Welcome to the Spinsters Row survival archive for our dystopian future—less bunker, more lovingly curated analog library. No algorithms, no infinite scroll, no “are you still watching?” judgment. Just a shared shelf of the things we refuse to lose: the stories, sounds, and comfort rewatches that have shaped us, steadied us, and occasionally raised us. Think of it as a cultural bug-out bag, assembled by women who have opinions, emotional attachments, and absolutely no intention of letting the good stuff disappear.
In this third installment, we thought, if movies are special occasions and albums are the soundtrack to daily life, television is something else entirely.
Television is what gets a community through February.
It’s what you watch when the chores are done, the dishes are washed, and the sun has disappeared before dinner. It’s what fuels spirited debates, inside jokes, and the inevitable argument over who gets control of the communal DVD player.
What Makes a TV Show Worth Rewatching?
The best TV shows to rewatch offer more than entertainment. They become familiar companions, revealing new details with every viewing while providing comfort, inspiration, humor, or perspective during uncertain times.
Choosing television for our hypothetical post-collapse archive turned out to be surprisingly difficult. Unlike movies, which can be enjoyed in a single sitting, television is a long-term commitment. These are the stories we’ll live with for months or years. The characters who’ll feel less like entertainment and more like neighbors.
As it turns out, we want our future viewing library to contain equal parts hope, mystery, competence, absurdity, and murder.
Possibly a concerning amount of murder.
TV Shows About Hope, Community, and Building Better Futures
The West Wing
A hopeful fantasy about intelligent adults trying to solve problems together. In a world where we’ve retreated to a small commune and abandoned social media, this may end up feeling more like science fiction than some of the actual science fiction on this list.
More importantly, it’s a reminder that institutions are ultimately made of people—and people can choose to be thoughtful, principled, and competent.
Doctor Who
A show built on curiosity, kindness, and the belief that intelligence is more useful than brute force. Across decades, regenerations, and occasionally questionable special effects, its central message remains remarkably consistent: the universe is vast, strange, and worth exploring.
The Expanse
One of the finest science-fiction series ever produced and a useful reminder that humanity will absolutely bring its politics into space. Ambitious, intelligent, and deeply interested in how societies function, it scratches the same itch as great historical fiction—just with more asteroids.
Adventure Series with Resilient Heroes
Xena: Warrior Princess
Every communal archive deserves at least one entry selected because it is objectively delightful. Xena gives us friendship, adventure, redemption arcs, camp, and enough sword fighting to keep morale high indefinitely.
Also, let’s be honest: this show walked so many others could run.
Outlander
Part historical drama, part romance, part survival story. Claire Fraser’s ability to adapt to impossible circumstances feels particularly relevant for anyone imagining life after societal collapse.
Plus, if we’re preserving practical skills, it’s hard to argue against keeping a show featuring a resourceful healer who repeatedly saves people with whatever happens to be available.
Planet Earth
A reminder that the world remains astonishing even when humans are being ridiculous. These documentaries offer wonder, perspective, and the occasional opportunity to point at a screen and announce, “See? That’s exactly why we don’t trust geese.”
Nature documentaries may also become our closest substitute for international travel.
Mystery Shows for People Who Notice Things
Murder, She Wrote
Jessica Fletcher remains one of humanity’s greatest achievements.
She writes books, maintains an active social life, solves murders at an alarming rate, and somehow still has time for tea. If we’re building a future society, there are worse role models.
Also, if someone in the commune mysteriously disappears, we know exactly who we’re putting in charge of the investigation.
Perry Mason (Original Series)
Before prestige television, there was Perry Mason. Smart, tightly written, and endlessly satisfying, it remains a master class in storytelling and proof that black-and-white television can still hold an audience decades later.
True Detective
A darker entry in the archive, but one that earns its place. At its best, it combines mystery, philosophy, and character study into something that lingers long after the credits roll.
Not necessarily comfort viewing. Definitely compelling viewing.
Comedy Series Worth Rewatching Forever
30 Rock
The older we get, the more this feels less like a sitcom and more like a workplace documentary.
Fast, absurd, endlessly quotable, and packed with jokes you’ll still be catching on the tenth rewatch, it’s exactly the sort of show that rewards communal viewing.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
A foundational text for a certain type of humor and, arguably, responsible for half the jokes currently circulating among Gen X and older Millennials.
The sketches are absurd, occasionally baffling, and frequently brilliant. More importantly, they provide a nearly endless supply of references that can be deployed at inappropriate moments.
Historical Drama and Moral Complexity
The Americans
A series built on the idea that people are rarely as simple as the stories they tell about themselves. Part spy thriller, part family drama, part meditation on loyalty and identity, it rewards close attention and repeated viewing.
It’s also a useful reminder that every society—including our imaginary commune—is held together by relationships more than ideology.
Apparently We Want Competence, Curiosity, and a Little Bit of Murder
Looking at this collection as a whole, a pattern emerges.
We want stories about capable people doing difficult things. We want curiosity, resilience, and communities trying to function under imperfect circumstances. We want adventure and mystery. We want proof that people can solve problems—and occasional reminders that they can also be extremely weird.
Most of all, we want shows that still have something to say after the fifth, tenth, or twentieth viewing.
Because if we’re going to spend the end of civilization together, we’re going to need something worth talking about after dinner. And judging by this list, we’ll have plenty to discuss.
Quick List: The TV Shows in Our Survival Archive
The West Wing
Doctor Who
Murder She Wrote
Outlander
The Expanse
Xena
True Detective
30 Rock
The Americans
Perry Mason (Original)
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
Planet Earth Series
