Have you been looking for a new comfort TV show? B-Line has you covered.

As summer break approaches, students at the Barstow School might be wondering what to do this summer. While hanging out with friends, spending time outside, and working part-time jobs are all great and beneficial pastimes, sometimes you just want to relax with a good, comfortable TV show. We at the B-Line have a few recommendations for you that will get your summer break off to an amazing start.

Survivor

First on my list for a perfect summer show is Survivor, found on Paramount+. If you haven’t heard of it, Survivor is a reality TV show where 18 Americans are dumped on an island and must form into tribes. The contestants must compete against the other tribes for immunity and rewards, and if a tribe loses, they must go to the Tribal Council and vote someone off. This continues until the survivors get to the merge, where they combine tribes and compete for individual immunity, and vote people off until they get to a final survivor. 

I first began Survivor about a year ago, and I had no idea what I was in for. Despite being reality television, Survivor is very different from a typical reality TV show. Survivor is very real, and the hardships the contestants face are no joke. By bringing together people who would otherwise never have met and forcing them to connive and form alliances, Survivor pushes people to a new level and is, in some ways, a social experiment. 

Survivor can be intimidating to start, as the show is currently on its 46th season. However, once you start and get bitten by the Survivor bug, you can’t go back. As you watch more seasons and develop favorites, the gameplay will be so satisfying to watch. I recommend starting with the early seasons, although you can choose what season you want to start with and go from there. 

One Tree Hill

Another great option for this summer is One Tree Hill, which you can find on HBO Max. Set in a small fictitious town in North Carolina, the show tells the story of two estranged half-brothers, Lucas and Nathan, who must play on the same basketball team. Their father is a controlling villain who tries to sabotage the two sides of his family coming together. Also present in the show are Lucas’ best friend, Haley, and Nathan’s girlfriend, Peyton, and her best friend Brooke. 

Despite the show being about the two brothers, the girls add depth and drama to the show that makes it even more worth watching. The small-town aesthetic of the show makes it cozy and warm to watch. I was also introduced to a lot of new music watching the show, as it consistently brings on small artists of the early 2000s. Just the theme song alone, All I Want To Be by Gavin Degraw, makes the show worthwhile. 

One Tree Hill has 9 seasons, although I (and a lot of other fans) believe that you only need to watch the first 6 to get a satisfying end to the storylines. If you’re a fan of Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girls, or the O.C., then this is the perfect show for you.

Arrested Development

My final show on this list is Arrested Development, which is on Netflix. Whereas Survivor is a reality TV competition and One Tree Hill is a teen drama, Arrested Development is a quick and witty comedy. Filled with talented comic actors and perfect timing, you can watch this show five times over and still miss jokes. Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, and Portia de Rossi are just a few of the big names that add comedy and fun to the show. The Bluth family, led by patriarch George Bluth, must find a way to run their real estate company after George is arrested and sent to prison. This show is a must-watch for any fans of comedy, and you will not regret it once you start.

I hope everyone at the Barstow school has an amazing summer, and hopefully, all find some time to check out a show from this list.