michael jr ted talk

15 BEST COZY TV SHOWS + FILMS TO WATCH THIS AUTUMN

As the crisp fall weather arrives, it beckons those who enjoy staying in to snuggle up with their favorite entertainment. If you’re ready to sink into the sofa and get comfy, this list of cozy movies and TV shows is packed with familiar favorites and warm knitted sweaters! Keep reading!

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

Despite its name and the theme song “Look Away,” A Series of Unfortunate Events is actually a charming show filled with fall vibes. With vintage costumes, moody lighting, and themes of sadness and bad luck, this dark comedy-drama is perfect for the season. 

The story is narrated by Lemony Snicket (Patrick Warburton) and follows the adventures of the Baudelaire siblings: Violet (Malina Weissman), Klaus (Louis Hynes), and Sunny (Presley Smith). After their parents (Will Arnett and Cobie Smulders) seemingly die in a fire, Mr. Poe (K. Todd Freeman), a bank worker, takes the kids to live with their “closest” relative, Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris), who lives just three miles away. 

Unfortunately (you probably saw this coming), Count Olaf is a terrible guardian. He’s a failed actor and a greedy person who wants the Baudelaire fortune and can’t wait for Violet to grow up to get it. 

Based on the well-loved children’s book series, the show stays true to the original stories and features many amazing guest stars, including Joan Cusack, Aasif Mandvi, Alfre Woodard, Catherine O’Hara, and Tony Hale.

YOU’VE GOT MAIL

“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” This opening line from You’ve Got Mail, where Meg Ryan talks about autumn to Tom Hanks through a charming old-fashioned email, will make you crave the fall season no matter when you watch it. As the story goes on, their unintentional love-hate relationship develops against the backdrop of competing bookstores and two beautiful Manhattan apartments. It’s one of the most comforting movies to watch!

AMATEUR

Basketball season kicks off in the fall, and it’s all 14-year-old Terron Forte (Michael Rainey Jr.) can think about. After a video of his basketball skills goes viral, Coach Gaines (Josh Charles) recruits him to a top high school and offers him a full scholarship to play on the Liberty Prep team. 

When the season starts, Terron becomes a star, and soon sponsors and the NCAA show interest, promising him a bright future filled with money. However, Terron learns that a career in amateur sports isn’t just fun and games. He has to deal with a lot of corruption, greed, and uncertainty, all while keeping up with his homework. Terron’s parents, Nia (Sharon Leal) and Vince (Brian J. White), worry about their son and suspect that Coach Gaines may care more about himself than about Terron. 

You’ll want to see how everything unfolds, both on and off the court.

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

Only Murders In The Building is one of the most autumn-like TV shows, making it perfect for this time of year. The series follows three quirky friends who start a podcast to solve a murder that happened in their apartment building. It features a beautiful autumn setting in New York, plenty of stylish fall outfits, and a fun (but mostly silly) murder mystery. It’s a 10/10 for cozy fall TV watching!

THE CHAIR

If we were to match seasons with school subjects, winter would be math, spring would be science, summer would be history, and fall would definitely be English. In The Chair, Professor Ji-Yoon Kim (Sandra Oh) becomes the new chairperson of a struggling English department at a small college called Pembroke University. As the first woman in this role, Ji-Yoon is determined to make things better. 

She works hard to secure tenure for her colleague, Yaz (Nana Mensah), while also dealing with the constant demands of other faculty members, Joan (Holland Taylor), Elliot (Bob Balaban), and the dean (David Morse). She tries to keep her crush on colleague Bill Dobson (Jay Duplass) a secret. 

Besides the strong academic vibes, the autumn atmosphere of this comedy-drama comes from its setting. The campus has a classic New England feel, with beautiful fall leaves, mahogany furniture, leather-bound books, and cozy fireplaces. Plus, we give Ji-Yoon’s fall-inspired work outfits a 10/10!

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY…

Here’s a younger Meg Ryan, once again embracing fall as her friendship with Billy Crystal develops over ten years. Their journey begins with a drive from Chicago to New York right after college and wraps up at a New Year’s party where they finally figure things out. The film features stunning scenes of golden leaves in New York, especially when Harry and Sally walk through Central Park discussing their dreams about love. They filmed in November, and Billy Crystal later shared that if they had waited just one more day, the leaves would have fallen after a rainstorm swept them away.

GILMORE GIRLS

No town does fall quite like the fictional wonderland of Stars Hollow. With its charming town square adorned with pumpkins for the Autumn Festival and Lorelai and Rory’s cozy sweaters, Gilmore Girls has become a favorite for many fans during the season. Binge this show if you’re in the mood for light-hearted drama, small-town charm, witty dialogue, and a never-ending love for coffee, coffee, coffee!

