After a long week at the office, all you want to do is lie on the couch and eat your way through the house while watching a satisfying show on Netflix. The only problem: not all of us live alone, and sometimes, the couch is shared with other family members. While there is no harm in having a binge with the folks, most of the TV shows available to us are vulgar or too violent and consequently can't be watched via means of our circle of relatives together.
Thankfully, some incredible shows are lifesavers when you want to laugh, cry or cheer with the family.
'Schitt’s Creek'
When they go bankrupt after being defrauded by their business manager, the Rose family is forced to relocate to Schitt's Creek, a remote town in Ontario, which Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) bought for David (Dan Levy, biological son of Eugene, and co-creator of the show) as a joke birthday gift in 1991. While the entire family, including Moira (Catherine O'Hara) and Alexis (Annie Murphy), has difficulty adjusting to the shabby motel they are staying at, they eventually grow accustomed to it and build their empires.
Also starring Dan's younger sister, Sarah Levy, as Twyla Sands, Schitt's Creek is as family-friendly as it gets and is available on Netflix.
'Modern Family'
Winner of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in each of its first five years, Modern Family is an American family sitcom television series that captures three modern families (nuclear, blended, and same-sex) as they deal with kids, spouses, and their soul-sucking jobs. The Pritchett, Dunphy, and Tucker families are interrelated through Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neil) and his children, daughter Claire (Julie Bowen), and son Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson).
The mockumentary ran for 11 seasons, brimming with comically based situations that real families face in everyday life, and is the perfect watch for when the whole family is on streaming. You can stream the show on Hulu and Peacock TV.
'Jane the Virgin'
When a blunder by a doctor leads to Jane's (Gina Rodriguez) artificial insemination during a regular checkup, her vow to her grandmother to be celibate till marriage is threatened. If that's not enough, the desperate biological father is a married man, a former playboy, and a cancer survivor who is not only the new owner of the hotel where Jane works but was also her former teenage crush. As Jane adjusts to pregnancy and motherhood, she must make tough choices.
Jane the Virgin highlights numerous social topics without moralizing, making it worth every other show you're skipping for this family binge. And if you're wondering where to stream, head to Netflix right now.
'Gilmore Girls'
Gilmore Girls is the story of witty 32-year-old single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her intellectual teenage daughter Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel). While Lorelai grew up in Hartford with her wealthy parents, she always felt stifled. After the birth of her daughter Rory (short for Lorelai) at 16, Lo takes her infant daughter away to a close-knit small town named Stars Hollow in Connecticut.
Highlighting falling in love for the first time, figuring out parenting, and trying to get along with family members, the show is a perfect watch for people of all ages. Gilmore Girls is available on Netflix.
'One Day at a Time'
Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado) is a United States Army veteran who is transitioning back to civilian life while struggling to be the best single parent to her two children Elena (Isabella Gomez) and Alex (Marcel Ruiz), after leaving her PTSD-infested, alcoholic husband, Victor (James Martínez).
As Penelope, Alex, Elena, and Penelope's Cuban mother, Lydia (Rita Moreno), struggle through their life's challenges, One Day at a Time highlights many essential topics like immigration, PTSD, and coming out. With a terrific cast and their heartwarming bonds, One Day at a Time is a family show, through and through. You can stream the show on Netflix.
'When Calls the Heart'
Inspired by Janette Oke's book of the same name, When Calls The Heart is the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher who hails from a wealthy family. She is conditioned to her high-society life. So when her first assignment arrives in Coal Valley, a small Canadian coal-mining town, she is taken aback. As he treads her way through teaching and living in the small town, she might find love with the Royal Northwest Mounted Police Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing).
While set in the 1910s, the show cracks problems that are relevant even today. This Hallmark Channel comedy is now available on Prime Video.
'Heartstopper'
Adapted from the webcomic and graphic novel of the same name by Alice Osman, Heartstopper is a British coming-of-age romantic comedy streaming television series on Netflix. The show features openly gay 10th grader Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) as he struggles through high school and the enormous crush on his super-straight senior, Nick Nelson (Kit Connor). Charlie's incessantness over the crush makes Nick feel things he didn't know he could feel, and a heartwarming love story follows.
Highlighting the struggles of coming out and being an LGBTQ student in a high school full of pheromone-fueled straight students, Heartstopper has a cast of gold. And if your family is not open to discussing genders and sexualities, this show might be a good start.
'Young Sheldon'
If you're big on sitcoms, you've inevitably watched, or at least heard of, The Big Bang Theory. While the show is a legend, its spinoff, Young Sheldon, is among the most incredible family TV shows.
Narrated by Jim Parsons, the show depicts the life of Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) and his family during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Sheldon Cooper is a born genius, but his genius life comes with more adversities than you think. From social awkwardness to a blazing sense of superiority, watch Young Sheldon to discover how Sheldon overcomes them all. You can now stream the show on HBO Max.
'The Goldbergs'
Adam Goldberg (Sean Giambrone) is a preadolescent living in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, with his parents and two older siblings, Erica (Hayley Orrantia) and Barry (Troy Gentile). Adam has a habit of documenting his family life with his video camera, featuring the three siblings navigating growing up in the colorful yet loving Goldberg family.
Set in an alternate version of the 1980s, The Goldbergs is your go-to show if your child (or even you) ever wonders what it was like to grow up in the 80s. Available on Hulu, this sitcom also references pop culture events throughout the era so that it could be a great trip down memory lane for some.
'Kim’s Convenience'
Similar to its name, the plot of Kim's Convenience is about the Korean-Canadian Kim family, who owns a convenience store in Toronto's Moss Park neighborhood. Through the five seasons, the show follows Mr. (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) and Mrs. Kim (Jean Yoon) and their kids Janet (Andrea Bang) and Jung (Simu Liu) as they handle numerous challenges that come with being a Korean-Canadian family living in the 21st century Canada.
Streaming on Netflix, the show somehow manages to fuse comedy with highlighting many serious topics, including immigration and the political issues that often come with it, making it a must-watch for every family.