It's officially cozy weather season, which has us reaching for the remote to turn on those comfort-watch series — low-stakes, low-stress TV shows that warm you up from the inside out.
Sorry to those tension-filled crime thrillers, high-octane spy dramas or anxiety-inducing "cringe" comedies (we're looking at you, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"!), but they are decidedly not cozy shows. Instead, our picks are of the fuzzy-feeling sort, packed with earnest sweetness, likable characters and wholesome antics. With shows like "Gilmore Girls" to "Somebody Somewhere", these are the 10 best cozy shows to binge now.
'Gilmore Girls'
With its New England foliage, small-town charm and Sam Phillips-led soundtrack of atmospheric la-las, "Gilmore Girls" has basically cornered the market on cozy TV. Across seven seasons, the WB classic chronicles the coming-of-age of both young mom Lorelei Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her teenage daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) and along the way envelopes viewers in the chaotic quirks of Stars Hollow and its delightful denizens, from gruff diner owner Luke Danes (Scott Peterson) to kooky inn chef Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy) to lovable oddball Kirk (Sean Gunn). And though Lorelai’s formidable mother Emily (Kelly Bishop) is known to scare the help, there’s no table we’d rather be at than her mandatory Friday night dinners.
Streaming on Netflix
'Schitt's Creek'
Both salty and sweet, the Canadian sitcom "Schitt’s Creek" is one comforting dish, led by the seasoned comedy duo of Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara as the Roses, a once-wealthy family whose riches are repossessed, leaving them forced to relocate to the unfortunately named titular town that they once purchased as a joke. With an ensemble padded out by Annie Murphy, Emily Hampshire, Chris Elliott and Levy’s own children, Dan and Sarah, the six-season comedy softened the spiky Rose clan through the characters’ surprisingly moving connections with residents throughout the town, most notably David Rose’s (Dan Levy) burgeoning romance with business partner Patrick (Noah Reid). Who didn’t swoon after that Tina Turner-inspired serenade in season three?!
Streaming on Hulu
'Golden Girls'
What could be more comforting than gathering around the kitchen table with Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Ruth McClanahan) and Sophia (Estelle Getty) to gab over a slice (or two) of cheesecake? The tradition happens in nearly every episode of "Golden Girls," the classic NBC comedy centered on four mature women navigating life, love, loss and laughs during their retirement in Miami, Florida. Though the ladies get up to their fair share of shenanigans across seven seasons, they get through it all together with plenty of humor and heart.
Streaming on Disney Plus
'Somebody Somewhere'
Sadly, the Peabody Award-winning series recently came to an end with its third and final season, but that just means that now you have the entirety of Sam’s (Bridget Everett) wistfully sweet and funny story to enjoy. The acclaimed HBO dramedy follows the fortysomething Kansan woman as she returns to her hometown of Manhattan, KS and navigates small-town life after her sister’s death. Sam movingly finds solace, community and joy in a merry band of karaoke-loving outsiders, and her tender-hearted connection with coworker Joel (Jeff Hiller) is one of television’s loveliest depictions of friendship.
Streaming on Max
'The Great British Baking Show'
The cast of amateur bakers is new every season and the host line-up has changed up over the years — we’re loving the current quartet of Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond — but the heartwarming feeling we get from watching contestants create fresh-baked masterpieces so delicious they earn that coveted Hollywood handshake hasn’t changed after fifteen wholesome seasons of "The Great British Baking Show" (or "Great British Bake Off" in the U.K.). Though things admittedly can get tense when cake layers accidentally topple or oven timers fail to go off or a loaf doesn’t properly prove during Bread Week, but overall, the show is just as sweet as the desserts being whipped up by the bakers.
Streaming on Netflix
'Friday Night Lights'
Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose with this feel-good football drama, centered on the ups and downs of a high school football team in rural Texas, as well as its devoted coach, Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler), and his wife Tami (Connie Britton). Through five seasons, "Friday Night Lights" had us rooting for the close-knit community of Dillon, TX, including caring quarterback Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), hunky fullback Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch), nerdy freshman Landry Clarke (Jesse Plemons), cheerleading captain Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly) and ambitious rookie Vince Howard (Michael B. Jordan). Follow it up with a "Ted Lasso" rewatch for a sporty and sweet double feature!
Streaming on Netflix
'Pride and Prejudice'
The entire Jane Austen Cinematic Universe is packed with period-piece coziness, but the 1995 six-episode miniseries "Pride and Prejudice" lets you luxuriate in that world even longer than the novel’s numerous film adaptations. Jennifer Ehle stars as Austen’s most beloved heroine Elizabeth Bennet as she navigates both high society and handsome snobs (see a famously wet-shirted Colin Firth as Fitzwilliam Darcy) alongside her four sisters while on the marriage market. With sumptuous costumes, spirited ball scenes and the supreme enemies-to-lovers storyline, it’s a swoon of a watch.
Stream on Hulu
'Abbott Elementary '
The thought of school may drum up bad memories for some, but not if we all attended Abbott Elementary and got to spend our afternoons with its lovable faculty. Though the titular Philadelphia school is regularly hampered by an underfunded, overwhelmed school system, the show's funny, passionate group of educators — played by Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James and led by star-creator Quinta Brunson as the perpetually optimistic teacher Janine Teagues — keep things feeling lively and lighthearted well after the bell rings.
Streaming on Hulu
'This Is Us'
There is something comforting about a cathartic cry, and "This Is Us" certainly offers up plenty of tear-jerking moments that leave us desperately reaching for the Kleenex box. Smartly written and often profound through its six-season tenure on NBC, the heartstring-tugging family drama follows the Pearson family across several timelines, from the romantic origins of parents Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) through the adulthoods of their three children Randall (Sterling K. Brown), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Kevin (Justin Hartley).
Streaming on Netflix
'Cheers'
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name — or, at least, where you know all of theirs. Who wouldn't want to hang out with Sam Malone (Ted Danson), Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), Norm Peterson (George Wendt), Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) and the rest of the "Cheers" gang over some belly-warming beers? Sadly, binging all 11 seasons and 275 episodes of the iconic sitcom is the closest any of us will come to that reality, but at least you can keep those cozy vibes going by tacking on a spinoff like "Frasier" or "Wings" to your rewatch!
Streaming on Paramount Plus