GOSSIP GIRL

If Stars Hollow isn’t serving up enough drama, Manhattan’s elite will definitely fill the void. Gossip Girl follows a group of wealthy New Yorkers navigating the ups and downs of being ultra-rich, ultra-privileged, and often misunderstood while being anonymously blogged about. This over-the-top show has a delightfully cozy early 2000s vibe. Plus, there are plenty of episodes showcasing the beauty of fall in New York City!

VIRGIN RIVER

If you enjoy classic soap operas filled with will-they-won’t-they romances, the occasional “whose baby is that?” storyline, and a charming setting, then Virgin River is perfect for you. This show fits into the appealing subgenre of “big city medic moves to small town and finds happiness” seen in American films and TV shows (think Doc Hollywood and Hart of Dixie). It follows a nurse who, after losing her husband, relocates to the remote Northern California town of Virgin River. While working for the local grumpy doctor, she unexpectedly finds love with the rugged bar owner. Filmed in British Columbia, the series features beautiful redwoods, misty mornings by the river, and cozy plaid lumberjack outfits.

CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA

You really can’t find a more gothic, autumn vibe than that of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The teenage half-witch, half-mortal Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka), along with her aunts (Lucy Davis and Miranda Otto) and cousin Ambrose (Chance Perdomo), live in a mortuary! This supernatural horror series is a much darker take on the classic ’90s sitcom, featuring blood, satanic rituals, and haunting images. 

Set in the fictional town of Greendale, it feels like Halloween come to life, complete with mysterious woods and witchy residents. As Sabrina faces the challenges of normal life (like high school bullies) and supernatural threats (like hellish demons), her coming-of-age story—and the show’s striking, dark costumes—definitely captures the spirit of “spooky season.”

CHARMED

As Halloween approaches, shows about witches and the supernatural are perfect for getting into the spirit, and Charmed, which entertained us throughout the early 2000s, is a great example. The series follows three sisters—played by the talented trio of Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty, and Holly Marie Combs—who are powerful witches trying to save the world while leading relatively normal lives in modern-day San Francisco. Their magical missions often clash with everyday life, causing chaos in their romantic relationships and frequently bringing them into contact with the police. For a similar feel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a wonderfully nostalgic option!

FRIENDS

What’s cozier than spending a few episodes with your best friends? Escaping to a world where NYC apartments are huge and every problem can be solved at Central Perk is perfect for a cozy night in. The ’90s fall fashion is definitely enviable, and there are plenty of autumn-themed episodes to enjoy, like “The One With The Football” and “The One With All The Thanksgivings.”

PRACTICAL MAGIC

We could spend a long time exploring witchy films and TV shows that are perfect for October, but Practical Magic, featuring a young Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as two witches in Massachusetts, is definitely our favorite. We especially love Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing as their witch aunts who raise them. With a mix of two of our favorite plot elements—murder and magic—this film promises cozy viewing. A close second in this genre is, of course, Hocus Pocus, where Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy have an absolute blast as modern-day witches in Salem.

DEAR WHITE PEOPLE

In the fall-inspired category of “strong academia vibes,” Dear White People is a dramedy that follows Black college students at the fictional Ivy League school, Winchester University. The main characters include Sam (Logan Browning), Joelle (Ashley Blaine Featherson), Troy (Brandon P. Bell), Lionel (DeRon Horton), Coco (Antoinette Robertson), and Reggie (Marque Richardson). 

The series is based on a 2014 comic-satirical film of the same name, with the writer and director, Justin Simien, returning to write and direct several episodes. Each half-hour episode offers a different character’s perspective, showcasing some of the best seasonal fashion. While Winchester believes it is “post-racial,” the everyday experiences of the characters tell a different story. 

Dear White People addresses important issues like race relations, class hierarchy, politics, microaggressions, and unconscious biases, balancing sharp social commentary with humor and storytelling that resonates long after the episode ends.

The Half Of It

In the fictional Pacific Northwest town of Squahamish, autumn brings a chill and a comforting coziness. The atmosphere is muted and grayish, yet it radiates a quiet optimism that keeps hope alive for a happy ending, even when the narrative takes a somber turn. High school student Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) runs an essay-writing side hustle to support her widowed father (Collin Chou).

One day, she is approached by a football player named Paul (Daniel Diemer) with a unique request: he needs help writing a love letter to his dream girl, Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire). Unbeknownst to Paul, Ellie is a lesbian, and the feelings she pours into the letters to Aster aren’t entirely fabricated. While the plot may hint at familiar outcomes, the film’s true love story lies in the evolving friendship between Ellie and Paul.

They discover that truly understanding someone is a messy process, but ultimately rewarding, as what you initially see is often only half the story.

