!
Just my opinion: It might be available dubbed, but I always recommend watching it with the original audio language and reading English subtitles. The emotional acting/voices as well as the accurate translation gets compromised in dubbing.
I should also add that it’s completed and only 16 episodes so not a huge commitment
Have you seen the Canadian series, Schitt’s Creek? It checks all your boxes and is available free in the UK, I think.
Ride or Die was really good to watch and for reality I like Great British Bake Off, the British Sewing Bee, Great Pottery Throwdown
I second that.
one of my go to shows is Red Dwarf. brilliant humor. there is 12 UK seasons (6 to 8 episodes).
Can we say Smeghead here? 😂
I loooooove that show.
Completely different track, but i recently binged Slow Horses while pet-sitting (Sweet! No sign up for me necessary), it’s frickin excellent.
And I just found out about Mr. Inbetween. It’s intense but the guy who plays Ray is outstanding.
Widows Bay is soooo good! Can also highly recommend Brokenwood – which has similar high kinks to Midsummer Murder Mysteries!
+1 Brokenwood is so much fun. quirky characters and interesting mysteries
Brokenwood is delightful. Quirky New Zealand characters. And quite a few seasons.
If you don’t mind French language w/subtitles, there’s a series “Agatha Christie’s Murder Games”. (Many are “loosely inspired by” Christie. Very loosely.) Actually three “seasons,” the first takes place in the 1920s; the second and longest, the 1950-60’s; and the third the 1970s. (I recommend Seasons 2 and 3 – there was just something about S1 I couldn’t get into.) They stream in the US on Mhz. They’re gore-free murders and comedic.
There’s also a short series of Nero Wolfe mysteries produced in Italy (Italian w/ subtitles) that are kind of light and fluffy – maybe 8 episodes?
we just binged the 12 episodes of Chad Powers (which is about football, but not in the same way shawshank is about jail. but not) and we laughed out loud many times. 🙂 Up next for us is Resident Alien
My husband and I are watching Resident Alien and we love it! Alan Tudyk is brilliant physical comedian.
Also, for all the Firefly/Serenity fans in the BDH, Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk have a podcast called “Once We Were Spacemen” and it is hilarious!
+1000000, the humor in both series is just wonderful. If only Firefly had more than one season, I’d be so happy…
+1 Omg i love Resident Alien. I recently finished a re-watch
I also really enjoyed Chad Powers, especially season 2. It’s really funny but also tender and sweet in places. I love the cast and characters. There are some crass lines and f-bombs in places, but it’s still a feel-good type.
my roommate and I binged Chad Powers last Thursday. So hilarious!! definitely laughed so hard we cried.
I struggle with awkward comedy and didn’t have a problem with this.
Try Jilly Cooper’s RIVALS tv show if you liked The Gentlemen. Ilona Andrews mentioned Midsomer Murders a few years ago back so we watched it and loved it and there are lots of episodes.
Midsomer Murders is one of my favorite go-to shows to toss in the background! Death in Paradise, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, and Murdoch are some other good “comfort watching” 🙂
Not Criminal Minds. Bad idea. I binged that one once… had nightmares for days afterwards 😀
Miss Fisher’s Mysteries is one of the few where the shows are as good as the books.
I love Midsommer Murders! You have these beautiful, quaint little towns and everyone is crazy or has major secrets. And the inspectors are so laid back LOL
I was really enjoying Best Mecicine.. about the boston doctor who goes home to his quirky coastal town in Maine to try and keep practicing medicine after he develops an aversion to blood. I bet the original British version was likely better!! But I found it funny and nothing too perilous or upsetting. For paranormal I liked Discovery of Witches, and Good Omens. Really loved Department Q (broody genius crime drama but it’s ok, not too horrible unless you have claustrophobic triggers). Oh and Nobody Wants This (cute romantic comedy).
Doc Martin is the original British show set in Cornwall. The lead actor shows up on Best Medicine as the doctor’s Dad! I have all the seasons on DVD’s. The last season was really fun!
Doctor who, Lewis and the Derry Girls are amongst my favourites. Derry girls is hilarious!
Derry Girls is a great rec!
I really adore My Life is Murder. It’s a murder-lite show about a retired detective turned sourdough baker who keeps getting roped into solving unusual cold cases
+100. I love My Life is Murder. Lucy Lawless is so great. I’ll have to resubscribe to Acorn just to watch the latest season. Acorn also has the Miss Fisher Mysteries and a bunch of other light detective / crime series.
Since you mentioned Wodehouse — I recently binged Jeeves & Wooster (early 90’s UK series) on You Tube. Hugh Laurie and Steven Fry are absolutely perfect. The period details are fabulous. And then you can queue up House on Peacock, or stream Hugh Laurie’s blues albums.
And someone else mentioned Nero Wolfe above. You Tube also has videos of the A&E series from about 20 years ago, with Timothy Hutton (also of Leverage) and Maury Chakin. Video is not great, but DVD’s are available on Amazon for most regions, although pricey. Again, wonderful period details.
Resident Alien. Set in the Pacific Northwest. Heartwarming and funny with enough depth to engage and beautiful scenery. . Second the Schitt’s Creek recs. Ted Lasso. I care nothing about soccer and it’s still the best show I’ve seen in the last decade.
Agree on The Gentleman season 2!
Mod R, our taste might be different because while I did think characters were funny, I didn’t finish season 1 of the Gentlemen because seemed answer to every problem was blow someone’s head off.
That said, my cozier autumn favorite to just play in background while crocheting is Good Witch.
yes good witch! so cozy!!
The Libarian (s) mostly on Amazon Prime, both incarnations of Leverage. The original series and the follow up series. A Place to Call Home, and finally Murdoch Mysteries. All very similar to the general feel of Agatha Christie stories.
i very much enjoyed the librarians tv show, and the librarian movies.
+1
I honestly was going to suggest Widow’s Bay. It is slightly a little of a horror show, but I laughed so much during the series. It was so good. I’m thinking of watching it again since we too are between shows.
Maybe rent the old movie Cold Comfort Farm? Cozy and funny with a brilliant cast. I go for the old, screwball comedies like Bringing Up Baby or Arsenic and Old Lace (can’t go wrong with Cary Grant). This time of year I go for pre-Halloween. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Fantasia (Night on Bald Mountain) with multi-colored pegasus families, too. If you find something great, please share!
I love Cold Comfort Farm!!
I saw something nasty in the woodshed!
“Sure you did baby, but did it see you?”
And don’t forget Young Frankenstein
+1 Bringing up Baby – loved that when I was a kid
the baby is not a human!
Bringing Up Baby is one of my all-time favorite films. Just rewatched it this past weekend.
Have you ever seen My Man Godfrey? Screwball comedy with William Powell and Carole Lombard? It’s a hoot!
New is Blue Murder Motel, Chelsea Detective, rewatch is Brokenwood and Ludwig.
Second all of these! Each has a good mix of humor, relationships and crime solving.
Unfortunately I don’t have time right now for any tv (although my friend told me that Great British Bakeoff starts soon). Although when I do get a few minutes, my tv gets turned onto old episodes of Forged in Fire. I have two teenage boys who love watching people make bladed weapons out of random scraps. Its low stakes for me and fun to watch them enjoy it.
Is there a particular email to use for questions regarding the store (aka, the vellum orders)? Sorry for putting this here, but it wouldn’t let me post on the last vellum update blog entry.
My first recommendation was going to be Widows Bay. I just finished watching it and it was an amazing time. Spooky and funny. Great for October! My other recs are more general and based on beautiful, fun, cozy vibes. They are Frieren and Owl House. Enjoy!
I would vote for giving Killjoys a chance. Sci-fi show from back a decade or so. Six seasons. Centers around a bad*** space bounty hunter and her two side kicks. Don’t worry, one is a nerd and the other is a jock as it should be. Everyone gets a happy ending. I love it.
Oh! I loved Killjoys while it was on and never got to finish it. Where can you stream it now?
I second Killjoys, Eureka, Psych, Warehouse 13, Good Witch, Resident Alien, Leverage and Hallmark Murder Mysteries. I especially enjoyed the Mystery 101 series on Hallmark.
For K-dramas, Business Proposal, Love to Hate You, Doom at Your Service, Beauty Inside, Boyfriend On Demand (pretty fluffy, not a lot of angst), King the Land, An Incurable Case of Love, and The Potato Lab on Netflix are fun watches. I’m also enjoying Spooky in Love but I haven’t finished it yet. I also recommend original audio with English subtitles. The emotional resonance is greatly diminished by the English dubbing.
Kdramas on Amazon Prime: See You at Work Tomorrow, My Roommate is a Gumiho, True to Love, and So I Married the Anti-fan. Non K-drama: Everwood, Farscape, and Stargate.
Lots of good recs from everyone! Now I’m making a list for myself too. 🙂
Did you see Ride or Die on Amazon? I think it is badass middle aged ladies do buddy comedy ala Jason Bourne and it sounds like it may be your speed ModR!
Don’t watch regular TV, just do streaming so a lot of my favorites have been around awhile.
From Netflix: Virgin River, Romantics Anonymous, Bon Appetite your Majesty and of course periodically rewatch Stranger Things, Bright, Dumplin
From Prime: Project Hail Mary, Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them plus the follow up to that one, Hunger Games
From Britbox: Miss Potter, Death in Paradise, The Hardacres,Vera, A woman of Substance (the new one), the other Bennett sister, Seeking Persephone
I tend to cycle thru all of these when I am knitting with side trips to Disney for the Marvel offerings
Loved Bon appetite your majesty. Ending was awesome
have you watched a show called Happy Endings?
Omg, I LOVE Happy Endings! i got to meet Adam Pally and I told him how much I loved Max on that show!!!
Another I adore is Cougar Town.
But my husband and I’s go-to is Bob’s Burgers. They have some of the BEST Thanksgivings episodes (though we really watch the show anytime of the year).
Give Leverage a try, its a suprisingly feel-good monster-or-the-week format about a group of criminals who take on scammers, evil corporations, and corrupt politicians. You can pretty much jump in wherever, in the original run, though I reccomend starting near the beginnig of any of the seasons, because each season has an overarching subplot. Warning- a few of the episodes show their age with regards to some of the gags and terms used.
I just watched the sweetest cozy romcom with my kid #2 (22 btw and some adult content). It is called Voicemails for Isabelle and it is on Netflix
Nancy Drew (2019-2023)! Distributed by CW in the US when it was broadcasting. It has some dark moments but overall is very scooby-doo-esque with great funny dead pan deliveries. “I can’t go to the library. I have enemies there.”
I already have my Practical Magic 2 ticket booked for tomorrow afternoon at my local theater! I can’t wait!!
Two fun movies we watched because of our grandsons are The Sheep Detectives and Hoppers. Both are enjoyable for adults
Right now, my favorite movies to rewatch are “Burlesque”, “The Wrong Paris” (Netflix), and Brendan Frasier’s version of “The Mummy”. The current TV series I rewatch often are “Apothecary Diaries” and “Frieren” (Netflix). The Sci-Fi series “Firefly” has great moments of humor in it but it does get intense at times.
While none of these are season-specific, I’ll continue to rewatch them at any time of the year. And since I don’t get regular TV and must stream… The Great British Baking Show” is excellent as a background show.
I enjoyed Sci-fi series Firefly as well.
also love Burkesque-actually have the DVD and pop it in to relax. love the singing
If you’re looking for slightly edgier Gilmore vibes, try Younger. 6 seasons on Hulu. You’ll still get some of the mother/daughter dynamics AND it’s all about the publishing world. 😊
Ted Lasso season 4
+1 loved Ted Lasso
Just watching Season 4 of Ted Lasso, Football Coach from Kansas City Coaching a british « Football » (Soccer) Team.
I love the characters, it’s really funny and has a cozy vibe. I hardly watch any TV, but was so looking forward to the new episodes.
Yes!! And then rewatch all the previous seasons for extra tv hugs 🙂
My sister and I laughed all the way through “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” and then we watched a couple of the episodes again and laughed again. It is only 6(?) Episodes so far but we have it flagged for when there are more (fingers crossed)
Even the opening credits are hilarious.
I used to watch “Keep Up with Appearances” with Patricia Routledge. I have them on disc when I want to watch something extremely hilarious.
Right now, I’m watching Ina Garten’s “Back to Basics” on HBO. I like watching cooking shows when I need my brain turned off. 😁
I really loved “Return to Paradise” – an Australian-British crime-comedy series, with two seasons so far, season 3 currently filming. Cosy, quirky, funny and lots of loveable characters + gorgeous scenery!
I know they are straight sitcoms, but Ghosts and Best Medicine are light, easy watches.
If you want funny I go for Golden Girls. Each episode is its own. It’s hysterical if old.
This fall I’m watching the new episodes of Apothecary diaries, it’s anime and not exactly cozy but I identify with the apothecary personality wise and I encourage everyone to give it a chance… Think feudal China, politics and tea, a hint of romance too but be aware it will touch on sensitive subjects (slavery, kidnapping, war, child marriage)
Project Hail Mary (movie) I truly enjoyed.
