Recommend me things to watch when my children are in the room

[HarryVanderspeigle]

I am about to start some medical treatment that will leave me tired and unwell. Looking for recommendations for things to watch while looking after my children, age 7 and 10, but not aimed at them. Like most kids these days they have their tablets, so would much rather watch their cartoons and gaming than anything I try and engage them with. They will get out and about with family too.

So series without sex and swearing, or documentaries that don't involve murder or death induced natural disasters etc. We all like things like gladiators, masked singer, is it cake and geography related documentaries. They aren't good with death and peril, so something like dr who is a no, as are wildlife documentaries where the cute fluffy creature is torn to pieces by predators.

Maybe have a look at the From The Archive category on BBCiPlayer. Documentaries and dramas from when rules were tighter.

Glow up
Design masters

Sort Your Life Out
The Durrells
All Creatures Great and Small
BBC version of Pride & Prejudice
Only Murders In The Building

When I was bottle feeding ds4 I used to watch a lot of quiz programmes like catch phrase and pointless during the day when the dc were around. I used to look forward to the night feeds when I could watch downtown abbey! Ds1 came down in the early morning while I was watching, sighed and said "oh no mummy, not the posh people again"

I started watching Korean dramas in similar circumstances. They are sex free, very polite generally, because of Korean culture and broadcasting rules. Some are very v violent though! And if you watch in Korean with subtitles on, you can have sound turned way down.
Crash Landing on You on Netflix is lovely and a worth a go. And there is lots of it.

Race Across the world (bbc1)

Steve Bagshaw has done some good travel/exploring series

My Dream Farm - channel 4

James May Explorers series - (channel 4 I think) - really interesting

Escape to the wild - Ben Fogle

Endurance - Ben fogle and Dwayne (chief scout) South pole expedition using authentic equipment and clothing

Shakespeare and Hathaway - cosy mystery murder series. One of my favourite series ever, and I always re-watch the series when poorly. (Not gory, was on tv at midday,)

I do love pointless 😀

Not watched any of Downton, so that should be plenty to binge.

Do like the things Ben Fogle does. Seen a lot of the lives in the wild, but not the Endurance one.

Ben Fogle: New Lives In The Wild

Ghosts
Ludwig
Beyond Paradise

Sort your life out

Great British bake off

Michael Portillo train journeys and travel documentaries are very good.

99 To Beat - ITV series is great fun!!

Gilmore girls
modern family

Game shows are a good choice - Catchphrase, Countdown, The Chase, Impossible etc.

To be honest, live TV is probably best for this when the kids are around, if it's on in the daytime on live telly you can almost guarantee it will be fine.

Old Enough on Netflix is fun, my DC6 when a bit younger sometimes used to catch bits when I was watching it and enjoyed it even though they couldn't read the subtitles to understand the speech.

Cooking shows?

Shows about dogs, of which there are loads now, like The Dog House etc.

Agree with PPs about Ghosts, Modern Family, Race Across the World and Korean dramas (in the romance genre). Win or Lose was sweet on Disney +.

Love Ghosts, could absolutely watch that again. Every time the kids try to go somewhere they shouldn't, or wear shoes in the house etc, I yell orf the lawn! It's the only clip they have seen, but they love it too.

I like cooking competitions like masterchef and bake off. Don't like presentation shows though as I object to being told how to cook! Pottery throw down was a new discovery for me this year, so a few series of that to binge on catch up.

Did enjoy Ludwig. Haven't seen death in paradise.

I agree.

Not on TV but trek trendy on YouTube posts travel stuff I find fascinating
also on YouTube - living big in a tiny house

for TV definitely all creatures great and small, it’s my comfort TV!

On Netflix- Chesapeake Shores. Hallmark drama that my kids ended up watching with me! Really light drama and wholesome family stuff.

Biggest Little Farm on Netflix
Inside Hotel Chocolat on Channel 4

Repeats of 'Allo 'Allo and Open All Hours.

David Attenborough's documentary Life on Earth.

Great British Sewing Bee. I can barely thread a needle but always enjoy that.

The Detectorists. Lovely gentle but far from anodyne humour. Beautifully observed, written, acted, directed, filmed, you name it.

Poirot, ITV. If available anywhere, the BBC Miss Marples with Joan Hickson.

Hope your treatment goes well.