As temperatures drop and life gets busy, it’s normal to feel a strong desire for comfort and warmth. For some, that comfort is found in our chai and pumpkin-flavoured lattes, or our softest fluffy socks and flannel layers. For others, the warm feelings of butterflies and romance swoop in to soothe the fall blues as they find themselves falling for someone new: they call it cuffing season for a reason.

Just like the leaves shed themselves from soft greens to burnt reds every year, many find themselves returning to a few oh-so-familiar shows during this time of year. Whether rooted in some kind of personal tradition, a search for comfort, or the need for background noise, there seems to be a theme within the season’s go-to reruns: nostalgia.

As a society, we always seem to be reminiscing - from celebrating an array of anniversaries to constantly rediscovering old music. However, the nostalgia felt in the autumn season seems different than the rest of the year. Perhaps it reminds us of the excitement our younger selves felt when faced with the return to school, and maybe rewatching some of our favourite comfort shows takes us back to where we were in our lives when we first watched them.

Take Gilmore Girls for example. One of my best friends rewatches this beloved mother-daughter drama every single year. Even though the series premiered twenty-three years ago, the small-town charm of Stars Hallow, the Pinterest-worthy academia vibes and the unconditional love between Rory and Lorelai seem to fulfil something inside us.

Despite knowing exactly how these shows will end, we find ourselves drawn back into the episodes as if for the first time. Maybe that’s just it, in a time of changing weather and routine, the simplicity of knowing how a show ends gives us the space to truly relax. In this way, the shows we rewatch can become one, if not the only, constant in our lives.

Another classic favourite is Sex and The City - you know, the six-season, seven-time Emmy award-winning show that led to two movies plus a prequel and sequel series. Centring on the lives of four women in their mid-thirties/early forties, this show reminds us that the ups and downs of life are normal, the real ones will stick with us through it all, and that it’s fabulous to love yourself first. Yet again - warm, comforting messages during a cool, sometimes unsettling time of year.

From small-town drama to the challenges of the big city, these shows also feel real. Not only do the actor’s portrayals feel true to the characters, but the issues they experience are somewhat universal. What’s more reassuring than knowing your favourite fictional character made it through the worst times of their lives?

These re-watching experiences also tend to bring people together. Besties start watching at the same time, continuously checking in via book club style or live-tweeting. Others share their favourite Carrie Bradshaw looks or debate Dean, Jess & Logan discourse online.

How could we talk about rewatching old favourites without the one and only Friends? The recent, heartbreaking loss of Matthew Perry has only doubled the urge to rewatch a show that so many find comfort in. The focus on living out your twenties with your best friends is something that resonates with us all, however, new grads, who are feeling unsure of their future or behind in their careers might find extra comfort in this show. Recently this theme even spawned a trend on TikTok, reminding us that we’re only in season one of ten, we don’t have to have everything figured out.

I don’t think we will ever have one solid answer for why we so often rewatch shows like Gilmore Girls, Sex and the City, or Friends, but what I do know is that they ignite something in us all. They can take us back to happy memories and inspire togetherness. They can bring feelings of warmth, comfort, and reassurance while helping us to manage stress.

Why look for something new when you know for sure that your favourites will make you feel everything you need, all at once?

Looking for some new series to add to your comfort list? On the lookout for something new to binge-watch then rewatch? While you can’t go wrong with any of the above-mentioned essentials, here are a few more shows that are great for autumn and winter, whether you’ll be watching for the first time or the third!

1. The Office

2. Only Murderers In The Building

3. Bridgerton

4. The Vampire Diaries

5. Ted Lasso

6. Friday Night Lights

7. Daisy Jones and The Six