CONCLUSION

As the leaves change color and the air begins to crisp, there’s no better time to curl up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and your favorite entertainment. Whether you’re in the mood for a heartwarming drama, a suspenseful thriller, or a lighthearted comedy, this list of top 15 cozy TV shows and films has something to offer everyone. So grab your blanket, turn off the lights, and get ready to enjoy a cozy autumn filled with laughter, tears, and unforgettable stories.

PHARRELL WILLIAMS 2020 INTERVIEW: EXPLORES THE BEAUTY BUSINESS

Recently, Pharrell Williams found himself needing to dispel rumors in an interview with CNN, reassuring viewers that he is not, in fact, a vampire. This claim had nothing to do with his extraordinary creative talents in songwriting, performing, or fashion design. Instead, it was about his youthful appearance at 47, as he approaches his sixth decade. His striking angular cheekbones are inherited from his grandmother, and his almond-shaped eyes come from his father. While his musical prowess garners admiration, there has always been an equal fascination with his looks and skincare regimen. Williams’s thoughtful, philosophical approach extends to all his endeavors. “Sometimes you need to cleanse your spirit,” he reflects. “Sometimes you need to cleanse your mind. Sometimes you’ve just got to get rid of some dead skin.”

He’s here to discuss his latest venture: a skincare line developed in collaboration with his longtime dermatologist, Elena Jones. “Are you seeing this?” he asks proudly, showing off a squat bottle colored like freshly mown grass. The name “Humanrace” stands out boldly on the packaging.

Humanrace Skincare debuts with a rice powder cleanser, an enzyme exfoliant, and a “humidifying” moisturizer. “I grew up in humidity,” he notes, recalling his Virginia Beach roots, just a mile from the ocean. “The way I think about things… I’m an Aries, but I’m also a Cancer rising. Water makes me feel free. Water is very inspiring to me.” Indeed, water has been a lifelong theme for him. “I’ve always been obsessed with the idea that water falls [from] the sky as evaporation,” he explains.

Williams’s knack for promoting even the simplest products is evident here. He holds up a loden-green sandal to the webcam, which looks like a shower slide with a puffy tube top. “I told everybody, ‘Listen, wearing these are like [wearing] socks,’” he says. I research them: Adidas x Pharrell Williams Boost slides, $100 a pair. “And they sell out, because people want comfort.”

If you were to invent a title for him, Pharrell Williams would be the Chief Sensations Officer at Humanrace. He characterizes his skincare expertise as the ability to “describe sensations,” which are then reverse-engineered by his team to create previously non-existent experiences. Whether it’s the feeling of shoes that gently embrace your feet or the sensation of humidity on your face captured in a cream that also highlights your cheekbones, Williams translates these sensations into tangible products.

“You put on that humidifying cream,” he says with a grin that flattens his little black mustache, “You’re like, ‘Oh man, my skin is popping.’”

Under the relentless Miami sun, where the air is so humid it could be sold as a moisturizer, Williams goes for bike rides a few times a week. He began biking around Miami 15 years ago as both a physical and spiritual practice. The cardio from riding up to a hundred miles a week helps keep his physique lean. “I like to be slim,” he explains. “I don’t want to be bulky. I don’t want to have big muscles and shit. Like, I’m not looking to be some Greek statue.”

“Sometimes you need to cleanse your spirit. Sometimes you need to cleanse your mind. Sometimes you’ve just got to get rid of some dead skin.”

At the start of each ride, he curses the wind, but soon he feels it as a divine force propelling him forward. “You realize that there is something much more than just you, your bike, and your attention to where you’re headed. There’s this force that comes from nature that you just… If you’re down to be in tune, it speaks to you. It speaks to me.” He spent much of his youth biking in Virginia Beach, likely looking much like he does now—slim and youthful—riding south and north.

In his mid-20s, Williams began a serious focus on skin health. During the early stages of his career, he would often engage in impromptu grooming discussions with women he dated, befriended, or met professionally. “They’d talk to me about their skin and the things that they’d do,” he recalls. “It varied between the different girls and campaigns that they had done and what they felt was integral to their process.” He fondly remembers skin-care advice from Naomi Campbell: “‘As soon as you’re done washing your face, you wash it with cold water.’ She would always talk to me about never washing my face with the downward strokes of whatever cloth I was using, to always go upward, to go against the gravity.”

(Williams married Helen Lasichanh in 2013; the couple had a son in 2008 and triplets in 2017. He is no longer engaging in these skin-care discussions with women.)

The celebrity network offers a mixed bag of skin-care advice. On one hand, celebrities often have a strong grasp of skin care, akin to how an American soldier might master Tagalog while stationed in the Philippines. However, many are contracted by beauty companies, which can limit their expertise to promoting specific brands or products, making them unreliable narrators at times.

