Help me find calming, comforting TV please!!

[VioletLemon]

Hi, I recently had a difficult MH setback and am finding it v hard to stop overthinking. I don't want to use the extra meds I have as its really strong and I tend to check out too much when taking it. TV has the same effect, can you help suggest anything?

I love period stuff like Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife and Yellowstones prequel (?). I also love fluffy bollocks (not literally) like MAFSUK and true crime. I feel I've over immersed in true crime seen them all I think and it's neither calming nor comforting.

I've watched and loved twee C5 creatures great and small, the crown, Strike, Gosford Park movie last night. Anything 1950s set reminds me of my Mum I suppose and it feels comforting but I will try anything. I just need a good story, can anyone suggest something good? I have all the subscriptions too. Any ideas at all would be really appreciated, thanks.

Hamish Macbeth is being rebroadcast. It’s a brilliant watch with clever, some comedic, some quite serious, storylines. I would throughly recommend watching from the first episode, so you get to know all the characters.

A Place to Call Home, an Australian drama set in the 50s, it looks like it is on Amazon and Acorn TV.

Virgin river on Netflix.

Not a period drama but think it'll tick tour boxes and it has some stunning scenery.

Virgin River

Ghosts on BBC.
Schittz Creek on Netflix.

Have you tried Agatha Christie’s Poirot with David Suchet?

My all-time favourite comfort series. I like to start from the beginning and watch the episodes in chronological order.

I also like the original All creatures great and small. Mostly the first 2 series, tbf.

Also, Heartland, 6 seasons on Up Family on Amazon, rest is on Netflix, not a period drama but very good, loads of seasons so very long.

Everwood on ITV X, not a period drama but very good

these are both similar to Virgin River type series

Detectorists - the ultimate in comfort TV

If you don't mind watching black & white TV, Maigret is on Talking Pictures TV at 8pm on Sunday nights. Made in the 1960s, filmed in Paris. Maigret, the police inspector is so full of goodness, there's nothing gory and his relationship with Madam Maigret is lovely. I am addicted & its prompted me to start reading the Maigret books.

Thinking of Talking Pictures TV, there's also Rumpole on Thursday evenings at 9pm.

Another big vote for the Detectorists. I'd also recommend Parks and Recreation, (got various family members through various degrees of heartache and stress), Our Flag Means Death (about pirates but so so gentle and ultimately about kindness), and weirdly, Back to Life, about a woman returning to her hometown after a stretch in prison. It's a little dark in places but is really about forgiveness.

(I know Poirot is broadly to do with crime, but the early series, at least, I find quite charming and comforting and not too dark at all)

The Darling Buds of May, it’s makes me all nostalgic of summers spent in Somerset at my grandparents and I turn to it if I’m having a wobble.

My favourite is the old Upstairs Downstairs (not so much the reboot).

Sounds like The Bletchley Circle would be right up your street (it’s on Netflix I think).
Set after the war a group of ‘Bletchley Girls’ solve crimes and mysteries using the code breaking skills they learnt at Bletchley Park, it’s cosy crime at its best.

The marvelous mrs maisel (amazon prime)

Schitts Creek! I love baking shows.

The Durrell's was loved by us. Gentle, funny etc

If you have Disney Plus, Abbott Elementary is a lovely workplace comedy, but may not have enough of a single plot for you? Also Hacks and The Marvellous Mrs Maisel on Prime.

More votes for Detectorists, Poirot and Darling buds of May.

That's what I came on to say! The Detectorists is fab, and definitely fits the criteria.

Another one is The Durrells.

I was going to suggest Downton Abbey but see it’s already in the OP you wrote. Have you seen both DA movies? I love and rewatch loads when it’s on Pride and Prejudice but the BBC version, I don’t really like the film version with Keira Knightly

Theres also another one but I keep forgetting the name. It’s a period drama with a good cast including Judi Dench. Lark Rise something, I can’t remember the rest of the name

I would second @MissMarplesNiece recommending the French TV version of Maigret with Bruno Cremer on Talking Picture’s Channel, it is excellent.
They are also showing the Rupert Davies Maigret series, which is nostalgic in its own way, but not as good as the other one.

This is what Gilmore Girls was made for

Cranford is the Judy Dench one and Lark Rise to Candleford is the other one - both are really good.

I’ve just started re-watching Mr Selfridge. All four seasons are available in ITVX