Lighthearted Netflix offerings for bedtime
September 26, 2017 8:27 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for more stuff to watch on Netflix as I'm winding down for bed.
Should be smart enough that when I can't fall asleep I'm not bored, but mild enough to not stand in the way of falling asleep.
I've used things like Gilmore Girls, Father Brown, Buffy (some of it, anyway), How I Met Your Mother (except for that one episode with the death of a character's family member), Murdoch Mysteries, Frasier, Disjointed, Murder in Paradise.
Stuff like Miss Fisher, Call The Midwife, or The Bletchley Circle is enjoyable but for other times of day when staying awake to make sure everything comes out okay does not present a problem.
Weirdly murder mysteries are often okay, especially when a lot of the plot focuses on character relationships and pondering puzzles, but not when there are car chases and suspense. Especially suspenseful music.
I've used things like Gilmore Girls, Father Brown, Buffy (some of it, anyway), How I Met Your Mother (except for that one episode with the death of a character's family member), Murdoch Mysteries, Frasier, Disjointed, Murder in Paradise.
Stuff like Miss Fisher, Call The Midwife, or The Bletchley Circle is enjoyable but for other times of day when staying awake to make sure everything comes out okay does not present a problem.
Weirdly murder mysteries are often okay, especially when a lot of the plot focuses on character relationships and pondering puzzles, but not when there are car chases and suspense. Especially suspenseful music.
Grace and Frankie
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:39 PM on September 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:39 PM on September 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
Parks & Rec ?
Cheers
Malcolm in the Middle
Scrubs
Seinfeld, Wings, Dream On and Picket Fences are on Hulu. They pick up lot of stuff that might be described as "milder." (NB: Dream On was raunchy, at least for the time.)
(this list is very white, Cosby is a non-starter and -- unless I've missed them -- for whatever reason the big 90s black family sitcoms seem to be MIA, as are some other obvious picks like Northern Exposure, Roseanne and Coach.)
Amazon Prime has Spin City.
Monk used to be on Netflix but it's gone now.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:48 PM on September 26, 2017
Cheers
Malcolm in the Middle
Scrubs
Seinfeld, Wings, Dream On and Picket Fences are on Hulu. They pick up lot of stuff that might be described as "milder." (NB: Dream On was raunchy, at least for the time.)
(this list is very white, Cosby is a non-starter and -- unless I've missed them -- for whatever reason the big 90s black family sitcoms seem to be MIA, as are some other obvious picks like Northern Exposure, Roseanne and Coach.)
Amazon Prime has Spin City.
Monk used to be on Netflix but it's gone now.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:48 PM on September 26, 2017
The Good Place
"When a tractor-trailer carrying erectile dysfunction products strikes and kills Eleanor Shellstrop, she's surprised to find herself in the "good" area of the afterlife. She quickly realizes she has been mistaken for someone else when her wise, newfound mentor tells her she earned her place by helping get innocent people off death row. She decides that she wants to shed her old foul-mouthed and hard-drinking ways and find a way to embrace the good person within -- at least when she isn't considering finding a way to return to her mundane existence back on Earth."
posted by Murderbot at 8:56 PM on September 26, 2017 [11 favorites]
"When a tractor-trailer carrying erectile dysfunction products strikes and kills Eleanor Shellstrop, she's surprised to find herself in the "good" area of the afterlife. She quickly realizes she has been mistaken for someone else when her wise, newfound mentor tells her she earned her place by helping get innocent people off death row. She decides that she wants to shed her old foul-mouthed and hard-drinking ways and find a way to embrace the good person within -- at least when she isn't considering finding a way to return to her mundane existence back on Earth."
posted by Murderbot at 8:56 PM on September 26, 2017 [11 favorites]
(Roseanne is streaming on Amazon Prime, if that's an option. It's still really great until the final 2-3 seasons).
I like British comedy quiz shows for this. 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown is pretty light humor with word and numbers games. You can find them on YouTube. S12 is the current one, which started last month. QI is also good, but gets a little more current eventsy/political, if that's something you're trying to avoid right before sleep.
posted by Ufez Jones at 8:59 PM on September 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
I like British comedy quiz shows for this. 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown is pretty light humor with word and numbers games. You can find them on YouTube. S12 is the current one, which started last month. QI is also good, but gets a little more current eventsy/political, if that's something you're trying to avoid right before sleep.
posted by Ufez Jones at 8:59 PM on September 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
Plenty of lovely people, amazing creativity, twists, jokes...A surprising amount of suspense (and dramatic music) but you remind yourself it's just about cake.
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 9:04 PM on September 26, 2017 [9 favorites]
Leverage. Nate has a bit of a tragic backstory, but mostly the show is froth.
posted by praemunire at 9:40 PM on September 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 9:40 PM on September 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
iZombie. There's an arc and plot and stuff, but that's not important. The show is mostly about the lead getting a chance to goof on the brain of whomever she's eaten that week. Has more than a slightly Buffy vibe to it. Year one is ok, but it hits stride in season 2.
It's on Canadian Netflix, dunno about the American one.
posted by bonehead at 10:07 PM on September 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
It's on Canadian Netflix, dunno about the American one.
posted by bonehead at 10:07 PM on September 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Detectorists.
I find it soothing when I want something charming with even lower stakes than murder mysteries.
posted by boffin police at 10:35 PM on September 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
I find it soothing when I want something charming with even lower stakes than murder mysteries.
posted by boffin police at 10:35 PM on September 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
Mozart in the Jungle does this for me.
Also try The Bitch in Apartment x.
Jane the Virgin is a little heavy but oh so good.
