Entertainment
27 Best Feel-Good Shows on Netflix Right Now, Ranked
After a hard day, week, or even a year, sometimes all you need to do is stick your eyes into your laptop screen and spend the entire night laughing, snorting, and crying over a comforting TV series or a feel-good film and teleport yourself into the fictional world where your everyday worries and issues don’t exist or matter.
Thankfully, Netflix is filled to the brim with heartwarming TV shows that envelop you like a hug whenever you want to abandon all your duties and tasks and just binge a show with ice cream, popcorn, or takeout to keep you company. There’s no shortage of these comforting shows that viewers can choose from at any given time.
27
‘A Virtuous Business’ (2024)
Nothing is more taboo than sex, especially in 1990s South Korea. Set in the quiet countryside of Geumje in 1992, A Virtuous Business follows Jeong-Suk (Kim So-Yeon), a devoted wife and mother desperate to ease her family’s financial struggles. After repeatedly failing to secure steady work, she stumbles upon an odd business opportunity: selling imported adult products door to door. What begins as a last-ditch effort to make ends meet soon grows into an unlikely business partnership when three other local women decide to join her, transforming their small side hustle into an unexpected success and lifelong sisterhood.
From lingerie to peculiar pleasure products, none of the women have any experience with the intimate items they’re tasked with selling. But that’s also what makes the show so wholesome: the four of them are willing to learn from scratch together. Think of it as a group of teenagers discovering sex for the first time—except instead of awkward adolescents, it’s four middle-aged women who are married or already have children. Yet there’s something deeply heartwarming about watching them open up about the most intimate parts of their lives with people they trust. Through those honest conversations, they find confidence in themselves while proving that there’s nothing shameful about supporting one another through life’s most personal experiences. —Dyah Larasati
26
‘Love on the Spectrum’ (2022–2026)
Granted, Netflix isn’t exactly known for having the best reputation when it comes to reality TV. But nestled between the controversial Love Is Blind and the titillating Too Hot to Handle, Love on the Spectrum is a refreshing dating gem that stands out among the streamer’s more notorious reality offerings. True to its name, the series follows the romantic journeys of autistic individuals across America. While each person is on the autism spectrum, they share the same hopes, fears, and anxieties that come with searching for the right partner.
Love on the Spectrum is what meaningful representation in dating looks like. It’s a wholesome, non-toxic alternative for viewers seeking authentic, patient, and vulnerable human connections. Many of the participants enter the dating world with little to no experience, and throughout their journeys, they not only discover what they want in a future partner but also learn more about themselves. There are no hidden agendas or petty schemes to make someone jealous—only pure, unfiltered honesty that makes you want to believe in love again, even if you’re the biggest cynic. —Dyah Larasati
25
‘Long Story Short’ (2025–Present)
Family can be hard, but none more so than the Schwoopers in Long Story Short. Spanning from the mid-20th century to the 2020s, the coming-of-age series hopscotches between childhood and adulthood as the three Schwooper siblings navigate growing up and adapting to modern life under the guidance of their calm father, Elliot (Paul Reiser), and their smothering, hyper-critical mother, Naomi (Lisa Edelstein). Naturally, Naomi’s parenting leaves a lasting impact, and as adults, her children struggle to emotionally connect with her.
It’s a dramedy that isn’t afraid to pull at your heartstrings. But for all its emotional moments, Long Story Short is also filled with feel-good scenes that remind you just how short life on Earth really is and that, despite our families’ flaws, our time with them is limited. We may never be on the same wavelength as our parents or siblings, but the Schwoopers are lucky enough to always have each other’s backs, no matter how difficult life gets. —Dyah Larasati
24
‘Emily in Paris’ (2020–Present)
Emily in Paris might be a watered-down, rose-tinted portrayal of France, but for viewers who love to romanticize life, it’s about as whimsical as television gets. American marketing executive Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she packs her bags and moves to Paris to revamp the social media strategy of French marketing firm Savoir. However, her new colleagues aren’t exactly thrilled by Emily’s overly enthusiastic and occasionally out-of-touch approach. She may be a fish out of water, but Emily is determined to prove that she deserves to be there.
For anyone who’s always dreamed of visiting Paris but hasn’t had the chance yet, Emily in Paris offers the next best thing. Between moments with friends, whirlwind romances, and career mishaps, Emily wanders through the city’s picturesque streets, taking viewers from the Seine to glamorous cabaret clubs and inviting us to experience Paris through her eyes. While not everyone will move to another country, almost everyone knows what it feels like to be an outsider. Emily in Paris reminds us that feeling out of place doesn’t last forever, and that with an open mind and an open heart, it eventually starts to feel like home. —Dyah Larasati
23
‘My Life with the Walter Boys’ (2023–Present)
Based on Ali Novak’s eponymous novel, My Life with the Walter Boys centers on the recently orphaned 15-year-old Jackie Howard (Nikki Rodriguez), who loses her entire family in a tragic accident and is forced to leave Manhattan and relocate to Colorado to live on a ranch with her mother’s best friend, Katherine Walter (Sarah Rafferty), her husband George (Marc Blucas), and their ten children. While she processes her loss and grief, Jackie also develops a strong friendship with two of the Walter brothers, the reliable, nerdy Alex (Ashby Gentry) and the troubled Cole (Noah Lalonde).
