Lovely gentle soothing things

[BadAmbassador]

Everything is a bit shit right now, on a national scale.

I wanted to share this lovely podcast I've been listening to which has me smiling all the way through. It's Mel Giedroyc interviewing various actors, eg Hugh Dennis, Adjoa Andoh, about their early tv memories, shows their parents watched that they hated, programmes they weren't allowed to watch etc. Surprising number of them not allowed to watch ITV as a child 😂
Anyway it's just so nice, probably appeal to those 45+ just because of the references.

open.spotify.com/show/3Qf2BToK8oadZODUgwfV0c?si=nxUNqju4R52m0WqJqzU1gQ

If you have anything similarly therapeutic and gentle, feel free to share here 😊

I love that podcast! And yes, I think you need to be of a certain age to get most of the references.

On TV, I've found the "back in time for ..." series similarly restful, I think it's BBC2, the Christmas one was excellent

@Defiantlynot41 yes, I love those Back in R

...Back in Time programmes!
Sorry about that.

I never say this to people I know because it makes me sound like I’m 100, but I love the Miss Read village school books. Nothing of any great importance ever really happens in them, the highest stakes really are what will happen at the show and who will have to play cavemen and whether the children will know their lines for the Christmas nativity etc etc. They’re just so relaxing and enjoyable.

I like watching Cottagecore videos on YouTube.

Nothing wrong with a lovely comforting read. They sound delightful!

I had to very tentatively Google this 😂
But I see what you mean! All idyllic and simple.

See also the children's series Heidi from the..,80s, was it?

Little House On The Prarie was my favourite.

That podcast looks great, thank you for the recommendation.

I love the Hallmark Christmas films that will start appearing on ch5. Saving the family business, putting on the town Christmas concert, everyone living happily ever after 🙏🏻

I'm rewatching Gilmore Girls with my newborn for similar reasons - total escape from reality 🙂

@CurbsideProphet yes!! Love a formulaic Christmas film, you know it's all going to turn out ok 😊

I read all the Miss Read books as a teenager. Lovely gentle books with helpful villagers and community spirit. I do badly wanted to live there with a handsome farmer.

@Kanaloa i agree with you about the Miss Read books, lovely gentle storylines. Similar with Agatha Christie I find (but with more dead bodies lol) harking back to (what appears to be) more simple times. What I would call Sunday night viewing if it were on tv like Heartbeat, Call the midwife etc.

Yes! Like a Sunday afternoon bbc special but in book form. I also love Agatha Christie too, maybe I’m a bit out of time. I suppose a bit like Downton Abbey, just gently stories about real people and their problems and lives. So much TV and books too nowadays seem to be quite sensationalist and gritty and dark. I think there’s something to be said for the gentle story too.

Agree about wanting to live there too @Soonenough I would teach the infants class and spend my days gently thinking about play dough, admiring little Linda’s outfits, and waiting for the lady in the van to bring the school dinners. And it’s obviously not too taxing - they don’t seem to panic over the children’s poor academic skills, do they?

Also agree with the Hallmark movies! Will this high powered business woman find more than just mountains when she has to move to a tiny mountain town to sort the tea shop her recently deceased great aunt just left to her? Erm, yes, she’ll probably find a handsome widower (of appropriate grieving time ie 2 years) with a quirky and fun child who just wants a new mommy in their life for Christmas. Absolute tosh, and sooo enjoyable.

open.spotify.com/track/4eIbAFHoPC1qWRhlrgvBbI?si=aQMEQYL7QCOzIkl7gKZ3Uw

This song... the band are local to me, and the lyrics are just deeply reassuring "it's alright..."

I think the 70s had so many gentle, wholesome family viewing. Little House on the Prairie, Walton, Brady Bunch , Heidi , Black Beauty ..

I love them too and have probably read most of them.

I also like Barbara Pym's books but nobody I know has every heard of her. My kids joke that they're all about spinsters and vicars and nothing really happens but I think it's the cosy familiarity that I love.

There is a podcast called you are good which is a movie podcast. It's nothing exciting, they just discuss the movies really, it's American. But even when it's a horror one the presenters have really laid back voices and seem very kind and I just find it really soothing. I have very rarely watched the movie, it doesn't seem to matter.

I also found that programme where Paul Merton and his wife went campervanning really comforting and I don't give two shits about camper vans!

@RaraRachael I love Barbara Pym! Sylvia Townsend Warner I also love

I just rediscovered poetry a bit. I try to sometimes read a poem instead of doomscrolling.

I also love a good 1940s noir film, so comforting yet so murderous!

I like watching the Country Life Vlog on Youtube. It follows a couple in Azerbajan who seem to live an idyllic self sufficient life. It's non-verbal and very relaxing.

Here's an example:

Doc Martin. I love the scenery, the silly little names of the patients (Scott Chegg, Drew Peacock) and stupid inane plot lines. I don't have to think about it, just enjoy it.
Agatha Raisin, for similar reasons.

Gardener's World for me. The lovely music and then the sound of birds cheeping and Monty Don's rich calm voice saying 'hello'...instant relaxation. Grand designs is nearly as good.

I always say this about old QI. When Stephen says goodnight, I feel like ‘ahh, yes. Goodnight.’ Just so calming.

I read lots of books with this exact storyline