8 old, reliable shows to turn to for a feel-good binge
You spend a full summer promoting a series about a gorgeous naked lady covered in cryptic tattoos inside a duffel bag, and of course I’m going to tune in.
Heck, NBC should have just called the thing “Gorgeous Naked Lady Covered in Cryptic Tattoos Inside a Duffel Bag.”
Instead, the network named it “Blindspot,” and still I watched.
I kept watching long past the point when it became blindingly obvious that the series made it on the air without anyone having concocted a legitimate reason why “Jane Doe” (“Thor’s” Jaimie Alexander) would have been covered in those tattoos and stuffed, naked, inside that duffel bag.
But when the action-drama known for its domestic terrorism plots and all-too-frequent use of assault rifles returns for its third season at 8 p.m. Friday, I won’t be there.
I’ve never had a problem with violent content. I adore Quentin Tarantino’s films, Hong Kong action flicks and that church scene from “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” I’ll also never stop being an advocate for creative freedom.
But right now, this month — this awful, horrible month — I’m just not in the mood.
I’ve spent the past few weeks gravitating toward feel-good shows, namely NBC’s “This Is Us,” which never ceases to amaze.
I also can’t get enough of the impish glee that Ted Danson brings to his role on NBC’s “The Good Place.” Granted, he’s portraying a demon who’s spent millennia torturing those who deserved it, but he’s having such fun in the role, you can’t help but smile.
Those series, though, are just beginning their second seasons. So here’s a look at some of the old, reliable shows I binge on whenever I need to put myself in a good place.
■ “Friends” (Netflix): Usually I just stumble across Joey, Chandler and the gang during one of the 18 or so hours a day they’re on TBS or Nick at Nite. But, thanks to streaming video, “Friends” always will be there for you. Could there be a better pick-me-up?
■ “Friday Night Lights” (Amazon): This perfect slice of small-town Americana is so beautifully crafted, it will make you question city life. Of course, it was easier to drop in on the residents of Dillon, Texas, before Netflix unceremoniously dumped it earlier this month. Now you’ll need to pay for it, by the episode or the season. Yes, even the Landry episodes from Season 2.
■ “Parenthood” (Netflix): It’s just like “This Is Us” without having to guess what year it is based on Milo Ventimiglia’s facial hair.
■ “The West Wing” (Netflix): It isn’t about political ideology. It’s about basking in the passion of people wanting to make the world a better place.
■ “Family Ties” (Amazon): Speaking of politics, there’s always time for this loving look at the days when two hippie liberals could sit down for dinner with their ultraconservative son without any of them ending up in the hospital.
■ “New Girl” (Netflix and Hulu): I could listen to Schmidt mispronounce things for days.
■“Cheers” (Netflix): Regardless of whether you’re Team Diane or Team Rebecca, it’s an all-time classic.
■ “The O.C.” (Hulu): I’m not a 14-year-old girl. You’re a 14-year-old girl.
What to watch
■ Head back to Hawkins, Indiana, and — possibly — the Upside Down in the second season of “Stranger Things” (Friday, Netflix).
■ Queen Latifah executive produces and stars in “Flint” (8 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime), a dramatic look at the Michigan city’s water crisis that may be the most important Lifetime movie ever. Let’s face it, it may be the only important Lifetime movie ever.
■ Two millennials end up at a mysterious hotel inhabited by a dancing King of Pop in the animated “Michael Jackson’s Halloween” (8 p.m. Friday, CBS).
■ While we’re talking about things you never thought you’d see, TV’s game show revival continues with “Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker’s Wild” (10 p.m. Tuesday, TBS).
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.