Superstore is also quite light.
posted by k8t at 10:59 PM on September 26, 2017
Also try The Bitch in Apartment x.
Jane the Virgin is a little heavy but oh so good.
Superstore is also quite light.
posted by k8t at 10:59 PM on September 26, 2017
Anything Mike Schur has been involved in:
The Good Place
Parks and Recreation
Brooklyn 99
Broad City
Seconding Mozart in the Jungle
posted by lunasol at 11:12 PM on September 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
The Good Place
Parks and Recreation
Brooklyn 99
Broad City
Seconding Mozart in the Jungle
posted by lunasol at 11:12 PM on September 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
Midsomer Murders is exactly this for me. Even the episodes you don't fall asleep during, you'll probably forget the plots of by the time you're ready to rewatch in 3 years.
If you also have Amazon Prime, Inspector Lewis.
Nowhere near the most progressive shows of the bunch, but there are lots of curious characters, even-keeled detective work, and very very little overarching plot, so you can take two-three nights to get through an episode that has a good premise, or drift off in the middle of the first act and start a new episode the next night knowing you haven't missed anything other than another death and the solution/final arrest.
posted by itesser at 12:28 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you also have Amazon Prime, Inspector Lewis.
Nowhere near the most progressive shows of the bunch, but there are lots of curious characters, even-keeled detective work, and very very little overarching plot, so you can take two-three nights to get through an episode that has a good premise, or drift off in the middle of the first act and start a new episode the next night knowing you haven't missed anything other than another death and the solution/final arrest.
posted by itesser at 12:28 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
the good witch series from hallmark channel was streamlining on Netflix. Trying to figure out where to get similar clothes may have kept me awake however.
posted by insomniax at 1:04 AM on September 27, 2017
posted by insomniax at 1:04 AM on September 27, 2017
Yes for Midsomer Murders. Also MST3K and Rifftrax are my go-to for this. If you have Pluto TV app on something they stream RiffTrax and MST3K (Also some on Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon.) I've seen them so many times, yet they're always funny and lighthearted.
Also kid's movies are great for this. They tend to be shorter an easy to follow. Plus pretty rewatchable. I like the Tinkerbell movies.
They also have Bob Ross streaming on there. They have a few "collections" up of his. (Don't hate if you get addicted.) All his stuff is also on a YouTube channel.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:01 AM on September 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
Also kid's movies are great for this. They tend to be shorter an easy to follow. Plus pretty rewatchable. I like the Tinkerbell movies.
They also have Bob Ross streaming on there. They have a few "collections" up of his. (Don't hate if you get addicted.) All his stuff is also on a YouTube channel.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:01 AM on September 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
Shout Factory TV is also a good source for MST3K, Rifftrax, and a variety of entertaining-but-hopelessly-obscure TV shows.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 4:29 AM on September 27, 2017
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 4:29 AM on September 27, 2017
I'll second the suggestions of Parks & Rec and The Great British Baking Show. The latter is a cozy blanket of a TV show, and I mean that in the best possible way.
I'll also throw in Master of None as a show that is fairly low-key and more character-driven than plot-driven. However, do note that it sometimes deals with weighty subjects that you might not want to end up fixating on right before bed.
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:11 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'll also throw in Master of None as a show that is fairly low-key and more character-driven than plot-driven. However, do note that it sometimes deals with weighty subjects that you might not want to end up fixating on right before bed.
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:11 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's not on Netflix, but is very easy to find on streaming, but the anime 'Polar Bear Cafe' is our go-to bedtime viewing. It's about a group of animals and humans who frequent the titular cafe, which is indeed run by a polar bear. It is low stakes, funny, cute and supremely soothing.
posted by nerdfish at 6:57 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by nerdfish at 6:57 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
Norsemen! The thumbnail looks like your run of the mill crapfest but it's NOT.
Schitt's Creek! Eugene Levy Catherine O'Hara! And Eugene's two children Daniel and Sara! Daniel Levy is the best as a formerly rich dude who has never had to mask his feelings and they run across his face and back like a spooked jackrabbit.
posted by turkeybrain at 7:43 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
Schitt's Creek! Eugene Levy Catherine O'Hara! And Eugene's two children Daniel and Sara! Daniel Levy is the best as a formerly rich dude who has never had to mask his feelings and they run across his face and back like a spooked jackrabbit.
posted by turkeybrain at 7:43 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
the big 90s black family sitcoms seem to be MIA Yeah, but at least they do have the Bernie Mac Show. My boys love it. And it seems that it was 2001 and not the nineties at all.
posted by turkeybrain at 8:51 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by turkeybrain at 8:51 AM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
The Good Place
This is basically all I've talked about since I finally watched it last week because it's soooooooo good, but there's a cliffhanger at the end of every ~20 minute episode which might not be conducive to sleeping (it wouldn't for me anyway!).
For a rec, Death in Paradise is a lighthearted mystery show where a very uptight British policeman gets sent to work on a Caribbean island. Available on Netflix
posted by grapesaresour at 3:17 PM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
This is basically all I've talked about since I finally watched it last week because it's soooooooo good, but there's a cliffhanger at the end of every ~20 minute episode which might not be conducive to sleeping (it wouldn't for me anyway!).
For a rec, Death in Paradise is a lighthearted mystery show where a very uptight British policeman gets sent to work on a Caribbean island. Available on Netflix
posted by grapesaresour at 3:17 PM on September 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
Psych!
posted by purenitrous at 9:59 PM on September 27, 2017
posted by purenitrous at 9:59 PM on September 27, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
Midsomer Murders
Doc Martin
posted by ilovewinter at 8:34 PM on September 26, 2017 [5 favorites]