Fall is the perfect excuse to slow down your pace, stay home, and pick up a show that's easy to settle into. And while cozy TV usually brings comforting romances to mind, it can also mean a coming-of-age story, a close-knit friendship, or even something a little bittersweet.
Netflix has plenty of shows for every season tucked into its library. These four bring very different kinds of comfort to your watch list and your streaming party. Here's all you need to know.
Anne with an E
Fall feels better at Green Gables
Based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, Anne with an E follows Anne Shirley, an imaginative orphan who is accidentally sent to live with siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. The pair expected to adopt a boy to help around the farm, but Anne's arrival at Green Gables changes their lives in ways neither planned.
Much of the series follows Anne as she finds her place in Avonlea, makes friends, gets into trouble, and learns what it feels like to finally have a home. Her friendship with Diana Barry and her constant back-and-forth with Gilbert Blythe give the show some of its lighter moments, while the story also gives Anne room to grow beyond the cheerful, talkative girl we meet at the beginning.
Heavier themes run beneath its pretty Prince Edward Island setting, so it isn't always the breezy period drama its scenery might suggest. Still, there is something very comforting about returning to Green Gables and watching Anne slowly build a life and family for herself. For me, it's a quintessential fall watch, and I keep coming back to it every time the weather settles down.
- Cast
- AmyBeth McNulty, Geraldine James, R.H. Thomson, Andrea Arruti, Dalila Bela, Lucas Jade Zumann, Corrine Koslo, Helen Johns
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Creator(s)
- Moira Walley-Beckett
- Seasons
- 3
Heartstopper
Young love with plenty of heart
Tooth-rotting fluff is not something I usually bite into when it comes to my shows, but I always make an exception for this one. Based on Alice Oseman's graphic novel and webcomic of the same name, Heartstopper is a British queer romance drama that blurs the lines between the coming-of-age and young adult romance genres. The series follows the love story between Charlie Spring and his classmate Nick Nelson as they navigate the trials of high school and young love. The series also explores the lives of Charlie and Nick's friends, including their sexualities and identities.
Heartstopper has quickly become one of Netflix's most recognizable teen romances. With animation elements from its source material and a soundtrack that fits its warm setting and story, this feel-good romance stays fresh year-round (especially in its cozy fall setting) and is a must-watch if you're interested in LGBTQ+ media.
- Cast
- Olivia Colman, Kit Connor, Rhea Norwood, Yasmin Finney, Cormac Hyde-Corrin, Stephen Fry, Tobie Donovan, William Gao, Sebastian Croft, Kizzy Edgell, Chetna Pandya, Joe Locke, Jenny Walser, Corinna Brown, Fisayo Akinade
- Showrunner
- Alice Oseman
- Directors
- euros lyn, Andy Newbery
- Writers
- Alice Oseman
- Seasons
- 3
- Story By
- Alice Oseman
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
From Scratch
If you're hungry for some love, here's the feast
From Scratch is the kind of romance that is almost tailor-made for a cozy watch. The story follows Amy Wheeler (Zoe Saldaña), an American art student studying in Florence, who meets Sicilian chef Lino Ortolano (Eugenio Mastrandrea). Their relationship quickly grows beyond a holiday romance, taking them on a journey from Italy to Los Angeles as they try to build a life together while bringing two opposite families and cultures into the mix.
Food plays its own part in this soothing romance, especially through Lino, but the eight-episode limited series goes well beyond the picturesque Italian streets and dinners. Amy and Lino have a lot on their plates with family expectations, career changes, and eventually circumstances that put both their relationship and their new life together under enormous pressure.
The series is inspired by Tembi Locke's memoir From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home, so there is a much more personal story underneath all that romance. It can get emotional at times, but the show's focus on love, family, and food, and the ambiance of the story and setting still give it a sort of warmth that fits snugly into your fall watch list.
Sweet Magnolias
Life's better when your closest ones are around
Romance is great, but sometimes, all you need from a comfort show is a small town and a group of friends who are always ready to show up for one another. Sweet Magnolias centers on lifelong friends Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue as they juggle careers, family problems, relationships, and whatever else life throws at them in the fictional town of Serenity, South Carolina.
The friendship between the three women is truly the heart of the series. Maddie is rebuilding her life after her marriage ends, Dana Sue is balancing her restaurant with problems at home, and Helen is a successful lawyer trying to figure out what she wants for her own future. Their regular margarita nights become a safe space to unpack everything, from their complicated romances to the bigger life decisions.
There may be plenty of larger-than-life drama along the way, but Sweet Magnolias does not lose sight of that warm, small-town feeling. Five seasons of the show are available on Netflix, so this is also the pick that is most likely to keep your fall watch list occupied for a while.
- Network
- Netflix
- Cast
- Brooke Elliott, JoAnna García Swisher, Michelle L. Williams, Jackson Abram, Heather Headley, Logan Allen, Anneliese Judge, Carson Rowland, Justin Bruening, Chris Klein, Jamie Lynn Spears, Dion Johnstone, Brandon Quinn, James Dillon, Michael May, Jay Jones, Greta Glenn, Chris Medlin, Caroline Lagerfelt, Alpha Trivette, Bianca Berry Tarantino, Frank Oakley III, Brittany L. Smith, Tracey Bonner, Vickie Eng
- Showrunner
- Sheryl J. Anderson
- Directors
- Norman Buckley, Mary Lou Belli, Lauren Petzke, Christine Swanson, Kelli Williams, Laura Nisbet Peters, Mykelti Williamson, Yangzom Brauen, Joy T. Lane, JoAnna García Swisher
- Writers
- Anthony Epling, Sheryl J. Anderson, Caron Tschampion, Barret Helms, Shani Am. Moore, Shelley Meals, Francesca Butler, Valerie C. Woods, Kale Futterman
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Creator(s)
- Sheryl J. Anderson
- Producers
- Sheryl J. Anderson, Albert T. Dickerson III, Matt Drake, Cameron Boling
- Seasons
- 5
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
- Executive Producer(s)
- Dan Paulson, Sherryl Woods, Sheryl J. Anderson
Find your comfort watch
Looking to build the perfect watch list on Netflix around the year? You can begin by exploring Netflix's discoverability tools to go beyond the surface and unearth some of the platform's best titles.
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- Yes, $8/month
- Simultaneous streams
- Two or four
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- Live TV
- No
- Price
- Starting at $8/month