Williams’s description of his skin-care line reflects his unique approach: “Humanrace is a full-on brand,” he says. “We just want to make things better. We want to democratize the experience of achieving wellness. And I’m not trying to be like any other wellness brand out there. That’s what they do. That’s what they give. Ours is all based on results and solutions and sensations. We wanted to look at sensations. I mean, we live in a world that needs it.”

While Williams has previously been cautious about identifying himself as an activist, his perspective has evolved, particularly influenced by the Movement for Black Lives this past summer. He has been inspired by thinkers like Michael Harriot and Henry Louis Gates Jr., who have demonstrated that impactful change can take many forms. “Gates said, there are many different ways to protest, to be on the front lines,” Williams notes, referring to the widespread protests in the United States since May. “Some people are great orators. Some people are great strategists. Some people can stand and hold a placard, protest sign, for way longer than other people. There are people making sandwiches and bringing nourishment to people who are out there. My activism has [taken a lot of shapes]. Because my culture, our lives matter.”

This summer, Williams and Jay-Z released “Entrepreneur,” a track highlighting the systemic ways capital is withheld from Black men. The phrase “Black Man” even illuminated Times Square from a New York Police Department outpost, promoting the single.

When asked if the song draws any inspiration from his own business success, Williams is reserved. “I mean, Jay and I just did that song as a PSA,” he says. “Only. It’s just that.”

Williams explains that the song aims to inspire aspiring Black business owners to act on their ambitions despite the obstacles. “When you hear the whispers of your ambitions, act on them. You’ve generationally been told how tough it’s going to be for you. It’s like you’re on the baseball team, with one arm behind your back. You might be able to catch the ball. How far are you going to be able to hit it? They need you to be able to make it all the way home.”

Williams has certainly made it home. He’s written, produced, or performed at least one of your favorite songs, making you leap from the bathroom to the dance floor back in the days when that was a thing. He’s been behind tracks that made you hold on tight through the opening notes of hits like “I’m a Slave 4 U” and “Hot in Herre.” In his early days, while working with Chad Hugo, their contributions were often overshadowed by the star power of artists like Britney, Justin, and Nelly. But when it became known that two men from Virginia Beach were responsible for a significant chunk of pop radio hits, the music world took notice.

How does Pharrell Williams create music? “It’s like a house,” he explains. “There’s more than one way inside the house. It’s not just the front door. The side doors, windows, patios. There [are] so many ways, so I don’t know that we have the time to —”

We don’t. We’re at minute 50 of a tightly scheduled second interview, which has to be conducted during Williams’s workout. The first interview took place while he was working on Rosalía’s third studio album, during which he had to briefly step away to bid her farewell.

“— really unpack that. I will say that no matter the scenario, when it comes to music for me, there’s always a trigger. It’s just a word in the conversation or a notion, or seeing a situation, or watching a movie. It all depends. And once you find that trigger, it becomes a rabbit hole and then you just kind of go down that. The rest of it is figuring out what the groove is going to be.”

Currently, he and Hugo are working on crafting the groove for Rihanna’s highly anticipated ninth album. “Rih is in a different place right now. Like, wow. She’s from a different world.” Williams humorously suggests that this world might be Venus, backing it up with a recent theory that there could be life on our neighboring planet. “I‘m willing to bet, because Venus is gaseous, that if they had a telescope that could zoom through all that shit, you’d see Rih laying there naked.”

“I’m an Aries, but I’m also a Cancer rising. Water makes me feel free. Water is very inspiring to me.”

Williams possesses the remarkable ability to create music that is both exceptional and widely popular. Over the past decade, he has achieved two Billboard Hot 100 hits that dominated the charts for over ten weeks: “Blurred Lines” and “Happy.” The former, a funky track, was controversial, with some critics interpreting it as condoning sexual assault—an interpretation that Williams has since come to understand. “Happy,” on the other hand, became a staple at baby showers and beyond.

The creation of “Happy” marked a shift in Williams’s musical approach. The song was less a personal creative pursuit and more a deliverable for Universal Pictures for the film Despicable Me 2. Originally, CeeLo Green was slated to provide vocals, but his team declined the opportunity. In an alternate reality, our CVS pharmacies might be stocked with CeeLo Green’s distinctive voice proclaiming joy and urging us to join in.

But that’s not the world we live in. Williams ended up recording “Happy,” his smooth voice adding a golden touch to the track. The song’s infectious catchiness, along with its themes of happiness, gratitude, and dancing, helped Williams win over children and older adults alike, likely enhancing his fame. Though it was initially a commission for another artist, Williams transformed it into a defining moment of his career, acing a work assignment that, for better or worse, became a significant part of his legacy.