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Psychologists reveal why your brain likes watching the same TV show again and again

Why is your comfort show so comforting?

watching tv, comfort tv shows, psychology, nostalgia, television

Why do we revisit shows repeatedly?

Photo credit: Canva
Erik Barnes
By Erik BarnesJul 10, 2025
Erik Barnes
See Full Bio

Picture this scenario: You’ve had “a day.” Maybe work was extra stressful. You could have experienced a break-up. Perhaps you took a certification exam and are anxious about the results. Or you caught a bug and feel sick. In any case, you sit down to relax and watch some TV. There are plenty of new shows you want to see, yet instead you put on Friends again for the 80th time. Sure, it’s a show you like, but why does your brain tell you to watch the same TV show over and over again? Well, there are several psychological reasons behind it.

One of the main reasons you may be rewatching the same shows consistently is due to your cognitive load. When you work throughout the day, you could be bombarded with new things to remember, new tasks ahead of you, and need to think critically throughout it all. Our attention and working memory are finite resources, and watching a new show requires you to pay close attention to learn the characters, follow the plot, and wonder where the story will go next. This is why so many people chose to binge-watch a familiar show during the height of COVID-19 when there was so much change in the usual day-to-day routine. When you've already seen a show or film, there’s no anxiety, stressful anticipation, or suspense during the watch experience because you already know what’s coming next. A familiar show lets your brain relax so you can enjoy watching it and take a mental break.

  - YouTube  youtu.be  

Another reason you’re watching a familiar TV show rather than new programs is because familiar television replenishes feelings of self-control and manages your emotions. Watching a show where you know what happens allows you to feel more in control: you instinctively know what characters are going to do and how it's all going to turn out. Because you know what’s coming next, your brain also feels rewarded since you are restoring feelings of self-control. In terms of emotions, if you are going through a break-up or another common social issue, familiar TV could help you make sense of your own real life experience by seeing fictional characters go through a similar issue or, counter to that, be pure escapism to take a break from the bad feelings of your current situation.

@addison.briann

Its just not the same #tvshows #comfortshow

The last reason we rewatch the same TV shows is one you may have already figured out: nostalgia. Your comfort TV show and its characters are like revisiting old friends sometimes. You look back and relive the positive feelings you felt when you first watched the show. In a way, it’s the adult version of when you asked your parents to read the same bedtime story every night when you were a kid. You know the voices, you know the characters, you know the ending. The familiarity makes you feel safe and comfortable, thus why it’s labeled a “comfort show.”

@sophielovexhoe

I take ‘comfort show’ LITERALLY #modernfamily

So now that you know why your brain subconsciously wants you to revisit shows, it’s up to you to decide what’s next. Depending on your reason, it could be helpful to watch the cast of Friends again as a mental break, or it might be time to step back to see if there are broader issues that need to be addressed that are taxing your mind. Either way, it will be good to do some self-analysis before you put on the next episode.
binge watchingcognitive loadcomfort showfamiliar televisionmental breaknostalgiapsychologyrewatching tvselfcontroltv showstelevision shows

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