Default comfort TV

[Jeremy Blackman]

Do you have a default go-to TV show for those times when you've had a really long day and want to shut your brain off for 43 minutes? Ideally something that evaporates as soon as it's over. Likely on a streaming service. Probably not a comedy, but also not too grim.

The Blacklist is one of mine. It's a really dumb and messy show that is frequently delightful, mostly due to James Spader. Bonus points for unintentional humor.

Luther is another one I've tried lately. Smarter than The Blacklist, but not by much. Also has a central magnetic performance... an Idris Elba turned 180 degrees from Stringer Bell. I eventually had to skip the rest of the episodes with the weird-mouthed lady, so I'll probably end up seeing half of the show.

I also can't go wrong rewatching The X-Files, which is probably a healthier alternative. It's hard to resist going to my favorites though, and then I feel like it's something I've seen 10 times before.

[Pedro]

I go for trashy true crime programming most of the time.  Things on Investigation Discovery.  I also enjoy The First 48, since detective work is fascinating and a bit disturbing.  Oh, I will watch a marathon of Lockup on MSNBC without thinking twice.  Keep it on while I clean my apartment.  Beyond Scared Straight is another favorite, especially since I teach middle schoolers.   

[Reel]

I rarely watch TV these days outside of stand up comedy and HBO. When I have it on, it's usually muted while I listen to podcasts and putz around on the internet. So, I always gravitate to the most visually stimulating things I can find on cable. 60's and 70's cartoons like Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes, or Tom and Jerry that play regularly on 'Boomerang' are great to have on in the background because you really don't need much beyond the images to understand what's happening. And it's not like the story arcs even matter because we're so familiar with the structure of these shows that it's obvious everything is just a setup for some physical gag. I like that there's never a dry moment when you're watching these old cartoons, even when the action lulls I can still appreciate the hand drawn backgrounds with so much attention to detail. I don't watch any recent animated shows because the digital picture is so flat, with no character or sense of the human touch at all.

I do like a few of these new shows about stand up comedians. Of course Louie, then there's Maron, Mulaney (cancelled) and recently The Jim Gaffigan show, which I went on a tear of about 7 episodes yesterday. Seinfeld is the predecessor to all of these, but I've never been one to revisit it much. I watched it on a week to week basis with my parents for years growing up, so I feel overly familiar with it. There will never be a day in my life when at least 10 reruns of it aren't playing, so there's no urgency to watch it although it continues to be hailed as THE classic sitcom. I don't know how all of these comics are managing to make interesting TV out of the same formula, it must be what each of them brings to the table with their unique characterizations that keeps me coming back.

A true guilty pleasure of mine is Kevin Smith's "Comic Book Men". I think what I find so comforting about is seeing how much cash these fully grown adults are willing to shell out for a little piece of their childhood back. I never really got into comic books beyond 'Spawn' and haven't collected toys since I was 10, and it's fascinating to see how important these things remain to people who never grew out of that hobby. No matter how broke I am, watching a 40 year old man spend 100 bucks on a comic book always makes me feel a little more secure in my spending habits.

I don't like the current trend of reality shows, but there are some I can't resist. Anything Anthony Bourdain does I can stop on and watch the entire way through. Seeing a guy travel around exotic places and eat strange food is endlessly appealing to me.

Another one I completely forgot about until I happened upon it last night is "Project Greenlight."  I caught the reruns of season 3 on Bravo! awhile back and as an aspiring filmmaker it was really enlightening to see all of the factors that can get in the way of a director's vision, but how in the end everyone around them really is pushing to support their demands so they can reach the common goal of getting it finished. This latest season seems a lot less steeped in drama and cuts to the chase a lot quicker than the others. I love being able to witness how much a movie will inevitably change and grow as it goes through the process of becoming real.

[03]

ASCENDING BY IMPORTANCE AND AWESOMENESS

5. the simpsons

you just put it on and dont give a shit.

4. golden girls

these are our moms and grandmoms.
my dad died when my mom had been with him for close to 30 years, and never recovered. this show is about ladies that gain strength from each other no matter what and its fucking gorgeous.

3. parks and rec

i feel like its cheating to put good shows in here, because i feel like some douchebag could come in and say 'breaking bad' and 'the wire' is all i'm comforted with, which we all know is a lie, but i genuinely am comforted by this show. i refused to watch it until i got with my current girlfriend. she forced me to watch it from the beginning and i hated it until i realized that i am ron swanson and my girlfriend is april and aziz ansari is not horrible as fuck if he's not doing standup.


2. how i met your mother

this is one of the most rewatchable and relatable things ever.
anyone thats between 20 and 40 might try to deny how fucking realistic this show is out of pride but deep down we know that this hits home like a motherfucker. this covers heartbreak in every form,  loss of loved ones, general evolution of someone born in the 80s, but at the same time is comforting and inventive.

inventive? try the episode 'bad news' where they thematically reference peter greenaway.

comforting? try 'best burger in new york' and if you don't smile you have no soul. its fucking regis philbin getting upset about hamburgers.

1. cops

this show is basically a living organism.
i've watched the same episodes seventy times and they edit some different shit into it.
its not pleasant, but it is definitely comforting.
you are the cameraman when you watch cops.
it is never boring and it will never cease. i would like to start a cops thread here but i don't think anyone would care.
my favorite episode is smooth criminal when the girl hires an undercover to kill her husband and then the cops make her think he's dead before they arrest her.