The Best Feel-Good TV Shows to Watch When You Need a Pick-Me-Up (2024)

Ted Lasso is set in a world in which teamwork is rewarded, friendship is paramount, and kindness is always the best way forward. Yep, it's a cozy, feel-good cocoon. In the series, Jason Sudeikis plays Ted Lasso, an American football coach who takes a gig with an English soccer team, despite knowing nothing about the sport. He's armed only with his goofy sense of humor and disarming way of connecting with people—and it turns out, that might be enough to win. Listening to Ted Lasso's (Jason Sudeikis) inspiring speeches, it's hard not to feel like he's talking to you, as opposed to his soccer team.

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It's been 38 years since Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin teamed up with Dolly Parton for the '80s workplace comedy, 9 to 5. Yet their chemistry is still intact and never fails to spark in Netflix's Grace and Frankie, now on its seventh and final season. The show begins on a sour note when frenemies Grace Hanson (Fonda) and Frankie Bergstein (Tomlin) discover their husbands are gay and are having an affair with each other. The two women end up taking respite in the beach house that served as their ex-husband's love den, but the irony of their surroundings doesn't stop the women from building an incredible bond over their heartbreak.

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For all you musical lovers out there, Schmigadoon will be an utter delight. The musical comedy follows a couple (played by Cecily Strong and Keegan Michael Key) who, after getting lost on a hiking trip, find themselves into a quaint town where everyone bursts into song. In order to escape the musical, they have to play along with it, and learn whatever lessons the songs want to impart. Watch out for all the musical Easter eggs, including Oklahoma! and My Fair Lady-inspired numbers.

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When 40-something single-mom, Liza Miller (Sutton Foster), tries to reenter the working world after taking time off, she finds that today's workforce is dominated by young, ambitious hopefuls and social media. So, she does the obvious thing: She poses as a 26-year-old to get a job working at book publishing company. 30s-and-up viewers will find joy watching her navigate Twitter and Snapchat, plus falling madly in love with a much younger (and highly-tattooed) guy who thinks they're the same age.

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Constance Wu brings the same charm in this ABC comedy that she delivers in the rom-com Crazy Rich Asians. Based on chef Eddie Huang's eponymous memoir, the show offers a fun, humorous glimpse into the day-to-day life of a Chinese immigrant family and their hip-hop loving son, Eddie. It's particularly quote-worthy for people of color.

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Often praised as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, the creators of Friends put six besties in an uncharacteristically spacious New York apartment and let the sparks fly. Over the course of its 10-season run, fans collectively awwed at Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Ross's (David Schwimmer) romance, rushed to the salon to recreate Rachel's signature haircut, and sung along to Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) "Smelly Cat." To this day, Joey's (Matt LeBlanc) "how you doin?'" and the Thanksgiving episodes are forever cemented in pop culture. Watch the reunion when you're done bingeing.

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Trust us, you'll never look at your local big-box store the same way after watching Superstore. America Ferrera stars as Amy in the NBC comedy that's based on the British series of the same name. The show follows Ferrera and her fellow retail misfits at a Missouri megastore called Cloud 9. They're tasked with helping shoppers find bargains, but it's impossible not to crack a smile as you watch them fight to keep their jobs amid all the shenanigans and cleanups on aisle three.

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Kim's Convenience is the kind of sitcom that will leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. The show follows a Canadian-Korean family that owns a convenience store (as the title would suggest). Expect idiosyncratic customers floating in and out of the store; funny (and relatable) intergenerational misunderstandings; and a family you wish were real.

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Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist might just be the definition of "feel good TV." Zoey Clarke (Jane Levy), a software engineer living in San Francisco, finds herself with an extraordinary ability: She can hear people's thoughts, but only in in pop-song form. After being briefly freaked out (and who wouldn't be?), Zoey makes it her mission to subtly help people using her knowledge. The show has infectious, feel-good energy, thanks to the torrent of hummable music and the cast of characters you can't help but root for. Unfortunately cancelled after season 2, the existing episodes are nevertheless heartwarming.

