Comfort Content

Back at the start of lockdown, I set myself a goal. As the reality set in that I would be stuck at home for the next few months, I decided that I ought to use that time wisely. I didn’t set myself a particularly lofty aim. I wasn’t going to learn a language or start painting or try to get in shape. I had something more achievable in mind. I was going to watch telly.

Now, I wasn’t planning to watch just anything. I wasn’t merely pledging to turn on my TV more often. I wanted to catch up on all the great shows of recent years that had passed me by, and I wanted to get in on the ground floor with the best that 2020 had to offer. I was finally going to be a TV person.

The truth is, I’ve always struggled to keep up with what’s on TV. In a normal, non-pandemic year, my viewing time is dominated by films and sport and the handful of shows I’m already watching. After that there’s not all that much time left for the new ‘big thing’. And even when there is, where do I start? There seems to be a modern classic starting every week, and they’re all absolutely unmissable. This new “golden age” of TV is overwhelming, and I can’t keep up.

So the dawn of lockdown, while a terrible time for obvious reasons, presented me with an opportunity. My beloved football was postponed until further notice. The cinemas were shut. I couldn’t even go down the pub. I was locked in my flat, just me and my TV. No excuses.

I did not succeed.

I got off to a decent enough start. I finally, after years of good intentions, watched The Sopranos. I got into Schitts Creek just in time to watch it sweep every awards show. I had a weekly appointment with The Last Dance. Ok, I didn’t watch Tiger King, but otherwise I was doing pretty well. I felt up to date! It didn’t last.

As lockdown wore on my determination dipped. I struggled to start new shows. I watched the hype train for many acclaimed series leave the station without me. I heard great things about I May Destroy You and Normal People, but never got round to tuning in. The truth is, as the reality of the pandemic began to bite hard, I wanted something else. I didn’t want to engage with potentially difficult subject matter. I didn’t want to invest in new characters and new stories that I might not connect with. Deprived of contact with friends and family, I just wanted something comforting.

I found that comfort in the friendly faces and predictable plots of sitcoms. I returned to all my old favourites: Community, Scrubs, Parks and Rec, Brooklyn 99, The Good Place and more. As the news became increasingly bleak I took shelter in the unfailing optimism of Leslie Knope. Separated from my friends I hung out instead with Troy and Abed. And when it seemed like nothing would ever get better, I watched Team Cockroach improve themselves and each other in every scenario they faced. I may not have been ticking items off my must-watch list, but it was TV that made me laugh through lockdown.

And in seeking out familiarity, I found new things to enjoy. My lifelong obsession with Star Wars led me to binge The Mandalorian just in time for the incredible season two finale. WandaVision scratched my Marvel itch while doing something new. I even made a start on The Wire, having so loved finally finishing The Sopranos.

I didn’t quite achieve what I had intended. This years Bafta nominations are a stark reminder of that, a list packed with things I didn’t quite get round to. But by revisiting familiar favourites I reignited my love of TV. Now with lockdown easing and things looking up, maybe I’m ready to take on that challenge again. Maybe this year I’ll catch up. Maybe this year I’ll keep up. Maybe this year, I’ll be a TV person.