+1
Shits Creek – a must; and Leanne (US comedy show that just released its 2nd season). I too am not finding comfort with GG, but if you can Supernatural is a good investment and so is Charmed (ties in with Practical Magic which I too have pre-brought tickets). Have not watched but wd a Discovery of Witches fill that void?). Another classic is House (medical drama but I get bored very easily after a few episodes and pick up put down often). Tried to re-watch ER but it does NOT hold up well.
Yes to House, I always love some snarky Hugh Lawrie (I think that is the actor). The tag line ‘patients always lie’ (well more like omit or fail to mention pertinent facts, lol). I think he has a good band that he plays and sings in too…Nurse Jackie is a good one too, albeit a bit depressing in its look at addiction. Community was good the first few seasons some it was comedy gold. I haven’t seen any re-runs. Oh and there’s always Parks and Rec which Amy Poheler stars in and had several really good seasons and some outstandingly fun episodes! the budget battles with the animal shelter.. LOL.
schitt’s creek! I actually got hooked on a a show my kiddos found, The Owl House. very fun and cute.
An oldie, but a goodie: the TV adaptations of Jeeves and Wooster.
V soothing! There were four series, as I recall.
With the (relatively young) Hugh Laurie excellent as the good-natured, but brainless Bertie, and Stephen Fry as a peerless Jeeves.
It was broadcast by ITV in the 1990s, so the film quality itself is obviously not up to modern digital film standards, but the in-period sets, scenery, clothing etc make up for that (in my case).
I understand that it can be streamed on Amazon (from where I bought the DVDs many moons ago). I also understand that many episodes are on YouTube.
Apologies, I see that Sandra (above) has already recommended this.
Jeeves and Wooster is one of my heart shows! It’s always in rotation!
Hmmm….it was broadcast around the same time, so you probably have already watched it, but if not – Northern Exposure was quite fun.
It was re-reviewed in the UK Guardian – https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/27/northern-exposure-disclosure-podcast-prime-video-reruns-morrow-turner.
For those that don’t know it – very quirky and 90s. And as it is based in rural Alaska, it seems appropriate for colder weather.
I don’t know if this fits your definition, but I loved the anime Kuroko’s Basketball on Netflix. I don’t know if it’s still there or in your region, but it was a fun series to me. I also fall back to Psych when I want escapism.
I forgot to mention, I just re-watched You Got Mail the other day. It starts out in the fall so it always gives me those autumn vibes.
My default is Downton Abbey and skip the overly dramatic/strong tension and bad things happening episodes (there are a few).
I LOVE The Gilded Age (HBO) – it’s got good drama (ex: “she’s divorced?!” vs “pit of my stomach dread”).
If you like whimsical we’ve just finished watching Season 2 of the live action “Avatar” on Netflix (some people may hate it but I think they’ve stayed pretty true to the cartoon).
We’re watching Season 2 of “One Piece” which is also so far very fun (Netflix).
If you like car drama (ex: Can my Kei car make it up Pikes Peak mountain!?) the new The Grand Tour (Amazon) trio is very fun.
Miss Scarlet on PBS is a fun romp into Victorian England – She’s a lady detective in a time that frowned severely upon Lady Detectives.
Enola on Netflix is also a fun romp into Sherlock Holmes’ England. Also P.S. Sherlock in this series is HENRY CAVILL!! (squee).
Oh, One Piece is awesome! And Enola Holmes!
I almost forgot to provide sage advice (lol) on short comedies:
1. Brooklyn 99 – I have rewatched this so many times, I find it hilarious and it’s definitely light-hearted
2. Parks & Recs – Funny, it’s about parks & recs!
3. Community – Oldie but a goodie. So random but so good.
+1 for Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn 99!
The Office (US – sometimes I skip season 1) is a mindless rewatch for me, too. All of these are workplace comedies that include some romance subplots. Fun and zero pressure 😊
When I want to be dropped right into the middle of Fall, watching When Harry Met Sally does the trick. It’s an oldie but the best. Almost the entire movie is shot in the middle of Fall in New England.
Modern family and friends. Honestly there’s been so much stress lately I might stick modern family on next week and begin a rewatch
Brokenwood Mysteries on prime is a great show that reminds me of Poirot a little. It is set in a small New Zealand town that has a lot of mysteries deaths. There is a lot of funny chats and it doesn’t usually get terribly dark.
I just discovered Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and am having so much fun watching it. It has music and dancing balanced by real life pathos to bring some contrast to the plot craziness. There two seasons and a movie that wraps up the loose ends. Give it a try, you may have fun with it too. Wait until Mo really starts signing. He is one of my favorite characters. Have a great day.
+ Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist loved that show but it was a rollercoaster, though it was funny and joyous at times, it broke me too. And I agree Mo is the best, though I loved Zoeys mom too. Might not be as good a singer as Mo but she definitely got the emotion, especially that one song in season two.
+1 for Zoey. I binged the first season this week and am about to start Season 2.
Mo ist wonderful, the music is great, and Mary Steenburgen as Zoeys Mom almost broke my heart
I love the Anne of Green Gables mini series, the one with Megan Follows, for the fall.
just what I was thinking! love that!
+1
The Megan Fellows is the only version of Anne of Green Gables worth watching.
if you like Poirot, you will also like Lovejoy. Very funny mystery series. I also liked the Sherlock! series with Benedict Cumberbach. He made it funny.
I will absolutely second Widow’s Bay. Not cozy, but definitely funny. I don’t watch horror as a rule, I don’t need more nightmares, but it didn’t give me any, and it’s not like anything else on TV. Give it a shot definitely, it has many Emmy nominations for a reason.
Someone else mentioned Murderbot, which is also funny, although I will always prefer the books.
Chad Powers is ridiculous, and yet hilarious…
Schitt’s Creek is a must! Very heartwarming and funny, you’re going to love the whole cast. Ted Lasso always puts me in a good mood and Widow’s Bay was amazing and hilarious. Honestly, the horror is not too bad if that’s what’s holding you back. There’s a lot of comedy to balance it out.
The Gentlemen was top tier this season. I can’t wait for season three and have never been more grateful that it just started filming.
I’m really enjoying for new/current shows:
HBO’s “Lanterns” – Kyle Chandler and the whole cast really, including Aaron Pierre and Kelly MacDonald are mesmerizing. Show is relatively lighter on sci-fi (good, since I don’t know all the DC stuff though there are Easter eggs for those who do), but complex characters.
Netflix’s “The Diplomat” – again whole cast delivers, but I’m not too tense at the end of each episode, and there are funny moments. 3 seasons to binge on currently.
Paramount’s “Strange New Worlds” – yes I love all things ST (and Star Wars) related, and this season 4 has been bringing fun and serious themes to each week’s episode, including a ghost-ship, and recently Muppet themed (!), and soap opera (Deirdra Hall guest starred as a psychologist).
Old stand bys:
Parks and Rec. Leslie Knope and team crack me up every time (esp after seasons 1-2, when Adam Scott and Rob Lowe joined the cast)
The Wire. Opposite of above in lightheartedness, but seriously good stuff.
Anne of Green Gables (1985 and Anne of Avonlea) have lots of pretty seasonal colors, and great childhood/teen nostalgia for me. Anne with an E on Netflix good too.
Schitt’s Creek, Parks and Rec and The Good Place are always linked together for fun rewatching when I don’t want anything too heavy. The 1st 2 already received mentions but The Good Place has Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, who are fantastic. And it contains some great lines and dry humor. The same week as the episode where “taking off your shoes AND socks on an airplane” could earn a place in hell, I witnessed the same on a flight and couldn’t help laughing every time I looked that way.
All creatures great and small (the remake) on BBC, is my go to series for a dose of humour and cosyness.
It tells the story of a budding vet in rural Engeland during the 1940’s.
For whodunnit on Netflix
– The thursday murder club movie
– The first 2 Knives Out movies
– Absolutly not cosy, but good of you want suspense: Inside Man (the older movie about the bank robbery) The newer series is also good, but the opposite of cosy)
More comedy than cosy, but a good fix if you need a complex free laugh, on YouTube you can find the full episodes of the 2 seasons of The goes wrong show. It’s about a fictional theatre group, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, as they attempt to perform different plays.
Everything goes hilariously wrong—props break, actors forget lines, and sets collapse—creating chaotic and ridiculous situations.
https://youtu.be/OSVf3vQFWCs?si=Yr0Md_LSsh9a_RSz
In a similar vein, an oldie but a goodie :
Allo, Allo : a British sitcom set in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, following café owner René as he secretly helps the Resistance.
He constantly gets caught up in absurd schemes involving hidden airmen, stolen paintings, German officers, and mistaken identities.
An oldie but goodie is Luciefer in Netflix. Funny, sexy, adult humor with a good heart. The devil goes to LA for a vacation. The show is complete so you can binge watch and not have to wait.
A second is FarScape. Older, goofy SciFi but so much fun
Lucifer is so good! Tom Ellis is just delicious aa the devil…
+1
I second both!!!*waves*
It is the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, so I’m planning a marathon of all the movies!
Absolutely try Widows Bay, it’s so good! It’s like Parks and Rec meets Stephen King meets Jaws! It’s a perfect blend of funny and suspense and it’s not really scary scary. Patricia is my hero!
Only Murders in the Building is one I have watched with a friend.
For my comfort watching, I generally turn to cooking shows… and I love GBM [Great British Menu]. The more recent seasons are hard to find here in the States, and I have to get off some website after much googling and swearing.
if you enjoy podcasts I would recommend midnight burger lots of fun in a diner traveling through space and time. My first thought was – is it bigger on the inside? 😄
Call the Midwife (BBC One)
Wee babies and excellent writing.
If you want a fantasy I would recommend shadow and bone on Netflix. The characters are amazing. It is based on two book series that are just so good.
Stuart fails to save the universe on hbo max is a great fun light silly show.
Do you like Anime? We are currently watching You and I are Polar Opposites, which is sweet and hopeful. A Gentle Nobleman’s Vacation Recommendation is a mix between a slice of life and an isekai-ish adventure. I also love the Apothecary Diaries on repeat.
+1 Anime.
Currently watching Bleach -Thousand year blood war.
Nowadays not much on TV is exciting anymore & my favorite late night talk show with Stephen Colbert got cancelled.
I recently binge-watched Firefly & Agents of SHIELD again.
Lanterns & Paradise (season 1)
The Old Man (Season 1&2)
Expanse (Amazon)
the tv show Psych. So much sass, heart and physical comedy
Just did a rewatch of “Trying” on Apple TV. Content warning for infertility. It’s primarily a comedy about building and dealing with family (with some dramatic storylines, but heartwarming HEA resolutions) and with great performances of quirky/usually lovable characters.
I found Deadloch (2 series, Prime, from Australia) to be both hilarious and a genuinely good mystery.
A couple of shows not mentioned:
Deadloch is set in Tasmania and is a send up of all the detective shows with a feral man as the lead detective, in this case the feral person is Madeleine Sami and she’s extra feral (for reasons) and her by the book unwilling partner is a very sensible lesbian who has moved to a gentrifying small town to save her marriage. It’s hilarious and somehow moving. Also beautiful (because Tasmania is beautiful)
Over the garden wall is peak autumn viewing and just lovely.
Killjoys – sci-fi about bounty hunters & seems a little campy but turns into a series with heart & depth of characters. It’s also a found family delight & a little more serious storyline later but still with sweet & funny moments. A complete series too!
Sr. Boniface mysteries, set in the 60s with a nun chemist/forensic scientist. very lovely, cozy vibe despite the murders! XD
love the anime Apothecary Diaries! We prefer the case of the week & noticing stuff so the overarching secret plot (especially in S2) dragged a little for us, but it is a brilliant series!
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D!
Oldie but goodie, the Vicar of Dibley. Also love the Cornetto trilogy with my favorite being Hot Fuzz. I have watched that way to many times!
I love Practical Magic!! I bought the movie soundtrack cd right after seeing the movie!
Love it and I’m so excited to see #2.
I’m gonna go get some tickets now!
🥰
I got my ticket!!
And I’m so excited! Thanks for the reminder that it was opening this week!
For recommendations…
I still have kids at home, and I’m a kid at heart, so I thoroughly enjoy Disney Original movies like
Girl Vs Monster
I also love watching Mickey Mouse cartoons (the classic and the updated) with autumn and Halloween themes.
Gotta watch Donald Duck’s “Trick or Treat”!
Oh, we also watch Curious George’s Halloween Boofest!
Rewatching The West Wing for the first time since it aired. Their politics isn’t my politics, but that doesn’t matter. The writing is incredible. The dialog snaps, and the actors deliver it perfectly. The characters are real, with their faults, their blind spots, and their tempers, right along with their brilliance. You can wish that your country was governed by people as passionate and committed as these, and I can be jealous that the writing is three times as good as I could ever have been, and I love it.
The West Wing had indeed an amazing scriptwriter. Aaron Sorkin also worked The newsroom (series) and several movies of which Netflix has a few like Molly’s Game, The trial of the Chicago Seven and The American President.
The last one is an older movie with Michael Douglas and Anette Benning, more romcom than politics and would also fit in the cosy category.
Agree with you
If you like anime, I second the earlier comments about Ascendance of a Bookworm and Apothecary Diaries. I think you (and Ilona) would really enjoy the playful poisons and general mystery solving in Apothecary Diaries. I also really like Secrets of the Silent Witch.
