When my days were most stressful a few years ago, I took comfort in Miss Read’s books. They take place in English villages, they are not mysteries and really just daily life. Not much happens but they are so comforting.

From Ida, I learned about the Cazalet Chronicles. Five books about life in England from the interwar years through to the post war boom, seen through he eyes of a multigenerational family. Nothing happens and everything happens. For me this series was like taking a vacation.

https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/blog/2020/3/isolation-reading-the-cazalet-chronicles

As for Netflix, Lupin is great fun, plus Omar Sy makes anything fun to watch ;-)

For TV late night when I'm trying to go to sleep, I can't beat C-Span3 which has lectures on history...very droning, no loud ads interrupting, no sirens, just talking about stuff I mostly can't get into any way....last night they were talking about President Polk. Yawn!

I get to say it again! 😊

If you haven’t seen it, “The Durrells in Corfu” is delightful. (Streaming on Amazon Prime)

A mellow retrospective on President Polk! That sounds about perfect, lol! But seriously, I know that he governed under similar times to our own, following Andrew Jackson . . . but still . . . something to be said for managing to fly relatively under the radar after someone who loved to stir the pot. That's similar to my life's stress, the longing to be inconspicuous around someone who makes a HUGE deal out of minutia and craves constant attention . . .

Edited to add (jokingly): Oy, if I start reading the Cazalet Chronicles it might inspire me to make all kinds of British teatime foods and then there goes the diet . . .

I can totally relate to this. For books, try the Home Repair is Homicide series by Sarah Graves; light, breezy, well-written. You may also like Agatha Christie, I am a big Miss Marple fan. I also find re-reading classics to be restful. Jane Eyre is a personal favorite, but I will say some childhood favorites can be a real joy too: The Secret Garden, Winnie the Pooh, The Velveteen Rabbit.

Streaming is harder. You might enjoy Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. I think they are on Prime or Netflix, some may be available on PBS.com too. Think Angela Lansbury in a flapper dress. Very cheery. A few years ago I enjoyed watching the first few seasons on McLeod's Daughters on Prime. It's set in Australia, there are sisters, there are horses, there is dating; very low stress for me YMMV. My husband swears by Columbo for relaxing. He has watched all 10 seasons at least twice.

IMO, what soothes us can be very personal. I know the things I find soothing don't always have the same effect on others.

YouTube is a wonderland and free. There's literally something for everybody - even entire movies and TV shows - tho sometimes those do cost money. During the early pandemic days, when I was having some intense anxiety, I found Ann Reardon's How To Cook That videos soothing because I loved listening to her voice and Aussie accent. She also seems to be a very kind person with a lovely family. I also was soothed by The Victorian Way series of videos from English Heritage, in which the cooking and daily duties of an English country manor during the Victorian era are demonstrated.

As for books, I read almost everything I could by Diana Wynne Jones, who wrote very British fantasy stories for young people, mostly, and had a seemingly infinite imagination. She was hugely prolific. I realize not everyone would enjoy that type of reading, but I appreciated the escapism, and how everything always seemed to wind up for the best, and goodness won out in the end.

I absolutely LOVE Diana Wynne Jones!!!!

Soothing tv for me is British panel shows like:

would I lie to you

8 out of 10 cats does countdown

taskmaster

and Gogglebox which is ordinary brits watching TV.

Copious amounts of all of the above are available on YouTube :)

I think 8 Out Of 10 Cats is the show my adult son enjoys - it's quite weird 😀

I recognized the name Diana Wynne Jones but couldn’t place so needed to look at a list of titles. She wrote my son‘s favorite book, Howl’s Moving Castle. There were definitely a few years when her books were all around the house as he read through them . No wonder it sounded familiar. Thanks for a trip down memory lane.

Speaking of rereading the classics, Dad got me the "Man of LaMancha" movie for my birthday (was only 'meh' IMHO even though the cast is stellar, no one can sing worth a darn and it's an operatic musical . . . ) But I think I may try and read the original source material . . . Cervantes. I've only read excerpts I think maybe in college for Western Civ.

I used to associate Don Quixote with cockeyed idealism, but now I am inclined to see the work as a study/satire of delusion . . .

I tried reading Don Quixote - it's rather gruesome and not very relaxing, IMO. Also incredibly long. I never finished.

When I just want a gentle hum in the background I put on a familiar show and don't watch the television I just listen on my headset and do what I need to do.

I miss seeing some things but I don't seem to care. Sometimes I find it over stimulating to see all of the action instead of just hearing it.

Localeater - it’s my favourite book as well, for about 35 years now!!

Here’s a classic wilty episode

https://youtu.be/KVIqUuH2Abo

Another

https://youtu.be/wjd4azf880s

I read quite a few of Jan Karon's Mitford series books a couple of years ago when I had a similar need for relaxing reading. They were lovely with quirky characters, funny dialog and nothing upsetting or frustrating happened.

I've mentioned these before, but for gentle and sweet chapters, read the David Grayson books....they're available now for free on Project Gutenberg...Adventures in Contentment...Adventures in Friendship...like taking a mental vacation.

https://www.amazon.com/David-Grayson-Complete-Collection-Contentment/dp/B089TWRXLV/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=david+grayson&qid=1618484006&sr=8-1

Shout out to the Canadian TV show "Still Standing" with Jonny Harris. It's all about laughing in the face of adversity and not taking yourself too seriously. He visits small towns with a film crew, checks out the locals and highlights, and gently pokes fun of them, but in a "laughing with you" kind of way, culminating with a stand up routine based on the town.

Jmck, the Mitford books are very comforting.

Today was stressful so I turned on a Julie& Julia, again. Kind of like Christmas in Connecticut, I can listen or look without paying to much attention while I do something else, like paperwork. And, it has Stanley Tucci, so there's that.

During one particularly difficult period in my life I turned to books that were the opposite of comfortable and cozy. Somehow reading about other people's fictional intense pain was more helpful to me than reading cheerful texts. Just a thought, twisted as it may sound.

Oh yes, thanks for triggering that memory... Father Tim and the Mitford books were very gentle reading. I haven't read one in 40 years or more.

I don't usually post here, but try New Tricks on Amazon Prime.