Turning “The Pitt” into My Comfort Show: The Allure of Procedural TV

Television is one of my great daily comforts, or well, it used to be when I had time to watch television on a regular basis (i.e., before the birth of my daughter). We’ve switched eating in front of the television to eating as a family, which is great and ensures that our little one is able to get the nutrients she needs to grow up healthy and strong. I am missing out on a lot of premium television, however.

In the scant hours I do have to watch television, I find myself exhausted. Whether it be from the deluge of mind-freaking (sorry Criss Angel) news on a daily basis or yet another personal problem cropping up to stop my creative flow in its tracks (sorry writing projects), it is hard to invest the time and energy into consuming a new television show. Instead, I find myself falling back into shows I’ve already watched and letting the familiarity wash over me while my brain takes a respite, however brief it might be. 

I’ve not been one in the past to rely on a “comfort” show, but here I am watching the first season of The Pitt for a third time, wondering, how did I get here?