These Are The Streaming Categories Moms Wish Existed
Just give me a shortcut to all the series set in quaint villages, thanks.
Horror, reality, documentaries, sci-fi — you have scrolled through your streaming platform’s categories three times, but nothing is speaking to you. While the home screen is generally tailored to things you’ve watched in the past, I think streamers’ algos could get a little more niche based on our interests. Let this be my official pitch deck to Netflix, Peacock, HBO, and all the rest: These are the streaming categories moms wish existed.
Shows Set In Quaint Towns
Give us all the Gilmore Girls Stars Hollow-esque town squares, the Virgin River landscapes and downtowns. Something about a small-town setting helps a show feel lower stakes and less intense, and it’s like a little 30-minute escape every time.
Kids’ Shows Parents Won’t Despise
Bluey taught us many things, but chief among them is that children’s entertainment doesn’t have to make us feel like ripping our hair out. But once you’ve watched the Heeler family’s entire backlog, where else can you turn? We think Avatar: The Last Airbender, Pokémon Concierge, Bee and PuppyCat, and Rugrats would all fit nicely in this category.
Shows Like Heated Rivalry, Because We Love Sports Romances Now
More LGBTQ+ love stories, please! Bonus points if they have a sports element — the rivals-to-lovers tension is too good. This category would contain some gems like Olympo, Heartstopper, and Fellow Travelers.
Sitcoms With Coffee Shop Scenes
If it doesn’t have a Central Perk, we don’t want it! But for real, though, what is it about a sitcom with a neighborhood coffee shop or dive bar that just feels right? Fraser and Seinfeld immediately come to mind.
Shows That Are Perfect For Half-Watching
Wouldn’t it be great if your algo would compile the comfort shows you’ve seen a thousand times, like New Girl and Schitt’s Creek, into a category like this? Or maybe it could summon up a bunch of reality TV you don’t need much focus to follow. I swear by Netflix’s reality roster for this: The Ultimatum, Million Dollar Secret, and The Circle.
Low-Stakes Documentaries Where Nothing That Bad Happens
You want a good doc, maybe a little tense or something educational, but definitely no untimely deaths or bad things happening to kids and animals. Think Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story, and Won’t You Be My Neighbor? They don’t all have to be feel-good documentaries necessarily, but a good low-stakes category would be clutch.
Movies With Great Kitchens
Practical Magic, It’s Complicated, The Holiday — whatever your preferred kitchen aesthetic might be, there’s a movie for that. There’s something so fun about watching a movie with above-average set design and truly memorable moments set around the kitchen island.
Rom-Coms Where The Main Character Works At A Magazine
Think How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Devil Wears Prada, 13 Going on 30… there’s something about a having a job in media that makes a romantic comedy protagonist feel complete. The Ugly Truth is close enough, since we’re talking about a producer in Katherine Heigl’s character Abby. I dunno, I’d click.
Shows & Movies Where Moms Do Something Badass
As someone who grew up seeing Jennifer Lopez’s Enough more times than I could count, I love nothing more than a kickass mom moment in a show or film. Season 5 of Stranger Things was perfect for this (we salute you, Cara Buono). Kill Bill, Panic Room... this category has legs, people.
What streaming categories would you create, if only you had Netflix’s ear for a moment?
