Credit: Andrew Heinzman / How-To GeekComfort shows have a unique appeal. Sometimes you don’t want to start something new, keep up with a complicated plot, or spend half an hour deciding what to watch. You just want to put on something familiar, settle in, and let a few episodes play in the background. Unfortunately, finding those shows isn’t always as easy as it should be.
Streaming services are convenient, but their libraries are constantly changing, and a show you rely on can seemingly disappear overnight. I’ve found a simple way around that problem that also means I don’t have to depend on an internet connection every time I want some familiar background entertainment. A small USB stick can hold a surprisingly useful library of shows, giving me access to my favorites whether I’m at home, traveling, or somewhere with unreliable internet.
The Simpsons
Golden Age seasons in particular
My absolute favorite comfort show is The Simpsons. It is wacky, episodic, and incredibly easy to watch. It doesn’t take any brainpower and is something that I can pop on whenever I want something quick and sweet. It is one of the longest-running animated TV shows ever made, and it has had an insane cultural impact over its lifetime. No matter what generation you belong to, you’ve likely at least seen one episode of The Simpsons.
Call me an elitist, but I am particularly fond of the earlier seasons of The Simpsons, also known as the Golden Age. While there are some decent moments in newer seasons, nothing beats seasons one to eight. These are the seasons that I can watch over and over again without getting bored, and I always have them on hand.
Network
FOX
Cast
Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Gillian Anderson, Johnny Cash, Ed Asner, Betty White, Alex Rocco, Christina Ricci, Bret Hart, Joe Frazier, Ed Begley Jr., Helen Hunt, Bob Denver, Buzz Aldrin, Tom Kite, John Waters, Jack Lemmon
Showrunner
Al Jean
Directors
Steven Dean Moore, Mark Kirkland, Rob Oliver, Michael Polcino, Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements, Wes Archer, Timothy Bailey, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Matthew Faughnan, Chuck Sheetz, Rich Moore, Jeffrey Lynch, Pete Michels, Susie Dietter, Raymond S. Persi, Carlos Baeza, Dominic Polcino, Lauren MacMullan, Michael Marcantel, Neil Affleck, Swinton O. Scott III, Jennifer Moeller
Writers
J. Stewart Burns, Michael Price, Brian Kelley, Bill Odenkirk, Dan Vebber, Kevin Curran, Stephanie Gillis, Dan Castellaneta, Deb Lacusta, Billy Kimball, Jessica Conrad, Cesar Mazariegos, Daniel Chun, Jennifer Crittenden, Conan O’Brien, Valentina Garza, Elisabeth Kiernan Averick, Christine Nangle, Broti Gupta, Loni Steele Sosthand, Megan Amram, Bob Kushell, David Isaacs, David Mandel
Franchise(s)
The Simpsons
Creator(s)
Matt Groening
Parks and Recreation
Extremely underrated
In the world of The Office-styled sitcoms, Parks and Recreation is one of the best. We follow Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) as she navigates the frustrating world of local politics, with a rich supporting cast of hilarious characters. It is heartwarming, with there being few sitcom comedies that are anywhere near as wholesome. It is one of my favorite sitcoms, and while I might get flak for this, I actually prefer it to The Office.
This is one of those shows that seems to constantly appear and disappear from different streaming services, and I can seemingly never find it when I want to watch it. This is another reason that I keep it on a flash drive wherever I go, and another reason that modern streaming services frustrate me so much.
Network
NBC
Cast
Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Jim O’Heir, Retta, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Paul Schneider, Lucy Lawless, Patricia Clarkson, Michael Gross, Bonita Friedericy, Jessica St. Clair, Parker Posey, Pat Crawford Brown, Ian Roberts, Will Forte, Lyle Kanouse, Dakin Matthews, Will Arnett, John Larroquette, Aimee Parker
Showrunner
Michael Schur
Directors
Dean Holland, Ken Whittingham, Troy Miller, Craig Zisk, Morgan Sackett, Randall Einhorn, Michael Trim, Nicole Holofcener, Tristram Shapeero, Wendey Stanzler, Beth McCarthy-Miller, Jason Woliner, Charles McDougall, Daniel J. Goor, Nick Offerman, Tucker Gates, Alan Yang, Alex Hardcastle, Jorma Taccone, Seth Gordon, Adam Scott, David Rogers, Jaime Eliezer Karas, Jeffrey Blitz
Writers
Harris Wittels, Aisha Muharrar, Dave King, Katie Dippold, Joe Mande, Megan Amram, Matt Murray, Donick Cary, Mike Scully, Rachel Axler, Alexandra Rushfield, Chelsea Peretti, Matt Hubbard, Greg Levine, Sam Means, Jen Statsky, Emma Fletcher, Rachna Fruchbom, Emily Kapnek, Emily Spivey, Greg Daniels, Tucker Cawley, Nate DiMeo
Creator(s)
Michael Schur, Greg Daniels
New Girl
The modern version of Friends
The trope of a group of struggling friends living together and trying to find their way in the world is one that is as old as television itself. New Girl executes this trope extremely well, following Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel), a school teacher forced to move into an apartment with three guys after a particularly messy breakup. They go from strangers to a tight-knit family, constantly engaging in all kinds of shenanigans.
I love how silly New Girl is. It doesn’t take itself seriously, and you can tell everyone involved is having a great time on set. Alongside Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone, and Damon Wayans Jr. come together with brilliant comedic chemistry, delivering some of the most quotable gags on TV.
