Words by Emma Norris
Three of our staff writers share with you the show that helped them to survive their first years of university; the comedies that are truly binge-worthy, chick-flicks that will make you cringe but offer you a strange sense of comfort and dramas that will serve as the ultimate escapism from the stress of university.
Staff Writer Maycee Rogers:
The Gilmore Girls is the ultimate comfort tv show. Between its nostalgic trends of the early ’00s and the autumnal aesthetic, this show feels like a warm hug and cup of coffee being passed through a screen, and it is pure escapism from the real world. I first discovered the Gilmore Girls during my second year, and it was the best discovery I made that year. It was the perfect show for the days when I just wanted to curl up under a blanket with a cup of tea and forget all about the stress and awkwardness of online lectures and seminars. It’s fuelled with witty, fast-paced dialogue, quirky characters, and thousands of pop-cultural references that will have you laughing and cringing all at the same time. As with every early coming of age show, there is, of course, the relatable nerdy heroine, love interests and heartache – and with Rory, we go through the lot! This show ended up becoming my comfort blanket. With its binge-worthy seven seasons, it kept me company throughout a rather strange and unpredictable year. And for that reason, the Gilmore Girls will always hold a special place in my heart!
Staff Writer Bonnie Price:
Although perhaps a controversial choice, the show that pulled me through my first years of university was most definitely Lena Dunham’s Girls. Girls is an American comedy-drama series set in New York City which focuses on the lives of four cisgender white girls in their mid-twenties. I mention these particular features about the four women because I do not intend to brush over the fact that Dunham’s show predominantly focuses on a group of girls who are characterised by their entitlement and inherent egotism. Am I convincing you to give it a try yet? If someone asked me to briefly describe Girls, I would probably pitch it as having a dysfunctional Sex and the City kind of vibe; but to me, this is what makes it so watchable. During the show’s pilot, Hannah, the main ‘protagonist’, begins by telling her parents “I think I might be the voice of my generation.” Whilst this statement is inevitably inspired by the opioids in Hannah’s system, the seriousness in which Dunham delivers this sentence makes you want to simultaneously laugh and cry in embarrassment. One of the reasons as to why the show appeals to me so much is due to its exploration of failure. Dunham manages to create an array of characters who are incredibly easy to hate due to all of the foolish actions they make, yet overtime I found myself somewhat rooting for them as they navigate through life and try to at least be better than before. During my first year, I think this acknowledgement and acceptance of failure was what I needed to make me feel more hopeful about my own little life that I was starting at University.
Staff Writer Emily Hyatt:
It’s hard to have a comfort TV show when all you do is Netflix binge. But, Some Girls would have to be it. Some Girls is a British comedy about four girls in Sixth Form: Viva (Adelayo Adedayo), Amber (Alice Felgate), Saz (Mandeep Dhillon) and Holly (Natasha Jonas). The comedy revolves around how the four best friends tackle their messy social lives and is my comfort show because of how easy it is to binge; each episode is only 30 minutes long, making it perfect to watch on study breaks! I grew up watching Some Girls and so watching the show now makes me feel very nostalgic, especially as the show features songs such as “Not Fair” by Lily Allen and “Earthquake” by Labrinth, a fun throwback to the early 2000s. Generally, all my friends can agree that Some Girls is the ultimate comfort show as it’s effortlessly funny. It’s one of those classic shows that everyone wishes never ended. From Saz’s sarcasm to Holly’s violent outbursts, everyone can relate to the main characters. If we’re not laughing at the characters, then we’re drooling over Viva’s sexy boyfriend, Rocky.
