Why we can’t stop watching comfort shows (and why that’s totally okay)

We all have that one show, the one we turn to when the world feels a little too loud or when we just need to feel something familiar. Maybe it’s a sitcom where the characters feel like old friends we can connect with, a fantasy world that lets us escape or a heartwarming drama that reassures us that everything will be okay again. No matter what it is, comfort shows are like a warm blanket for the soul, they cover us from the cold reality of life. We don’t know when shows become more than entertainment for us and honestly? We wouldn’t have it any other way. We highly recommend you to listen to There she goes by The La’s while you read this, trust us.

Familiarity feels like home

There’s something magical about re-watching a show we already know by heart. We don’t have to prepare ourselves for surprising plot twists or stressful cliffhangers. We already know how it all ends; somehow, that predictability feels safe. Predictability is a rare comfort, so when a TV show offers it for free, you hold on like it’s a lifeline in a chaotic world. It’s why we re-watch the same episodes of Friends, Gilmore Girls or The Office, even when we can recite the lines before the characters do. No matter what’s happening in real life, we know that our favourite characters will always end up in the same coffee shop, the same living room, the same small-town diner and they'll say the same tag line that makes you smile even if you've heard it a thousand times.

The nostalgia factor

Comfort shows aren’t just shows, they’re time machines. They take you back to a time when things were different. Maybe re-watching Full House reminds you of Saturday mornings as a kid, curled up on the couch with a bowl of cereal. Maybe Indian sitcoms like Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah takes you back to lying on your mom’s lap, trying to figure out why your family is so invested—laughing when they laugh, just to feel like you’re part of it all. Maybe New Girl takes you back to college, when you and your friends binge-watched it between classes, discussing how all of you are going to move in together when it’s finally time to face the outside world.  Re-watching them isn’t just about the show itself—it’s about reliving those moments, the person you were back then and the way it made you feel the first time.

We find pieces of ourselves in them

The best comfort shows aren’t just entertaining—they’re personal. They remind us of who we are, who we were or who we want to be.

Maybe you see yourself in Jess Day’s quirky optimism or in Ted Lasso’s relentless kindness. Maybe you love Anne with an E because it makes you feel like the dreamer you used to be. These stories let us see parts of ourselves—our struggles, our joys, our hopes—and they tell us that we’re not alone. They show us multiple versions of ourselves and celebrates each of them.

And that last episode still hits just as hard

No matter how many times you’ve seen it, the last episode of your favourite show still makes you cry. You know exactly what’s coming, but the emotions still flood in—the goodbyes, the nostalgia, the realisation that even in fiction, things have to end.

But the beautiful thing about comfort shows? They’re always there. The credits may roll, but you can always press play again. You can revisit those stories, those characters, those feelings—anytime you need them.

And maybe that’s why we can’t stop watching because, deep down, we don’t want to say goodbye.