6 Uplifting Shows to Watch When You’re Trying to Escape Reality
Most people would likely agree that 2020 has been a tough year. The United States has faced a pandemic, economic concerns, social unrest, and a presidential election. Television is one great way to take a break from that serious reality. Luckily there are plenty of excellent TV shows on lots of different platforms to help you out. With so much variety out there to pick from, you can choose whether you want to laugh or to relax. Here’s a look at a few shows for when you’re ready to escape to a happy place.
A World of Calm
A World of Calm is a docuseries, created in collaboration with the Calm app, designed specifically to calm you down. It uses celebrity narration and lovely images to cover a different topic in each episode. Lucy Liu, Priyanka Chopra, Nicole Kidman, and Keanu Reeves are among some of the celebrity voices featured in the series. Find A World of Calm on HBO Max.
The Great British Baking Show
Called The Great British Bake Off outside the United States, The Great British Baking Show serves up what TV Guide calls a “serene baking competition” and a “lovely and charming series.” The bakers meet in the British countryside to face baking challenges each week. It is a reality competition with eliminations and a winner, but contestants are all there in good fun, sans the typical reality drama. The baking challenges themselves also introduce fascinating British foods. You can find this show on Netflix.
Queer Eye
Queer Eye is so much more than a makeover reality show. The current “Fab Five” of Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, and Karamo Brown send a message of self-love to all the people they work with in each episode as well as their viewers. The emotional show has been so popular that Netflix has released five seasons and ordered a sixth in just two years, according to TV Guide. Watch Queer Eye on Netflix.
The Baby-Sitters Club
TV Guide calls The Baby-Sitters Club “a delight for all ages.” The show is an updated version of the series of books by Ann M. Martin that began publishing in the mid-1980s. The family-friendly show is about a group of girls who start a babysitting business and stars Clueless star, Alicia Silverstone. It adapts the stories of the books but also addresses current topics like “transgender visibility and racism,” according to TV Guide. You can watch The Baby-Sitters Club on Netflix.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
For a dose of 1990s nostalgia, check out The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This great family sitcom starred Will Smith. His character, also named Will, was sent away from West Philadelphia to live with his rich and conservative aunt, uncle, and cousins in Bel-Air. It’s a show that combines humor and heart. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is on HBO Max.
Bob’s Burgers
If you’re looking for a cartoon show, check out Bob’s Burgers. With 10 seasons, this long-running show provides plenty of episodes to watch. In it, the Belcher family runs a burger restaurant in a quirky community. TV Guide says it provides “smart takes on class divides and heartfelt stories” of this supportive family. It gives a positive portrayal of a working-class family with positive family values. You can watch Bob’s Burgers on Hulu.
With so many great options, you can take your pick of moods, from calm to hilarious. And, you can pick your genre, from cartoon to sitcom to reality show. All should help you take a welcome break and escape today’s reality for a few moments.
