Has anyone seen this show Heated Rivalry? I’M KIDDING. It’s peak season for indoor activities, like TV binging and movie nights (and ice hockey, and…other things). Since we love chatting about favorite shows, old and new, we thought we’d share a few fun reader comments on TV…
On family-friendly viewing:
“Our whole household loves Family Feud with Steve Harvey. We don’t have cable at home, so whenever we go on a trip, we’re all like, ‘WE CAN WATCH FAMILY FEUD!!!’ Last year, we visited my husband’s family, and they are not Family Feud people — or so they thought. We turned it on one night, and sloooowly, like moths to a flame, everyone in the house came over one by one until we were all piled out the couch together, literally crying with laughter.” — Susannah
“Growing up, whenever my dad worked late, my mum would make my sister and me a ‘telly tea,’ and we’d get to stay up and watch shows. The telly tea always had the same four components: crisps, a few pieces of chocolate, half a banana, and Jelly Tots gummy candy. I always ate each bit in a particular order. It was such an important ritual that my mum told my husband about it just before we got married, so he could make me telly tea now and again.” — Mags
“I watch I Love Lucy every morning as I’m getting ready. I grew up watching it, and everyone in my family has seen each episode one million times. We now live far apart, but if it’s on when we’re together, we’ll stop what we’re doing and watch it. It’s a comforting family tradition. Watching it alone in the mornings feels like a way to bring them into my daily routine, even when they’re not there.” — Jessica
On relating to characters:
“My boyfriend and I watched Friends during the pandemic, and he said that Monica helped him better understand me. I must admit, she helps me understand myself, too. There’s an expectation that women should be apologetic about their goals, or for being ‘high maintenance,’ but I love that Monica is unapologetically fully herself.” — Shanti
“My family and friends always compare me to the ‘old man’ characters on TV shows. In particular, the dad from Frasier; Nick from New Girl; and Gene from Bob’s Burgers. I also once took a psychometric quiz that matches you with fictional characters, and my top three were Gandalf, Dumbledore, and the old man from Jurassic Park. I am a young, brown woman but I’m clearly giving off old-white-man energy!” — Amanda
“A gorgeous, confusing thing is that I was attracted to many male characters as a youth (Newsies, and also Josh Hartnett in Pearl Harbor) but also knew from an early age that I was a lesbian. I didn’t know HOW I knew, just that I was and that, even still, I liked Josh Hartnett. Decades later I recognized I was attracted to masculinity not men, and now I have a hot wife who actually looks quite a lot like Josh Hartnett in his Pearl Harbor era.” — Sarah
“I’m Gomez from The Addams Family — whimsical, looks cute in a stripe, and ardently devoted to his wife. I could probably even grow a mustache like his if I didn’t Sally-Hansen mine away every three weeks.” — Chiara
On feel-good shows:
“I re-watched Arrested Development when I was going through postpartum depression/anxiety. I re-watched it again when my mother died. When I’m in a particularly dark place, I find the familiarity of the show helps me cope. Plus, even if I cry through a big portion, I’ll still know the plot; and its ridiculousness helps me to not take life too seriously.” — Kat
“Our Flag Means Death is the queer pirate rom-com I didn’t know I needed. If a delightful show about Blackbeard falling in love with another pirate can make it to mainstream TV, the world is — at least in one way — moving in a better direction.” — Stacey
“Cooking shows are my go-to. It’s so comforting to watch someone talk about crust and whisking. There’s enough drama in real life, so I like TV shows that have none at all.” — LL
On guilty secret pleasures:
“I’ve swapped ‘guilty pleasure’ for ‘secret pleasure’ and it’s done me a world of good. Not every person in the world will get us! And let’s revel in that moment when a dinner party compatriot whispers, ‘Ohmigod, I’ve just finished watching that, too; what are your THOUGHTS?’” — Katharine
This SNL skit from this past weekend made us laugh
Do you have any TV rituals or favorite shows you’d like to share?
P.S. Eric Kim shares what 9 movies and shows with gay characters meant to him, and what are your ‘bunny rabbit shows’?
(Photo from Heated Rivalry. Obviously.)