With themes of grief, loss, and resilience, My Life with the Walter Boys makes for a wholesome, feel-good show about self-discovery and finding comfort and hope in friendships. As Jackie learns to fit herself within her new family and adapt to their charming community, the narrative also emphasizes her emotional challenges and the joys of newfound friendships.
22
‘XO Kitty’ (2023–Present)
A spin-off of the To All the Boys film series, created by Jenny Han, who also penned the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before novel trilogy, XO Kitty marks the first Netflix series based on a Netflix original film. XO Kitty follows the titular protagonist, Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart), the youngest of the Covey sisters (from the films), who leaves her home in Portland, Oregon, and sets off to attend the Korean Independent School of Seoul, reuniting with her long-distance boyfriend, Dae (Minyeong Choi).
A hearty mix of fun characters and a sweet underlying plot, XO Kitty is an adorable yet underrated coming-of-age series where Kitty embarks on a quest to find true love and find herself in a new place among new friends. Like the films, the spin-off series also offers comforting, feel-good moments, nicely balancing a fairytale-like love story with plot twists and turns and adolescent drama.
21
‘Virgin River’ (2019–Present)
Adapted from Robyn Carr’s novel of the same name, Virgin River follows the journey of Melinda “Mel” Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse who moves from Los Angeles to the titular town in Northern California to leave her past behind and start afresh. As Mel begins a new life in Virgin River, among new people, she realizes that the new town is different than what she had imagined and holds many surprises in store for her. Treading through the good, bad, and emotional, Mel learns to rediscover herself and her stance on love and life, carving her own niche within the close-knit community of the river town.
A romantic drama from the creator of Good Witch, every season of Virgin River is similarly comforting, exploring interesting characters in a quaint small town. The Netflix original romance drama has been critically acclaimed for its emotionally and visually gratifying narrative, scenic settings, and the romanticism of life that would instantly lift your spirits.
20
‘Survival of the Thickest’ (2023–2026)
Based on actor-comedian-producer Michelle Buteau’s autobiographical essay of the same name, Survival of the Thickest narrates the story of a 38-year-old plus-size fashion stylist, Mavis (Buteau), whose life turns upside down after a breakup. When she discovers her supportive, long-term fashion photographer boyfriend and business partner, Jacques, is cheating on her, Mavis sets out on her own to fulfill her dream of becoming a lead stylist, with the help of her friends and family, a little bit of lip gloss, and a big body-positive attitude.
From Buteau’s charming on-screen persona and incredible comedy delivery to a highly inspiring narrative on body positivity, Survival of the Thickest is a cozy slice-of-life comedy with relatable characters. While humorous, the series never forgets where its true essence lies. Mavis’s struggles as she sets out to build her life on her own terms can make you emotional, and her outlook on life can make you laugh in the same breath.
19
‘Dash & Lily’ (2020)
As bright and cheery as Christmas lights, Dash & Lily is a holiday teen rom-com based on David Levithan and Rachel Cohn‘s book Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares. The Netflix series follows the budding romance between two New York teens, Dash (Austin Abrams) and Lily (Midori Francis). Although they’ve never met, they keep fortuitously trading a notebook back and forth, sending each other on dares around the city during Christmastime.
The holiday season doubles the magic of this whimsical tale of two teenagers discovering themselves and their love for each other, though it’s still fun to watch during any other time of the year. With the power to lighten up the grumpiest Grinch with the coldest and smallest of hearts, Dash & Lily is the secret to feel-good shows on Netflix.
18
‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ (2015–2020)
After being freed from being held captive by a doomsday cult leader for 15 years, Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) is left with a large sum of money and her entire life to figure out. Instead of going back to her Bunker Memories in Indiana, she decides to stay in New York City. When a penny-pinching, in-need-of-a-roommate Broadway actor, Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess), takes her in and teaches her necessary life skills, the sky’s the limit for Kimmy.
Produced by Robert Carlock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt clings to 30 Rock‘s goofy sense of humor and drops the cynicism. Kimmy emerges as one of television’s most likable characters yet, as she goes through each day with infectious optimism and a unique curiosity that inspires viewers to embrace similar traits in themselves.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login