If you’ve been aching for a sense of calm and continuity these past few weeks, you’re not alone. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing all of us to stay home as much as possible, we’ve been exposed to a constant stream of suggestions as to how we should be spending our time, from learning a new language to undertaking an at-home exercise routine. Most of these require significant mental and physical energy. I’d suspect many, if not most, of us are lacking that right now as we scramble to adjust to our new reality.
Instead of adding even more change to your life by experimenting with the latest viral cooking trend, why not use your downtime to embrace the continuity of a feel-good TV show? Settle into a comfy spot and let your screen whisk you away. If you don’t want to be productive during a pandemic, you don’t have to — and turning to the stories and characters we love is a surefire way to lift your spirits without lifting a finger.
Each of the below shows offer laugh out loud storylines, lovable queer characters, and much-needed respite from pandemic-induced anxiety. Let your relaxation start now.
One Day at a Time
This half-hour ensemble sitcom about a Cuban-American family living in Echo Park brought us Elena Alvarez (Isabella Gomez), the spry teenager with a heartwarming coming out storyline in season one. One Day at a Time approaches complicated subjects head-on, including queer sexuality, racism, street harassment, and class differences. With its trademark cheeky humor, expertly delivered one-liners from Lydia (Rita Moreno), and studio audience laughter, this is the show to watch when you’re lonely.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Hulu (Seasons 1-7), Season finale on NBC Thursday April 23 at 8:30/7:30c
If you hate cop shows, you might just like Brooklyn Nine-Nine anyway. This fast-paced police sitcom does away with traditional crime procedural tropes to focus on the absurd personalities in the fictional 99th precinct. The captain, Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) is an out gay man with a Corgi named Cheddar. Keep watching through season six for Rosa Diaz’s (Stephanie Beatriz) coming out storyline, which Beatriz, who is bisexual, helped develop.
Work in Progress
Showtime (Season 1)
Fans of dark humor will appreciate Work in Progress, a comedy about Abby (Abby McEnany), a 45-year-old self-identifed fat, queer, dyke navigating a new romantic relationship with Chris (Theo Germaine), a 22-year-old trans man. Abby manages to find humor in the darkest of places, such as when her therapist dies in the middle of one of her therapy sessions. Don’t miss out on the bathroom scene in episode four. This expertly shot scene will have you in stitches if you, like Abby, have ever struggled to pee in peace.
Grace and Frankie
Netflix (Seasons 1-6)
Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (Lily Tomlin) are left by their husbands Sol (Sam Waterston) and Robert (Martin Sheen) when they reveal they’ve been having an affair with each other and intend to get married. Left to reimagine their lives, the two women move in together and develop a platonic relationship that at times seems more queer than that of their ex-husbands. Lily Tomlin is delightful as Frankie, a heteroflexible artist into New Age spirituality and getting stoned. Stand-out storylines involve Grace and Frankie’s entrepreneurial pursuits, such as yam lube and vibrators for older women.
Queer Eye
Netflix (Seasons 1-4)
Queer Eye is a makeover show, yes, but the aim is not to drastically change a makeover “hero” — rather, to increase their confidence with assistance from the fab five: Karamo Brown (culture/lifestyle), Jonathan Van Ness (grooming), Tan France (fashion), Bobby Berk (design) and Antoni Prowoski (food). Come for the before and after shots, stay for Jonathan Van Ness’ infectious joy and the emotional healing facilitated by Karamo Brown.
Workin’ Moms
Netflix (Season 1-3)
Workin’ Moms follows four women and the challenges they encounter as working mothers. Juno Rinaldi plays Frankie, a laid-back queer woman who struggles with her mental health following the birth of her child. Frankie experiences a number of shifts in her romantic relationships and living arrangements throughout the show, introducing a host of queer women characters to her orbit. In season two we meet Juniper (Aviva Mongillo), an overly confident, quirky young woman who disrupts Frankie’s life to hilarious effect.
Champions
Netflix (Season 1)
Cancelled after only one season, Champions is an underrated comedy created by Mindy Kaling (who plays Priya) and Charlie Grandy. The show follows bachelor brothers Vince and Matthew and a cast of characters that includes Ruby, played by Fortune Feimster, at the fictional Champions gym in New York. Vince, having no previous involvement in his son’s life, takes in his and Priya’s gay son Michael (played by actress Josie Totah who has since come out as trans) when Michael must move to New York to attend a prestigious performing arts school.
Sex Education
Netflix (Seasons 1-2)
When Otis (Asa Butterfield) discovers there’s a paying market in his high school for sex-positive advice, he sets up a business with his classmate Maeve (Emma Mackey). Despite having little sexual experience himself, Otis successfully repurposes advice from his sex therapist mother, Dr. Jean Milburn (Gillian Anderson), for the revolving door of classmates with sexual struggles, including a teen who bullies others to hide his sexuality. Otis’ compassionate gay best friend Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) is often the show’s moral compass. Stick around for season two, when asexual and bisexual characters get screen time.
Special
Netflix (Season 1)
Ryan O’Connell created, wrote, and stars in Special as Ryan Hayes, a character based on O’Connell’s life. Hayes is a gay man with cerebral palsy making sense of his identity when he takes steps to become more independent from his mother, such as moving out of her house and taking a job at a clickbait magazine. On-screen sex is handled with equal parts tenderness, humor and eroticism. Most episodes are under fifteen minutes, making this show perfect to wind down with before bed.
You, Me, Her
AT&T Audience (Seasons 1-4)
In You, Me, Her, perceived-straight, white suburban couple Jack and Emma navigate opening their marriage when Izzy (Priscilla Faia) comes into their lives. Bisexual viewers will appreciate Emma’s queer reawakening and quick “Bisexual!” retorts when she’s incorrectly referred to as a lesbian. This half-hour show has all the makings of a romcom film with the blundering Jack, aching for adventure Emma, and free spirit Izzy confronting nosy neighbours and polyamorous relationship boundaries.
The Bold Type
The Bold Type follows Jane (Katie Stevens), Kat (Aisha Dee), and Sutton (Meghann Fahy) as they work at Scarlet magazine, a fictional women’s magazine modelled after Cosmopolitan. The three millennial women challenge feminist issues, career misteps, and romantic relationships while centering their friendship above all else. Kat’s storylines are a consistent draw: through the show’s four seasons, Kat examines her sexuality, runs for office, challenges transphobia, and more.
Schitt’s Creek
Netflix (Seasons 1-5), Pop TV (Seasons 1-6)
When a wealthy family loses everything, they move to the fictional Schitt’s Creek, a rural town that is, at first, their worst nightmare. Dan Levy stars as David, a pansexual man who brings his upscale fashion sensibilities to a town that couldn’t care less: its residents value kindness over looks. Schitt’s Creek episode conflicts tend to be wrapped up at the end of each episode, providing a calming sense of conclusion.
Broad City
Hulu (Seasons 1-5)
Created by Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, Broad City is a hilarious sitcom following millennial women Abbi Abrams and Ilana Wexler and their hijinks in New York City. Ilana Wexler is a sex-postive queer woman with a not-so-secret crush on her best friend Abbi Abrams. Abbi Abrams is endearingly awkward and aches for an artistic career, despite putting in little effort to make it happen. Jacobson came out publicly in 2018, and followed this with a queer storyline for Abbi in season five. Check out the YouTube series that inspired the network show, and the short webisodes of Hack into Broad City that were released between seasons.
Younger
Hulu (Seasons 1-6), TV Land (Seasons 1-6)
While queer characters are sometimes on the periphery of this series about a middle-aged woman named Liza (Sutton Foster) who pretends to be a millennial to get a job in publishing, Liza’s lesbian roommate Maggie (Debi Mazar) and queer friend Lauren (Molly Bernard) have robust enough storylines throughout Younger’s six seasons that make this show worth inclusion on this list. Maggie is the older, wiser, independent queer woman to Lauren’s young, peppy, finger-on-the-pulse spirit. Non-binary actor Nico Tortorella plays Liza’s hearthrob, the tattoo artist Josh.
Shrill
Hulu (Seasons 1-2)
Based on the book Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West, Shrill follows Annie (Aidy Bryant), a young woman trying to make it as a journalist while being challenged by misogyny and fatphobia from boyfriends, her workplace, and her mother. Annie’s roommate and best friend is Fran (Lolly Adefope), a queer woman and hairstylist who in season two, gets more screen time as she navigates a breakup and her family’s perception of her sexuality.
More great stories from them.
How sober queer spaces are giving LGBTQ+ people a place to just be
Here's what people get wrong about they/them pronouns
Everything you've wanted to know about bottoming but were too afraid to ask
Lizzo interviews Janelle Monáe about coming out and living her truth
The gay community's obsession with status and looks comes with huge mental health costs
Hayley Kiyoko is feeling it all
We asked Black queer icons to share their dreams for the future
Trans women talk having sex for the first time after transitioning
Experts share tips to get started on OnlyFans
At a transgender singing conference, working to demystify our own voices
Get the best of what's queer. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.