For real world shows, I enjoy the manufactured drama of the cooking competitions. 24 in 24 and Tournament of Champions are both worth watching. Otherwise, I’m not up to date on what else is out there. I was looking at the list of the Emmy nominees today and I realized I’ve heard of maybe two… LOL Happy watching!
I just got done watching spooky and love. It’s like K drama kind of Halloween ash, as she sees ghost was a little disappointed because the ghost stopped being helpful about 3 fours of the way through the show. Now we’re binging reacher, violence, not really much gore, but hey, alan Ritchson shirtless, at least every other episode. and i’ve been watching project runway, not for the drama, but for the comedy.
Ghosts, Small Prophets, Dinner Ladies?
Another vote for Brokenwood Mysteries (fun vibes and GREAT music, check out Tami Neilson if you’ve never heard her) and My Life Is Murder, both set in New Zealand and on Amazon Prime. It requires an additional subscription to Acorn, but worth it to us because there are plenty of other cosy mysteries on Acorn.
And yes, Ride Or Die is fantastic!
There is a playlist on Spotify called The Brokenwood Mysteries – I consider it a cozy listen!
My perennial comfort watch is The Mummy. It’s cheesy and fun and the good guys win except those poor bookcases. Not exactly autumnal, but I like it.
Me too! The Mummy 1 & 2 are my go-tos when I need comfort (now exactly what that says about my state of mind probably is questionable) and I cannot WAIT for the release of #4 with all the familiar cast back.
The Korean TV Series “Legend of the Kitchen Soldier.” If you’ve ever read a comedic manga/manhwa, you’ll recognize the skits they do as being faithfully replicated in live action, and it’s absolutely hilarious to watch.
Slow Horses on Apple+. Gary Oldman at his best, with a cast of reject MI5 agents. Excellent writing and pacing. Surprising amount of dark humor in the Brit style. New season is about to start. Jump in!
+1
In the fall, I rewatch all of the Harry Potter movies, all of the Lord of the rings and hobbit movies, and my old favorites like the British TV show from the 1990s called as time goes by. I own the DVDs for the entire season that has already been released here in the USA so I enjoy re-watching escape to the Château also.
I watched the 1st season of Seeking Persephone. It was a bit of a cotton candy of a show. Tropes where a little exaggerated but it was sweet.
Mod R, I don’t know if you ever watched Cheers the sitcom? I somehow completely missed it out when I was younger. Me and husband are happily watching it, especially on the days where the dreich Scottish rain is dragging our moods down and we always end up smiling after watching a few episodes.
We also love The Gentleman (halfway through series 2).
Absolutely seconding the recommendation above for The Goes Wrong Show (as well as the holiday specials Peter Pan Goes Wrong and A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong). Every re-watch there’s another absurd error I notice and I laugh through the whole thing.
Additional recommendations – my friends and I have a weekly watch time we call “Cozy Monday” wherein we rotate through The Repair Shop (very talented craftspeople repair and refurbish old cherished items), The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge (very talented miniatures makers fill rooms in a 1/12 scale dollhouse per classic styles), and the Great British Sewing Bee (very talented amateur sewers make clothes). I don’t suppose these meet your brief entirely, but for feel-good and watching people be competent, it’s spot on.
I would recommend Downton Abbey, it does have drama and heartbreak, but it also has a lot of comedy and funny social commentary. I just adore the dowager duchess, played by Maggie Smith. Another good and super long British show is Doc Martin, and I also recommend Monarch of the Glen. But for super funny you can’t go wrong with Keeping Up Appearances or As Time Goes By with Judy Dench. Also Father Ted, Mr. Bean.
If you enjoy space opera sci fi, you really can’t go wrong with Red Dwarf, a comedy classic
We’ve been watching the new series “Anna Pigeon” on USA. It’s so good.
Best Medicine on Netflix. It’s about a doctor that develops a blood phobia and ends up moving to a small town in Maine.
Tho it’s a lesser remake of Doc Martin….
cozy Anime – Farming Life in another world. Campfire Cooking in another world.
Both are shows I watch every couple of years.
I’m late to the party here, but I wanted tell you how much I loved Widow’s Bay. I don’t like horror at all. but this show lacks the gore that I don’t like. It is smart and funny with characters behaving in ways that sometimes makes you groan. It is dark, but it is tempered with mystery and humor.
I’ve been watching Miss Fishers Muder Mysteries and My Life is Murder. Both are excellent!
For feel good fun movies The Pacifier, The Whole Nine Yards with Bruce Willis, or Red and Red II, they also have Hellen Mirren and Jon Malcolvitch
+1 for R.E.D. and R.E.D. II Helen Mirren with a machine gun – fab!
Katherine Hepburn comedy classics, including my fave, The Philadelphia Story.
My brother just referred me to Amazon Prime to watch Vicious with Ian McKellan and Derek Jacoby, but since it started in the UK in 2013, you have probably already seen and loved it.
Young Sheldon
Leanne
Mom
Golden Girls
Schiz Creek (Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy are hilarious!)
Call the Midwife
Great British Bake Show
All on Netflix except Golden Girls on Hulu
Also really like the Black Adder series, especially the one with Hugh Laurie. So funny!
Have you watched the other Bennett sister on the BBC. I loved it – was kicking my feet in delight
Absolutely recommend Schitts Creek and Deadloch, +++
Northern Exposure came out in 1990. A young New York Dr is sent to work in Alaska, a small town big on quirky personalities. Think Doc Martin, etc. funny, low stakes, beautiful scenery.
Currently on free to air in Australia, but it pops up all over regularly. I’m off to check out some of these other suggestions, thanks all!
Don’t watch a whole lot lately but some old favorites are Lovejoy, a mystery series involving an antique dealer/appraiser/forger and Blott on the Landscape, a miniseries about a German groundskeeper preserving the lady landowner’s property by turning it into a wildlife sanctuary.
Highly recommend ‘Somebody Somewhere’ on HBO. Ran rom 2022 to 2024 so 3 seasons of 30 minute episodes. Funny, endearing at the heart of it a love letter to friendship and found family. About a middle aged woman who moves back to rural Kansas and finds home again – it was laugh out loud funny, profane and just different enough from everything else I typically watch to be a lovely break. Finishes in a complete story arc too so satisfying in that way.
Witches of Eastwick is always fun. The scenery swoon
Chocolat – the scenery swoon
Beetlejuice
Wicked
LOVED widows bay!!
Elsbeth – my favorite trope of the non-neurotypical (comes off as ditzy) solves murders by seeing things that others don’t.
Great pottery throw down – seeing people make ceramic is so freaking cool, and the vibe is supportive, when they’re selected to leave “everyone here is so talented, it was my time to go” wholesome dopamine
Please share what you watch and what you think of it!!
Murderbot got a series but I havent watched it yet. The book is my cozy reprieve
The books are the best, I was very unhappy with the series and only watched the first episode. They have turned the team into ditzy hippies and changed the narrative too much
I agree – didn’t like the murderbot tv series at all. I love the books so much and this show is terrible
The Librarians. Not sure if it is cozy but it is escapist
Ted Lasso and Ludwig are shows that I enjoy. Ted Lasso is a show about a soccer coach that’s not really about soccer, it’s about the humans in that soccer world, and has an excellent feel-good quality to every episode. Ludwig is a British show about a puzzle master who starts to investigate his twin brother’s disappearance by impersonating said twin, with hilarity ensuing, and he also solves murders for the police using his puzzle mastery.
Sorry can’t you as I don’t own a TV , I listen to audiobooks and knit or read books
It’s time again to watch my perennial favorite, Roxanne. A modern retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, as written and played by Steve Martin. We were able to spend some time in Nelson, B.C., where much of it was filmed, and took the walking tour of filming sites. It always makes me hapoy.
I can’t wait to watch Practical Magic 2!
The other 2 are a big no from me.
For pure shenanigans and goofiness, I highly suggest Galavant! It’s a sort of medieval fantasy parody comedy and also somehow a musical. Alas it only got 2 seasons, but they were hilarious ones.
+1 for Galavant! I feel like this is a fluffy horde approved show!
Also, good eats, great British pottery show, Bones!
My favourite light entertainment go-to is Taskmaster UK – any series – will watch repeats again and again. I always belly laugh at some point of the show.
Second is The Brokenwood Mysteries – NZ crime show – quite kitschy and quirky. It’s up to season 12 now.
Liz, have you watched Taskmaster New Zealand? I was in TEARS from laughing so hard at Season 6 Episode 1. And I laugh EVERYTIME i rewatch it even when I know what is coming?!?!?!
My sister and I binged that whole season in 1 weekend together.
yes, I do, will have to re-watch that one !
I agree comfort watches are a necessity sometimes. one of mine is Poirot and I also enjoyed
Miss Marple, especially with Geraldine McEwan
Father Brown is all light village murders. The side characters are wonderful.
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is a great Australian series set in the 20s. Great stories and costuming.
The Brokenwood Mysteries is set in New Zealand and has some wonderfully quirky murders.
Tongue in cheek spy movies I like, funny how Jason Statham is in most of them…
Operation Fortune Ruse de Guerre
Fast & Furious Hobbs and Shaw
Spy
Red & Red 2 (Bruce Willis)
And feelgood, it all comes right in the end ones
One Hundred Foot Journey
Ever After
Never Been Kissed
Being from Australia, I am not sure what is available over your way. Hopefully there will be enough suggestions from everyone that you are spoilt for choice.
If you like detective/mysteries with a bit of humour, I enjoyed “The Residence” — It was on Netflix in Canada.
Also, you could check out “Jury Duty” and their Season 2 of “Jury Duty Presents Company Retreat”. In Jury Duty, all of the people in it are actors except for one guy, who thinks he’s a juror in a real court case. It’s priceless.
Will Ferrell has an 8 episode show called The Hawk on Netflix. It gave me Ted Lasso vibes kinda. It’s an old golf pro who wants to make a comeback. Funny with a nice edge of sincerity and love from the MC who comes across as crass and oblivious. Also liked Jury Duty on Amazon Prime. A mocumentary that was hilarious. Also Elle on Amazon based on Legally Blonde movies. 8 episodes and sooooo good. Light hearted each rec.
I recommend watching Bad Sisters! A brilliant show, beautiful Irish views. Fun and well-written.
Well, personally, I like Elementary. The Sherlock Holmes series that’s got funny, smart and intrigue with just a smidge of action in a decent balance. Not every episode is ‘perfect’ but for a series that spanned 8 seasons, it’s as close to a perfect series as it comes IMO. Castle would be one except it slides off the rails after like Season 5 or 6..
Anne of Green Gables? I haven’t watched it, hence the question, but maybe?
The 1985 series is the one to watch.
It’s the only time, for me, where the book’s character and description was perfectly matched by the actor
My go to comfort show is Leverage. I have the first five seasons on DVD. Listening to the DVD commentary tracks while crocheting got mW through the first 90 days if the Covid shutdown.
I won’t say there isn’t pathos or good people suffering, but there are also people stepping up to help out in extraordinary ways, and a strong sense of justice runs through. Bad guys get caught and their just desserts.
I recently discovered The Librarians- the tv show, reboot, and the movies. Totally in love! Cozy, warm, libraries, great characters, history, mythology, and adventures!
‘Ludwig’ for a short series of cosy crime
‘Make it at Market’ where people have a go at turning their hobby into full time work, thus ‘living the dream’ of enjoying work!
I rarely watch tv (read books)and only have Prime. Recently watched all 3 Hangover movies with a group because someone is getting married which made Prime suggest I watch tv show “Bored to Death”. I grew up with Cheers so I clicked it.
I have smacked my leg laughing at it.
If you like Poirot, you might enjoy the Dame Joan Hickson Miss Marples if you haven’t already seen them. She’s a delight.
Based on Hercule Poirot, my brain immediately went to Don Mateo and Father Brown: mystery solving good doers in cassocks. Also in the mystery vein, Monk: Obsessive Compulsive Detective. For funny I would go with Red Dwarf or Red Green.
All older shows. I don’t have any reckies for new shows. The last new show I tried to watch was GoT, and halfway through the first episode I was like, noooooooope! and I haven’t really wanted to watch any new shows since then.
Movies, eh, I liked Sheep Detectives. It was cute. Sue me. Also Masters of the Universe. It was kinda dumb, but kinda funny. The talking green tiger needed more screen time.
“Keep your stick on the ice.”
Ride or Die is great
Ride or Die is really good if have not watched it yet. Got some action violence and sad moments but I think it leans more into the buddy comedy feels enough to balance it out.
Kath and Kim! An Australian comedy 🙂
Haven’t read all the comments yet but anyone mention Resident Alien?
Alien comes to Earth with a view to ending us all. Kills and takes over the body / look of the town doctor (who has a whole separate story lint himself, coming out way later). Learns how to “human” from watching episodes of Law and Order and how to do doctoring from the internet. Begins to get feelings and becomes more and more pro-humanity over the various seasons’ episodes.
Consistently funny. Characters all likeable. Smart fun.
Oops! Also forgot Cunk on Earth and Cunk on History.
Philomena Cunk, the interviewer/presenter of the series is soooo deadpan funny doing one of those British documentaries about how the earth evolved or history happened. And when she interviews real experts / talking heads and throws them for an hysterical loop.
