Cozy TV dramas for parents and kids
January 1, 2024 5:50 AM Subscribe
We've finished watching the newest version of "All Creatures Great and Small" as a family and loved it. Can you suggest any others?
Kids are 9 and 11. "All Creatures Great and Small" was perfect for us -- it's the story of vets working in rural Yorkshire in the UK right before and during WWII. This sounds boring, but it had lovely characters, lush scenery, engaging storylines for adults, hijinks for the kids, and some sideways learning about animals/history/farming.
Are there any other good shows (esp. dramas) you can think of that might meet the criteria of engaging for both kids and adults? We have tried shows like Gilmore Girls and Modern Family -- but they are not for us. Reality shows like Great British Bake Off and Nailed It, etc. don't really hit the spot either.
We are open to many ideas, but I'm thinking maybe another period drama -- but no strongly overt adult content.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Kids are 9 and 11. "All Creatures Great and Small" was perfect for us -- it's the story of vets working in rural Yorkshire in the UK right before and during WWII. This sounds boring, but it had lovely characters, lush scenery, engaging storylines for adults, hijinks for the kids, and some sideways learning about animals/history/farming.
Are there any other good shows (esp. dramas) you can think of that might meet the criteria of engaging for both kids and adults? We have tried shows like Gilmore Girls and Modern Family -- but they are not for us. Reality shows like Great British Bake Off and Nailed It, etc. don't really hit the spot either.
We are open to many ideas, but I'm thinking maybe another period drama -- but no strongly overt adult content.
Thanks for any suggestions!
A few random suggestions:
posted by Johnny Assay at 6:28 AM on January 1 [5 favorites]
- The "One Day at a Time" revival deals with a bit of heavy stuff but is generally life-affirming and supportive
- "Avatar: the Last Airbender" is geared towards kids but I know plenty of adults who love it as well; same goes for "Adventure Time"
- On the sci-fi side of things, "Star Trek" and/or "Star Trek: The Next Generation" are pretty accessible at that age
posted by Johnny Assay at 6:28 AM on January 1 [5 favorites]
Maybe She-Ra & the Princesses of Power? Geared at tweens but very watchable for adults if you like SF/fantasy. Central queer romance.
posted by damsel with a dulcimer at 6:37 AM on January 1
posted by damsel with a dulcimer at 6:37 AM on January 1
The Detectorists- charming, silly, funny, interesting and sweet-hearted.
posted by kimdog at 6:50 AM on January 1 [12 favorites]
posted by kimdog at 6:50 AM on January 1 [12 favorites]
Seconding "Avatar: the Last Airbender". I watched it with my niblings and it was perfect family fun. Very engaging to the point of me (secretly) watching ahead a few times bc I could not wait to know what happened.
Also, the 1985 Anne of Green Gables series with Megan Follows - I have not watched it years so I am not sure whether it aged well but we all watched it as family and loved it at the time.
posted by M. at 7:07 AM on January 1 [3 favorites]
Also, the 1985 Anne of Green Gables series with Megan Follows - I have not watched it years so I am not sure whether it aged well but we all watched it as family and loved it at the time.
posted by M. at 7:07 AM on January 1 [3 favorites]
Well there's the Original and Best ACG&S: The 1990 Christmas Special. If you like it, try Season I 1978.
posted by BobTheScientist at 7:21 AM on January 1 [2 favorites]
posted by BobTheScientist at 7:21 AM on January 1 [2 favorites]
Joe Pera Talks With You, particularly the episodes set at the school where he works. (There’s a death and a divorce subplot in Season 2, but for the most part it’s pretty even-keeled and life affirming.)
posted by pxe2000 at 8:18 AM on January 1 [1 favorite]
posted by pxe2000 at 8:18 AM on January 1 [1 favorite]
I second M.'s suggestion of the 1985 version of Anne of Green Gables. That's a truly wonderful series and meets your criteria.
posted by alex1965 at 8:24 AM on January 1 [3 favorites]
posted by alex1965 at 8:24 AM on January 1 [3 favorites]
For what it's worth, I thought that the original 1978 BBC production of All Creatures was much better than the newer one. But you might be all tapped-out on that story.
posted by akk2014 at 8:46 AM on January 1 [2 favorites]
posted by akk2014 at 8:46 AM on January 1 [2 favorites]
We are currently watching the new ACG&S with our middle-schooler, and we all feel the same way about it. Other things we’ve watched that have felt similarly about:
Anne with an E (the 2017 version of Anne of Green Gables)
Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts (animated series for kids that we adults love, too)
We also loved the SheRa reboot and would recommend that one, too.
