Grab a blanket, your favorite snack and cozy up to one of these shows!
After a long, tough day, I love to lay down in bed and watch a TV show that perfectly encapsulates the feeling of fall and/or Halloween. I prefer shows that stray as far away from real-life as possible for a nice, entertaining escape from all my responsibilities. The shows I have chosen are as unrealistic as it can get from the inclusion of supernatural beings or small towns with endless celebrations. This list includes shows from the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s depending on the mood you are in.
1. Gilmore Girls
Like many people, I consider Gilmore Girls to be a fall classic. The show follows the lives of Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter, Rory, in the picture-perfect small-town of Stars Hollow. The setting plays a big role in the Autumnal vibes of the show and brings the story to life. Stars Hollow seems to be permanently stuck in the fall and winter months. The leaves are always orange, the gazebo is always hosting a town event, and the coffee at Luke’s Diner is always piping hot. The second-most important aspect of Gilmore Girls are the eccentric characters and their constant side-quests that always end-up involving the Gilmore Girls. The townspeople perfectly match the chaotic, caffeine-driven energy that Lorelai and Rory exude and make for an entertaining (and completely unrealistic) fall TV show.
2. Gossip Girl
Every Thanksgiving the iconic Gossip Girl scene shows up on everyone’s for you page and leads to hundreds of recreations on tiktok. This fall, it’s time to actually understand the context behind that scene. Gossip Girl is a show about extremely rich teenagers and their drama-filled lives that is under constant scrutiny by an anonymous classmate, Gossip Girl. The show is set in Upper-East Side Manhattan where everything seems to be dipped in glitter and gold (or maybe that’s just Serena). This show is as unrealistic as it gets and the New York autumnal scenery makes it a perfect fall watch for people who love big city’s.
3. The Vampire Diaries (Bonus: The Originals)
Personally, fall does not exist without a TVD rewatch. The show is a perfect mixture of teen melodrama, Halloween horror, and cozy autumnal scenes (though few and far between). The Vampire Diaries follows the life of Elena Gilbert and her discovery of the supernatural world that she can never seem to avoid. The show is set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia and provides beautiful aesthetics alongside interesting, never-ending lore. Elena learns about the origins of Vampires, her family’s involvement with the supernatural and her evil doppelganger’s past lives all while trying to live the life of a normal, suburban teenage girl. Like Gilmore Girls, Mystic Falls has its fair share of ridiculously frequent town-events that are sure to attract supernatural activities. Although the show has its flaws, at its best it is an amazing fall/halloween watch and if you like the show try watching its spin-off series, The Originals.
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer practically invented vampires. It is so good people still get inspired by it several years after it aired. There are even college courses that focus on analyzing the show, its metaphors, imagery, etc. Sarah Michelle Gellar is truly an amazing actress and breathes life into Buffy. She is able to portray deep, complex emotions perfectly on screen and is very convincing as Buffy. Although the show explores important topics, it also has great humor and Gellar is a great comedic actress. My favorite part of the show was how well they handled Buffy growing up and the obstacles that got in her way as a result. Additionally, I love how they preserved her bubbly personality and love for fashion! It made her a very well-rounded character and diverged from the stereotypes that often revolve around women in the media. The show is a classic for a reason and nothing screams Halloween more than vampires.
5. Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is truly a fun Halloween TV show to watch. Everything about the show is hilariously unserious and the magic system is no exception. The show focuses on Sabrina as she navigates through life in the mortal realm as a half-mortal half-witch. She is unable to see her mother, who is mortal, before getting her witch’s license or her mom will turn into a ball of wax. As a result, she ends up living with her two aunts and their talking cat, Salem (who became a cat as punishment for attempting to take over the world). Each episode follows a similar format in which Sabrina uses magic to solve a problem, but her magical solutions always end up making things catastrophically (but hilariously) worse. Due to the amusing magic system, Sabrina the Teenage Witch is one of the best feel-good Halloween/Fall shows to watch after a hard day.
Whether you like the supernatural, cozy small towns, or bustling big cities, there are plenty of options for you to choose from for a comfy, cozy fall night. Although this isn’t a comprehensive list, it provides ideas for entertainment after a long day or week. It is very important to have fun, stress-free hobbies and activities to resort to when you are overwhelmed or tired. They help you restore your energy so you can continue working on homework, projects or anything else that feels laborious.