Mark Harmon is coming back to NCIS (Origins, that is). My world is complete.
For fall, I like The Replacements, a fairy tale of a football movie with Keanu Reeves.
My comfort watches,
Dad with George Cole & Kevin McNally, Murder She Wrote, Ellery Queen series 😁
Brokenwood Mysteries based in New Zealand, no gore/’unique’ murders, small police force, quirky town, repeating characters who grow and change over seasons to make it more like a real town. Shows are 90 minutes long so they can really develop.
Murder in Paradise is another one that’s relaxing to watch.
Time Team re-runs on YouTube are always good as well ;).
oops I meant Death in Paradise about murder in paradise 😉
Ok so my suggestion has definitely got your cozy, funny lovable characters but you may be hesitant because it’s a show about soccer lol I know I never thought I’d be into a show about soccer either but trust me if you have not tried Ted Lasso just give it a go because I promise you, this quirky coach from Kansas will charm his way right in into your heart and you will be addicted almost immediately!
My comfort watches are Taskmaster and Great British (or Australian) Bake off 🙂
I also really enjoyed How to get to heaven from Belfast.
Sterling Point is a coming of age comedy set in Ontario lake country that reminds me of the beauty of nature and is quite funny. Canadian content for the win!
I just rewatched all 5 seasons of Slow Horses. The next season kicks off next week. In my humble opinion, worth a month’s Apple subscription to watch. It’s a spy show, but the characters are great, including Jackson Lamb. His hygiene is bad, but the sarcasm is great.
Not too heavy, but it’s a spy show.
Are you watching Ludwig? Very low key and the main character is so lovable. BBC?
I also just rewatched Mrs Harris Goes to Paris. Lesley Manville was great. And the clothes at Dior were beautiful. I’m not describing well, but it’s, overall, a sweet movie.
Widow’s Bay was very good. Deserving of all the recognition. Part creepy, part funny (the people are real characters).
Love this topic. Now to dive in to the comments for some ideas!
Brokenwood or My Life Is Murder perhaps.
Ted Lasso . it’s heartwarming and funny. Sports may not be your cup of tea, but the sports part is not the focus. it’s on Apple TV.
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
Hilarious and entertaining with a dash of murder.
Currently watching my life dive head first into a deep, crushing downward spiral. Highly recommend for that nice crispy autumn feel.🫠
I’ve rather enjoyed Seeking Persephone.
I generally devolve to reruns of Great British Baking Show. Roku also has the American and Canadian versions (I love the Canadian show). I’m also currently working to catch up with Only Murders in the Building to prep for the London based series coming up in December.
Ted Lasso!!!
If you haven’t seen it yet you could try Wednesday (built on the Addams Family). Is gothic humor a thing? Also the Miss Fischer mysteries is entertaining.
My go to is Alias. Kick ass female lead (Jennifer Garner), good friendships, and great fight scenes. I wanted to be Sydney Bristow when I grew up.
Fall nostalgia calls Buffy and Firefly to mind. As well as both the Colin Firth and Kiera Knightly Pride and Prejudices. And The Princess Bride.
I have been enjoying Sweet Magnolias on Netflix. Cozy and great friendships. The drama is all interpersonal.
Wanda Vision and Agatha all along on Disney. Very fall.
The Darth Mal animated show is also excellent
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast. Very quirky
Strange New Worlds (Star Trek) is mostly fantastic
MI5 is a little darker, but another good British spy show
The Witcher (dark, but great fights and cool world)
Castle Impossible- couple restoring a French chateau and running a wedding business. Super cosy, great designs, and very low drama.
+1 for Leverage (&Redemption)
+1 for Eureka
+1 for warehouse 13
+1 the good witch
+1 the sheep detective
+1 slow horses
+1 widow’s bay
+1 resident alien
+1 firefly
+1 good omens
+1 doctor who
+1 the librarians, though I like the movies better
+1 Sherlock
+1 the expanse
+1,000 the west wing
Thanks everyone for all the recs. I am going to enjoy watching them!
ooh, castle impossible sounds fun! I’m excited to look up a bunch of those. and I have to +1 to Buffy, esp Halloween episodes.
Widow’s Bay is excellent, I didn’t know what I was getting into when I started, the horror is good, but by the end I think the comedy aspect really is genius.
I have quirky tastes but some I love:
north of North (1 season so far)
ghosts (uk and us)
people of earth
recipes for love and murder
enlisted (1 season)
raising hope
sprung (1 season)
better off Ted (1 season)
wonderfalls (1 season)
the finder (1 season)
animal control
pushing daisies (2 seasons)
Candice Renoir (French)
a few of them are fall-ish in setting, but all of them are funny and/or feel good shows with low angst.
+1 for Pushing Daisies! super fun quirky show. over too soon!
+1 for PD very cozy
I love GG too! It doesn’t have quite the quirky characters, and it’s a drama, but McLeod’s Daughters is what made me fall in love with Australia, beautiful landscapes and the masculine eye candy is yummy☺️
Many of my favs are fantasy/paranormal shows-
Dark Comedy:
Charmed 1998
Lucifer 2016, Tom Ellis
Dark Comedy, a little darker:
Preacher, Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga
The Umbrella Academy
The Magicians 2015
Orphan Black 2013
Sitcom:
The Good Place 2016
Ted Lasso
Monty Python
Star Trek, the next generation…Make It So!
Leverage is my comfort show! SO smart, funny, and wholesome. every episode is a feel good episode that makes you think, and the bad guys always get their just desserts. So satisfying in today’s world! And the sens of humor and pop culture references would really vibe with you I think. The 5 seasons are on Prime, and then there’s also the sequel show, Leverage: Redemption which is also excellent and on Prime!
Some of my favorites are:
Brokenwood on the Acorn channel. I would call it a cozy mystery/cop show.
My Life is Murder; also on Acorn.
Damsel on Netflix was a surprisingly good movie. Not at all what I expected.
I hope you find something new to enjoy and share with the rest of us.
I don’t think anyone’s mentioned this, so – “My Brilliant Career” – the recent TV show, not the movie (or the book). Those might be great too, but I haven’t experienced them. I just finished watching the show and really enjoyed it. Set in 1900 Australian outback – smart, funny female lead, great older female characters, a little spice, gorgeous scenery.
Watch very little tv, but I’m waiting for the next season of Only Murders in the Building. A little bit slow of a start the first season, but I’m really invested in the characters and oddball plots now.
All of my go tos have been on Apple TV lately:
Slow Horses: dark comedy action spy drama centered on a small spy division that takes the rejects
Murderbot: scifi with plenty of humor, I loved the books and I think this is a great adaptation
Sugar: detective serial with a twist towards the end of season one. The protagonist’s love of classic film lends a lot of warmth to the series.
Widow’s Bay: one of the few shows everyone in the family loves. We’ve watched it through twice. Great blend of comedy, horror, and quirky small town characters.
Silo: probably too serious / gritty but we’ve really enjoyed it. It’s set in the future where humanity is residing in underground silos due to some past event that rendered the surface uninhabitable. Lots of very complex characters with one season’s villains becoming the next season’s semiheros once their motivations are revealed.
right now my guy and I are watching Justified on Hulu. there are some quirky moments and some violence. but the interaction between the characters is worth it. makes you want to not go near the county( if there is one )of Harlan Kentucky.
I’m really enjoying the Magpie Murders (followed by series 2 and 3, Moonflower Murders and Marble Hall Murders, all on PBS). Death Valley on Britbox is also just delightful.
Cozy, funny, lovable for all of these. Check, check, check. I also really enjoy the conceit of each.
Totally agree! 😁
Since you’re in the UK, you probably know of Lark Rise to Candleford. I also realized that two of my favorite comfort-watch films begin in autumn/winter and end in spring/summer: You’ve Got Mail and Meet Me in St. Louis.
++ You’ve got Mail. I came here to say this!
“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.”
I love both Eureka and Warehouse 13 (mentioned by some others in earlier comments.) Both are so much fun!
I also like The Librarians. I prefer the original series rather than the current spin-off (is it considered a spin-off if it’s a continuation of the story and the characters from the first series show up in the current one?) I do like the new series and it’s definitely growing on me, I’m just not sold on the characters (and in one case the casting/acting in my opinion just doesn’t live up to the original, which was a lot of fun!
Oh who am I kidding? Now that school has started I don’t have time to watch tv! Too busy learning Spanish, reading about the origins of humans, creating art, etc. TV can wait until the winter break! 😂
For something with no stress and just funny try Leanne on Netflix. I watch it when I need a few giggles.
kingdom with Stephen fry, warning tho, it’s only 3 seasons
1. SuperStore (prime video)
2. Nos vemos en mi vida 19 (netflix)
3. Sr. Reina (netflix)
4. Diarios de una boticaria
Ghosts
Derry Girls. Absolutely hilarious, smashing take on the Ireland troubles as felt, in the complete background, by a group of teens whose troubles really are more serious. The accent and language alone is perfection. So is the music.
One of my all-time favorites!
Pride and prejudice and zombies. Spunky and sass mixed with martial arts with a dash of leather trench coat clad true love.
For a cozy show with delicious food and warm and supportive female friendships, I recommend The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House
I also recommend Perfect Days by Wim Wenders. It follows the life of a toilet cleaner in Tokyo and his routine life.
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris is also a great comfort watch, about a widowed house cleaner who falls in love with a couture Dior dress and goes to Paris to get one and in the process makes friends with everyone. It’s very sweet.
Resident Alien. Just got into it. Binged. Alan tudyk is phenomenal and it has a dry sense of humor that I think you might enjoy.
Whiskey Galore. It is in black and white but well worth watching!
I always return to The Story of Ming Lan.
It doesn’t scream Autumn, and cozy, but when I want something familiar, with happy ending it is my go to series. Extra Bonus the 72 episodes!!!!
I watch Father Brown. It’s nothing special. It’s a cosy drama about a nosey priest who finds the bad guy. set in the 1950s.
The residence on Netflix is worth a watch
2 old ones. There’s the New Zealand series Brokenwood and, of course, Midsumer Murders.
My comfort shows are murder mystery/ cop shows. Midsomer Murders is my all time favourite comfort show. Midsomer-esk shows are the Marlow Murder Club and The Brokenwood Mysteries (its a New Zealand show, 12 seasons and its great) Also Death in Paradise and its spin off Beyond Paradise. (Oh wow thats a lot of murder) And my all time favourite to play in the background, The Muppet Show.
Try Ludwig with David Mitchell. The second series is currently on BBC 1, with the first available on iplayer.
This is clearly a time for comfort movies, i.e. disaster movies. Think Dante’s Peak, The Day After Tomorrow, Deep Impact. And (not a disaster movie but) the best feelgood movie of all time – Apollo 13.
I highly recommend Dark Winds. The series are based on the Navajo detectives novels written by Tony Hillerman and continued by his daughter Anne. Although my opinion is that the supernatural element is a bit over emphasized in the show, the peek into Dine culture and language is very well done. Filmed in the 4 Corners area of the US, the landscapes are stunning. The books are also a fantastic read.
Ted Lasso. Little Voice.
Huge +1 for Ted Lasso! Ignore the fact that it looks like a football show – it’s not. It’s my go to feel good show ever since I finally got around to watching it.
Ted Lasso and Hocus Pocus!
If you want to go old school cozy New England, try Murder, She Wrote. Who doesn’t love Angela Lansbury?
I really enjoy Reacher on Amazon prime – its very silly but there is a fair amount of violence.
Also, I am watching Ludwig on the BBC. I am really enjoying that.
See also Sewing Bee.
Bake off is back soon too.
I also find watching old Location, Location, Location really relaxing too, if property shows are of any interest.
If you’re looking for something gentle and witty try ‘Detectorists’ – it’s a BBC4 comedy that started last decade and follows two metal detectorist friends in North Essex, UK. It’s written by Mackenzie Crook (which may mean nothing to you!) and has won a BAFTA for best comedy. Not sure which screening service in the US will have it, and in NZ it’s on Prime, if that’s any help.
And if you like it, then also try ‘Small Prophets’.
“The Haunting of Hill House” on Netflix. A ten episode series and one of the best I have watched. I highly recommend it! It’s about a family who moved into a fixer upper for the summer with the intention of flipping the house when renovations were finished. Unbeknownst to them the house is practically sentient, very haunted, and doesn’t want to let them go. This is a psychological horror story of the repercussions of living in Hill House and this family’s struggle to escape a house (even years later) that did untold damage to every member of this family. One of the main characters is an author who wrote about his experiences as a child in Hill House.
If you are in the mood for a more witchy vibe I would recommend “A Discovery of Witches.” It has an academia, witches and vampires falling in love storyline that is pure fun. Diana, a witch at Oxford University working on a thesis, is able to pull up an ancient manuscript that has not been seen for centuries and now every paranormal creature wants to get their hands on it.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0237123/
Coupling! funny, witty, great British comedy.
Try Magpie Murders on Masterpiece. For cheerful background and yummy stuff, Great British Bakeoff never disappoints.
Thank you for your stories.