Some of the things we love about ACG&S are that the show seems to rely on the idea that people are, generally, decent, even if they are sometimes awkward or grumpy; that the female characters in the show are full-fledged characters (I’ve heard that they were more like supporting roles in the original series); and that the aesthetic of the show is beautiful. All of these hold true for Anne with an E and Kipo, too. I don’t love the visual look of SheRa as much, but the story makes up for that in my opinion.
posted by TEA at 8:59 AM on January 1 [1 favorite]
Anne with an E (the 2017 version of Anne of Green Gables)
Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts (animated series for kids that we adults love, too)
We also loved the SheRa reboot and would recommend that one, too.
Some of the things we love about ACG&S are that the show seems to rely on the idea that people are, generally, decent, even if they are sometimes awkward or grumpy; that the female characters in the show are full-fledged characters (I’ve heard that they were more like supporting roles in the original series); and that the aesthetic of the show is beautiful. All of these hold true for Anne with an E and Kipo, too. I don’t love the visual look of SheRa as much, but the story makes up for that in my opinion.
posted by TEA at 8:59 AM on January 1 [1 favorite]
Maybe give Lark Rise to Candleford a try.
posted by gudrun at 9:05 AM on January 1 [2 favorites]
posted by gudrun at 9:05 AM on January 1 [2 favorites]
If scifi appeals at all, "British feel good show for kids and adults" practically defines Doctor Who.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:06 AM on January 1 [3 favorites]
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:06 AM on January 1 [3 favorites]
The UK version of Ghosts? (I haven't seen the US version, maybe it's just as good.) It's got a wholesome, found-family vibe. It's not too risqué, by my parenting standards. It's very funny. People get along, or if they don't get along they eventually make up. There's a problem of the week but it isn't stressful. There are jokes that your kids probably won't get but that won't detract from the show.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:17 PM on January 1 [4 favorites]
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:17 PM on January 1 [4 favorites]
Father Brown is great. Another wholesome vibe despite the constant murders. Every episode is a cosy mystery. Although the star is a Catholic priest, he's very open minded and loving towards everyone. It's not gruesome, there will just be a shot of a corpse with a discreet trickle of blood or what have you. Father Brown's motive is to save people's souls, but it isn't preachy. It's very funny, low key, great costumes and settings.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:21 PM on January 1 [2 favorites]
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:21 PM on January 1 [2 favorites]
If one of the Anne suggestions works well, you can follow up with Road to Avonlea.
I haven't really watched the show, outside of a few minutes of a few episodes here and there, but I think Heartland might fit the bill, especially if your family members like horses.
posted by sardonyx at 2:29 PM on January 1
I haven't really watched the show, outside of a few minutes of a few episodes here and there, but I think Heartland might fit the bill, especially if your family members like horses.
posted by sardonyx at 2:29 PM on January 1
Have you seen two seasons of ACG&S or three? Our PBS stream shows the third season starting later in January.
posted by lhauser at 5:05 PM on January 1
posted by lhauser at 5:05 PM on January 1
My sons (10 and 13) have watched the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice with me once a year for three years. They’re surprisingly into it. They think the mother and Mr. Collins are funny. There’s a significant amount of explaining about opportunities for women, class divisions, etc, but we still love it.
posted by Ollie at 5:06 PM on January 1
posted by Ollie at 5:06 PM on January 1
Call the Midwife on Netflix/BBC. It's frequently heartwarming, rarely dark, but the dark moments are opportunities to discuss issues with kids (classicism, community care, mental health, domestic violence, medical malpractice, women's health care). It's basically the story of a group of nuns and midwives who care for a small community in mid 1900s England. It can be a little cloyingly sweet and preachy sometimes because the only real villains are regular people who are trying to survive and cope with their circumstances, and most of the story lines have a tidy happy resolution.
posted by archimago at 5:42 AM on January 2 [3 favorites]
posted by archimago at 5:42 AM on January 2 [3 favorites]
The HBO adaptation of "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" very much has this vibe I think.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:35 AM on January 2 [1 favorite]
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:35 AM on January 2 [1 favorite]
The HBO adaptation of "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"
This is one of my favorite cozy movies but just as a warning, there is some serious stuff as well including a missing/kidnapped child.
posted by M. at 11:26 AM on January 2 [1 favorite]
This is one of my favorite cozy movies but just as a warning, there is some serious stuff as well including a missing/kidnapped child.
posted by M. at 11:26 AM on January 2 [1 favorite]
Merlin may appeal!
Also, the TV adaptation of Agatha Christie's Poirot may appeal as well. It's a period piece, set in the 1930s. There's murder but it's whodunnit type murder not crime show type violence.
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 7:57 PM on January 2
Also, the TV adaptation of Agatha Christie's Poirot may appeal as well. It's a period piece, set in the 1930s. There's murder but it's whodunnit type murder not crime show type violence.
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 7:57 PM on January 2
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posted by sarahdal at 6:18 AM on January 1 [3 favorites]