You’ll never catch any judgement from us for a good rewatch. In fact, here at Denizen, we recognise that there’s something deeply comforting (even therapeutic) about slipping back into a show you once adored. As winter settles in, we’re leaning into nostalgia with a line-up of series that deliver all the drama, charm, and chaos we forgot we missed. Expect old flames, unforgettable theme songs, and fashion moments that are worth the multi-season journey alone.
The O.C.
California, here we come… again. From the sandy drama of Newport Beach to Seth Cohen’s lovable neuroticism, The O.C. still holds up as the ultimate early-2000s teen dream — angst, indie tracks and all. It’s a show that understood the chaos and complexity of growing up before we did, and somehow made it look impossibly cool.
Sex and the City
Rewatching Sex and the City is like pulling on a pair of beloved (and probably impractical) heels — familiar, a little uncomfortable, but undeniably fabulous. The dating dilemmas might feel hilariously outdated, but the friendships? Still golden. It’s a time capsule of brunches, breakups, and bold opinions — and will forever be the ultimate comfort watch.
Gossip Girl
Before social media ruled everything, there was Gossip Girl: omnipresent, omniscient, and deliciously cruel. The fashion! The betrayals! The Upper East Side opulence! It’s over the top in the best way — and somehow even juicier now in hindsight.
Gilmore Girls
Heartbreakingly human, Gilmore Girls is the kind of comfort TV that wraps you in a Stars Hollow-sized hug. The witty repartee still sparkles, but it’s the tender mother-daughter bond that keeps you coming back — especially when life gets messy.
Mad Men
Don Draper and the era of three-martini lunches, where nothing was as polished as it seemed. Mad Men is cinematic, sharp, and quietly devastating. Rewatching it now reveals just how deeply it explored identity, desire, and the American dream — all with impossibly good tailoring.
Seinfeld
A show about nothing that somehow manages to be about everything. Seinfeld is observational comedy at its finest, with a rhythm and tone that still feels oddly modern. Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer are neurotic icons — forever stuck in their own little world, and endlessly rewatchable for it.
Desperate Housewives
Wisteria Lane may have looked pristine, but Desperate Housewives was anything but. It’s juicy, campy, and darkly funny — a murder mystery wrapped in mid-2000s suburbia with just enough soapiness to keep things delightfully unhinged.
Offspring
Messy, funny, and deeply emotional — Offspring gave us Nina Proudman and a wonderfully chaotic Melbourne world where love, grief, and career crossed paths in gloriously unpredictable ways. It’s one of those rare series that makes you feel like you’ve grown alongside its characters, and is always guaranteed to make you both laugh and cry, a lot.
Skins
Wild, raw and genuinely heartbreaking, Skins captured British youth culture with all its rough edges intact. It’s flawed, provocative, sometimes painful — but that’s also what makes it feel so real. Watching it now feels like opening an old diary you wrote in another lifetime.
Entourage
The Hollywood fantasy through a very mid-2000s male lens, Entourage was brash, glossy, and wildly escapist. The bro-energy may feel slightly dated now, but there’s still something irresistibly nostalgic about the fast cars, fast talk, and fast deals.
Lost
Mysterious island? Check. Smoke monster? Check. Emotional damage? Double check. Lost was chaotic, gripping and occasionally maddening — but when it worked, it really worked. It ushered in a new era of ambitious storytelling, and yes, we’re still debating that ending.
Girls
Lena Dunham’s Girls was messy, self-aware and divisive — and that’s exactly what made it interesting. It captured a kind of post-college floundering that still rings true, balancing raw vulnerability with biting humour. The perfect rewatch ahead of the release of Dunham’s upcoming Netflix series, Too Much.
The Sopranos
Complex, brooding, and in a league of its own, The Sopranos is essential viewing — not just for its Mafia mythology, but for what it revealed about masculinity, power, and inner conflict. Tony Soprano walked so prestige TV could run.
Absolutely Fabulous
Ab Fab is champagne-soaked chaos at its most hilarious. Patsy and Edina are gloriously self-destructive, endlessly quotable, and still feel like the original blueprint for fashion-obsessed fabulousness. It’s satire with stilettos — and it’s still absolutely brilliant.
Dawson’s Creek
Over-articulate teenagers feeling everything at volume 100. Dawson’s Creek was peak late-‘90s melodrama — earnest, angsty, and irresistibly nostalgic. It’s a time capsule of crushed velvet, love triangles, and that Paula Cole theme song we all still kind of know.
That 70’s Show
A basement. A circle. A killer soundtrack. That ‘70s Show nailed the awkwardness and absurdity of adolescence with retro flair and just enough heart to keep things grounded. It’s sitcom comfort food — with bell bottoms.
New Girl
Quirky, charming, and quietly profound, New Girl gave us a loft full of lovable weirdos, led by Zooey Deschanel’s offbeat optimism. It’s feel-good television that doesn’t talk down to you — just the right amount of silly, with surprising emotional depth.
Men in Trees
Often forgotten but utterly charming, Men in Trees was like Northern Exposure meets Sex and the City — a relationship writer in Alaska, navigating love, snow, and small-town strangeness. Cosy, a little corny, and weirdly therapeutic.
The Office
Still one of the most quoted series ever, The Office balances cringeworthy workplace antics with genuine emotion. Its charm lies in the mundanity — where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behaviour, tedium and romance, and of course Rickey Gervais’ razor-sharp comedy.
The Mentalist
The Mentalist paired murder investigations with Patrick Jane’s offbeat charm and haunted past. It’s procedural TV with a side of psychology — satisfying, stylish, and quietly addictive.
Sons of Anarchy
Bikes, brotherhood, and Shakespearean levels of betrayal. Sons of Anarchy is gritty, emotional, and occasionally brutal — but what lingers most is its exploration of loyalty and identity. It’s Hamlet in leather.
Breaking Bad
A chemistry teacher turned kingpin — Breaking Bad remains one of television’s most masterful )and most watched) descents into darkness. It’s tightly plotted, beautifully acted, and still manages to shock, even on rewatch. Every detail matters, and nothing is wasted.
One Tree Hill
More than just a high school drama, One Tree Hill had a way of turning every emotion up to eleven — heartbreak, ambition, forgiveness, grief. It gave us epic basketball games, even bigger love stories, and a surprisingly enduring emotional pull. Revisiting it now feels like catching up with old friends.
How I Met Your Mother
Part sitcom, part love story, HIMYM mixed slapstick humour with emotional storytelling — and yes, the finale remains divisive. But it’s the journey (and the friendships) that still hold up, especially when you just want something familiar to fall into.
