The winter months often mean we start spending more time inside, settling in with blankets and pillows to watch some television. Some shows just make sense to be paired with a comfy blanket and a cup of hot chocolate! So, with cold weather on the way, here are my personal top five cozy TV shows to get you through the winter.
- New Girl
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This sitcom is similar to the classic show Friends, following a group of friends who live together in a big city. But, while Friends takes place in New York City, New Girl is set in Los Angeles. New Girl focuses on Jessica Day, a bubbly schoolteacher who moves into an apartment with three men: Nick, Schmidt, and Winston.
The show explores Jess’s life with her roommates and best friend Cece, as well as other characters who make cameos across six seasons. Since the episodes are only about 20 minutes long, this show is perfect for long nights of binge-watching or a quick episode as you get ready to go out and brave the cold.
- Gilmore Girls
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These 40-minute episodes follow the mother-daughter duo of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore in their fictional small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. There is more than enough screen time to watch throughout the winter, with seven seasons and an additional spinoff series set years after the original show ends.
Overall, the show has a very cozy feeling; Stars Hollow is portrayed as a quaint little town and the ordinary lives of the characters make the plot relatable. Especially as a college student in New England, some parts of the show hit close to home. If you want a little bit of romance, a coming-of-age story, and some good banter between characters, this show is perfect for you this winter.
Saeed Adyani/Netflix - The Good Place
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This show is truly all over the place.
Humorously and fantastically, the show tackles serious questions about moral and ethical dilemmas. The characters attempt to navigate the afterlife where a points system (based on the quality of actions they took in their life) determines being sent to either the “Good Place” or the “Bad Place.”
Most of the episodes are only 20 minutes long, but I found myself binging it for hours because of how often they end on a cliffhanger. The twists and turns of the show make it entertaining, and the array of characters provides different types of comedic relief. Some of the plot twists truly had me saying “What the fork?”
- Gossip Girl
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Following a group of elite, wealthy high schoolers in New York City, this show is both glamorous and scandalous. The main plot follows two girls, Serena and Blair—with a cast of their friends, families, and boyfriends around them—as they navigate the end of high school and the start of their college years.
The show is narrated from the perspective of a secret outside blogger, Gossip Girl, whose identity is unknown throughout the show. The identity of the blogger is a big mystery for the characters and viewers alike, especially when the blog exposes scandals and causes fights between Serena, Blair, and their friends. With six seasons of 40-minute episodes, there is plenty of drama, cliffhangers, and gossip to watch on a cozy winter evening.
- Criminal Minds
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This show is starkly different from the ones mentioned above. Each episode follows a team of FBI criminal profilers on assignment to track down murderers, serial killers, and psychopaths. It is definitely on the scarier side of TV shows and some episodes are a bit gory. If you are OK with that, then this show is a perfect winter evening thriller.
With 17 seasons, each with about 10-20 episodes, there is plenty of content to watch. However, with the structure of the show being that the episodes are separate from one another, it is also easy to just watch one single episode without feeling the need to watch 10 more after. It works for both binging and casual viewing.
While you can of course watch any show at any point of the year, some shows just make sense to be viewed in the winter rather than the summer to fit the vibe!
Happy Watching!
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