If you’re like me, many of your daily conversations probably revolve around coronavirus. Trying to wade through this new reality is a lot, to put it extremely lightly. Flooding your brain with super-serious, doom-and-gloom-level content all the time just isn’t sustainable or good for you. Enter: this roundup of delightful and distracting TV shows that will ideally help you feel a little bit better right now and allow you to have some small moments of release.
This isn’t a list that’s going to suggest you watch Contagion or horror shows about zombies taking over the world (although if that’s your thing, no judgment). This is a list for those of us who are craving a little levity. But no matter what you watch or how you spend your time, we hope you find a little comfort amid the chaos.
1. New Girl (Hulu)
After discovering her boyfriend has cheated, bright-eyed Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) moves into a loft with three single guys, and shenanigans ensue. Yes, the manic pixie dream girl trope is on full display, and some of the jokes haven’t aged well, but the mash-up of characters and relationships are hilarious. If you’re looking for a safe place to escape, New Girl is a solid choice. With seven seasons to watch, you’ll feel like their new roommate in no time.
2. Parks and Recreation (Peacock)
Honestly, if you liked The Office, you’ll probably enjoy watching Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and her coworkers at the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department. Knope is the bright-eyed idealist that America needs, and she’s trying to use local government to make a difference. Poehler is funny enough on her own, but the magic of Parks and Recreation is that every single member of the ensemble cast—including Retta, Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, and Aubrey Plaza—makes this show an endlessly rewatchable and entertaining workplace comedy. There are seven seasons to spend in Pawnee, Indiana—you’re welcome.
3. Shrill (Hulu)
Shrill follows Annie (Aidy Bryant), a journalist who is grappling with her demanding boss, unreliable boyfriends, sick parents, and friends. It’s funny, heartwarming, and relatable AF. Throughout the two seasons, you’ll fall in love with Annie as she tries to find herself and figure out exactly what she wants and deserves in love and life.
4. Schitt’s Creek (Hulu)
If you watch the HBO dramedy Succession, Schitt’s Creek is the comedic outcome that you wish for the Roy family. More specifically, the Rose family, with Johnny (Eugene Levy) and Moira Rose (Catherine O’Hara) at the helm, are a wealthy clan who suddenly lose their fortune. Along with their two adult children, David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy), their only option is to move to a small town called Schitt’s Creek, which they originally purchased as a joke. Come for the quirky premise, but stay five seasons to laugh at how the Rose family fails to come to terms with their new life (over and over again).
5. Gossip Girl (MAX)
Gossip Girl is the iconic teenage drama that revolves around the lives of wealthy Upper Eastsiders and is narrated by the anonymous blogger cataloging their every move. The show doesn’t age perfectly (ahem, Chuck Bass), but six seasons of fashion, drama, angst, and nostalgia make it an endlessly entertaining watch. Who can resist looking on as a group of friends hook up with one another and stab each other in the back? XOXO, you know you love it.
6. The Marvelous Mrs. Masiel (Amazon)
If you want to escape into a show from another era, try watching Mariam “Midge” Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), a 1950s housewife and mother who discovers she has a knack and a passion for stand-up comedy—and decides to pursue it. The quick-moving dialogue, charming characters, and impeccable late-’50s fashion will keep you entertained for hours. At the same time, more profound questions about what it means to be an ambitious woman keep Midge in your mind long after you’ve finished all three seasons.
7. The Circle (Netflix)
When The Circle premiered earlier this year, it seemed like a parody of a reality TV show, but it’s not. The show revolves around a bunch of strangers living in the same apartment complex who are interacting solely on a social networking platform. In short: They can’t see each other IRL. They form alliances with the hope of winning a $100,000 prize. There’s only one U.S. season, but you should consider watching for the ridiculous reality-TV premise and the heartwarming connections the cast members make.
8. Catastrophe (Amazon)
Catastrophe is a British comedy that follows two people—Rob and Sharon (played by Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan)—who meet and have a fling when Rob is in the U.K. for a business trip. This no-strings fling is extended, however, when Sharon becomes pregnant and the two decide to start a relationship as a result. The two characters are difficult, and you’re not entirely sure whether you’re rooting for them or against them, but watching them flail for four seasons might help you forget the outside world for a little while.
