Revitalizing TV Shows

Revitalizing TV Shows


The end of the semester is drawing near, which means that finals are looming menacingly on the horizon. After this Friday, we only have four weeks left before the end of yet another successful school year. But that also means that we’ve already endured 11 weeks of hard work, and many of us may be on the brink of burnout. If you count yourself as one of these stressed-out students, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve got your back! We’ve amassed a list of TV shows that will distract you from your stress, elevate your mood, and inspire you to be as productive as you can possibly be.

Queer Eye

It’s been little more that a year since Queer Eye reemerged as everyone’s favorite feel-good reality show. Culturally, much has changed since the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy aired on Bravo in 2003, but it turns out that despite the passage of time, America still has an almost infinite supply of people in need of a little self-care. Whether you count yourself among them or you just love watching people finally beginning to accept themselves inside and out, Queer Eye is sure to be one of your favorite not-so-guilty pleasures. If you get to the end of the first episode without Karamo Brown making you cry and Jonathan Van Ness making you laugh, then we’ll eat our hats (while also suggesting that you check out the other 23 episodes).

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo

This show is the perfect thing to watch if you want to kick your spring cleaning instincts into high gear. Marie Kando is the author of the notorious book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which you’ve probably seen on the bookshelf of your one friend who seems to always have everything under control. On the reality show manifestation of her crisp and clean philosophy, Marie uses her infinite tidying wisdom to transform the homes of eight thankful families. Tidying Up is most enjoyable when you need to give yourself a moment to breathe and focus on something soothing, or when you’ve gotten so sick of your roommate’s messes that you need to watch someone clean up in order to stay sane. Either way, we promise you that this show is guaranteed to spark joy (just maybe consider skipping episode 4 until you’re comfortable bawling your eyes out).

Losers

Despite its downcast title, the brand-new Losers has taken its rightful place as one of the most inspirational mini-doc series of late. Following the stories of athletes who “failed” in infamous and public manners, Losers shows you what happens after you go from zero to hero and then back again. The show features some absolutely amazing interviews from legends like boxer Michael Bentt (whose engrossing on-camera presence is somehow even more compelling than his fascinating story), and figure skater Surya Bonaly (who is famous for her incredibly difficult backflip with a one-foot landing). Combined with some wonderfully charming and expressive animation, the stories these athletes tell seem practically designed to inspire you. The show’s message is a comforting one: failure doesn’t mean the end. In fact, it often leads you to something even better than what you were after before. After watching an episode of Losers, you won’t be able to help but feel ready to take on the world.

The Great British Bake Off

There’s no universe in which we could get through this list without mentioning the excellence, the perfection, the legend that is The Great British Bake Off. Retitled The Great British Baking Show in America for seemingly no reason, Bake Off has remained the absolute pinnacle of reality television since it first began in 2010. The show doesn’t manufacture artificial drama with tacky editing tricks, it doesn’t create “villains” by way of out-of-context talking heads, and it doesn’t encourage drama through egregious challenges. Instead, it trusts that the audience actually enjoys the show for what it is: a bunch of British people baking cakes while Mel and Sue wander around making incredibly British jokes and the Mary Berry/Paul Hollywood power couple give incredibly cryptic advice. Bake Off’s subdued styling makes the show’s natural drama all the more enjoyable. Who could forget the Greek tragedy of Iain throwing his ice cream in the bin during the Baked Alaska challenge of season 6? And to those fans who stopped watching after Mel, Sue, and Mary Berry left in 2017: sure, the show might not be exactly what it used to be, but it will still warm your heart and make you incredibly hungry for cake.