15 Soul-Healing TV Shows You Can Stream Right Now
In today’s world, it can be difficult to see the good in humanity sometimes. Television has long been one of the most immersive forms of escapism. We turn to fiction to find a better universe than our own, and to find hope that we can be better.
With the sea of shows telling grimdark stories that are rushing to keep pace with the darkest parts of our world, it’s time to bring attention to the shows that actually make us feel good.
Here’s a list of television shows that you can stream right now which will restore your faith in humanity, heal your soul, and make you believe in hope again.
1. The Great British Baking Show
Is there anything more calming than The Great British Baking Show? From the music to the atmosphere to the baking itself, everything about this show puts the audience at ease. Even when we are on the edge of our seats waiting to see if a baker’s dough has proved properly or their cakes have risen, we feel a sense of safety.
The Great British Baking Show has a wholesome energy that no other competitive reality show can claim. The bakers are never vicious with each other, in fact, they’re frequently shown helping each other with their bakes and using spare time to assist and lift each other up. If you want to feel completely at ease, and a little bit hungry, go turn on The Great British Baking Show right now.
Where to watch: Netflix.
2. Queer Eye
Sometimes what we need is a good cathartic cry. If that’s what your heart needs right now, look no further than Queer Eye. Jonathan, Tan, Karamo, Antoni, and Bobby come into our lives every few months to show us how to be better people, how to care for ourselves, and how to love our community.
These queer five queer people and the people whose lives they revolutionize have such a positive impact on the world, and on the hearts of their audience, that I think Queer Eye should be required viewing.
Where to watch: Netflix.
3. Schitt’s Creek
A reverse Beverly Hillbillies of sorts, Schitt’s Creek is a delightful sitcom about a wealthy family that loses everything and must seek refuge in a small town that they owned as a joke. Through this experience, they grow closer to each other, and closer to this community. Each member of the Rose family becomes a better person in Schitt’s Creek.
They do all of this while also conveying a profound amount of hilarity. If you haven’t experienced the sheer joy of Catherine O’Hara’s flawlessly crafted chaotic energy as Moira Rose, or the intense relatability comedic genius of Dan Levy David Rose at his most dramatic then what are you waiting for? Go watch! I love this journey for you.
Where to watch: Netflix.
4. Star Trek
Star Trek is frequently held as an idealized future for humanity and for good reason. In the Star Trek world, poverty and money have been eliminated, people live in harmony, and we explore the galaxy looking for new life and new civilizations to create connections with and expand our understanding of the universe.
My personal recommendation from the Star Trek canon is Star Trek: Voyager. You can never go wrong with Captain Kathryn Janeway and her merry band of misfits traveling through the delta quadrant and becoming a family on their long journey home.
However, no matter which Star Trek you choose, you will always be welcomed with open arms by these found families and their space adventures. If you’re in the mood for something slightly grittier that still maintains that heart of gold, reach for Star Trek: Deep Space 9 or Star Trek: Discovery. If you’re in the mood for something a little more wholesome, Captain Picard has your back on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Where to watch: Netflix and Hulu.
5. La Casa De Papel
I recently binged La Casa De Papel (or Money Heist) with the release of Season 3 this summer and I cannot even begin to tell you what a wonderful experience that was. La Casa De Papel not only proves that high-stakes drama can be done without traumatizing the audience, but it shows how much better a show can be when it toes that line of intensity while maintaining the viewer’s trust.
Every single narrative of La Casa De Papel is rooted in love–familial love, romantic love, platonic love–it all comes back to the way that these characters care for each other. Come for the thrilling bank heist stay for the compelling characters and how deeply they feel for one another.
Where to watch: Netflix.
6. One Day At A Time
Heroically saved earlier this year by Pop TV!, One Day At A Time is one of the greatest sitcoms of our generation, if not all time. One Day At A Time effortlessly keeps us grinning while telling heavy topical stories about race, immigration, lgbtq+ experiences, PTSD, alcoholism, depression, and more.
One Day At A Time takes these stories that affect our real lives and finds ways to make us smile about them, find hope in them, and overcome them. The Alvarez family warms our hearts and keeps us laughing through the tears. Besides, who doesn’t love dancing along to that opening theme song? So hold on tight we’ll muddle through, one day at a time!
Where to watch: Netflix
7. The West Wing
The current American administration is a bit lacking in the inspirational arena, and while it’s important to stay informed it’s also nice to dive into a political world that actually restores our faith in this country. President Bartlet, CJ Cregg, Josh Lyman, Donna Moss, Toby Ziegler and everyone else from The West Wing welcome us home like an old friend.
This administration doesn’t always win, but they always have the best intentions at heart and they fight tooth and nail for the American people even when a win seems impossible.
From lighter episodes such as Season 4 Episode1, “20 Hours in America,” to more serious fare like Season 2 Episode 22, “Two Cathedrals,” there’s always an episode of The West Wing that will make you root for the United States again.
Where to watch: Netflix.
8. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Our friends at the 99 are returning for a seventh season, the show’s second at NBC, and we can’t wait until they’re back in our lives. Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s endless shenanigans, found families, and the constant fight for justice never fails to put a smile on my face. From Jake and Amy’s love story to Captain Holt’s endearing stoicism, to the representation provided by almost every character, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has something for everyone.
Where to watch: Hulu.
9. The Orville
The Orville has a similar energy to Star Trek, but it’s home on FOX and the time in which it’s airing, the show has a little more flexibility to tell stories with slightly more adult tones. Those stories are delivered with a fabulous combination of humor and heart. Basically, if Star Trek and Star Wars had a baby, it would be The Orville.
Much like the movie Galaxy Quest, what appears on the outside as a mockery of Star Trek and its fans is actually a heartfelt hommage to each piece of Sci-Fi that came before it. The Orville makes this list for its use of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 alone. Catch up with the first two seasons before Season 3 returns next year.
Where to watch: Hulu.
10. The Good Place
Team Cockroach is back for one final round as they fight for the fate of all of humanity. The Good Place is a show about imperfect people in an imperfect afterlife doing the best they can to be better than they were while they were alive. The Good Place shows us that no matter how flawed people are they can always turn it around.
Eleanor is one of the most chaotic, comedic leads I’ve ever known but I love her with my whole heart. Her character arc from genuinely bad person to architect of a prototype for the future good place is one of the best transformations in sitcom history. The entire core group each has become a better person and now they’re teaching us how to do the same.
Where to watch: Hulu.
11. Bob’s Burgers
You can never go wrong with the Belcher family. Bob’s well-meaning exasperation, Linda’s manic enthusiasm, and the kids’ wild shenanigans all add up to guarantee a good time for viewers. This family is loud, messy, and ridiculous, and at the end of the day, they love each other very deeply.
If you’re lucky enough to have a family like the Belchers, Bob’s Burgers can remind you of home, and if you don’t then they can welcome you into theirs with open arms and a presence that is as comforting as it is chaotic.
Where to watch: Hulu.
12. The Bold Type
The ladies of The Bold Type make me want to drop everything and move to New York to work for a women’s magazine. Jane, Kat, Sutton, and Jaqueline are all who I want to be when I grow up. Each of them is dynamic and passionate, and they make me believe that I can conquer the world.
For a show set right in our very own world, The Bold Type is a masterclass in escapist television that leads to an emotional catharsis almost every single episode.
Where to watch: Hulu
13. Orange is the New Black
The final season of Orange is the New Black aired earlier this year, and while the series wasn’t always perfect, it certainly ended on a poignant and purgative emotional note that solidified the power in telling the stories of marginalized women. This show is certainly a good bit darker than the others listed here, but if you’re in the mood for a good cry it’s definitely worth the watch.
Sometimes our world can be pretty bad, and Orange is the New Black doesn’t shy away from showing us just how bad it can be for some people.
But it also doesn’t hold back when it comes to showing just how incredible the human spirit can be when we persevere. Orange is the New Black shows us just how fundamentally important it is to keep fighting and to care for one another while we do it.
Where to watch: Netflix
14. She-Ra & The Princesses of Power
If you’re looking for your next animated girl-power obsession, look no further than She-Ra & The Princesses of Power. Like all of the best-animated series’, this show has something for everyone, no matter your age. An action-adventure romp to save Etheria from the evil Lord Hodak, She-Ra & The Princesses of Power is a thrilling tale about a group of young people determined to save their planet.
The show also does a fantastic job of normalizing LGBTQ+ persons and other marginalized groups in a way that both kids and adults can appreciate. She-Ra & The Princesses of Power was even nominated for a GLAAD award for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming.
From the relationship between Adora and Catra to the found family connection between Adora and the other princesses to the lore of this whole universe, She-Ra & The Princesses of Power is hands down one of the greatest reboots of all time.
Where to watch: Netflix.
15. Parks & Recreation
No one has a more comforting, inspiring, or exhilarating presence than Leslie Knope. She inspires her less than enthusiastic coworkers to make Pawnee, Indiana a place that people are proud to call home. Parks & Recreation is a show you can turn on anytime and dissolve into the ease and peace of small-town life and the desire to make the world a better place.
Whether you’re a Leslie, April, Ron, Tom, Andy, Ann, Donna, or even a Jerry you can always see a little bit of yourself in this whacky parks and rec department with a heart of gold.
Where to watch: Netflix and Hulu.
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What are your favorite soul healing shows? Did your picks make our list? Let us know in the comments below!
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Samantha Coley
Samantha (she/her) is a social media specialist by day and a sci-fi junkie by night. As a freelance writer and podcaster, she also enjoys live-tweeting, blogging, good music, and better television. Her current favorite television shows include Star Trek (yes, all of them), Riverdale, and Stranger Things and there will always be a place in her heart for Battlestar Galactica, Leverage, and The West Wing.
2 comments
Great list, but Good Place and Steven Universe are big oversights!
I’m an idiot—missed the second page. But still, Steven Universe!
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