From 'Friends' to 'Seinfeld': 6 comfort-watching shows on Netflix to binge on right now

2020 was a harrowing year for everyone. From living carefree lives, people were suddenly confined within the four walls of their homes, socially distanced from families and friends for unprecedented time periods due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the lockdown, people started missing all the things they had taken for granted previously and began to feel the overwhelming effects that lockdowns induced. 

During such dark time periods, streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO and more became our best friends, providing the hugs and comfort that we craved. From older classics like Friends, The Office and Seinfeld to newer ones like Schitt’s Creek, Kim’s Convenience and Bridgerton, the shows were as important as the warm cup of coffee on winter mornings. 

On World Mental Health Day, we decided to find out a few such shows on Netflix that will continue to be a source of comfort on every rainy day and bring out a rainbow amidst the clouds. 

Here are the 10 best comfort shows streaming right now on Netflix: 

6 comfort-watching shows on Netflix to binge on right now

6. Arrested Development (Mitchell Hurwitz, 2003-2019) 

The eccentric and dysfunctional Bluth family sees George Bluth Sr get arrested for a white-collar crime. When the middle son is entrusted with the heavy responsibilities of taking care of the business and managing a manic family. With various outlandish and wacky situations plaguing the family, the comedy is definitely worth the watch. 

Witty wordplay and the absurd gags add to the general charm of the sitcom that stays afloat on Jason Bateman’s sly and subtle delivery of dialogue. Mitchell Hurwitz puts his best idiosyncratic creativity forward and creates a show worth remembering. 

5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Dan Goor, Michael Schur, 2013-2021)

Despite the controversy surrounding the police system in America, the show is very delicate and sensitive in portraying the professional and personal dynamics of the cops in the sitcom. It deals with the lives of the detectives including the goofy Jake Peralta and his friends and colleagues at the fictional 99th precinct of the NYPD. 

Light-hearted and comical, the show deals with certain grave topics and puts forward important messages with a touch of humour and sensibility. Adept at comedy, Schur presents a show devoid of stereotypes and inhibitions. If you have had a rough day and you need something to wind down with, Brooklyn Nine-Nine should be your go-to show. 

4. Gilmore Girls (Amy Sherman-Palladino, 2000-2007)

With an emphasis on family, relationships and love, the show deals with a thirty-year-old mother named Lorelai and the challenges she faces while raising her intelligent teen daughter Rory. living in a small town, their lives are in a constant state of motion with various romantic pursuits, crazy friends and neighbours. 

With umpteen references to pop culture, the show has a witty set of dialogues that will resonate with all. The charming way in which they explore the mother-daughter relationship adds a hint of sentimentality to the dramedy. Sit down with a pizza and binge on Gilmore Girls if you are missing your family or hometown. 

3. Schitt’s Creek (Dan & Eugene Levy, 2015-2020)

When the wealthy Rose family go bankrupt and are stripped of their wealth and luxuries, they are forced to relocate to the titular small town where they meet and befriend new people. Despite initial differences, they soon find themselves settling in pretty comfortably and being a part of a heartwarming community.  

An absolute delight to the eyes with lots of humour and madness, the show boasts of an incredible cast that includes Eugene and Dan Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Annie Murphy among others. The show strikes the perfect balance between emotions and comedy, introduces interesting characters and is an overall fun watch. 

2. Friends (David Crane, Marta Kauffman, 1994-2004) 

Although the TV show has been criticised on several shakey grounds the bitter-sweet experiences of six friends paving their way in urban Manhattan is almost like a portion of comfort food. With its gentle, warming ways it has enamoured an entire generation.

The sitcom has a brilliant set of characters that undergo massive changes. With a beautiful storyline and relatable lives of six adults trying to win at life, the show never compromises on the perfect chord between comedy and emotions. With a brilliant ensemble and an everlasting legacy, Friends reigns supreme as the most sought-after comfort show.  

1. Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld, Laarry David, 1989)

For genZ and millennials who do not know what Seinfeld is, it is time to stop living under the rock my friends. With a group of neurotic oddball friends and the eccentric titular comedian Jerry Seinfeld, the show focuses on the bizarre life of the city dwellers with an urban backdrop as they deal with daily struggle and strife. 

With a cult fanbase, the show has recently been added to Netflix, making fans go crazy over it. Set in Manhattan, the series sees a ragtag team of friends caught in a comedy of manners as they deal with various conflicts and drudgeries, and drives in a sense of warmth and nostalgia that is a characteristic of comfort shows.