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With frigid temperatures slamming much of the country with an early winter freeze—and the sun setting everywhere well before 5 p.m.—we could all use a serotonin boost. So why not settle in during the holidays with some pajamas, a blanket, and some great comfort watches? Here are some of our favorites, all of which come down to one simple principle: the power of friendship and community. And while some of these are Peabody winners, others just capture that same spirit.
Insecure delivers every feel-good element possible—friendship, community, romance, and coming-of-age—with just enough drama to keep us riveted. Co-creator and star Issa Rae makes it all look easy, and delivers it with charisma to spare, which is why she’s gone on to become a major force in Hollywood. The show follows a character named Issa, starting with her awkward days working at a non-profit and struggling to stay connected to her de-motivated boyfriend, Lawrence (Jay Ellis)—struggles that seem to stand in contrast to her corporate-attorney best friend, Molly (Yvonne Orji). Both women mature over the course of five seasons, but not without some major rifts and heartbreaks along the way. What sells it all is their almost painful relatability, and just how fun it is to hang out with them no matter what they’re going through.
Where to Watch: Disney+
Explore More About Insecure on Peabody‘s Site
‘North of North’
In North of North, a Canadian comedy that premiered on Netflix earlier this year, young Inuk mother Siaja (the charming Anna Lambe) tries to start over after ending her marriage to her town’s golden boy, Ting (Kelly William). The problem: She’s staying in the same small Arctic town, where every other young woman is now vying for his affection (mainly by bringing him casseroles), and she and Ting have a daughter, Bun (Keira Cooper), who’s just old enough to understand what’s going on. Things get even more complicated when Siaja’s estranged father shows up as part of a team that wants to build a research facility that would turn the town’s fortunes around. It’s all dizzyingly heartwarming, despite the cold setting.
Where to Watch: Netflix
This dramedy from Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi flips the typical teen hangout show. Here, the irresistible group of wisecracking kids at its center guide us through their authentic experiences as part of an indigenous Oklahoma town in the Muscogee Nation. As they mourn the recent death by suicide of a friend, they also long for the better life they imagine in California, often committing petty crimes in an effort to save up for the journey. The core group is full of breakout young actors—Devery Jacobs as the pragmatic Elora, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as self-appointed leader Bear, Lane Factor as the ultra-chill Cheese, and Paulina Alexis as wisecracking tomboy Willie Jack. And their community is so full of colorful and (mostly) caring characters that it’s hard to know whether to root for them to get out or stay put, though we’re always rooting for them as people.
Where to Watch: Disney+
Explore More About Reservation Dogs on Peabody‘s Site
‘Schitt’s Creek’
After a clunky first season, Schitt’s Creek turns into a utopian vision of small-town life as a mechanism that transforms spoiled, formerly rich people into sweet, emotionally vulnerable, responsible adults. The plot, in case you’ve missed it, follows the Rose family after they lose their video-empire fortune in a Ponzi scheme and end up living in a backwater town called Schitt’s Creek, which patriarch Johnny (Eugene Levy) bought as a joke for cynical son David (Dan Levy). (The Levys are also co-creators on the series.) What seems like it could be a mean-spirited jab at country life instead morphs into the story of how a quirky community supports the Roses—including former soap queen Moira (Catherine O’Hara) and tabloid-baiting Alexis (Annie Murphy)—into becoming decent people. It’s also very funny and swooningly romantic.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
HBO’s quiet, gentle series ambles through the ordinary lives of a group of well-meaning, if imperfect, middle-aged people in Kansas: Sam (Bridget Everett), an aspiring singer who has returned home after her sister’s death; Sam’s best friend Joel (Jeff Hiller), a gay man who’s heavily involved in his church; and the friends and family who surround them, antagonize them, and love them. The fissures in Sam and Joe’s friendship crackle with the tension of an action film and make the warm moments of togetherness all the more poignant. Created by playwrights Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, Somebody Somewhere demonstrates that every life is interesting enough to grace the screen—if it’s well-observed enough.
Where to Watch: HBO Max
Explore More About Somebody Somewhere on Peabody‘s Site