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Watch Schitt's Creek, and join a fandom. The Canadian sitcom has amassed a devoted following since it premiered in 2015. In the riches-to-rags story, the Rose family has to move to a tiny town of Schitt's Creek after losing their entire fortune.

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From Dorothy's (Bea Arthur) sarcasm and Sophia's (Estelle Getty) quick-witted one-liners to Blanche's (Rue McClanahan) sassiness and Rose's (Betty White) bless-her-heart moments, The Golden Girls is much more than four women talking about life and love over cheesecake. Sure, they're pals and confidantes. But they're also living proof that laughter truly is the best medicine—and an inspiration for aging gracefully.

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Known as The Great British Bake-Off overseas, Netflix acquired the rights of The Great British Baking Show from PBS, much to baking binge-watchers' delight. Despite the name change and different faces appearing on the judging panel, the premise remains the same and even more delicious for the 10-week culinary competition. Contestants show off their best cakes, desserts, and breads to be crowned star baker. Even if you don't have a sweet tooth, the addictive series is worth indulging in.

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More than 10 years after the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy reality series went off the air, Netflix rebooted the lifestyle makeover show in February 2018. Though it's no longer based in New York City, the new Fab Five, consisting of Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Jonathan Van Ness, are still putting smiles on viewers faces with every transformation.

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It's not often that you see a Black well-to-do family portrayed in such a positive light on network TV, but Kenya Barris's Black-ish is one shining example. Tracee Ellis Ross is comedic gold on the hit ABC series, and the show somehow manages to make audiences laugh while also tackling difficult subjects like divorce and police brutality.

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An accidental artificial insemination, a drug kingpin, and family drama? Yes, CW's telenovela is as over the top as it sounds. But it works, mainly because of Gina Rodriguez, who plays the titular character. The name of the show tells you everything you need to know: Jane decides to remain a virgin until marriage, but after a mishap at a clinic, she ends up pregnant. But that's not even the zaniest part: The sperm donor is her boss. It's a charming show filled with diverse characters.

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Actress Mindy Kaling is brilliant and hilarious as Mindy Lahiri, a successful New York OB-GYN whose love life doesn't quite match up to her professional accomplishments. The serialized rom-com doesn't take itself too seriously, as evidenced by Kaling's quirky personality and her knack for wearing outlandish prints. Watching the doctors' funny interactions with each other is the best 30 minutes you'll spend glued to your screen.

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NBC's fantasy-comedy stars TV legends Kristen Bell and Ted Danson. After her death, a self-centered New Jersey woman named Eleanor Shellstrop (Bell) enters the afterlife a.k.a. "The Good Place." But in order to stay there, she has to correct a few wrongs from her previous life. The show offers life lessons in between its characters' hilarious banter and unexpected storylines.

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In this original Netflix series, Michaela Coel stars as Tracey Gordon, a 24-year-old virgin who is raised in an extremely religious household. When she's finally ready to embrace her sexuality, she summons up the alluring power of Beyoncé to seduce her boyfriend. And from there, the British comedy takes its audience on a joyride through Tracey's crazy exploits and journey to self-discovery.

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Pour a cup of warm coffee and break out the Pop-Tarts when watching this feel-good dramedy. Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel play mother-daughter duo Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, respectively. They rely on each other, especially as Lorelai contends with her own overbearing, well-off parents. The lighthearted moments during the family's weekly dinners offset the drama in this timeless TV show.

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Among Mean Girls and Saturday Night Live (SNL), comedian and actress Tina Fey also has another gem in her entertainment catalog: 30 Rock. Not only is the NBC comedy created and produced by Fey, but she stars in it as Liz Lemon. The seven-season series is loosely based on Fey's time as a cast member and writer at SNL, balancing all the ego-driven and maniacal personalities around her. The jokes come so fast, you'll find yourself rewinding just to make sure you caught the punchlines, and to make sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you when Oprah and Gayle show up.

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