How to get to Heaven from Belfast
Very funny, great watch 🙂
Sometimes I just need to go to an old school rom com in the fall, like You’ve Got Mail (oh the times have changed and I LOVE trying to explain internet to the younger generation) and When Harry Met Sally just reminds me of the fall too. In case that hits the comfy spot!
And While You Were Sleeoing!
I don’t watch very much TV, I am a reader.
But when I do I love Monk, he is funny, whimsical and relatable.
And f I want something to listen too it has to be Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter!
The Outlaws on prime –
I wouldn’t binge per se but I definitely enjoyed the humour and I haven’t seen it mentioned yet.
Dearest Mod R,
You have an exacting list of standards, which I (and Caldenia, if she were real) appreciate. Lately, I have been enjoying “SkyMed,” which is pretty much St. Elsewhere with airplanes and moose. It is the saga of the remarkably pretty young people who supply air ambulance service to Canada’s far north. And in case that wasn’t a spicy enough setup, there’s a communal house for all the unattached crew. (I mean, seriously, are their HR smoking something?) Each episode features a daring rescue and some personal growth and … they’re all of a muchness, so they can be background or foreground.
And being Canadian they’ll be polite about it.
Good Omens.
Definitely, yoy cannot do better.
Anne with an E on Netflix and Ted Lasso on Apple TV.
i don’t know if you can get this in the US but the BBC Ludwig is a very british, quirky detective series about a puzzle setter whose twin brother is a policeman. he diasappears and the brother takes his place to try and figure out what happened. No awful gore. Magpie Murders also based on Anthony Horowitz book.
Love, love, love Ludwig!
I live in England, and I love David Mitchell and Ludwig 🤗
+1 for Eureka
+1 for Warehouse 13, with a caveat that season 4 has some angst that I did not enjoy
+1 for Big Bang Theory
+1 for the Librarians
+1 for Dr. Who
+1 for Mythbusters
+1 for Firefly
If you like comedic farces, you might look for an old short lived police sitcom series called “Sledge Hammer!”.
Other than that, we usually have procedural dramas running in the background: NCIS, JAG, Castle, Rizzoli & Isles, Walker Texas Ranger (90’s version), Martial Law. Or MacGyver (80’s-90’s version). The good guys/gals always win, and the good guys/gals (almost always) live.
I’m a big fan of Eureka! I watched it through many times.
I’m watching Lanterns, which is a DC superheroes show crossed with an HBO mystery. It’s not extremely comic booky, though. There’s a grizzled veteran superhero who is aging, a young Black hero who was groomed from birth to be his successor by ambitious parents, and a manipulative cabal of alien who want the veteran hero gone because he doesn’t toe the line. There’s also a second possibly genocidal alien who may be planning to destroy humanity — or not — and some very menacing western town residents who want the heroes gone. I’m enjoying the hell out of it. Kind of reminds me of something House Andrews would write. It’s HBO streaming
Ted Lasso
Why ever would I want to watch a show about soccer.
But it’s not. It’s about characters. And what can happen when people are just nice and care. It was so refreshing. Totally fills your wellbeing needs. Just lovely.
I loved Ted Lasso!
Ted Lasso for heartwarming and funny. Even the sad bits are somehow heartwarming.
I’m not a TV or movie person because I can’t deal with the drama anxiety but I paid for a month of apple TV to watch it after catching bits on insta for months.
I rarely do much but read for entertainment but I have found watching “While You Were Sleeping” gets me in the mood for fall and the upcoming holiday season.
Ok, since you asked. Don’t forget about Murder She Wrote! Classic fall cozy vibes, but if you are looking for something relatively new, semi uplifting, and might give you ideas for certain characters that might have you burnt out my recommendations is for From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated! Not a fan of Willow Bay for the reasons you mentioned, but if you are a stranger things and Steven king fan go for it! If it’s live action you are craving my vote would be for Murder Bot. It was so good I reread the books waiting for the next season.
+1 for Murder She Wrote
Do we know what’s happening with the JLC reimagining?
+1 for From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!! I absolutely loved it!! One of the most adorable animes I’ve ever seen!
on Acorn TV – British shows – Signora Volpe and Queens of Mystery, both fabulous. Also, love Madame Blanc. Signora Volpe is filmed in Italy. Madame Blanc is filmed in France and Malta. Beautiful scenery.
They are cozy Mysteries, character development is the emphasis. They are charming.
I don’t know if it would strike you as cozy, but for lovable characters and touches of humor, I’d recommend Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
I have to say I love The Gentleman! I have only seen the first episode of season 2 and it was great. The American version of High Potential is fun. It is on Hulu. Reacher on Prime TV.
Not sure about all requirements, but Resident Alien ticks many.
I don’t try to define “cozy” any longer so here are some things I love and find inspiring.
The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime will start its third season in November. It tells part of the story of Middle-earth leading up to the Prologue . It is beautiful to look at, wonderful music, very good acting (in some cases great acting) and funny moments. There are behind the scenes reasons for a less than perfect start (COVID, strikes, trolls/clickbaiters, Amazon hate) but it mostly catches that classic bittersweet Tolkien vibe with glimpses of hope and moments of humor. My advice is that you have to pay attention and rewatches are rewarding, but that is the best possible distraction in my opinion! And yes, in many cases the show found some obscure bit of Tolkien’s writing and explored that idea in the show, generally obvious because it doesn’t look/sound/feel like the Lord of the Rings movies.
and, not visual, but Sir Terry Pratchett’s Witches books in their new audio editions are hilarious (to me) and full of love for people and their foibles.
I don’t have a TV but I recently stayed with friends who watched a series called Foyles War. I Loved the character of Foyle and took to saying Foyle would not approve when they tried another series that had more violence etc…
As a fellow Gilmore Girl enthusiast, I’ll throw in Parenthood to your suggestion pot. It does have some heart wrenching moments, but it also has Lauren Graham and Dax Shepherd. It’s a funny, cozy, primarily feel-good show.
If you’re a food fan, Food Network does several Halloween themed competition shows. The sets are usually fun and spooky, and the creativity and skill of the chefs is bonkers.
Ludwig seems to be getting a lot of good recs ATM.
The old BBC sitcoms are a good one for me e.g. Dad’s Army, Good Life, To The Manor Born etc…
If you’re into Musicals, a filmed version of Come from Away is on Apple TV as well
I really enjoyed The Other Bennet Sister.
I vote for Widow’s Bay, but only because my brother worked on the costumes and that is so cool to see on the screen! 🤩
Heartland is one of my go to favorites for my cozy rewatches. Its about 2 girls growing up on their grandfather’s horse ranch and it is based on a book series! Season 20 premiers next year.
Burn Notice and Lie to Me are great for background noise, but not as cozy.
Good Witch series is cozy and definitely has an autumn feel, especially for Halloween lovers.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch 90’s tv series. Wholesome, funny, and entertaining.
Fruits Basket is one of my favorite anime, the main character is such a sweetheart that always smiles.
Fluffy Paradise is so darn cute. Its an anime with only subtitles, but it is definitely worth it for the cuddly feels.
Ogre’s Bride is a new anime I am currently obsessed with. The main character grew up in a Cinderella situation, finds out she is fated to be an ogre’s bride and is now showered in love and affection.
I know I’m forgetting something I want to add that is on the tip of my tongue… but I don’t remember what it is at the moment.
Mod R if you can get any of Rick Stein’s travel/cookery series (all BBC productions) they are fabulous. He’s covered everything from the Far East to Mexico. His quirky, occasionally awkward style is genuine and the escapism is top notch. Venice to Istanbul trip is particularly good. Enjoy!
The 1985 miniseries version of Anne of Green Gables. The beautiful landscape of Prince Edward Island, Anne’s silly hijinks, and the swoon worthy romance are just *chef’s kiss*.
If you love Hercule sass you’ll adore Phryne Fisher sass in Miss Fisher’s murder mysteries! Set in Australia in the 1920’s with gorgeous costumes Phryne is a raging ball of smart, sassy intellect! It’s fun and delightful! Eventually, she has everyone wrapped around her fingers and helping her solve mysteries on the daily much. Plus there is a very attractive and intrigued police detective.
+1 Psych
+1 Eureka
+1 Only Murders In the Building
I also suggest The After Party on Apple TV. very cozy and funny. each season has a mystery to solve and each episode is done in a different film style. Tiffany Hadish is a joy as the lead
Psych, Eureka, and Only Murders In The Building were also on my wife’s list.
Only Murders is a must!!! I concur!
Me, too. Smart, funny and the characters! The sets and costuming are also fab.
I like crimibal series mainly. I reccomend “The Mentalist”. Main character is a CBI consultant. Every episode is different murder. Likeable characters. Love the main on, Patrick Jane, super arrogant, know-it-all, great trickster. There is an overall main plot, that is followed loosely throughout the series.
The other one is “Bones”. Forensic anthropologist and an FBI agent. Again every episode different murder. Love the dynamic between the characters. Science versus police work.
Both series are old and completed. to be honest I often watch and re watch them.
for cozy crime, i would say Murdoch Mysteries, it can so easily be put in the background and once in a while distract oneself completely. i recently really enjoyed the other miss bennet for the loveliness and great portrayal of different characters by great actors!
Mod R, have you watched Shakespeare & Hathaway (a BBC comedy series with Jo Joyner, Mark Benton, and Patrick Walshe McBride)? So funny and comforting!
My wife loves to put The Great British Baking Show and The Great British Sewing Bee on for stress free watching, either as a primary distraction, or as great mostly-background blanket.
If you haven’t already discovered Ted Lasso, add it to your list if you like loveable characters. But you may need to put in the subtitles sometimes – In theory they’re all speaking English, but…
I always fall back on Murder She Wrote which WAS on Tubi but no longer 🙁
However, recently I have been loving a K-drama and I adored Undercover Miss Hong which has all of the elements you requested. 🙂
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
It has been the perfect cozy show for my soul.
+1 for Frieren!
How about The Good Place?
My favorite go to series to watch and put on repeat for when autumn colors fall is a fun short animated series that aired on Cartoon Network called Over The Garden Wall. It’s written for kids but with plenty jokes for the grown ups. It’s strange and whimsical but also pretty deep. The total run time is just under 2 hours so you can defs watch it like a movie!!
I hope you’ll share another post in the future talking about what autumnal recommendations you ended up enjoying!!
+1 I LOVE OTGW, it’s definitely a fall go-to for me, too!
Legend of the Seeker, a fun fantasy show with beautiful scenery, a funny wizard, a quest, and a better than usual reason why the hero and heroine can’t get together! where maybe some things go badly but definitely happy ending eventually and good characters to root for. the first season is my favorite but you have to watch the second season get the happy ending.
also the first couple seasons of Castle are so much fun
thanks for a question that produces so many great tv recommendations!
Once Upon a Time –
Fairy Tales, a curse, 2 heros (one a Child), mingling of the modern world with the fairy tail world, Magic,
Emotional and Great Soundtrack
if you like mysteries, I would recommend Midsummer Murders and Murder She Wrote.
The Residence on Netflix. Also Brigerton.
definitely widow’s Bay. it is hilarious. true blood is a good one if you want old stuff and it’s charlaine Harris’s world. Gilmore girls of course.
Widow’s Bay is addictive. It’s weird to me that it’s called horror comedy. I guess that means I don’t watch enough horror. It’s definitely got good quips and sassy characters. Definitely gives the Halloween feels. For light and fun try The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins. It’s ridiculous and awesome. They clearly had fun making that show. 👍👍
I don’t watch TV, but my adult kids do. My oldest is current watching a series called Heartland. It’s a Canadian show, family oriented, with ranches and horses. She really likes it. Reading the comments brought back some memories. I had the chance to live with my mom’s favorite mother-in-law for a while. She was 88 years old at the time, and a wonderful lady. Her son begged me to stay with her as they were worried about her. They shouldn’t have worried, she was sharp as a tack. She loved the British mysteries, and she introduced me to Hamish Macbeth. It’s a quirky show, and fun to watch.
Wow, thanks everyone for all the great recommendations. Have watched quite a few but found some new ones here. Didn’t know Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist had a movie so thanks for that tip! Loved the series and was sad it was cancelled.
I mostly listen to audiobooks while knitting, especially the GA versions of IA series. Love the Murderbot GA audiobooks too but the TV series was disappointing. Hoping season 2 will be better. We always watch the Time Bandits movie on Halloween. “They’re not bad, they’re just stupid.” Hocus Pocus movies are fun too. I enjoy animated movies the most for a feel good escape. Best feel good series for me is Big Band Theory and reruns still make me laugh. Recently rewatched the movie Midnight in Paris and loved it. Good Omens audiobook and the series is a favorite.
Avoid The Pitt series if you want relaxing because it’s the opposite. It’s fantastic but extremely intense, and I need to calm down with a funny show after watching. Cannot watch old medical shows now since they pale in comparison.
Enjoy the fall Mod R and BDH!
Sorry, I love political intrigue, backstabbing and mayhem, preferably in a medieval setting. The Borgias, The Tudors, Becoming Elizabeth, SOME seasons of Game of Thrones.
