Growing up, my family and I used to gather by the TV every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. to watch ABC’s “Modern Family.” I would look forward to the line up all day at school. First, we watched the relatable woes of “The Middle,” then, it was time for the Dunphy/Pritchett antics. 

As a kid, I hated going to sleep at night. I was a young insomniac with a premature case of FOMO, so watching a show with my family each night brought me a great sense of comfort. 

I found comfort in unlikely places throughout the years. SHOWTIME’s “Shameless” made me feel better about myself in high school. I would think to myself, if growing up was rough, at least it wasn’t as traumatic as being an offspring of Frank Gallagher. 

I never realized until recently just how important it is to have a comfort show like this. Commonly referred to as a “guilty pleasure” a comfort show is a series that you could rewatch, from pilot to finale, any moment and every moment.

The anatomy of a comfort show consists of relatable characters and situations, soundtracks you immediately add to your playlist, one-of-a-kind settings, a unique angle and happy yet realistic endings. 

Over quarantine, I found such comfort in MTV’s former hit reality show “The Hills.” The show captured such a pivotal moment in pop culture, the rise of reality. The fashion, lingo and situations were all saturated with early 00s nostalgia. 

More recently, I fell in love with the show “Ted Lasso.” Jason Sudeikis is amazing as the American football coach turned fútbol coach and I want to believe he is proud of me in some alternate universe.

The series always gives you a happy ending and you find yourself truly rooting for these characters as if they are your own underdog friend. 

With a similar dose of happiness, “Gilmore Girls” is my latest favorite show to watch at night. I lay deep into the pillows on my couch, dreaming of waking up in Stars Hollow, where nothing is wrong and everything is fast-paced. Plus, the show has the most beautiful set design. The episodes that take place in fall truly feel like a Charles Wysocki piece come to life. 

So, I encourage you to find a comfort show. Everyone needs a series they can escape to when life gets stressful.