Everyone has a “comfort watch,” a TV show or movie that they turn to whenever they need to relax and unwind. For many people this involves a fair amount of nostalgia, humor, or alternatively, something that merely helps you disassociate from reality for a while. (Apparently a lot of women fall asleep to True Crime podcasts for this reason. Kind of alarming, but we get it.) Recently, a newer term — Cozy Show — has arisen to describe something similar and yet different. This is a show that leaves the viewer feeling warm and fuzzy, brimming with hope for a (admittedly fictional) future that could be filled with earnest, honest people. If you feel like you need a little bit of faith in humanity restored, you turn to a Cozy Show. 

If you find yourself in need of a new Cozy Show to watch before bedtime or binge with a loved one, here is a brief list of the ones we’ve thoroughly enjoyed so far.

The Brits Know How to Do Cozy

When you think “cozy,” does an image of an oversized chair, surrounded by books, blankets, and a fireplace come to mind? Then maybe it’s not so surprising that our brief list of cozy shows are all British. Sure, American cozy shows like Parks and Recreation or The Good Place are perfect little bite-sized bits of joyful entertainment, but when it comes to giving you that warm feeling — much like a nice cuppa tea — the Brits know how to do it right.

Great British Baking Show Title CardThe Great British Bake Off/Baking Show

Affectionately called GBBO by fans, The Great British Bake Off (The Great British Baking Show here in the US) has been around for over 15 seasons. In this absolutely adorable reality competition, a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, attempting to impress two judges with their baking skills. 

Unlike most American cooking competitions, which usually feature jarring plot twists, impossible challenges and half-hearted smack talk, GBBO is as cozy as it gets. The hosts (which have gone through several iterations), are always kind-hearted comedians whose main task is to engage in cheeky conversations with the contestants. The judges (who have also changed over the years) are tough but kind, and usually deliver any negative feedback in such a Britishly charming way the sting must be lessened for the contestant, at least a little bit.

Even the format is comforting. Every season progresses through the same themed weeks, requiring the bakers to focus on a certain skill (like hand-folding pastry dough) or product (“bread week” is a personal favorite.) Every show sees them competing in three rounds: The Signature Challenge, in which each baker needs to put their own personal spin on a classic; the Technical Challenge, where bakers are given limited or partial instructions to make the exact same thing (results are often hilarious); and the Showstopper Challenge, which asks the bakers to bring out all the stops to make an impressive and delicious showpiece in line with the weeks’ theme.

We could go on and on, but you’ll have to just trust us that GBBO is the ultimate Cozy Show. Yes, contestants get eliminated, but not because of sabotage or contrived drama. In fact, many bakers will try to help the other contestants if they see someone is struggling. As an added bonus: the puns and accidental sexual innuendo are top-notch. Successes will make you cheer on your couch, failures will make you groan in solidarity, and after watching a few seasons, you’ll be convinced that you know the secret to making a perfect French macarón. 

Where you can watch it: Netflix

[Author’s note: If this kind of show is your jam (pun intended), check out this cozy show in a similar vein: Portrait Artist of the Year, on Amazon Prime TV.]

Clarkson's Farm Title CardClarkson’s Farm

Jeremy Clarkson, of Top Gear fame, isn’t known as a cozy guy. In fact, he’s a rather boorish fellow, with an infamous temper and a tendency to offend entire countries with jokes made in poor taste. So it’s surprising then that his latest show, the documentary series called Clarkson’s Farm, is surprisingly cozy. 

The premise is that Clarkson, famous for making brash decisions and preferring impetuous power over precision, purchased a sizable farm in the Cotswolds as a sort of second career. His attempts at running the 1,000- acre farm without a lick of farming experience are surprisingly endearing. He sheds tears of joy over newborn lambs and deeply mourns when he drops cows off to be butchered. He develops hare-brained schemes to make a profit off his land — some of which spectacularly fail — but unlike the ones that earned him fame on Top Gear, these schemes aren’t purely in the name of entertainment; for all his bluster, Clarkson really, earnestly wants his farm to be successful. (He also has an agenda that eventually becomes clear: to show the world how impossibly difficult it is to earn a living as a farmer in today’s world. Yes, Jeremy Clarkson, a legendarily offensive man, has created an environmental documentary about the plight of small farmers.)

The cozyness of the show stems from the ease with which Clarkson goes about his business with a camera crew following him around, allowing viewers to be casual voyeurs as he pursues his endeavors in an idyllic, pastoral setting. It’s absolutely heartwarming to see Clarkson’s persona as a millionaire buffoon fade away as he wades through manure and struggles to install fencing, and we get to do it for three, satisfying seasons.

Where you can watch it: Amazon Prime

Ted Lasso Title CardTed Lasso

If you haven’t already jumped on this hit show bandwagon, you really, truly need to. Ted Lasso, the comedic brainchild of Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly, is the ultimate feel-good binge watch. Vulture magazine summed it up best: “Ted Lasso is built on the bones of a Cozy Show. The protagonist is a fish out of water in a new town? Cozy Show! Richmond [the small British town where the show is set] is so cute and full of quirky supporting characters? Cozy Show! People learn lessons and things generally work out the way they’re supposed to? Cozy! Show!” 

The titular main character is Ted, an American football coach with a fantastic moustache and Midwestern accent, who has been hired to coach an English soccer team (whose owner secretly hopes his inexperience will lead the team to failure.) Along with his trusty, near-silent sidekick Coach Beard, Lasso embarks on a quest to win over his nay-sayers with his trademark wide-eyed naivete and a stubborn refusal to fail.

What makes all three seasons of this show so wonderful is how the writers and actors manage to make even the most trivial scene so damn heartwarming that you often feel as though your heart might burst out of your chest, Grinch-style. There are touching scenes with refreshingly non-toxic demonstrations of masculinity, slap-stick humor that won’t fail to make you guffaw, and moments when villains get the come-uppances they deserve in deliciously fitting ways. Yes, it’s a sports show, but soccer takes a backseat to some truly incredible character development.

Where you can watch it: AppleTV+

*Featured image: photo by wattanaracha via Canva

MORE ARTICLES YOU MAY LIKE:

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR