As we approach the Fall, people everywhere are going to start rewatching and revisiting certain television series. Hits such as Gilmore Girls and F·R·I·E·N·D·S are two of the most popular, but there are a countless number of shows that people rewatch. What is it about these TV shows that people come back to every Fall, without fail?
Fall is often associated with a fresh start. The color of leaves changing signifies the beginning of a new school year for many, or a time to reset your life. Fall is recognized as the comfort season. The cooler weather initiates sweaters, seasonal recipes or dishes and time spent with your family. Some of these shows embody these aspects of Fall so well. Gilmore Girls is a show that has made people call Fall, “Gilmore Girls season” because of the cozy, nostalgic, autumn vibe it brings to the screen. “The show took the season of Fall hostage,” said Lauren Graham during a speech with her co-star Alexis Bledel.
According to Psychology Today, humans naturally crave predictability, the comfort of knowing what is going to happen. People go back to the moments during shows that they fell in love with it, because it gives them peace of mind. People like that there are no surprises, they know exactly when the theme song will play, and can predict what the characters will say next. When people have already watched a show and revisit it again, they usually have certain episodes that make them feel a certain way. They can go back to these episodes and can anticipate how they will feel when it’s over. They can depend on the show to give them comfort and feel at ease.
Largely why people connect with and decide to revisit shows is because of the characters. We find shows that have characters we can relate to, or have personality traits that we are drawn to. People tend to gravitate towards characters that have warm traits, characters that are witty, friendly and kind. Another aspect that draws people into characters is their willingness to be vulnerable in front of others. This shows humans that these characters are not perfect, and therefore they can relate to problems or difficulties that the characters are facing. Most TV shows that people rewatch have these types of characters, the character that we can always rely on to make a sarcastic joke or the one that always asks if another is ok.
Lastly, people rewatch certain TV shows because of the nostalgia it brings them. For most TV shows that became popular, it was because of the fact that they connected with an audience that was around the same age as the characters in the show. When this happens, people at certain ages really identify with the series, and it causes them to rewatch the show later because they look back on that time with fondness. Relating back to the Fall season, people tend to look back and remember the comfort of that time of year, causing them to restart their comfort show as soon as the leaves change color.
