25 feel-good shows to start 2018 off right

The Great British Baking Show

The premise: Twelve aspiring bakers compete to create the most creative and yummiest treats. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins act as presenters, and judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood offer critique and feedback to the aspiring chefs.

Why it’s so good: It’s wildly entertaining but about as wholesome as you can get. For a reality show, it ranks relatively low on the gross, embarrassing, vulgar, or salacious scale. This may seem like a super boring endeavor, especially the depths to which we’ve sunk in our reality TV habits, but it’s a sweet delight.

Instead of scratching each other’s eyes out, contestants encourage, support, and root for the other bakers. There’s plenty of good will to go around, and even when the competition heats up, these folks never get down in the gutter. Well, not really. The beef is always far more polite and passive than what we’re used to. Nobody is pulling someone’s wig or outing their sexual identity. It’s all class and dignity, for the most part.

Maybe it’s the English sensibility, or my American desensitization, but it’s a refreshing change from all the animals we see on our reality TV. I can also probably blame my American sense of humor for laughing when they say things like “soggy ladyfingers.”

How to watch: You can watch seasons 1-4 on Netflix.