I can however wholeheartedly recommend Hulu’s The Great, an absurdist dramedy about Catherine the Great, Murderbot on Apple+ and Avenue 5 on HBOMAX, both space dramedies. Alexander Skarsgard for Murderbot and Hugh Laurie for Avenue 5. Let’s hear it for eye contact -ewww and being shielded from radiation by a poop-screen. Not autumn scented, but all hilarious. If you can find Another Period or the really old Brother Cadfael mysteries with Derek Jacoby, enjoy! Also, I found The Serpent Queen on Starz extremely entertaining. It’s about Catherine de Medici, Queen of France during the Tudor era, and when it breaks the fourth wall it’s hilarious. I am known for liking black humor, however.
Absolutely watch Widow’s Bay. It’s hilarious and smart and I love it so much I’ve been watching it on repeat since it came out. It’s amazing. Highly recommend.
(I’m a watch ‘Gilmore girls every year’ person, too…though I always dove in on Christmas break they are the only DVDs I ever bought).
But, I needed something new. I didn’t watch it when it was on, but a few years ago my brother insisted I watch the Big Bang Theory…I was hooked pretty quick…it’s so fun.
Widow’s bay gets better with every episode. I was very iffy about the first but by the end I wanted 6 more seasons dropped immediately. Murderbot is another great show. I didn’t mind any of the changes from the books and it was great from the start. Both are insanely well cast and not so many episodes that you need to put your life on hold to enjoy them.
I’m a fan of procedural, especially from Australia, New Zealand, and Britain. Two that I think you might like are My Name is Murder and Harry Wild. They could fall into the cozy category, as neither is in the police, but they are detectives that have close contacts in the police. Good luck with finding new watchables
If I am feeling down, I usually rewatch Babylon 5 (Spacecenter Babylon 5).
But Farscape too can be helpful, depends a little bit on how I feel and why I feel like that at those times.
It’s usually the how and that they reach their end-goals in a way I think.
The genres/themes Mod R seems to watch to feel better are not the ones I prefer
Murder Bot was fun and I’ve really been enjoying Pursuit of Jade (Chinese). It’s fun but I’ve had to break up the episodes because it feels like it starts to drag in parts half way through the series. Once fall hits Over The Garden Wall is one my kids and I put on all of the time to listen to. I also like The Martian, I’ll put it on every once in a while to listen to while I work around the house or cook.
+1 Pursuit of Jade
My mileage varied; I didn’t really find it dragging in the middle.
Over the Garden Wall is a short animated miniseries (10 episodes about 11 minutes each) that originally aired on Cartoon Network, but I usually watch the whole series back-to-back like a movie, it’s very digestible. It’s a dark fantasy that pairs cozy autumn-vibes with a haunting/eerie setting (giving dark fairytale), good music (some quite silly, like “Potatoes and Molasses”), and a lot of heart. Pretty simple and funny, but explores some great themes and there’s an interesting story beneath the story and the world they’re in. My friends and I do a marathon of this cult classic at least once a year to get into the fall mood, we love it and hope it might fit what you’re looking for!
Ted Lasso is great! Great story, characters, humor, and tackles difficult subjects in a cozy way. The ball doesn’t drop. My friend has severe anxiety and she loves it.
I didn’t know season 2 of The Gentlemen was out yet! Thank you for that… we run Downton Abby in the background daily “for the pets” especially when they get tired of the CSI channel.
Man on the Inside starring Ted Danson is funny and poignant, really enjoyed it. Also watching the latest season of Ted Lasso which always warms my heart. The 3 part series on Netflix, Seven Dials, with Martin Freeman and Helena Bonham Carter is based on an Agathe Christie novel and is just as cozy as you’d think it would be.
If you can find Mike &Molly and Golden Girls that’s good for LOL comedy; the Thin Man movies for comedy and mystery; Monk for comedy and brainwork; Reacher on prime for some comedy and action. Good luck, there is soo much out there!
Hey Mod R! If you like anime, one of my recent comfort watches was Restaurant to Another World – featuring a restaurant here in our world that one day a week has a door that opens in various places in a fantasy world. There’s a lot of food porn and interconnected stories for the other world folks that find their way in, and it’s just delightfully wholesome and sweet. It’s not specifically set in autumn, but it just FEELS like soup season if you know what I mean lol
oh, also, Dungeons and Dragons Den of Thieves with Chris Pine is surprisingly funny and good. Another movie that is a standby feel good is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty with Ben Still and Sean Penn. Wonderful story and scenery and I also love the soundtrack.
+1 D&D is so cozy and funny and a go-to for comfort. (for some reason “Joooorrnathan!!!” has become a humorous figurative battle cry at our house.)
I rewatch Ted Lasso and Schitt’s creek for comfort, they are so positive and funny and you just fall in love with them all.
Try ‘The Madam Blanc Mysteries’ on Acorn.tv.
the Miss Marple series with Joan Hickman – this is old, but even Agatha Christie said that Hickman was the perfect Miss Marple. She doesn’t LOOK intelligent, which was part of the character. IMHO all the subsequent Miss Marples looked too intelligent.
Agatha Raisin – especially the first couple series.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo – A Korean series which was great about a brilliant but autistic attorney who loves the law. Can’t have it on in the background, since there are subtitles.
The Brokenwood Mysteries – a New Zealand series with comedy as well as mystery
Hope this helps
I’ve been working my way through older TV series that I never got watch or it was spotty. Thankfully, being a public librarian and part of a large library system, I can get the series in a season at a time and watch all the episodes. 🙂 Right now, I’m working through the Andy Griffith Matlock series from the 80s. I’ve watched Blacklist, Mentalist, Elementary, Numbers, Luther, Ghosts. 🙂
Backing other people’s recs of Leverage, (Brendan Frasier’s) The Mummy, and Young Frankenstein. I only got about halfway down the list, so I’m not sure if there are already recs for the Knives Out movies with Daniel Craig, Pushing Daisies, Over The Garden Wall (often a recommendation for autumn vibes, happy ending, not sure how well the rest fits), the first Addam’s Family movie, at least, and Hocus Pocus.
For something light and funny, I recommend Abbott Elementary and New Girl (both on hulu) which are part of my re-watch cycle. Also, if you subscribe to Britbox on Prime or have access to BBC shows, The Other Bennet Sister is delightful and I have already rewatched it more times than I care to admit. The main character is meant to be neurodivergent.
I recently watched The Residence on Netflix. So much fun! it’s a lot like Knives Out or Agatha Christie
Oh, I loved The Residence! So good. I wish there was a second season.
Terrific production! Just one season, unfortunately.
I have been thoroughly enjoying “Diarra from Detroit.” There is some action, and it is for adults, but it is hilarious. I’m also rewatching Buffy.
We love any and all of the Philomena Cunk mockumentaries. Cunk on Life, Cunk on Earth, Cunk on Food, they are all great.
Recently, there was a limited series on the BBC featuring the same comedian (Diane Morgan) called Ann Droid. It was hilarious. Her comic timing is so spot on and the rest of the cast was great also. Apparently, the BBC just renewed it for a second season.
You might enjoy “High Potential”. Which is the English language USA based reinvention of a French TV series. The primary character is an unmarried woman who has 3 children, works nights as a cleaner of offices, and is incredibly intelligent. She knocks over a file in the police department one night, and reassembles it into an entirely new theory of the crime. And, we’re off…
My personal favorite – 16 seasons of Murdoch’s Mysteries on Pluto on demand.
love Murdoch Mysteries but the later season can get kinda heavy, though.
If you like period detective stories i recommend *Frankie Drake Mysteries*. it plays in Toronto. it hast lots of diverse and interesting female Charakters like Frankie. if you know the Murdoch Mysteries its from the same person and plays in the same universe. if you do not know the Murdoch Mysteries i can recommend those too but while the early season are lighter and full of period science and discoveries the later season are more Drama and heartache.
Frankie ist even in the love interests story arch more fun.
Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries is in the same vibe
This isn’t exactly cozy, but: When you’re ready for Halloween, I highly recommend Over the Garden Wall. Two brothers and a bird (and a frog, who isn’t a major character but I think is still relevant) find themselves wandering a strange wood trying to get home.
It’s an animated mini-series, episodic in nature with homages to different horror stories and classic cartoons – but I wouldn’t call it scary as much as atmospheric. The last few episodes get serious so be in a good mindset going in, but it’s a must watch for spooky season and fall vibes, and easily binge able in an evening.
Over the garden wall- best fall themed show.
Yes, Eureka and Warehouse 13. For mostly cozy, Call the Midwife.
Brokenwood
Midsomer Murders (awesome for how many seasons there are and you can get a really good marathon going, especially when your head is down in projects)
Virgin River
Home improvement shows like Home Town and Fixer Upper. Shows stay loyal to their formats, so the familiarity runs wonderfully in the background.
I recommended Brokenwood also, Really enjoy Midsomer Mysteries also.
My favorite go to is Leverage. Usually light with some seriousness, but liberally sprinkled with ridiculousness 😊
Dear Mod R – Have you tried Brokenwood Mysteries? Small New Zealand town with quirky characters and the beautiful NZ landscape. Yes, there is murder and mayhem, but lots of humor and ‘small town’ policing.
This sounds great- I am adding it to my watch list! Thank you!
Ted Lasso! And Brooklyn 99 and The Good Place. Those are all feel good shows that I enjoy every when I’m anxious (especially when I’m anxious!)
Shrinking, Schitts Creek, Only Murders and Ted Lasso. A much older one that I really loved for comfort was Eureka.
I recommend:
Apothecary Diaries
Shitt’s Creek
Heated Rivalry
I love apothecary diaries!!!
The Big Bang Theory. I love all of the episodes, but I have favorites that still make me laugh even though I know what is coming… sing soft kitty to me 🙂
Spot on!
I’m getting ready to rewatch Hamish Macbeth – so much to love!
Oh my goodness, top fall recommendation is Over the Garden Wall, it is cozy, it is funny, and the character are absolutely adorable. It is loosely, loosely based on Dante’s inferno. It is quirky as heck. There ARE mysterious turtles and cute frogs. The villain is top notch and their voice actor is perfect. It features teenage boy Wirt, who overthinks absolutely everything, walking in the woods with his adorable little stepbrother Greg, who overthinks absolutely nothing, and they are lost in the woods. They are joined by very practical talking bluebird Beatrice who has major sassitude. It is a miniseries, where all the episodes together are like an hour and a half to two hours and are kind of meant to be watched together like a movie. Mega fall vibes. Everything makes sense at the end. Very rewatchable.
We love this miniseries so much we literally have an Over the Garden Wall party every year sometime in October. We invite old friends, try to convert new friends, and eat way too many snacks. Enjoy!
For pure comedy and heart I love re-watching “Derry Girls”. Never fails to make me laugh. Sister Michael is perfection.
I watched the first few episodes of “Widow’s Bay” and just couldn’t keep it up. I have a hard time being sympathetic/engaged when people have really obvious issues, and then do really stupid things manifesting the obvious issues that they are trying to hide, against their own best interests. I don’t find it funny but can see how others might in a schadenfreude way.
I just started “The Gentlemen” yesterday, actually, and got through the first episode and was okay about it, but then the brother did the thing (see above issues with people acting stupidly against their own best interests and manifesting their obvious issues) and thought it was a cheap plot twist to manufacture continued stress. I’ll keep going because I like the main character/actor. I’d like to learn more about him and his motives etc.
My stress-relief go-to is rereading TKWNKM
Poirot is one of my comfort watches at any time of year. The 1980s-90s Miss Marples are another (the ones starring Joan Hickson, who is the definitive Miss Marple in my mind.)
I would also suggest the Campion mysteries and the Alleyne mysteries. And if you’re willing to go a bit farther afield geographically, I absolutely love the Brokenwood Mysteries from New Zealand. They’re well-written, often funny (though there is some gore here and there), and excellently acted by an ensemble cast. The small town includes a lot of recurring (and often eccentric) characters, but it’s the friendship and camaraderie that develops between the three detectives that really pulls me in. (The most junior detective leaves after 5 or 6 seasons, but his replacement is also very good, and fits in equally well after an initial adjustment period.) There are 10 or 11 seasons with between 4 and 6 episodes each; you can find it on Acorn.
Young Sherlock – If you like Guy Ritchie.
It is a bit silly but I enjoy it. This is a great idea. You provide us joy and we can reciprocate!!
I love everything House Andrews writes. Thank you for persevering.
Warm Regards,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Sherlock_(British_TV_series)
Midsomer Murders is my homeostasis enducing go-to watch. Not gruesome, very witty, and the main characters are delightful.
How about ‘Murder She Wrote’?
Based on your list – which overlaps quite a lot with mine – try Ride or Die. Insanely, wonderfully, marvelously good. I won’t try to describe it beyond saying Olivia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham. Together. For 20 episodes. O. M. G.
PS, Brokenwood and Deadloch are also wonderful, the first veering toward Midsomer Murders + Jessica Fletcher in NZ, the second more MM + Clue in Oz.
Agreed – so excellent!
The coziest show in my arsenal is Apothecary Diaries. The characters are beyond loveable, the plot is full of satisfying mystery, and the artistry is without parallel. I admit, some people can’t get into animated shows and that’s okay, but I think this one is worth a try for everybody
Honorable mention: Fruits Basket. Its just too cute
Weirdly, my viewing has been on YouTube… and it’s tons of day in the life and shopping cooking vlogs from Japan, Korea, China. Especially the shopping and cooking ones.
