How to Find Streaming TV Shows for Older Adults With Cognitive Challenges

Matlock (1986-95, nine seasons)

Andy Griffith starred as a folksy criminal defense attorney who did a better job of identifying the real killer than the police, time after time.

Watch: You can stream on Pluto.
 

Murder, She Wrote (1984-96, 12 seasons)

Angela Lansbury starred as a widowed mystery writer in a remote Maine town called Cabot Cove that had a suspiciously high murder rate. 

Watch: You can stream on Peacock.
 

Comedy series

227 (1985-90, five seasons)

Marla Gibbs moved from the deluxe apartment of The Jeffersons (which sadly has only two of its 11 seasons streaming) to a Washington, D.C., apartment building. The show offered a slice of middle-class Black life in the ’80s and minted stars like Jackée Harry and future Oscar winner Regina King.

Watch: You can stream on Hulu.
 

The Carol Burnett Show (1967-78, 11 seasons)

Carol Burnett, 91, created legendary characters like working-class homemaker Eunice Higgins and the curtain-rod-wearing Starlet O’Hara in a parody of Gone With the Wind. It’s enough to make you want to tug on your earlobe in satisfaction.

Watch: You can stream on Tubi, Pluto and other streamers.
 

Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005, nine seasons)

Doris Roberts deservedly won four Emmys playing meddling mother-in-law Marie Barone in this wry domestic comedy that captured the ways that loving families can get under each other’s skin.

Watch: You can stream on Paramount+ or Peacock.
 

The Golden Girls (1985-92, seven seasons)

Has there ever been a more magical group of women on screen than in this show about four women of a certain age sharing a home in Florida?

Watch: You can stream on Hulu.
 

The Kominsky Method (2018-21, three seasons)

Hollywood is fixated on youth — but don’t tell that to fading acting coach Sandy Kominsky (Michael Douglas) or his longtime agent (Alan Arkin) as they navigate L.A.’s Sunset Boulevard in their own sunset years in this Netflix comedy. (This being a modern Netflix series, there’s some PG-13 content in terms of language, brief nudity and frank discussions of sexuality.)

Watch: You can stream on Netflix.
 

Newhart (1982-90, eight seasons)

The recently departed Bob Newhart’s ’70s show (the one where he played a shrink opposite Suzanne Pleshette) sadly isn’t streaming — but you can treasure his ’80s take on life in a Vermont inn full of oddball personalities.

Watch: Stream on Prime Video.
 

Reality shows

Dancing With the Stars (2005-present, 33 seasons)

This venerable ABC show is in some ways a throwback to old variety shows like The Lawrence Welk Show (sadly not available on streaming), showing B-level celebs doing the tango or bossa nova with pro dancers.

Watch: Stream on Disney+.
 

Deadliest Catch (2005-present, 20 seasons)

You can’t be crabby about the success of this long-running show, which follows the dangerous lives of crab fishermen plying their trade in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska.

Watch: You can stream on Max.
 

The Great British Baking Show (2010-present, 14 seasons)

This show, whose competitors cheer each other on (even when one’s soufflé collapses), is the TV equivalent of comfort food.

Watch: You can stream seven seasons on Netflix.
 

Pawn Stars (2009-present, 22 seasons)

The virtue of this reality show, set in a Las Vegas pawnshop, is not only the rotating crew of characters but also the historical stories that surface with each object brought into the shop.

Watch: You can stream on History, Roku and other services.
 

Planet Earth (2006, one season)

At 98, documentarian Sir David Attenborough is a living legend renowned for his capacity to educate and illuminate the wonders of the natural world. You can find his projects, often in eight one-hour episodes, under several titles and streaming platforms. Planet Earth, on Max, is a good place to start — though his most recent projects (including the Emmy-nominated Our Planet II) are available on Netflix.

Watch: Stream on Max.
 

History shows

Baseball (1994, one season)

Ken Burns is a national treasure for his thoughtful PBS documentaries about different aspects of American history and society — many of which are available on the free streamer Hoopla (connected to many public libraries nationwide). Sports fans will delight in Burns’ take on the national pastime, which hits the major events as well as detours round the bases. (His other docuseries, which cover everything from the Civil War to country music, are also available for streaming.)

Watch: You can stream on Hoopla.
 

Call the Midwife (2012-present, 13 seasons)

This historical series, following a group of nurse-midwives in a London community from the 1950s to the ’60s, has been going so long that it’s blown past its original source material, Jennifer Worth’s trilogy of memoirs. It offers a sharp portrait of mid-20th-century life, particularly for women.

Watch: You can stream on Netflix.
 

The Chosen (2017-present, four seasons)

This indie historical drama traces the life of Jesus and his followers. It’s become a favorite of many Christian churches, with episodes that serve as stand-alone treatments of different biblical stories.

Watch: You can stream on Prime, Hulu and other services.
 

The Food That Built America (2019-present, five seasons)

Ever wonder how Hershey kisses got their name? Or how a Kentucky man named Harland Sanders turned a failing gas station into the start of the KFC fried chicken empire? This series explores all manner of food history in bite-size one-hour episodes.

Watch: You can stream four seasons on Hulu.
 

Man vs. History (2021-present, one season)

Historian and storyteller Bil Lepp travels the country to explore (and debunk) some of the legends of American history, from Paul Revere’s midnight ride to Davy Crockett and the Alamo. Each episode covers a different topic, so it’s easier to follow.

Watch: You can stream on Hoopla or the History app.