Whether you’ve started working from home or your weekend plans were canceled to prevent the spread of COVID-19, chances are good that everyone is going to be spending more time at home over the next couple of weeks.
While social distancing is important to help stop the spread of the disease, it can be a challenge to be stuck at home. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of light-hearted television shows that you can binge to help get your mind off your worries.
As a bonus, we’ve listed one episode from each show that has a valuable lesson for us to learn from as we face down the coronavirus pandemic.
So without further ado, here are five light-hearted shows to get you through the next few weeks.
“Parks and Recreation”
Where to watch: Hulu, Netflix
Season 3, Episode 2: “Flu Season.” A bad case of the flu infects many of the residents of Pawnee, Indiana. The takeaway: if you get sick, try to stay somewhere between the two extremes of Leslie Knope (who fights to keep working even through her illness) and Chris Traeger (who reacts to his diagnosis with full-blown panic).
“Brooklyn 99”
Where to watch: Hulu
Season 3, Episode 12: “Nine Days.” Detective Jake Peralta and Captain Raymond Holt both get the mumps and decide to go into quarantine together. The takeaway: face masks and oven mitts are ineffective biohazard suits. So if you’re sick, stay home (even if you’re in the middle of trying to solve a case).
“Community”
Where to watch: Hulu
Season 2, Episode 6: “Epidemiology.” A Halloween party goes awry when a batch of bad taco meat starts causing everyone to turn into zombies and the building goes into quarantine. The takeaway: if you’re sick, admit it—unlike Britta (Gillian Jacobs), who insists she’s fine and doesn’t tell her friends that she was bit by a zombie until it’s too late.
“New Girl”
Where to watch: Netflix
Season 5, Episode 13: “Sam, Again.” Schmidt quarantines Nick and Cece in the apartment so that he won’t get sick before he has to give a presentation at work. The takeaway: quarantine is about keeping friends, family and the people around you safe.
“Superstore”
Where to watch: Hulu
Season 2, Episode 9: “Black Friday.” The employees of Cloud 9 Superstore get food poisoning on Black Friday and have to work through their illness. The takeaway: while many people have been encouraged to work from home if they’re sick, that’s not always an option for many people who work in retail, food service and hospitality. So be kind to retail workers and keep washing your hands.