This post was updated Nov. 11 at 8:47 p.m.
Settle into the coziest season with a small-screen classic.
From crime dramas to hand-drawn animation, everything comes back into season during autumn. Read on for Daily Bruin Arts’ selection of the best fall shows.
[Related: TV preview: This fall brings it all with new seasons of fan favorites]
“Criminal Minds”
Nothing says sweater weather like pulling a blanket tighter because a fictional serial killer is on the loose.
Boasting 19 seasons, including its “Evolution” revival, “Criminal Minds” makes a strong case for fall’s best comfort watch – provided that definition includes an FBI investigation. The crime drama follows the Behavioral Analysis Unit from the Appalachian Mountains to the heart of Los Angeles. These chilling investigations supply a seasonal sweet spot – something unsettling to watch somewhere cozy.
The cases bring the scares, but the cast makes you stay. The ensemble’s familiar faces include Matthew Gray Gubler (Spencer Reid), Mandy Patinkin (Jason Gideon), Shemar Moore (Derek Morgan) and Joe Mantegna (David Rossi). While the lineup shifts over seasons, cast members swiftly become familiar favorites – making their eventual departures all the most difficult to take.
The show’s cases are more than background noise for carving pumpkins. Much of the series’ appeal comes from its ability to balance new investigations with ongoing stories. Individual cases offer the satisfaction of a mystery worked through – sometimes from the criminal’s perspective. Meanwhile, the agents’ relationships, losses and encounters with recurring killers carry consequences beyond the credits. Think of the show as the television equivalent of a haunted house with a familiar face at the exit.
The leaves can fall. You’re double-checking the locks.
– Audrey Nguyenhuu
“Gilmore Girls”
Wherever viewers go, one perfect fall television show will always follow.
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, “Gilmore Girls” ran for seven seasons from 2000 to 2007. The show centers on the complex yet loving relationships between three generations of women in the Gilmore family: high-society grandmother Emily, free-spirited mother Lorelai and studious daughter Rory. When Rory is accepted into a private school that Lorelai cannot afford, Lorelai is forced to reconnect with her mother, with whom she has a tenuous relationship. Following Rory through high school and college, “Gilmore Girls” shows the charming melodrama of the characters’ daily lives, which are rife with romantic, professional and familial drama.
Between the indie rock soundtrack, Connecticut small-town setting and delightful cast of endearingly quirky characters, “Gilmore Girls” is the quintessential fall show. With the endless lineup of swoon-worthy love interests and the perpetual ups and downs of school and work, the leads’ lives are seldom boring. Still, the exceptional nature of the show ultimately comes from its small scope – being true slice-of-life programming, the problems the characters face are often solved by the end of each episode, rendering “Gilmore Girls” a true comfort show for sipping coffee and watching the leaves fall.
The fast-talking wit of “Gilmore Girls” is a shot of espresso for any overcast autumn day.
– Julia Kinion
“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”
This classic TV special feels like the nostalgic scent of your favorite home-cooked meal.
Released in 1973, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” takes the beloved characters of Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic and throws them into a last-minute Friendsgiving dinner. The perpetually hapless Charlie Brown finds himself having to prepare a Thanksgiving meal despite not knowing how to cook after his friend Peppermint Patty invites herself, Marcie and Franklin over to his house. With help from his friends Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock, Charlie Brown manages to whip up a feast with the signature “Peanuts” blend of chaos and camaraderie. The meal? An ensemble of childish delights such as jelly beans, popcorn and pretzels.
Of all the “Peanuts” TV specials, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” stands out for its simple yet resonant message. Although Peppermint Patty initially complains about the lack of traditional Thanksgiving foods, the crew learns to appreciate the gathering as an opportunity to spend quality time with loved ones. Viewers of any age can come back to this familiar favorite every year, moved by the timeless depiction of genuine friendship.
Cozy up with the “Peanuts” crew for a reminder of everything there is to be grateful for this fall.
– Amelia Chief
“Twin Peaks”
David Lynch and Mark Frost’s dreamy vision of the Pacific Northwest gives viewers more than enough to fall for.
“Twin Peaks” follows Kyle MacLachlan as Dale Cooper, an FBI special agent investigating the murder of a small town’s beloved prom queen, Laura Palmer, who is played by Sheryl Lee. However, nothing is as it seems. The series, which originally aired in 1990, ran for two seasons and concluded in 1992 with a feature film, the haunting “Fire Walk with Me.” In 2017, over 25 years later, the show returned with a third and final season. It’s known for being one of the first prestige television shows, playing on the melodramatic soap operas of the time while subverting their tropes with surreal, experimental elements that have rarely been replicated since.
There’s something unmistakably comforting about the warmth of the Double R Diner, the monumental stature of the Great Northern Hotel and the wistful atmosphere of the Roadhouse – all surrounded by a wall of Douglas firs. “Twin Peaks” is intentionally designed to draw you in before it introduces an air of darkness. While later seasons venture outside the town, the show, with its lovable characters and Americana aesthetic, is a perfect encapsulation of autumn’s spirit.
So pour yourself a cup of fresh black coffee and carve a slice of cherry pie. Let’s rock!
– Parsa Arshi
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