When all you want to do is snuggle up under a blanket with a hot drink, there's only one thing that can make the situation better - and that's a show that provides even more comfort. From nostalgic series to period dramas and sitcoms that will make you laugh til you cry, we've hand-picked the shows worth turning to - and one is even better than Death in Paradise.
To give you a taste of what's in store, we've got a beloved Hannah Waddingham drama, a series that whisks us off to the Yorkshire Dales, and a family drama that's perfect for when you need a good cry. So, make yourself at home, because these are the 12 superb comfort-watch dramas to watch now on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more.
Derry Girls
Lisa McGee (How to Get to Heaven from Belfast) is behind this beloved comedy, which introduces us to Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Orla (Louisa Harland) and Michelle (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell) as they experience all the usual trials universally recognised by teens. We must also mention honorary girl James (Dylan Llewellyn), who's also lovingly known as the "wee Englishman”. The award-winning series is set in Northern Ireland's Derry against the backdrop of The Troubles (it'll be deeply relatable to many) and balances humour with all its other themes, using music to evoke a sense of nostalgia and familiarity. Available to watch now on Channel 4.
Ghosts
This BBC series is easily one of the best British comedies in recent years. The British sitcom follows married couple Alison and Mike (Charlotte Richie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe) who inherit an old mansion that comes with its very own spooky cellar, and find themselves living with an army of (very witty) inhabitants from beyond the grave. Following a near-death experience, Alison ends up being able to see all the ghosts lodging with them and, over time, they become one big - and rather dysfunctional - family. Excitingly, a film is in production. Available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
Detectorists
This award-winning BBC sitcom is all about quiet and gentle storytelling and centres around friends, Andy and Lance (played by Mackenzie Crook, who also wrote the show, and Toby Jones), who build on their close bond over their shared love of metal detecting. It's as warm and comforting as it sounds. Set in a fictional small English town that adds to the cosiness, the series become a global hit after its debut in 2014 and is still one that people come back to again and again. Available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
All Creatures Great and Small
If a period drama is more your style, it's worth rewinding to the Yorkshire Dales and the late 1930s where veterinary surgeon James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) goes about his life in the picturesque countryside. When James takes up a job in Darrowby, he discovers the quirks of rural veterinary life - and very quickly discovers that animals aren’t his only problem. He becomes part of the Farnon household at the residential Skeldale House practice and has to navigate all of the chaos of his new position comes with in Yorkshire. Available to watch now on Channel 5.
Schitt’s Creek
Created by Dan Levy and his father Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek is likely responsible for a large majority of your internet memes and is by far the funniest series on Netflix. The beloved sitcom has become a go-to TV comfort blanket, allowing us into the lives of the Rose family who, after losing all their money, are forced to relocate to a run-down motel in the small town of Schitt's Creek. And let's jus say it's a little different to what they're used to. Moira Rose, the family matriarch played by the late Catherine O'Hara, is the true icon of the series who provides all the laughter you'll need. Available to watch now on Netflix.
Nobody Wants This
Netflix’s rom-com hit, Nobody Wants This, is so easy to watch you'll likely spend far longer in front of the TV than anticipated with this one. The series, which reintroduced Adam Brody to millennials everywhere, is known for its ridiculously sizzling chemistry between dedicated rabbi Noah (Brody) and agnostic podcaster Joanne (Kristen Bell). The pair were always going to fall in love – but how will these two adults reconcile their cultural differences with their respective communities? There's plenty of fun to be had in finding out. Available to watch now on Netflix.
Ted Lasso
One might not have expected a show about an American soccer coach being set up to fail with an English team to do all that well, but Apple TV saw a glimmer of genius and ran with it. Jason Sudeikis is the inexperienced coach who relocates from the US when he’s unexpectedly asked to coach a football team in South West London. But the club’s owner, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), has hired Lasso in the hope that he falls flat on his face and destroy the team in the process. Yes, it's a football show, but it’s also so much more than that – and its main character brings a feel-good energy often lacking on TV. Available to watch now on Apple TV.
This is Us
If you need a good cry, This is Us is the intricate and layered family drama to do it with. The hit series follows the Pearson family across a number of decades, weaving flashbacks and numerous timelines into the story. The result is an emotional series that's won over audiences across the globe. The impressive cast includes the brilliant Mandy Moore, Sterling K Brown and Milo Ventimiglia, who bring familiarity, comfort – and many reasons to reach for the tissues! Available to watch now on Disney+.
Shrinking
If you've ever wondered what your therapist really wants to say, you'll enjoy Shrinking. Apple TV’s popular comedy-drama sees a grieving shrink (played by the show's co-creator Jason Segel) throw caution to the wind and get just a little bit too involved in the lives of his patients. Harrison Ford is also part of the cast as a senior therapist with Parkinson's disease, alongside a host of starry guests including Kelly Bishop and Michael J. Fox. Available to watch now on Apple TV.
Vera
She might have hung up her iconic trench coat and hat, but Brenda Blethyn's performance as straight-talking DCI Vera Stanhope is worth revisiting time and time again. Soothing and character-led, the series has a warm heart and off-the-scale charm, so it's hardly surprising it's been on our screens for so long. "Doing Vera is like coming back to an old friend," Brenda told Prima and, for many viewers, the series is exactly that. If you're a fan of Death in Paradise, we think Vera is even better in terms of comfort factor. Available to watch now on ITVX.
Magpie Murders
There’s no better cosy crime drama than one with Lesley Manville at the helm. In Magpie Murders, she plays investigator Susan Ryeland who’s paired up with Atticus Pünd (Tim McMullan) to solve a mystery within a mystery. You see, there's not one, but two perplexing crimes to get to the bottom of: one in real life, and the other in a book. Based on Anthony Horowitz’s hugely popular 2016 novel of the same name, it’s every bit as good as the book. Magpie Murders is available to watch on ITVX.
Mix Tape
If you missed this series when it first aired on the BBC last summer, we don't blame you as it almost passed us by, too. The four-part drama follows Daniel (Jim Sturgess) and Alison (Teresa Palmer) and moves between their teenage romance in 1989 Sheffield and the modern-day reality of their adult relationships (with other people) living on opposite sides of the world. The pair reconnect through a song from their past and explore their curiosity to understand if the life they each have now are really those that were meant for them. Expect a brilliant 80s soundtrack and a thoroughly moving story. Available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.