YouTube Dancing Bacons.. such a comfort watch 😁
So the CW (a now-defunct channel in the US that gave us Supernatural, among others) a few years ago did a Nancy Drew reboot that is quite entertaining.
I have a particular genre I enjoy in the fall, which is spooky supernatural mysteries in Maine.
Nancy Drew, Haven (from the Syfy channel, loosely based on.a Stephen King novella), these hit fall vibes without being over the top or very scary.
Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? With Will Poulter and Lucy Boynton should be made into a series that airs every year as far as I’m concerned.
Also… hear me out, but there was a Scooby Doo animated series a few years ago called Mysteries Incorporated. It’s only two seasons, but it was a fun modern reboot of the show, and is very watchable and autumn-ish.
I was surprised by how much I loved Best Medicine! Funny, quirky, heartwarming, great location (Maine), great cast … really well-done and watchable.
We binged Season 1 on Netflix, and really looking forward to Season 2 (Sept 22 on Fox, streaming next day on Hulu).
(My husband loves it too!)
Simply for good fun (not great literature) I like The Four Seasons reboot on Netflix as I’m of the age to appreciate it. Also, loved the vibe of The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix which is soooo much better than the Matthew McConaughey movie.
I don’t think of these as cozy but they are go to shows I like to watch. I really like death in paradise. Mysteries in a tropic location. Multiple seasons to watch. I Also like Deadloch which is a mystery with dark humor set in Tasmania .
Try Ludwig on PBS or Britbox – accompanied by great music! Second season starts soon.
Just echoing this recommendation- catch up on season one of Ludwig on PBS so you’re ready for season two.
I also recommend Brokenwood Mysteries which is on PBS or Acorn TV. It’s a slow start, but finds its stride early into season two. Not as funny as Ludwig, but chuckle worthy and still pretty cozy.
Does the show have to be in English?
If yes, I recommend all Jane Austen book movie, even the cheesy American ‘modern take’ ones. Jane Austen Book Club is on repeat in my den while I am working or unwell. Mountaineering films are also excellent, and in hot, humid Texas, you will feel the chill of the icy slopes. Sender Films produces outstanding documentaries. Have The Dawn Wall playing in the background it is FANTASTIC and much more deserving of the Oscar over Free Solo, imho. It’s amazing and all true. Ditto the series SHERPA. All of these will make you happy to be warm and cozy in Texas. Until winter when your grid goes down and your Cancun Cruz flies off to the Four Seasons and leaves you all to freeze to death in your homes.
If you’re still with me, another favorite is the entire HORATIO HORNBLOWER series with Eoin ?? I fergit but it’s well done except the sailors look too clean for her majesty’s navy of early 1700s.
Have you watched the Percy Jackson new series on Disney? It’s wonderful, beautiful artwork and actors, ditto Avatar the original anime series. LOTR would also be nice background but I would cry, even just hearing it. Industry series is good but every time they spoke finance I had no clue what they were talking about. Says a lot about my math skills. SISTERS OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS movies are nice too. Perfect comfort films. I wish they were truer to the books but one cannot have everything.
Movies with music are nice as background –
The Chorale
Music & Lyrics
Tinā
Breaking Away
Hair
Oklahoma
Bride & Prejudice
Bend it like Beckham
The Hating Game
Just note that mine are the tastes of an old lady who still wants a life of adventure and romance, thus huge lover of ALL Ilona Andrews literary output.
Britannia, it’s a fantasy set in AD 43 and has Roman, druids and all sorts of weirdness. It has 3 seasons but unfortunately like many fantasy shows it was cancelled so not everything was resolved. Still a great watch with many humorous scenes.
43 AD
All Creatures Great and Small on PBS Passport is a great series.
If you like British Shows and have Acorn try Agatha Raisin (she’s a hoot) or Darby and Joan. On Britbox try Last Tango in Halifax. I also enjoyed Riot Women. My sister enjoyed Widow’s Bay. I didn’t watch it, I don’t like horror.
Not specifically autumn, but for comfort and joy Heated Rivalry. Downside is that no matter how many times I watch it, I cannot just have it running in the background. It demands to be actively viewed.
Forgot to mention:
PBS Passport: The Duke and Miss Scarlett series
Star Trek, it’s either Strange New Worlds or Discovery I always confuse but the Captain of the Ship is Michael Burnham and she is wowza !!!! Loved the one with Captain Pike until the Gorn episodes that just pissed me off, total Aliens plagiarism but the lizards w tiny brains have better tech than Star fleet?!?!? INCONCEIVABLE!!!!
signing off with The Princess Bride
For me, fall is all about the Good Witch ! Cozy and it makes me want to go live there !
I love Death in Paradise. Although it’s more of a break from the winter blues than looking forward to fall. I’m also enjoying the new season of Ted Lasso and Ride or Die.
I need to do a rewatch of Come From Away on Apple TV, I need to counter the sadness of 9/11.
I really loved Widow’s Bay. It addresses so many horror tropes in a very humorous way. Matthew Rhys is as wonderful as always. I really enjoyed how the mystery of the island unfolded as well.
This is an old one, but Dramaworld is lovely. Google synopsis “Dramaworld is a comedy-drama fantasy series about an American college student named Claire Duncan who gets magically transported inside her favorite Korean television show”
My husband, teenager and I really enjoyed The Hot Spot, a Japanese series about the characters surrounding a hot spring hotel near Mount Fuji. It’s cosy and funny and a little weird – one of the characters is an alien. It’s on Netflix.
Another favourite cosy series is Midnight Diner, also out of Japan ( Netflix). This was my big comfort watch during Covid. Stories of mostly ordinary folks and their lives who come in to share a meal.
Also, Schitt’s Creek – which got funnier and better as the series progressed (Netflix).
Leverage and Leverage redemption are my marathon streaming choices.
I am waiting for all the episodes of the Jack Reacher series to drop before binge watching.
I listed Leverage/Leverage Redemption below too. I love them both and will watch particular episodes for the good feelings.
Ted lasso
High potential
“What I don’t want is a show where relentless drama, heartbreak, misery or gore is the point,” and then you watched The Gentlemen 🤣🤣🤣
I finished season 2 last night, and while I am very excited for season 3, I am interested in whether Netflix will continue to bill this as a comedy, citing Eddie’s willingness to descend into murder and mayhem.
Believe it or not Barnaby Jones, a detective show with Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether from the 70s – he is an older detective who drinks milk and solves all the cases for his clients.
Leverage/Leverage Redemption – The show follows a team of high-tech crooks and con artists who act like modern-day Robin Hoods. They target wealthy, powerful individuals, corporations, and government agencies that exploit ordinary people and always make them pay. The first season has a few episode that are grimmer because the main character is grieving a loss, but it lightens up after and I just love that they always win, even when things don’t go to plan.
These are my unwind, right before bed shows.
Widows Bay is in my watch later list and I have started it, but I don’t think I was in the right mood for it. I plan to go back to it later.
Also US OPEN TENNIS – there have been some exciting matches.
Us. Great series. Has it all. Tragedy, happiness, sorrow, love. Everything…
Forgot, Actually called THIS IS US… brain f.rt this morning. 🤪
Ludwig on BritBox
My wife and I liked Brokenwood a lot. There are 12 seasons worth on AcornTV Does anyone know if Brokenwood is still in production?
I LOVED The Gentlemen although it is totally not something I normally like. I did not know about season 2. Thanks!
Ghosts. Both the US and UK versions, though I’m more partial to the US. Nothing too deep, lots of laughs, well written, well acted, and I feel like they spend more time in autumn there than any other season (probably so they don’t miss halloween).
I’m best with having audiobooks on so I can be doing something while listening — I highly recommend the Drew Hayes series Super Powereds, which has over 100 hours of absolutely delightful, captivating, clever, well plotted audio centered on five teens who have various different super powers, but were born unable to control them to the point of being danger to themselves and others. Turns out a substantial portion of the human population is being born with uncontrolled super powers, or else no powers, or controllable super powers. These five are subjected to a test cure that works, and they are placed in a school that trains normal superpowered people to be Heroes — the ultimate police type force for humanity…. but no one else knows they were un-powered previously…. and of course, along the four years of their college career, somebody will spill the beans out of malice (because we are talking about a college full of all personality types of kids competing for the few slots open to graduate as Heroes. ) Anyway, this is a ten stars set of books, with over 100 hours of easy and yet fascinating, clever plotting and characters you’d love to adopt and have move in next door. The plotting is complex and fun, there are all the good fantasy stuff with superpowers, there’s light romance but that is not the driving thread of the story , and you get to watch these five kids become five completely different adults in a perfectly reasonable maturation process, and you’ll be routing for them all the way. I was reading Isaac Asimov when his books were new … that’s how long I’ve been reading sci/fi and fantasy — more than half a century — and this set of books, (along with Innkeeper and Kate and Nevada, and Anne McCaffrey’s Pern) are the five sets of books I recommend whole-heartedly. Smiles! And, of course, pumpkin spice lattes.
Widow’s Bay is not cozy but VERY funny imo and with great acting and script, seconding Schitt’s Creek in the replies, my additions would be; Girls5eva, Disenchantment, The Other Two (unlikable charas but very funny), Shrinking (can get depressing but VERY funny and i love the cast), Baby Daddy, Adults (its humor is a miss for some but im personally having a ball), Superstore
Strongly suggest “How to get to heaven from Belfast”on Netflix. The snark is hilarious. It will get serious for a minute then, bam snark and sarcasm again. So funny and weird. You may need subtitles because the accents can be challenging 🤪 Everybody loves Dolly, as they should.
I’ve yet to watch this one… but I’ll add
Derry Girls – Sr Michael is my hero!
New guilty pleasure is a series called
The other Bennet sister
Currently binging the Bridgerton series again!
Another great show that starts off slow but is great is
The lioness
But we all like Yellowstone!
But I’m looking forward to watching silo cause I’ve read some of the books.
Oldest guilty pleasure is
Xena warrior princess.
Midsummer Murders, Death in Paradise, Miss Marple, Vigil, Professor T all good murder mysteries. Really good TV that won’t give you nightmares but keep you guessing who the bad guys / girls are. Also Jessie Stone is always worth another watch as is Shetland.
Hope there is something on this list for you to enjoy.
Absolutely watch Widows Bay! The humor is wonderfully done. There is some light horror. Nothing too grim. We loved it.
Also try Plur1bus, Ted Lasso and The Studio if you haven’t already.
I can heartily recommend Palm Royale from Apple+. Kristin Wiig, Allison Janney, Ricky Martin (!), and scene stealer Carol Burnett in glamorous 1969 costuming and sets to die for.
I’m going to second what Salt said and suggest a fall banquet of K-drama.
1. “Bon Appetit Your Majesty”. Food and swordfights.
2. “Alchemy of Souls”. Magic and swordfights. Note — this will seem a little dark at the start, but gets a lot lighter after the initial worldbuilding setup.
3. “My Country: The New Age”. Swordfights and swordfights. This is actually based on historical facts and is well written imho.
4. “My Demon” and “Destined With You” (also has a great instrumental halloween-y soundtrack). Unabashedly romantic, with supernatural elements, plenty of comedy, and limited swordfights (in historical flashbacks).
5. “Cafe Minamdang”. Mystery and comedy, excellent writing. No swordfights.
Oh, and there’s always time to rewatch all the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movies. Plenty of swordfights. For some reason, New Zealand is always “fall-y” to me.
Wishing ModR and all the BDH a great fall!
My go to when life overwhelms are Sister Act 1&2. Whoopi Goldberg has me laughing constantly and by the end of each one I feel so much better.
Shits Creek
My suggestion is a subscription to Dropout TV. So much you can catch up on. Dimension 20 is live play Gaming (D&D, but also other systems). Um,Actually is for the nerdiest of nerds. Game changer is inevitably hilarious. Parlor room can introduce you to interesting new board games. So much more. It’s worth the money, and it’s not a big corporate mega entity.
Sorry, Mod R. It is 93f feels like 98f (34C feels like 37C). I am in no mood to even believe in such a thing as Autumn. I applaud your search and wish you the best results possible, but the only thing that cools me off is the miserable description of Maggie’s first few days: cold, wet cloth in cold, wet rain.
I’m sure the other BDH will rise to your request with many delightful answers.
Sigh. Unfortunately, for my own mental well-being I SHOULD BE READING their answers, but not going to right now.
– This is true – it’s TOO HOT!
I feel like I’m baking!
Brookenwood!!!! if you like mysteries. It gets funnier and better as the seasons go although the most recent season is not very good. You have to watch them all because the characters recur and it makes it more fun to know their backstory.
– I second this!! Love Brokenwood Mysteries!
I also recently discovered “The Marlow Murder Club” – I’m enjoying this one!
I actually have a “-Ber Months Watchlist” that I’ve been curating for the last few years, so here are a few staples for “Cozy Fall” not quite Halloween vibes (vibes are very much the throughline in the curation process)
A Little Chaos
Chocolat
Dead Poets Society
Drumline
Ever After
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fly Away Home
Good Will Hunting
Hidden Figures
Legally Blonde
Mona Lisa Smile
Much Ado About Nothing
Pride and Prejudice (you could choose any or all of them tbh, but 2005 has a distinct “fall” warmth to it)
Remember the Titans
Rudy
Sabrina (1995 vers. specifically)
Seabiscuit
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Stardust
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
The Princess Bride
The Secret Garden (1993)
You’ve Got Mail
I’m on board with Practical Magic 2 – the book is titled “The Book of Magic”! And my mom can’t wait to see it – this is good because she is beginning to forget such things and I am happy to see her excited about something.
