What Bailey's Watching
It's been a couple of months since I last gave an update on what I have been watching, and as I'm perpetually adding shows to my viewing rotation, I wanted to share a few more series that I've adopted into my viewing schedule. This list contains popular TV shows that, while I have seen a handful of episodes throughout my life, I am now delving into from start to finish for the first time. If you haven't given these series a watch yet, I recommend checking them out yourself! Here they are:
Sabrina the Teenage Witch (ABC 1996-2000, The WB 2000-2003) - This series defied my expectations more than any other on this list. I was familiar with this TGIF sitcom and had seen an episode here and there growing up, but I had no idea how genuinely intelligent it is. The jokes are witty and ever-so-slightly sardonic( just the way I like them) and the props department must have had an absolute ball (though probably a stressful one) coming up with every random desire in each script. If you've never watched the series, or are simply feeling a bit nostalgic, it's available to stream on Hulu.
Cheers (NBC, 1982-1993) - This show has been on my bucket list for a long time. Every time I watched an episode of Cheers as a kid, the familiarity of that cozy bar setting never failed to be comforting. Yes, you could read the series as a bunch of sad alcoholics drowning their sorrows night after night, but I think we all know that Norm came to ‘Cheers’ for more than an escape from his wife and several pints of his favorite beer. I'm only on the second season of the series, but I hope Cheers continues to be what I expect: a magical haven where otherwise disparate individuals come to work/hang out, form strong, familial bonds, and then, after closing time, cease to exist to one another until the bar opens tomorrow. Cheers is available to stream on Hulu.
The Joy of Painting (PBS, 1983-1994) - When I first saw Bob Ross walk through the process of creating one of his "almighty" landscape oil paintings, I was about seven years old. Back then, I found him a lovely, talented artist, and that's it. What can I say? I was seven, and I didn't need him yet. In rediscovering Ross' series this past week, and now being much more than seven (in the middle of a global pandemic), I realize that I have needed him now more than ever. I am so glad to have found him again! There is not a more gently reassuring presence to have graced this planet than Ross, who not only fosters an appreciation for the beauty of nature, but also is eager to share his incredible artistic talent with his viewers. I will certainly be trying my hand at some of his oil painting tutorials in the near future, but for now (as an insomnia sufferer), I am using the quiet, evocative narrations of his painting as a sort of meditation to help me sleep. Bob Ross is the panacea for the human soul, and you can see all of his series on his official YouTube channel or check out Peacock TV's 24/7 Bob Ross channel, which also airs the series.
I Love Lucy (CBS, 1951-1957) - This series has been another soothing salve during the pandemic. Having been unable to visit my mom for the past six months, she and I have taken to watching a few episodes of this classic sitcom via video sharing every day. Between all of the iconic moments of the series, like the chocolate shop and the Vitameatavegamin commercial, there are many other funny little moments that are a joy to watch, but don't usually get as much exposure on highlight reels as some of Lucy's more ostentatiously comedic moments. Along with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, as the leading couple, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Vivian Vance and William Frawley bring just as many laughs of their own as the duos’ neighbors/friends/landlords, the Mertzes. While some aspects of the series are undoubtedly from a bygone era, most of the comedy remains timeless. You can stream the entire series on Hulu.
What have you been watching recently? Have you found your own Bob Ross to calm you during these trying days? Let me know in the comments below, and happy painting... I mean, viewing!
Copyright © 2020 Bailey Lizotte
