A 2024 NZ On Air survey found over half of respondents use subscription video on demand daily, with local TV platforms reaching 60% of viewers.
Psychologists suggest comfort shows offer nostalgia, escapism, and social dynamics, reflecting viewers’ emotions and desires.
Popular genres include business reality, sitcoms, home renovation, true crime, dating reality, and HBO comedies.
Picture this. It’s 8pm, you’ve had a hard day at work, dinner and daily chores are done, and you’re ready to wash away the stresses of the day with a few hours of mind-numbing TV.
You’re not alone.
A 2024 NZ On Air audience survey found that subscription video on demand (Netflix, Amazon, etc) was used each day by more than half of the respondents, and local TV (linear and on-demand) reached 60% of Kiwis daily.
As an entertainment journalist and confessed comfort show watcher (and someone who speaks to many other comfort show watchers), I’ve picked up a few ideas on what people gravitate towards, and this can often tell me a bit about how they are feeling.
Married At First Sight is a common comfort show for many Kiwi viewers. Photo / Geoff Magee
From Married At First Sight to The Office and even Tiger King, there are different tastes for different people and no shortage of variation out there.
Nostalgia, a laugh, feeling good about yourself, escapism, and even wanting to live vicariously through others are things expert psychologists think draw people to their nightly comfort shows.
Here are some of the key comfort show staples, and what they say about their respective audiences.
You’re likely an ambitious person, as well as someone who likes experiencing the thrill of high stakes to wind down.
You like seeing people’s successes and also seeing people’s failures, as it helps you gauge what and what not to do in your daily life when you’re not in front of the screen.
Shark Tank puts successes and failures of businesspeople in the spotlight. Photo / Network 10
While you may not be the most passive comfort show watcher, you still feel fulfilled at the end of the night and rest easy knowing you’ve followed a journey that’s not your own.
Maybe you’ll be the next recipient of Lord Alan Sugar’s (The Apprentice UK) investment, or your genius bamboo toothbrush idea will hit the right note with the sharks on Shark Tank.
Sitcom stalwarts
Friends, Seinfeld, The Office, New Girl
You watch for one of three reasons: to laugh, to catch up so you can say you’ve “seen it”, or to scroll your phone while eventually being amused at the action on screen.
These shows focus on friendship, so when you are engaging, you’re usually enjoying the friend group dynamics and enjoying seeing the often-blunt social humour.
The group dynamics in Friends help make it the ultimate comfort show.
People who like sitcoms are usually very meme-aware, so referencing quotable quotes also gives you a form of comfort.
Sitcom watchers tend to have empathic qualities, so two people discussing the merits of a “Puffy Shirt” (Seinfeld) or listing off “Prison Mike” quotes (The Office) is always a good sign.
Are you building a house or renovating a kitchen? Or are you completely useless with your hands and have no idea about the above tasks? Chances are you love a good home renovation show.
While home reno show comfort watchers vary in building skills, they are generally curious people who get satisfaction from seeing a job get done. They also like seeing the personal side of the building process and the on-site dynamics.
Tools down! The Block is perfect for those who fancy themselves a bit clever on the tools (or not).
Naturally, you may have blurted out “I reckon I can do that” at one point or immediately gone to Mitre 10 after to grab some supplies for a project you have no intention of completing.
True crime documentary
Tiger King, Making A Murderer, The Jinx
Now, we get to the psychopaths – the people who relish a good true crime series to calm down.
Watching grim murder re-enactments and gruelling court trials is some viewers’ idea of a good way to destress, but I can’t help needing to switch to something much lighter after watching these shows .
Perhaps you like seeing justice served and that is your comfort, or your brain is wired to think that after a good night of heavy reflection about human moral fibre you’ll sleep soundly.
Joe Exotic from Tiger King, the true crime series that made waves across the world and turned into some people's comfort show.
Either way, people who are into true crime often have the best stories to tell and a wild personal history that they are willing to divulge.
Dating/relationship reality TV shows
Married at First Sight (Mafs), Beauty and the Geek, Love Island
Hopeless and non-hopeless romantics, as well as people who don’t take themselves too seriously or are dragged into it by their flatmates or partner, are likely avid watchers of dating and relationship reality.
Because these shows are generally blatantly trashy, they are the ultimate “feel good about yourself and learn about not what to do” shows.
If you watch these shows for comfort, you’re keen on spilling the tea to anyone and everyone, and love having a joke about the lore surrounding the show. You’ve probably got a great sense of humour and/or enjoy watching social dynamics unfold.
The many break-ups and make-ups of Love Island make for a comforting watch for some.
More often than not, however, you will categorically state that you never want to step foot on the shows in question yourself, although you may joke about it from time to time.
HBO comedies
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sex and the City, Ballers, Entourage, Hacks
Finally, we get to my own personal comfort shows.
If you like these shows you probably love staying up late, but more importantly, love nostalgia.
You also might own a DVD or video player, and possibly hung on to hard copies until the bitter end, when you could no longer rent stuff from your local Blockbuster store.
Larry David and his off-kilter behaviour helped Curb Your Enthusiasm run for 12 seasons.
Some of these shows haven’t aged well, and some newer seasons haven’t lived up to the original heights of old.
But I know there are folks out there who still want to hang in Upper East Side NYC with Carrie Bradshaw and the gang (Sex and the City) or join movie star Vinnie Chase and his boys on a wild Hollywood escapade (Entourage).
Just make sure you don’t turn into Larry David and try to Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.