I’ve been listening to the books (out of order, unfortunately). The first book written was “Practical Magic” and I didn’t like it as much as the movie – I LOVED THE MOVIE!
The second book, that this new movie is based on is pretty decent, though – “The Book of Magic”. I like it.
The immediate prequel to “Practical Magic” is “The Rules of Magic” and this one is my favorite – it’s about the aunts!
Then there is the book about their ancestress who started the curse back in the 1700s, “Magic Lessons”. This is the last book I have to finish. It’s also very good!
I may be showing my age, but I recommend Leanne – you don’t get to pick your family, you just get to love them! The second season just dropped.
I know these are old. But I’ve been playing Time Team episodes as background noise. Watching Tony Robinson swan around Britain in the rain is soothing. It makes me want tea and/or pubs with pints.
I love miss fishers mysteries, the original set in the 20s. The fashions, the art, the Australian settings, plus the characters are so interesting.
My go-to’s – Death in Paradise – British (love the humour) and multiple seasons (yeah!). Also love Stargate SG-1, The Mentalist, Lie to Me – all have some humour a long with the drama.
Sorry one more – Murdock Mysteries – Canadian mystery with drop-in historical figures and humour
Yes! Love Murdoch Mysteries!
Ted Lasso. Start with Season 1.
One of my favs to watch when I’m out of sorts is ” The Fifth Element”, with Bruce Willis, Mila Jacovich(sic), and Chis Tucker as ‘ Ruby Rod!’ a sci-fi dramedy which has fabulous editing and great quotable lines. The late Luke Perry also has a small part. Considering it was made before AI or major CGI, for me and mine, this is a fun movie.( Avail. on Netflix until Sept.30th)
Brokenwood Mysteries
The movie “The Holiday” with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. Love it.
Whew, lots of suggestions that are new to me, thank you to my fellow Horders. For comfort watches I haven’t seen in the earlier recs I would suggest:
Sherlock (with Benedict Cumberbatch & Martin Freemen) I can re-watch it and never get sick of it.
Etoile on Amazon Prime. It’s very funny even if you aren’t a ballet fan–it’s by the same folks who created The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I’m still peeved it got canceled after 1 season.
Lessons in Chemistry on Apple TV. This is one of the very few instances where I thought the video was better than the book.
Starfleet Academy on Paramount+, although my free trial ran out before I got to see the last 3 episodes.
Other excellent series that are less comforting:
Lockwood & Co on Netflix is another one I wish hadn’t been canceled.
Just about any science fiction series on Apple TV right now: For All Mankind, Silo, Murderbot, Star City…haven’t found a bad one yet.
Oh and Fallout on Amazon Prime is also very good. My husband is a dedicated Fallout gamer who’s very happy with the show, and I like it, too, even though I’ve never played the game, so kudos to that production crew.
we watched the first two episodes of widows bay and I don’t think it will fit your cozy fall needs (to be polite about it).
X-files anniversary is this month. you skip the emotional ones and stick to monster madness!
otherwise you could try star trek (following the *technology so advanced it’s magic* adage) it’s 60 yrs old, but still ticking.
I’ve been watching and enjoying Death Valley, another cozy murder mystery from the UK. It takes place in beautiful Wales and stars Timothy Spall as a former tv detective who gets himself involved in helping the local police solve murders. There’s also a lot of comedy and the characters are all lovable.
Outside of Buffy, my go to cozy rewatches are Psych (the funny won’t stop) and Warehouse 13!
We enjoyed Widows Bay way more than we thought we would. When it comes to cozy, I’m all about Downton Abbey and Gilded Age.
Ted Lasso always makes me feel better. It’s like a dose of therapy with a dash of positivity. After a new episode or a rewatch, I always feel calmer.
I’d recommend Mss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries! It’s fun, the drama is not too much, the characters are amazing, and the story is always more about healing than hurting, I’d say. Also, the format is good for watching a bit at a time (though I ended up binging because I can never pace myself with my favourite series)
Ha! I just recommended that as well.
A couple of shows I’ve gotten into recently that might fit the bill:
Psyche – fun procedural with a lot of ridiculous antics to go with it
I recently learned the old 90’s show A Different World is on Netflix, it’s really a lot of fun
Doesn’t quite feel like fall in central Texas with temps in the 100’s. So I’m sticking with the basics
-Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, Big Bang Theory-
K
If you haven’t seen it-Ted Lasso
Halloween Baking Championship starts their new season on Monday September 14th at 9pm. My whole family love watching these. Some of the desserts are downright gruesome, lol.
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is a delight!
love those but the Australian setting reminds me of summer not fall. really sad there’s only 3 seasons
Death in Paradise. Beyond Paradise. Return to Paradise. Admittedly not very autumnal, but very Agatha Christie. Also Miss Fisher if you haven’t already.
I leave The Rookie re-runs playing in the background cause I like Nathan Fillion & Firefly 😊
Poirot with David Suchet. It is a delight and perfect for a busy mind.
I loved the Gentlemen too. Furious and The Shards on Hulu. Lanterns on HBO. If you like cozy mysteries did you already watch Seven Dials on Netflix? Also Dark Winds which is on Netflix and AMC. I recently rewatched Ted Lasso and Shrinking on Apple when I needed comfort. And there’s new Ted Lasso. Also Slow Horses on Apple. Gary Oldman and his farting hahaha.
I’m an Austen fall girl. I watched Persuasion last night, the Other Bennet sister earlier and am a Huge Fan of all things Edwardian. And if you have a chance, watch Dropout.tv and the Dimension 20 version of Vampire the Masquerade. Totally hilarious and set in the middle of Oregon which is a hilarious place in its own right.
If you like a cozy mystery, try The Brokenwood Mysteries, a great Kiwi murder-mystery series with all sorts of quirky characters
1883. (TV show) Not a cozy,but definitely not “stare into space”. It also makes whatever knitting you are doing feel more important. When you know everyone you see is/shouldbe wearing hand-knitted socks, the yarn in your hands takes on new meaning.
Hi Mod R;
I am a bit g fan of Asian Dramas. Not knowing what streaming channels you might have I recommend going to Netflix and watching ‘Teacher You ALesson’. Drama about teachers being given authority to clean up bad schools or bad cliques in schools. Very funny and but still with situations that you see in schools.
Also go Scandinavian and check out ‘Blood Sacrifice’ also on Netflix and only 5 episodes.
Love cozy mysteries ! Harry Wild, Return to Paradise, Beyond Paradise, Karen Pirie, Granite Harbour, Chelsea Detective, Ellis, Madam Blanc, My Life is Murder, Darby and Joan, Signora Volpe, Whitstable Pearl, Brokenwood, Art Detectives. Waiting on the new seasons to drop. Gone is pretty interesting too.
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1988386/
It has wonderful characters, interesting stories and amazing fashion.
I also agree with My Life is murder, Harry Wild, Return to Paradise, Brokenwood and Beyond Paradise.
I’m Aussie, but most of my comfort watches are British (somethign soothing about the brits shows) I only do fun TV, not interested in any sort of “drama”.
– IT Crowd (a must for computer geeks!)
– Black Books (!!MUST WATCH!! for any book aficionado) I even visited the actual store, made my year in 2018!
– Miranda (don’t even bother with the US version – absolute tatt)
– GBBO (the first, best and greatest version)
– GB Sewing Bee
and a couple of Aussie entries
– Fisk
– Kath & Kim (again there is a US version; AGAIN AVOID that one – no just no)
Oh, and I completely forgot
-Taskmaster (again, the Brit version)
Supernatural! Yes, scary bits but so funny sometimes and those Winchester boys …
Our go-to show in the autumn is The Good Witch. We started with the show and after a few seasons went back to watch the og hallmark movies. (That is the watch order I’d recommend.) It’s got all the cozy, heartfelt sweetness, the most loveable townsfolk,and a love story I think y’all might approve of. Also, George. Enjoy with a warm cookie for best effect ❤️
Not so much for fall but I love all things Star Trek. For lots of laughs: Lower Decks.
if you like any Star Trek at all, Lower Decks is just delightful hilarity. comedy gold. chef’s kiss. so much good commentary and inside jokes and things you’re thinking but never would get into older canon. Red alarm! ❤️
“Only Murders in the Building” has been a family fav for four seasons. Three friends investigate murders in the Arconia, an old apartment building in New York City’s midtown. Great odd ball characters with guest cameos from lots of really famous actors. Great plot twists. It can be found on Netflix
Good Omens
How about Disney movies? My two absolute favorite (cartoon) movies, The Aristocats and (Walt Disney’s) Robin Hood — utterly hilarious and of course, with happy endings!
If you like sentient cars, Herbie rides again! is extremely funny!
One of my favorite movies is American Dreamer. It’s an oldie , but I do like it enough to buy it on tape. I am going to try to go see Coyote vs Acme. I like who framed Roger Rabbit but with Wylie Coyote.
On Netflix there is a “limited” series from China–CC advised if you do not speak Mandarin– titled Pursuit of Jade. About episode 15 I turned to my wife and asked her, “Am I totally out of it or are we watching 4 plus actors performing at an Alec Guinness level?” She succinctly replied with a head nod and one word, “Yes.” She also told me to shut up because she was watching it.
Agreed! Its a good one
Any version of All Creatures Great and Small. Both PBS versions made my the British are phenomenal. Call the Midwife. And the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes. Tim Baker as Dr who number 4. The British series the Avengers
Took me forever to remember the title – “Life in Pieces” really funny 30 minute pieces about a family told from different members viewpoints.
Some of my comfort watches are the princess bride, the fifth element, and Invictus. I also have quite a lot of love for the original 3 Star Wars movies….They just soothe my soul.
Wednesday on Netflix. Hysterical.
Crash Landing on you! Its a great time for a good K-drama
Love Schitt’s Creek, Brooklyn 99, and Ted Lasso. Also love A Discovery of Witches, but that is definitely not light hearted. If you like anime Apothecary Diaries is funny and romantic.
I watch two new Zealand shows – My Life is Murder now in Season 5, starring Lucy Lawless. It’s a great cozy murder show. The other is Brokenwood Mysteries now in Season 13, I think. quirky police procedural. I also watch a couple of French TV police shows that you can view via PBS or Hoopla (a Library streaming service (Public libraries) – Mademoiselle Sherlock and Art du Crime.
In keeping with the heist theme I love the Oceans 11, 12, and 13 movies. Ted lasso was also very feel good as a show, but not fall per se.
Widows Bay is way more fun than you’d think, especially the further you get into it.
Ted Lasso!! The language is not for children, but it is funny, heartwarming, build of characters that leaves you pulling for the whole team. Hope you enjoy it as much as my husband and I do.
Briscoe County, Jr. always makes me laugh…
Indoora World – The Dandelion Pact on YouTube is a really lovely series. She makes lots of cottagecore videos that really celebrate the different seasons. Her channel is my escape when the world seems too heavy.
Derry girls, sterling point, rivals (though this is more drama but also hilarious)
Netflix: Bon Appetit Your Majesty – A Korean romantic comedy where a chef ends up in the Josen era, dealing with a tyrant king. It is such a fun and adorable series. Give it a try, you’ll be surprised. It is dubbed and has subtitles. It is now one of my favorite series.
I enjoyed Widows Bay. To me it felt like Twin Peaks met Stephen King and several other cult classics. It’s fun, a little bit spooky, and quirky as heck. It shouldn’t work, but really does.
I was urged to watch Resident Alien and have since watched the entire series a few times. It’s another silly, quirky, fun show that helps expand one’s imagination.
Hail Mary was interesting sci-fi with dark and poignant undertones.
Just a few from my “definitely watchable ” list.
Widow’s Bay is absolutely a must watch, treada a very fine line between horror and comedy and the characters are delightful, despite the horror element I gave me so much joy to watch it.
Try Midsummer Murders. Quiet English countryside littered with murders, More fun to watch than you would think.
My mental health has said that I should rewatch Grey’s Anatomy and then Private Practice. Something recommended but not new and exciting.
Widows Bay deserves its praise. It’s really, really funny but actually creepy at the same time. The comedy stops it being too grim to be unwatchable but at the same time you get completely invested in the characters, and the cast is incredible. The gore level is very, very low.
Side note on widow’s bay – which is on my watchlist as well. They filmed at a few scenes at a location about 3 miles from me. I drove past as they were wrapping one day and then went down the rabbit hole of what is this – never heard of it until then.
Easy watch vibes –
*Ted Lasso – very minor drama and witty dialog
*Food network – Alex vs America, Wild Card Kitchen, Bobbie’s Triple threat – no drama, but they are competition shoes but nothing cutthroat and very much friends cooking together
*Old TV series – Murder She Wrote, Hogan’s Heroes – Mostly for background noise –
*Muppets anything
* Movies – Sliding Doors, Clue, Moonstruck, Avengers (the first one)