screen time
no, the other one
I am not someone who knows what’s going on. Like if everyone is talking about a new TV show, I probably haven’t seen it and won’t get around to watching for months (or years?) after it’s been a thing. I’d love to cancel all my streaming services. They keep raising the prices and do I really watch that much TV?
What I’ve found, however, is TV is one of my last remaining comforts. Even if I don’t watch it that often, I need my TV, which in 2025 means I need my steaming services. I need to know that my comfort shows will be there for me so I can rewatch them whenever I want to.
To be clear, when I talk about watching TV I literally mean the big rectangle hanging in the living room. I rarely use my smaller devices to watch anything. Like I forget I can do that. I shouldn’t since my daughter is constantly watching and rewatching shows and movies on her phone or her iPad. But I’m old now, so it does not occur to me to do things my teenager is doing. If it did I would be creating Sephora wish lists and making 6/7 jokes.
My comfort shows aren’t all on the same service because why would they be, and every time I think “Oh! We can cancel this one because we never use it!” it turns out I am wrong. And then there’s the loyalty.
I’m like an OG with Netflix. I’m talking DVDs in the mail. It seems weird to cancel it. For years we hadn’t seen the first several episodes of the first season of 24 because Netflix never had the DVDs. It took years for me to be appropriately affected by Nina’s betrayal. (that’s what the kids call an “IYKYK”)
Netflix really earned its keep for me in the last couple weeks. I watched A Man On The Inside which stars Ted Danson and was created by Michael Schur. If that combo seems familiar to you then you’ve probably watched The Good Place and appreciate a good, thoughtful comedy. And then you may also know that Michael Schur is kind of in the business of bringing heart to situation comedy and if you know that and haven’t yet watched A Man On The Inside? Get thee to a TV with a Netflix. (Or a phone or a tablet, I guess. You do you.)
With no spoilers I can tell you the story centers around a man who has recently lost his wife and subsequently lost his way in life when he gets the opportunity to work for a private investigator. This new job puts him undercover in a retirement community to solve a crime. And of course that story plays out, but what also happens is he explores his grief and renews his relationship with his daughter by way of getting to know the other residents in the community.
And maybe it’s because I turned 50 this year, so I’m old now, but it was all just so poignant. I love when a sitcom can do that. And I love that TV can be a comfort to me and others, especially these days.
So I won’t be canceling Netflix any time soon — season two comes out next month. In the meantime I’m rewatching Parks and Recreation — another Michael Schur show. But of course it’s on yet another streaming service so I’m not canceling Peacock, either.
Gee, thanks, Michael Schur.
But really, thank you, Michael Schur, for creating characters I want to keep hanging out with. What a gift.
Do you have a comfort show you like to rewatch? If so, please share. I probably haven’t seen it yet...