Self-care is big business, but the phrase itself can induce a lot of misconceptions. Self-care is not about indulging ourselves, it’s about prioritising our wellbeing so that we can be healthy and in turn perform well in our jobs while being there for our family and friends. Self-care helps us to be better prepared and manage the stressors that life often brings while enabling us to cope when the going gets tough. Some obvious examples of self-care include spending time with friends, exercising, eating well, or even just taking a long soak in the bath at the end of a busy day. In essence, self-care can look different for everyone but at its very core, it should promote happiness within the individual. And sometimes happiness is simply achieved by taking a break from reality, and what better to facilitate that than a couple of hours of pure escapism with some hard earned comfort television. Intelligent or stimulating TV? I don’t think so. Work, family and life in general can be challenging enough, so when it comes to watching TV, I often gravitate towards the reassuring flicker of comfort television.

In the summer of 2020, New York Magazine heralded an era of ‘peak comfort’ in the realm of TV programming with what they called TV’s ‘triumph of brazenly uncomplicated entertainment.’ Admittedly, we all needed a dose of uncomplicated entertainment in 2020, and the television screens dotted throughout our homes offered us both solace and escapism at a time when it was much needed, but truthfully, I have always been an advocate of the mind-numbing qualities of comfort TV. Long before lockdowns, pandemics or other life changing instances, comfort television was my personal go-to retreat when the real world just asked too much of me. I was never one for mindfulness, or yoga, but a fluffy blanket, a mug of hot tea and binge watching Friends was often a cure-all in my house – and still is. It could be considered avoidance, but is that really so bad? When daily life is proving onerous or we simply need a break from reality, comfort TV can offer that, even if only for 30 minutes. Sometimes that’s all we need.

The appeal of comfort TV lies in how unabashedly soothing it actually is. Comfort food has for years been recognised as the go-to for many when feeling a little fragile – and comfort TV can be just as effective. To me, buttery mashed potatoes are the culinary equivalent of watching Friends (arguably the gold standard of comfort TV), The King of Queens is like slipping into a relaxing bubble bath and as for Law & Order, to me, it’s like a bear hug from an old beloved friend. Of course, comfort TV is all about the viewer, and what appeals to me will not necessarily appeal to others. Perhaps losing yourself in the fantasy world of Star Trek or Sex and the City (also fantastical, let’s be honest) is your weakness, or maybe spending time with Modern Family cheers you up.

Reality TV counts too as I’m sure fans of The Great British Bake Off or Tiger King will attest to. Whatever your taste in television, watching a few hours of familiar programming can feel like you are spending some time with your nearest and dearest – but ones that won’t judge or ask anything of you in return. The characters in these shows are like family, their familiar presence acting as a soothing balm for whatever the ailment might be. Happily, the Netflix model of TV watching has contributed hugely to this mode of television enjoyment with its vast array of on-demand comfort driven entertainment available to us at the push of a button.

There are however some key requirements for a programme to fall into the ‘comfort’ category. For example, it can’t be too clever or require intense concentration to understand the storyline. The appeal of comfort TV is in its ability to distract the conscious just enough, without requiring it to work any harder other than utilising minimal brainpower. The programming must be your ‘favourite’ shows, as opposed to the ‘best’. Your guilty pleasures if you will. While the original Will & Grace sitcom was considered ground-breaking in its day, the 2017 reboot was slammed by critics, yet I happily lapped it up, eager to be reunited with old acquaintances. I knew it was mediocre TV at best, I simply didn’t care because it was comforting and familiar. That said, I wept no tears when they finally called a halt to the show in 2020 after just three seasons. ‘Prestige’ television shows or programming from the so-called ‘golden age of television’ are all well and good, but on more than one occasion, binge watching Friends (often while enjoying its culinary equivalent) has saved my sanity, if only momentarily.

Of course, the two are not mutually exclusive. Many programmes blur the lines between quality TV and comfort TV. I could happily spend a significant portion of my weekend watching Don and Betty Draper from the superb Mad Men navigate their complicated lives while Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin’s Grace and Frankie has received both critical acclaim and cult comfort TV status in one foul swoop. The Good Wife is another show that manages to fall into both categories and is perfect viewing for those who find righteous indignation comforting. Unlike many so-called prestige TV shows, these programmes are undemanding and there is none of the underlying snobbery or classism often associated with highbrow TV shows.

We may not find this genre of television show being intelligently dissected over weekend cocktails, but we all know that the fluffy and uncomplicated shows are the ones we all gravitate towards when the going gets tough, and there is a good reason for that. David Crane and Marta Kauffman, my mental health thanks you.