Network
FOX
Cast
Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone, Damon Wayans Jr., Nasim Pedrad, Nelson Franklin, Clark Duke, Eva Amurri, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kay Cannon, Lamont Johnson, Natalie Dreyfuss, Peg Shirley, Ryan Kwanten, Tig Notaro, Alexandra Daddario, Dan Olivo, Jack Yang, Maitland McConnell, Morgan Krantz, Rakefet Abergel, Sarah Baker, Billy Eichner, Joel Gelman, Kiersey Clemons, Medalion Rahimi, Lori Greiner, Ralph Ahn
Showrunner
Elizabeth Meriwether
Directors
Trent O’Donnell, Jay Chandrasekhar, Max Winkler, Fred Goss, Jesse Peretz, Steve Welch, Lynn Shelton, Josh Greenbaum, Russ T. Alsobrook, Bill Purple, Christine Gernon, Lorene Scafaria, Michael Schultz, Peyton Reed, Tristram Shapeero, Eric Appel, Alec Berg, Jason Winer, Michael Spiller, Steve Pink, Alex Hardcastle, Andrew Fleming, Craig Zisk, Daniel Attias
Writers
Berkley Johnson, Kim Rosenstock, Rob Rosell, Matt Fusfeld, Alex Cuthbertson, David Feeney, Nina Pedrad, Rebecca Addelman, Kay Cannon, Sarah Tapscott, Joe Wengert, Ethan Sandler, Adrian Wenner, David Iserson, Nick Adams, David Walpert, Lamar Woods, Veronica McCarthy, David Quandt, Joni Lefkowitz, Lamorne Morris, Rachel Axler, Christian Magalhaes, Robert Snow
Creator(s)
Elizabeth Meriwether
What We Do in the Shadows
A mockumentary about a group of vampires
I am a massive fan of Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, and my favorite work from both of them is What We Do in the Shadows. It is directed by the duo and is based on a movie from 2014 of the same name. The show is set up as a mockumentary, with a camera crew following the group’s leader, Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak), and the other vampires in the family, Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou). Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), an energy vampire, is also part of the group, feeding by generally annoying the rest of the group instead of sucking their blood.
It takes the well-established mockumentary genre and takes it somewhere new. The fantasy world of vampires and modern-day Staten Island obviously does not mix, which is what makes the show so funny. It is one of the most bingeable shows out there.
Network
FX
Cast
Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch, Kristen Schaal, Jamison Webb, Kate Comer, Warren Barrow, Casey Feigh, Chris Perfetti, Hayden Szeto, Marceline Hugot, Richie Moriarty, KhaRå Martin, Alison Niven, Faith Curnew, Mary Pitt, Jon Gabrus, Vanessa Bayer, Arj Barker, Michael Man, Viviana Zarrillo, Dominic Cuzzocrea, Rob Ramsay
Showrunner
Paul Simms
Directors
Kyle Newacheck, Jason Woliner, Jackie van Beek
Writers
Chris Marcil, Lauren Wells, Tom Scharpling, Rajat Suresh, Jeremy Levick, Max Brockman, Duncan Sarkies, Iain Morris, Josh Lieb, Aasia LaShay Bullock
Creator(s)
Jemaine Clement
Psych
A childhood favorite
Psych is a show that holds a special place in my heart. Being born in the 90s, I used to watch Psych on TV when it was still on air, and it took me years to rediscover it again as an adult. It has since become one of a handful of shows that I watch on heavy rotation every year. It is a classic detective show with a heavy helping of comedy.
The show’s premise is ridiculous, which is a big reason that I love it so much. It follows Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez), a man with eidetic memory who uses his fantastic recall to solve cases, convincing a lot of people around him that he has psychic abilities. His best friend, Gus (Dulé Hill), helps him solve crimes and cover up the truth behind his mystical powers.
Network
USA Network
Cast
Dule Hill, James Roday Rodriguez, Kerry Washington, Mekhi Phifer, Mike Wasko, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Kirsten Nelson, Corbin Bernsen, Sage Brocklebank, Sarah Lind, Steve Bacic, Tom Butler, Tim Henry, Malcolm Barrett, W. Earl Brown, French Tickner, Curtis Armstrong, Saul Rubinek, Philip Baker Hall, Amanda Pays, Todd Stashwick, Jeff Fahey, Steven Weber, Jere Burns
Showrunner
Steve Franks
Directors
Stephen Surjik, John Badham, David Crabtree, Matt Shakman, Andrew Bernstein, Andy Berman, Jay Chandrasekhar, Brad Turner, Jennifer Lynch, John Landis, Michael Zinberg, Eric Laneuville, Joanna Kerns, Lev L. Spiro, Michael Engler, Michael Lange, Michael McMurray, Reginald Hudlin, Tawnia McKiernan, Tim Matheson, Arlene Sanford, Jason Ensler, Jeff Melman, John T. Kretchmer
Writers
Steve Franks, Kell Cahoon, Bill Callahan, Todd Harthan, Anupam Nigam, Carlos Jacott, Josh Bycel, Kerry Lenhart, Lee Goldberg, Daniel Hsia, Tami Sagher, Tory Walker, William Rabkin, John J. Sakmar
Creator(s)
Steve Franks
Keeping my favorite shows on a USB means I can always watch them
The problem with modern streaming services is that shows come and go, even those that are especially popular. There is nothing worse than wanting to watch one of your comfort series and seeing that it’s been removed. The best workaround is keeping your favorites on a USB so that you can always watch them whenever you want. This also means that if you ever don’t have an internet connection, like when you’re on a flight or on vacation somewhere remote, you don’t have to stop binging.
