As we approach autumn, the time of year when all we want to do is curl up inside and binge our favourite series and films, it can be frustrating to run out of things to watch.
Fortunately, our favourite streaming service have got us covered with this wholesome selection of TV shows to help raise a smile when the news cycle and weather are equally gloomy.
Here are our 12 top picks for joyful shows from 2022 so far that you should stream now, if you haven’t already…
Big Boys
If you enjoy a coming-of-age comedy centered around an unlikely friendship, you need to check out Big Boys. Shy, closeted first-year student Jack and outgoing “mature student” Danny are thrown together during freshers week and quickly form a bond, despite their dramatically different personalities.
As well as the usual stress and craziness of first year uni life, together the pair explore themes like masculinity, mental health and sexuality, all the while keeping a sense of humour throughout.
Stream it on: All 4
Watch it if you like: Derry Girls, The Inbetweeners
Abbott Elementary
A group of dedicated, passionate teachers (and their slightly useless headteacher) find themselves thrown together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite various hurdles, they are determined to help their students succeed in life.
The show has proved popular since its debut, winning critical acclaim, scores of Emmy nominations and comparisons to shows like The Office and Parks And Recreation thanks to its humour and work-place mockumentary style.
Stream it on: Disney+
Watch it if you like: The Office, Community
Bridgerton
What better way to escape than with a period drama – particularly one as full of scandal and salacious twists as Bridgerton? If you love renaissance, history and straight-up romance then this series is right up your street.
The second season of the record-breaking Netflix show sees the majority of the cast returning, with Jonathan Bailey’s character at the centre of the action. Our faves may make some mistakes along the way, but in the end it’s refreshing to see they have grown from season one.
Stream it on: Netflix
Watch it if you like: The Crown, Vanity Fair
Heartstopper
This Netflix teen drama was a huge hit when it debuted on the streaming platform earlier in the summer. At the beginning of the show, teenagers Charlie and Nick form an unlikely friendship that soon turns into something more after being thrown together at the beginning of a new school year.
What really made people fall in love with Heartstopper is the way it portrays the romance and joy felt by its central pair – as well as its key message that things can and do get better. Ahhh… young love.
Stream it on: Netflix
Watch it if you like: Young Royals, Love Victor
Business Proposal
Fans of romance, comedy and K-dramas should definitely give this Netflix original a try.
Business Proposal tells the story of Shin Ha-ri, an employee who agrees to go on a blind date in place of her friend, only to find out that her date is actually her boss, with laughs (and plenty of twists) ensuing.
Stream it on: Netflix
Watch it if you like: My Secret Romance, The Liar And His Lover
Uncoupled
A newly-single gay man in New York in his late 40s has his life turned upside down when his partner walks out on him after 17 years together. With Neil Patrick Harris in the starring role, Uncoupled is the latest project from Darren Star (the man behind Sex And The City and, more recently, Emily In Paris), with Tisha Campbell and Marcia Gay Harden serving up the camp laughs. Need we say more?
Stream it on: Netflix
Watch it if you like: And Just Like That…, Modern Love
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7
The iconic RuPaul’s Drag Race returns with an All Stars series like none before it – the contestants are winners from previous seasons battling it out to be crowned the “Queen of all Queens”, not to mention a cash prize $200,000.
Fittingly for an all-winners season, this unique series does its best to focus on the queen’s strengths and positive traits, culminating in a lip sync smackdown between some of the franchise’s most popular contestants ever.
Stream it on: Wow Presents+
Watch it if you like: America’s Next Top Model, Queer Eye
The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window
Satire, romance, thrills – and laughs, this series has the whole lot.
Parodying the likes of The Woman In The Window, The Girl On The Train and Gone, heartbroken Anna watches the world go by from her living room (usually with her glass of wine to hand) and sets her sights on a handsome new neighbour until she witnesses a gruesome murder.
Stream it on: Netflix
Watch it if you like: Only Murders In The Building, The Staircase
Moon Knight
Marvel fans and comic book devotees – this one’s for you. Moonknight centres around Steven Grant, an awkward gift-shop employee at the British Museum who we find out is actually the “alter” of Marc Spector, a mercenary with a dissociative identity disorder.
Without giving too much away, the action-packed series covers a lot of topics including relationships and family, with plenty of unexpected major plot twists along the way.
Stream it on: Disney+
Watch it if you like: Loki, Wandavision
Stranger Things
The fourth series of the supernatural teen drama received a huge response when it arrived in Netflix in 2022, with huge praise for its young cast and a resurgence for a certain Kate Bush song.
If you haven’t seen it yet, season four still includes the usual monsters and supernatural goings on as the previous three, so it’s admittedly not going to be comfort viewing for everyone, but the 80s fashion and music used throughout undoubtedly give it an edge of escapism.
Stream it on: Netflix
Watch it if you like: Locke & Key, The Umbrella Academy
The Summer I Turned Pretty
This teen drama series is all about romance, romance and more romance.
The Summer I Turned Pretty tells the story of 15-year-old “Belly” and her eventful summer vacation at family friends’ holiday home in Cousins Beach, where she hopes to fall in love, only to find herself in a love triangle with two brothers.
Stream it on: Amazon Prime
Watch it if you like: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Heartstopper
Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever focusses on the life of 15-year-old Devi, and her attempts to climb the social ladder at her high school, following the death of her father.
The hit teen drama debuted its third season in 2022, which sees her grappling with issues of grief, family relationships and social identity.
Co-created by Mindy Kaling, Never Have I Ever has received rave reviews from critics, and been hailed as a watershed moment for South Asian representation on screen.
Stream it on: Netflix
Watch it if you like: Ginny and Georgia, Skam