How often do you find yourself hitting “play” on an old favorite, reliving the same TV episodes you’ve seen before – or even know by heart?
I am a chronic rewatcher. Episodes of sitcoms such as Blackadder (1983–89), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–21), Doc Martin (2004–22) and The Office US (2005–13) – a literal lifetime of TV favorites – are usually reliable in times of stress.
But recently, before an unusually challenging deadline, I found myself changing my view. Instead of the escapist comedy I normally return to, I switched to Breaking Bad (2008–13), a nail-biting thriller with a complex reverse hero narrative – and immediately felt at ease.
What do our revision choices tell us about ourselves? And is it right that we keep returning to old favorites?
Fictional stories, real relationships
Although one-sided, the relationships we form with characters in our favorite TV shows can feel very real. They can increase a sense of belonging, reduce loneliness—and we keep retreating.
When we look again, we feel sadness, wistful joy and longing, all at the same time. We call the sum of these contradictions nostalgia.
Originally coined in the 17th century to describe Swiss soldiers afflicted with homesickness, psychologists now understand nostalgic reflection as a shield against fear and threat, promote a sense of well-being.
We all rely on fiction to transport us from our own lives and realities. Nostalgia viewing prolongs the experience and takes us somewhere we already know and love.
Overwhelming nostalgia
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a wave of nostalgia viewing.
In the United States, audience analyst Nielsen found that the most streamed show of 2020 was the American version of The Office, seven years after it ended its television run. A Radio Times recording found 64% of respondents said they rewatched a TV series during lockdown, with 43% watching nostalgic shows.
We were suddenly thrown into an unfamiliar situation and in a perpetual state of unease. We had more time on hand, but also wanted to feel safe. To agree to famous content on television has a escape – a sanctuary from the realities of unknown future.
Revisiting ties to TV characters gave us a sense of control. We knew what lay in their future, and the calm and predictability of their bows balanced the uncertainty in ours.
Nostalgia as a plot point
Nostalgia has been in the DNA of television since some of the earliest programming decisions.
Every December, broadcasters scramble to show one of the many versions of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ much-told and family-friendly ghost story, which also features nostalgia as a plot device.
First shown on live TV in New York City in 1944on the ever-new technology, the broadcast continued a 100-year-old tradition of the classics appearing on stage and cinema screens.
Settling the TV for A Christmas Carol connects us to the holiday season and a heartwarming metamorphosis. Revisiting long-lost versions of himself, Ebenezer Scrooge transforms from villain to hero and our old friend in a single night.
For viewers, revisiting this character at the same time each year can also reconnect us with our past selves and create a predictable pattern, even in the madness of the silly season.
Actual (re)connection
The neuroscience of nostalgic experiences is clear. Nostalgia occurs when current sensory data – like what you watch on TV – matches past emotions and experiences.
This causes a release of dopamine, a reward system neurotransmitter involved in emotion and motivation. Meeting nostalgia is like autoloading and hitting play previous positive experiencesincreases desire and regulates mood.
So, nostalgia is based on experiences encoded in memory. The TV shows we choose to rewatch reflect our values, our tastes and the life stages we’ve gone through.
Perhaps this is a reason why reboots of our favorite shows sometimes fall flat and end up setting fans up for disappointment.
I still remember the crushing disillusionment I felt when I watched the sequel to the original Knight Rider series. I immediately turned to social media to find a community around my nostalgic throwback.
Stronger through stress
Going back to my challenging deadline, what was it about the nostalgic experience of watching Breaking Bad that made it different?
Breaking Bad evokes a particular phase in my life. I struggled the first three seasons when I was writing my PhD thesis. Walter White’s rise and fall journey to redemption is captured in the nostalgia of a difficult time I made it through.
The predictability of White’s bow on second viewing was an unlikely port. The escalating, high-stakes drama mirrored my mounting tension while connecting me to who I was when I first enjoyed the show.
The result? “Dread mode” switched off – even as my anti-heroes marched back into their ghastly movie screening. The reality, past and present, could be worse.
Anjum Naweed is Professor of Human Factors at CQUniversity Australia. This article was originally published in the Conversation