9. Instant Hotel (Netflix)
Equal parts competition show and home-makeover show, Instant Hotel essentially lets Airbnb-style hosts compete for who has the best “instant hotel” in Australia. Each episode is full of eye-catching decor and beautiful scenery, but there’s also high-stakes drama because contestants rate other hoteliers (along with a panel of judges). Instant Hotel is an escape within an escape as you travel with the contestants around Australia for two seasons to experience the homes and personalities of each host.
10. Fleabag (Amazon)
If you haven’t watched Fleabag yet, you’re missing out. Over the course of two seasons, you meet Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and become her invisible confidant as she grapples with love, grief, and complicated family relationships. Fleabag is a hilarious and disturbing coming-of-age story (if coming-of-age protagonists include adult women grappling with who they truly are). Waller-Bridge’s dialogue is searing, and Hot Priest is a little season two treat.
11. The Good Place (Netflix & Hulu)
The Good Place is a genuinely innovative sitcom with clear philosophical undertones. It starts like this: Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) dies and wakes up to find out she's in heaven, except she’s kind of a terrible person. So she sets out to hide the fact that she doesn’t belong there. The premise alone is intriguing enough, but the real feat of the show is its ability to reinvent itself every single season (sometimes several times within one season). The ensemble cast takes a very tricky idea and turns it into high-concept comedy that makes you laugh, cry, and ponder the nature of reality. The first three seasons are available on Netflix, and the final episodes of the series are available on Hulu. It’s a pleasant salve for the not-so-good place we’re in right now.
12. The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
Ahh, yes. There’s nothing more relaxing than watching British people bake things in a tent. Each season of The Great British Baking Show features 12 accomplished home bakers who compete to make complicated treats with minimal instruction, all in the hope of being considered the best baker in the U.K. Whether you aspire to make your own baked goods or you like the lighthearted vibe of the show, there are over seven seasons on Netflix to keep you entertained. (Enjoy converting those metric measurements, though).
13. Grace and Frankie (Netflix)
Grace and Frankie is an unconventional love story. Grace Hanson (Jane Fonda) and Frankie Bergstein (Lily Tomlin) spent their lives tolerating each other as wives to longtime law partners, Robert Hanson (Martin Sheen) and Sol Bergstein (Sam Waterston), respectively. But when Sol and Robert confess that they’re leaving their wives to marry each other, Grace and Frankie are forced into a relationship based on mutual support. It is a hilarious show that continually challenges the idea that reinvention is only for the young. And while the main appeal is watching Grace and Frankie’s friendship, you probably won’t mind ogling their beach house for six seasons, either.
14. Love Sick (Netflix)
The original name of this British comedy series was Scrotal Recall, in which the main character, Dylan Witter (Johnny Flynn), finds out he has chlamydia and must go back to all of his partners to discuss his test results with them. But this premise is just an entry point—the show is actually about how a group of friends grapple with love and lust in all its forms. It’s a wickedly funny show, and each of the three seasons will leave you more in love with the characters, especially Evie (Antonia Thoma) and Luke (Daniel Ings).
15. The Office (Peacock)
The Office is one of those classic shows that enjoyed widespread popularity while it was on the air and continues to thrive on streaming services. Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is the well-meaning but absolutely chaotic boss who makes things worse for his employees at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. If you work in an office environment (even if you’re working from home right now), you might see yourself and your coworkers in the characters. But the main reason to watch all nine seasons can be summed up with two names: Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert (played by Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski respectively).
16. Love Is Blind (Netflix)
Love Is Blind might be the dating reality show that our socially distanced culture deserves. Contestants live in separate quarters and date each other in confessional-style pods—which means they can’t see each other’s faces. Then, once they’ve proposed (yep, this thing is somehow about marriage), they can reveal themselves to each other. There’s only one season, but each episode gives you heaps of drama, and almost all of your favorite contestants are “extremely online” if you need more information once you’re all caught up.
17. Terrace House (Netflix)
At the risk of making a very bold claim: Terrace House is the most pleasant reality-television show out there. The basic premise of this Japanese delight is that six people are selected to live together, but unlike other shows that are waiting for cast members to “stop being nice and start getting real,” these people seem to genuinely respect each other and work out their differences in constructive ways. This sounds like it would make for boring television, but it ends up being an emotionally gripping, really soothing watch. There are four different Terrace House series available on Netflix, and each one has several seasons—meaning there are hours and hours of Terrace House goodness (and delicious-looking meals) to explore.
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