8 Most Uplifting TV Shows That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity, Ranked by RT
These shows will remind you that kindness, perseverance, and sincerity rule the world.
We all love making a multitude of unrealistic yet cherished plans. Often, we just need a little push to finally get things moving.
Movie characters also love setting ambitious goals, from the absurdly funny to the truly heroic. However, that's not the point – what matters is how they cope with failure, reach out to others, and find light in dark times.
8. 'How to Make It in America', 2010-2011
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 66%
Although Ben dropped out of fashion school, he still dreams of a career as a fashion designer. In the meantime, he's living a dull life as a sales assistant at a denim store.
His girlfriend left him for someone else, and a recently released felon to whom he owes money for his contribution to a failed skateboard design project looms on the horizon.
Things are not going well, but his feisty friend Cam believes in Ben's talent like no one else. Together, they decide to take a risk and launch their own line of jeans inspired by 70s fashion.
7. 'Vinyl', 2016
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
The show is set in New York City in the midst of the turbulent 1970s. The eccentric Richie Finestra started at the bottom, scrubbing floors in clubs. In the early 1960s, however, he founded a record company that grew into a popular label.
He knows how to succeed, but his drug addiction and failed contracts have led to financial problems.
With massive changes occurring in the music industry, Richie must quickly pull himself together and find new artists who are ahead of the curve.
6. 'Mildred Pierce', 2011
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
During the Great Depression, families lost their sources of income and even wealthy people were forced to change their lifestyles. During this difficult time, Mildred Pierce, a housewife, was left alone with her two daughters after her husband left her.
She tried to find work of any kind, but there were no job offers. Besides cooking for her family and selling pies, Mildred had no job, so she decided to focus on cooking.
She realized that even with limited resources, people would be willing to spend their savings on good food. She decided to open her own chicken restaurant, a venture that would be riddled with doubts and tragedies.
5. 'Around the World in 80 Days', 2021
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Phileas Fogg received an anonymous postcard with a single word neatly written on it: Coward. During a social gathering, he can't stop thinking about the insulting message as those around him discuss a journalistic article.
According to the author, the opening of the railway through India has made it possible to circumnavigate the globe in just 80 days. Consumed with the desire to prove himself he isn't a coward, Fogg seizes on this news and promises to prove the article's point.
The social elite mock him but still bet a large sum of money. Fogg takes his valet, Passepartout, and a journalist, Abigail Fix, with him.
4. 'Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty', 2022-2023
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
The eccentric Jerry Buss, who had only previously sold real estate, decided to use all of his savings to acquire the Lakers basketball team through complex financial transactions.
Besides the financial investment, Buss saw an opportunity to popularize the NBA. He intended to turn its games into thrilling spectacles. The first player he acquired for his team was Magic Johnson.
The 19-year-old doesn't believe he has a future in basketball and wants to continue his education in college, but Buss convinces him with a large sum in his contract.
3. 'Shrill', 2019-2021
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Annie is forced to endure the daily emotional pressure of society – casual acquaintances hint that she needs to lose weight, her mother pushes unhealthy diet food on her, and her boyfriend hides her from his friends.
When she discovers she's pregnant, Annie decides to keep the baby, driven solely by the thought that she may never have another chance. Her boyfriend doesn't answer her calls or respond to her messages, so the heartbroken Annie has an abortion.
This event completely changes her self-image – she finds her own voice and resolves to never again follow the lead of others.
2. 'Silicon Valley', 2014-2019
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
A group of nerds lives in a Silicon Valley startup incubator. They developed a media player app called Pied Piper, but they're struggling to find influential sponsors or a loyal audience.
One day, a user notices that Pied Piper uses unique technology to transfer data quickly without losing quality. The friends realize that they have developed a cool project but haven't realized its potential.
Investors begin scrambling to acquire the technology while its incompetent developers tremble in fear of the new opportunities.
1. 'Julia', 2022-2023
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Julia published a successful book about French cuisine and was invited to appear on a TV program to discuss it. Rather than monotonously discussing the book, she brought butter and eggs to make a French omelet live on air.
This new cooking show format was so popular with viewers that they began asking Julia to appear again.
Julia Child is a renowned chef who created the first TV cooking show. During the war, she worked as a research fellow for the Intelligence Division, where she met her future husband. His assignment to Paris introduced her to French gastronomy and changed her life.
