11 Feel-Good TV Shows For When You Need A Pick-Me-Up
It’s been a rough week.
If you just want to shut out the world this weekend and spend a few hours watching something cheery, optimistic, and full of love, check out this list of feel-good TV shows.
1. Ben and Kate
Before she was in “Fifty Shades of Gray,” Dakota Johnson was the adorably awkward lead in this gone-too-soon comedy about a single mom whose brother, played by Nat Faxon, moves in with her.
The show had a small, but strong ensemble that included Maggie Elizabeth Jones, the amazing child actress who played Johnson’s 6-year-old daughter. Her timing and delivery were always excellent for someone so young.
Ben and Kate was a charming gem that only ran for one short season, perfect for a feel-good weekend binge.
Recommended Episodes: “Pilot,” “The Fox Hunt,” “Scaredy Kate,” “Girl Problems”
Season 1 of Ben and Kate is available to purchase on iTunes.
2. Bob’s Burgers
While certain other animated family shows often rely on mean-spirited humor, the jokes on Bob’s Burgers are never cruel or unkind. Even if the Belchers tease each other, they’re always quick to have one another’s backs, and it’s obvious there’s a lot of love at the heart of the show.
Its silly sense of humor and frequent random musical numbers, all performed by an excellent voiceover cast, make it the perfect escape from reality for a few hours.
Recommended Episodes: “Bad Tina,” “Carpe Museum,” “Boyz 4 Now,” “Hawk & Chick,” “The Hauntening,” “Secret Admiral-irer”
Bob’s Burgers Seasons 1 – 5 are streaming on Netflix. Season 7 airs Sundays at 7:30/6:30c on FOX.
3. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Brooklyn Nine-Nine takes the lives of police officers in New York City and turns it into one of the funniest shows on television. The crimes aren’t usually too serious, and more often than not, the plots focus on the shenanigans the Nine-Nine gets into more than actual police work.
The diverse cast features some of the funniest people on television, and incredible guest stars frequently drop in for an episode or two.
Recommended Episodes: “The Party,” “The Jimmy Jab Games,” “Cheddar”
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Seasons 1 – 3 are streaming on Hulu. Season 4 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on FOX.
4. Galavant
If you’d rather spend your time in a fantasy world, take a journey to the days of old with Galavant’s musical adventures.
Season 1 features some great earworms and a fun plot, but it really hit a creative stride in (the unexpected) Season 2. The jokes and the songs were smarter, funnier, and more meta (in the season’s opening number, everyone sings, “You’ll know Hell’s freezing if we get decent ratings!”).
Plus, the musical comedy only ran for 18 half-hour episodes (that’s only 9 hours!), making it perfectly bingeable.
Recommended Episodes: “Pilot,” “It’s All in the Executions,” “A New Season aka Suck It Cancellation Bear,” “Bewitched, Bothered, and Belittled,” “Love and Death”
Galavant Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Netflix.
5. Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls veered into the dramedy territory pretty often, but when it’s not making you cry, it’s definitely making you laugh.
Pop culture references abound, fast-paced conversations, and a whole lot of love — re-watching this show is as comforting as coffee from Luke’s. And to make it even better, soon we’ll be able to escape into the world of Stars Hollow with six new hours of Gilmore Girls.
Recommended Episodes: “That Damn Donna Reed,” “Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers,” “Like Mother, Like Daughter,” “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving,” “Ted Koppel’s Big Night Out,” “Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin’ The Twist,” “Luke Can See Her Face,” “Written in the Stars”
Gilmore Girls Seasons 1 – 7 are streaming on Netflix. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life premieres on Netflix on Friday, November 25th.
6. The Good Place
Who knew a show about dead people could be so uplifting?
Eleanor’s journey to becoming a better person is filled with optimism, and her growing relationship with Chidi is heartwarming.
And besides that? It’s just really forking funny. Kristen Bell and Ted Danson are doing some of their best work on The Good Place, supported by an amazing ensemble cast.
Recommended Episodes: “Everything Is Fine,” “Jason Mendoza,” “…Someone Like Me as a Member”
The Good Place Season 1 will return on NBC in January. Watch the first 9 episodes on Hulu.
Katie Houlis
Katie is a recent college graduate who spent most of her free time at school binge-watching shows like Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fringe, and Hannibal. She has watched every single episode of Lost at least ten times each (yes, even “Stranger In A Strange Land”). Current favorites include a bunch of comedies, lots of superhero shows, and a few shows with quite a bit of murder in them.
2 comments
Bob’s Burgers is absolutely fantastic. There a lot of animated shows out there, but this one manages to stay “clean” and still be really funny. Lin in particular, cracks me up on every episode, I think it’s probably the way she talks 😛
Yes! It’s so funny without being crude or mean. And John Roberts does such a great job as Linda.
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