I switched to streaming TV shows and movies years ago, but I still keep some of my favorite shows stored locally on my PC because I want to be able to watch them offline. That doesn’t happen often (in fact, it’s only happened a few times over the last few years), but there’s no worse feeling than the internet going down and not being able to watch your comfort show while eating lunch.
A few months ago, I finally upgraded to a phone with 256GB of storage (a Google Pixel 10 Pro), and since I’m not someone who takes many photos and videos, I decided to fill it with a few of my favorite shows so I can enjoy them whenever I want, wherever I want.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
I have to have my tools!
It may sound strange, but It’s Always Sunny is my go-to comfort show. I can’t get enough of the gang and their increasingly unhinged adventures. I’m a sucker for quality satire, and It’s Always Sunny has it in droves and then some. The gang’s ventures, which always fail in the most satisfying ways (to the viewer, at least), are the kind of comfort food I’ll never get sated with.
Since the show has 17 seasons and counting, and since I’ve watched every episode at least half a dozen times, I don’t keep all the episodes on my phone. I have most of the older seasons there, as well as a selection of bangers from the newer ones (which, to be honest, are full of them). The nostalgia is strong with this show because the first season premiered when I was still in high school.
I find myself watching the show in every situation: before bed, during lazy Sunday mornings, when taking a break from work — anytime, really. It’s always a good time for the gang.
- Operating System
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tvOS
- Resolution
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4K
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Seinfeld
Ya gotta see the baby!
I first watched Seinfeld in the early 2000s, when a local TV station aired the show just a few years after it had ended. To be honest, I didn’t find it particularly interesting as a teenager. Fast-forward almost a decade, and I fell in love with the show during college. On my first few viewings, the characters seemed relatively normal, but with each rewatch, you begin to realize just how neurotic the original gang really is. That’s also when you start to understand why Seinfeld was one of the main inspirations behind It’s Always Sunny.
And that’s the beauty of Seinfeld: every episode has multiple layers that slowly reveal themselves with each rewatch. Every time you revisit the series, you have less and less sympathy for the main characters because you realize you wouldn’t want to be friends with any of them. That’s precisely why I still love watching it. I still discover new details I’d previously missed, and I’m still peeling away the layers of most onions (read: episodes), even though I’ve watched the entire show at least seven times.
The IT Crowd
Hello, IT. Have you tried turning it off and on again?
The IT Crowd is, along with Coupling (except for the final season) and the show featured just below, one of my favorite British comedies. Richard Ayoade is a comedic king who stole the show for me, even after Matt Berry joined the cast. The pace, the jokes, the dialogue, the characters, the length of the show (I like British shows because they don’t have a gazillion episodes, unlike their American counterparts), the ratio of laugh-out-loud moments per minute — everything is near perfect.
The chemistry between the main characters (and Douglas, once he makes his uproarious debut) is striking, making The IT Crowd one of those lightning-in-a-bottle shows that you cherish more and more every time you revisit one of your favorite episodes. Similarly to It’s Always Sunny, I can watch The IT Crowd anytime, anywhere, which is why I decided to keep it on my phone.
Peep Show
God, it’s so easy being a freak, no wonder they’re ten a penny.
For some reason, I’d avoided Peep Show for years, even though everyone told me it was right up my alley. Then I finally succumbed and watched it for the first time during the pandemic, and my God, what a collection of brilliant and disturbing stories Peep Show is. Mark and Jeremy are a match made in hell who carry a show that’s one of the most brilliant pieces of British comedy ever made.
At the beginning of the show, you don’t know which of the two is worse, and you’re constantly shifting your opinion. But at one point, you realize it’s Mark. It’s always been Mark. At the same time, you can’t really feel sorry for Jeremy because every time you start empathizing with him, he does something that makes you think, “Yep, they deserve each other.” Also, I don’t think any other TV show has a title song more fitting than Peep Show’s.
I’m smack dab in the middle of my third watch, which I’m mostly doing on my phone whenever I find a half-hour slice of free time. I know I’ll return to Peep Show in the coming years. Brilliant stuff.
My phone has become the main way I watch TV shows
I’m a PC guy, and I watched shows exclusively on a computer monitor for most of my life, but over the last few years, I’ve been enjoying video content on my phone more and more. Yes, the screen is small, but you simply can’t beat the versatility of a smartphone. Now that I’ve moved beyond 128GB of storage, I can finally carry my favorite shows with me wherever I go without constantly worrying about running out of space.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $10/month
- Live TV
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Yes, various plans available
Hulu is a popular streaming service that launched in October 2007. Hulu is owned by Disney and has produced several successful titles such as Hellraiser, Prey, Love, Victor, Only Murders in the Building, and The Handmaid’s Tale. Hulu has also teamed with FX to provide subscribers next-day access to shows that premiere on the network.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
