30 Best Comfort Shows To Watch This Winter
TV Therapy For Cold Days And Night
Winter is coming, and it’s time to snuggle up in your blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and the comforting afterglow of your favorite shows. Here's a lineup of hilarious, heartwarming, and feel-good series to keep you company this season. After all, there’s no better warmth than the one a great show gives you before you drift off to sleep.
Ted Lasso
The ultimate comfort show of the 2020s. An American football coach with a relentlessly optimistic attitude is hired to manage a British soccer team. It’s a show about kindness, biscuits, and believing in people.
Trying
If you ever wanted to watch a messy but loving couple and follow their journey in London as they work towards adopting a child, then 'Trying' is a must-watch for you. The show is rather emotional for the viewers and very often you will find yourself laughing or crying in the same scenes as you watch the couple navigate the difficulties they face.
Heartstopper
If you need a show that feels like a warm hug, this is it. Based on the graphic novels, it’s a sweet, gentle, and overwhelmingly positive story of teen romance between two British schoolboys, Nick and Charlie. While Season 4 isn't happening, a feature film to conclude the story is in the works, making this the perfect time to see what all the love is about.
Schitt's Creek
The perfect binge-watch for a cold weekend. A wealthy family loses their entire fortune and is forced to relocate to their only remaining asset: a small town they once bought as a joke. It's a "riches-to-rags" story that evolves into the most beautiful tale of family, love, and acceptance.
Gilmore Girls
The quintessential autumn-into-winter show. A fast-talking single mother and her studious daughter navigate life, love, and coffee in the quirky, magical town of Stars Hollow. The witty banter and cozy New England setting are unmatched.
The Great British Baking Show
The definition of low-stakes, high-comfort television. A group of amateur bakers compete in a tent in the English countryside. There are no villains, no backstabbing—just nice people trying their best to avoid a "soggy bottom."
Derry Girls
Set during The Troubles in 1990s Northern Ireland, this show follows four Catholic schoolgirls (and one "wee English fella") as they navigate the universal awkwardness of being a teenager. It's hysterically funny, surprisingly sweet, and has a killer '90s soundtrack.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Want to escape to a world that's just... better? This series, about a 1950s housewife who becomes a stand-up comic, is a visual feast. The costumes, the stunning period sets, and the lightning-fast, witty dialogue make it a perfect, stylish binge. Mrs. Maisel is indeed stunningly 'marvelous.'
Virgin River
A nurse and midwife moves from the big city to a remote Northern California town to start fresh. It’s a heartfelt drama packed with scenic views, small-town charm, and a will-they-won't-they romance that will keep you hooked.
Sweet Magnolias
Follow three lifelong best friends as they navigate romance, family, and careers in the charming small town of Serenity, South Carolina. It’s a warm, lovely show about friendship and resilience (with a healthy dose of margaritas).
Friends
The show that needs no introduction. Ten seasons of jokes you already know, characters who feel like family, and the familiar comfort of Central Perk. It's a reliable, unchanging, and perfect background show for a snowy day.
Hacks
While the toxic partnership between legendary comedian Deborah Vance and her young writer Ava can be sharp, the show is incredibly funny and stylish. The new season, which premiered in 2025, digs even deeper into their complex mentor-mentee relationship.
Abbott Elementary
A new classic that feels like an old favorite. This mockumentary follows a group of passionate, underfunded teachers at a Philadelphia public school. It's sharp, hilarious, and has a massive heart. Season 5 just premiered in October 2025, so it's the perfect time to catch up.
North of North
A new hit from 2025 that is "warm as a winter coat." This Canadian series follows a young woman trying to build a new life in a small, tight-knit Arctic community. It's full of lovable, quirky characters and a unique, cozy setting.
Parks and Recreation
The peak of optimistic comedy. Amy Poehler stars as Leslie Knope, an endlessly enthusiastic small-town government employee who believes in the power of public service. It’s a show that genuinely, unironically, loves its characters.
The Great
A show that is "occasionally true," this anti-historical comedy is a blast. Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult are electric as Catherine the Great and her boorish husband, Peter. It's a lavish, hilarious, and wildly entertaining romp through 18th-century Russia.
Grace and Frankie
The ultimate comfort watch about reinvention. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star as two women whose lives are upended when their husbands announce they're in love. Watching these two polar opposites bicker, support each other, and build a new life is a hilarious and heartwarming delight.
The Office (U.S.)
Another all-time classic. The mockumentary about a mid-level paper company in Scranton, PA, is endlessly re-watchable. Whether you’re here for the pranks, the cringe, or the epic romance of Jim and Pam, it's a perfect binge.
New Girl
After a bad breakup, Jess Day moves into a loft apartment with three chaotic but lovable male roommates. The show's "hangout" vibe, quirky humor, and genuine friendship make it one of the coziest and funniest sitcoms of the 2010s.
Shrinking
From the creators of Ted Lasso, this show stars Jason Segel as a grieving therapist who breaks all the rules and tells his patients exactly what he thinks. It’s a hilarious, messy, and profoundly moving show about grief, friendship, and the courage to make a change.
What We Do in the Shadows
A mockumentary following four vampire roommates on Staten Island. While it's a comedy about ancient monsters, its core is a surprisingly sweet (and very dumb) story about a found family... who just happen to occasionally murder people.
Stranger Things
With the first part of the final season just dropping in late November 2025, now is the time to head back to Hawkins. It's a perfect blend of 1980s nostalgia, kid-centric adventure, and supernatural horror that's as thrilling as it is heartwarming.
Dash & Lily
The perfect, bite-sized winter treat. This one-season wonder is a whirlwind Christmas romance where two very different New York teenagers trade a red notebook of dares across the city. It’s pure, distilled holiday magic and cheer.
Emily in Paris
Do you want to turn your brain off and just look at beautiful clothes, charming streets, and attractive people? This is your show. An American marketing exec moves to Paris, and pure, low-stakes romantic-comedy fluff ensues. Season 5 is due in December 2025.
Gossip Girl (The Original)
Sometimes comfort is about pure, unadulterated, nostalgic drama. Set in a pre-recession New York, the over-the-top scandals, iconic fashion, and "XOXO" narration make this the perfect escapist binge for a winter weekend.
The Golden Girls
Thank you for being a friend! Four older women share a home in Miami, navigating life, love, and aging with sharp wit and endless slices of cheesecake. It's hilarious, surprisingly progressive, and unbelievably heartwarming.
Frasier
For a more sophisticated comfort, turn to Dr. Frasier Crane. This classic sitcom is a brilliant mix of high-brow farce, witty banter, and surprising heart, centered on the complex but loving relationship between Frasier, his father, and his brother.
Modern Family
A classic "watch-on-repeat" show. Following the lives of the extended Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan, its mockumentary style and blend of clever jokes with genuinely sweet family moments make it an easy and comforting watch.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
If your idea of comfort is pure, epic-scale escapism, it's time to visit Middle-earth's Second Age. With its breathtaking vistas, grand elven kingdoms, and the cozy, pastoral life of the Harfoots, it’s a fantasy world you can completely disappear into.
The Paper
A new mockumentary from 2025 that's the perfect successor to The Office. From the original U.S. Office creator, this series follows the quirky staff of a small, struggling local newspaper in Toledo, starring the delightful Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore.
