10 Cozy TV Shows to Watch While You Decorate for Fall
‘Tis the season for comfort streaming.
There are two kinds of people when September rolls around: those who wait patiently for the first chilly morning, and those who spot one tiny pumpkin at the grocery store and immediately start digging through the attic for the fall decorations. No judgment here! Once you’ve decided it’s time to decorate, there are pumpkins to arrange, wreaths to hang, and approximately 14 throw pillows that suddenly need new covers. And all that puttering around calls for good background TV!
The best cozy TV shows for fall decorating don’t require you to sit perfectly still and catch every word. You want something familiar enough that you can disappear to the garage for the fall décor bin, come back five minutes later, and carry on. Short episodes certainly help—as do charming small towns, chunky sweaters, quaint coffee shops, and characters you already feel like you know.
That’s exactly what you’ll find here, from the ultimate autumn comfort watch (Gilmore Girls, naturally) to funny favorites that can keep you company while you tackle the front porch (even if you have to crank the volume from the living room). And if the decorating eventually turns into sitting on the couch under one of those freshly arranged blankets? Well, there’s always a good fall movie for that!
So, grab the pumpkins and press play. Cozy season is officially underway!
Gilmore Girls
Stars Hollow practically is fall. There are changing leaves, town festivals, endless cups of coffee, and enough chunky sweaters to make you want to put three more plaid blankets on the couch. Plus, if you’ve already watched Lorelai and Rory approximately 47 times, you can safely turn your back to arrange pumpkins and still know exactly what’s happening.
Parks and Recreation
You just know that Leslie Knope would take fall decorating very seriously. Pawnee already has that quirky small-town energy and the famous Harvest Festival episodes feel especially appropriate while you’re putting out mums and pumpkins. Most episodes are only about 20 minutes long, so it’s easy to wander away for a bit and come back without feeling lost.
Virgin River
Sometimes, you want your fall background TV with a little romance and a whole lot of pine trees. Virgin River delivers both, and the small-town setting makes it especially nice to have on once the weather starts cooling down. There is plenty of drama, of course—this is Virgin River—but seven seasons give you lots of time to settle in.
Abbott Elementary
The start of a new school year already feels a little like fall, even when the weather hasn’t caught up yet. Abbott Elementary is funny, easy to dip in and out of, and full of characters you’ll want hanging around while you decorate. And the short episodes don’t hurt!
Modern Family
If you’ve watched Modern Family enough times to quote Phil Dunphy, that’s precisely why it belongs here. Its quick episodes are ideal background viewing and there are 11 seasons of family chaos to keep you company while you tackle the house. You can even jump straight to the Halloween episodes once your decorating starts getting a little spooky!
New Girl
The loft may not be overflowing with pumpkins, but New Girl is excellent puttering-around-the-house TV. The episodes are simple enough that you can walk away to find the box you shoved in some dusty corner last December and come back without missing anything too important. And once Thanksgiving gets closer, there are several wonderfully chaotic holiday episodes waiting for you.
Sweet Magnolias
If your idea of cozy includes front porches and a small Southern town, put on Sweet Magnolias. Serenity may not be covered in fall foliage every episode, but it has exactly the warm and neighborly feeling you want in the background while you swap out summer décor for pumpkins and plaid.
The Great British Baking Show
There’s just something about The Great British Baking Show that feels right once fall rolls around. Maybe it’s the tent or maybe it’s all those cakes. Either way, the familiar format makes it easy to follow along while you’re hanging a wreath—and still return in time to see whether somebody’s caramel has gone terribly wrong.
Schitt’s Creek
Give Schitt’s Creek a few episodes and suddenly that tiny town starts feeling very homey. It gets sweeter as it goes, but Moira Rose will still say something so strange that you may have to stop fluffing pillows and look at the screen. Six seasons should be more than enough time to decide whether the pumpkins look better on the mantel or the coffee table.
Golden Girls
Miami may not exactly scream sweater weather, but Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia gathered around the kitchen table with a cheesecake will always feel cozy! The episodes are short and endlessly rewatchable, which makes them ideal background TV. Just don’t sit down “for one minute.” That’s how an entire hour of decorating disappears.
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