Does anyone else find watching old tv shows soothing?

[GingerbreadCrisps]

I’ve been watching Tales of The Unexpected and while the stories certainly aren’t cosy, there’s still something soothing about seeing the old fashioned haircuts, clothes and decor.

I watch a lot of old shows for this reason. I appreciate that there are many less appealing aspects of certain older shows but I generally find them comforting.

Which old programmes do you find soothing? I’m always looking for more. I’ll leave it to the individual to decide what constitutes old.

Not soothing necessarily but I appreciate that my brain really has to work less because even if I don’t remember a particular storyline properly in an episode the whole series is familiar enough that I can relax more and engage less but without feeling I’m missing something.

I suppose that could be considered soothing.

I rewatched several different things over the years, some things iv rewatched multiple times if they are older series’s. Not always nice fluffy things either but because iv seen them before they don’t have the same affect.

Not necessarily old tv but there is some TV I find hugely comforting… downton abbey, heartland on Netflix, the crown, they’ve all been watched multiple times.

Yes. I rarely watch anything new. One of the ways my autism really shows itself is in my obsession with comfort programs. I will happily watch the same episode of a 90s comedy over and over. It’s familiar and comforting.
I don’t like new things, I like to know every word and facial expression of what I’m watching.
I watched a documentary in the summer about a film I like. It sparked an obsession and I’ve now watched the documentary in excess of 40 times. I could tell you it off by heart. It makes me feel at ease and happy.

Sure do! Been enjoying Rising Damp.

I really liked The Good Life but also only fools and horses does it for me.

I’ve been watching To The Manor Born and As Time Goes By on BBC Four. We didn’t watch either when I was growing up but I’m enjoying them now.

Black adder, West Wing
Yes Minister

Grange Hill on boxset. Brookside.

Yes, I do.

I like watching Goodnight Sweetheart, Classic Corrie, Upstairs Downstairs, The Darling Buds of May (with Pam Ferris), an old documentary series from the 70s called The Family (It is on YouTube) and Come Outside (with Auntie Mabel and Pippin). I also enjoy old Supermarket Sweep episodes - They remind me of sick days, when I didn't go into school.

Dh likes watching old episodes of Bullseye, for the nostalgia. I didn't really grow up watching that though. We watched all the old episodes of The Crystal Maze, a few years ago. I also like The Royle Family. I think it catches that time period really well. I grew up watching a lot of Only Fools and Horses, so like that too.

Lastly, The Full Monty really makes me nostalgic.

Dad's Army
Yes, Minister
Porridge
Open All Hours (but not the sequel - David Jason seems very creepy)
As Time Goes By
The Good Life
Two Ronnies
Morecambe and Wise

Yes, have a huge collection of DVD's (many many hundreds), most of which are TV series. A few are modern (Endeavour, Midsomer Murders) but the remainder are slightly older (Lewis, Morse, Foyles War, Poirot, Benidorm Dinner ladies, Bluestone 42, Agatha Raisin, Jam & Jerusalem, Outside Edge, IT Crowd, Father Ted, Auf Pet, Vicer Of Dibley, Black Books, Oh Dr Beeching, You Rang M'lord, Lovejoy, Jeeves & Wooster) and then we are back into the 60's, 70's & 80's (Watching, Hi-De-Hi, Ain't Half Hot Mum, Dads Army, Allo Allo, The good Life, Lytons Diary, Howards Way, The Army Game, Likely Lads, Rumpole, Yes Minister/Prime Minister, Miss Marple, Inspector Allen, Mrs Bradley, Boon, Lord Peter Whimsy, Surgical Spirit, First & Last of The Summer Wine, Porridge, Clarence, Open All Hours, As Time Goes By, The Bounder). These are only the ones that immediately come to mind.......
Have films as well but it is mainly TV series that I go back to time and time again. Never get fed up of watching them and rarely watch anything current.

Best channel on the t.v

Lots of pp's have already mentioned mine

I'll add:
You rang, m'lord?
The Golden Girls
George & Mildred
Lots of p's

Hi-de-Hi!

Are You Being Served?

Blackadder

Open All Hours

Victoria Wood - As Seen on TV (with the Marvelous Acorn Antiques)
Is it legal?
Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister

Love Fools n Horses, Jeeves and Wooster and Sharpe.

All very soothing and make me feel safe for some weird reason!

We have a channel that features only old black and white films.
I like watching them because there are no gruesome violent scenes popping up out of nowhere.
You can be pretty sure that although they may have some sticky endings they're never gory!
There's something innocent and naive about these films, that I find that relaxing.
DH and I enjoy reruns of Heartbeat and Doc Martin.
Poirot would be good to see again too.

ITV 3 have some excellent dramas

I've just re watch the whole of er well the first 8'seasons it peters off after mark dies

But any way I had lots of nostalgic emotions and quite visceral.

How good were things in the 90s

Wow! I so admire your list, long list of programmes and series!
You'll never be lost for something entertaining to watch.
I posted while scrambling in my brain to think of some of the series that I would like to see again but your list is fantastic!
How could I forget Foyle's War?
Loved that series; would enjoy seeing it again.

I love Murder She Wrote for this!

Totally agree with this. I repeat the same things over and over - Friends, Black Books, Father Ted, Spaced, Red Dwarf for TV & Four Weddings & a Funeral, Bridget Jones, Clueless and Miss Congeniality for films...

Absolutely. I suffer terribly from nostalgia.

My favourite comforts include:

Heartbeat
Lovejoy
Where The Heart Is
Wycliffe
Keeping Up Appearances
George and Mildred
Early series of Doc Martin

Tales of the Unexpected but only the British episodes for some reason. Don't enjoy the American episodes at all.

I recently watched all of Hamish Macbeth on iPlayer and that was excellent.

Thanks all! I’m very grateful for all of your suggestions. Some of which I haven’t yet seen. Others I need to revisit and complete the rest.

I’m also very happy that I’m not the only one who still enjoys watching dvds