Streaming TV Shows and Movies for Seniors

Whether they are homebodies, recovering from an illness, or are challenged by mobility limitations, sometimes staying home and watching a great show on their television is just what our senior loved ones want and/or need. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, hundreds of titles ranging from classic TV programs to game shows to critically acclaimed motion pictures are practically at their fingertips.

A streaming subscription could be a great gift for your senior loved one, not only offering them an endless supply of entertainment, but helping to stimulate their mind and senses and give them something to discuss with friends and family.

In addition to being able to watch what they want when they want, online streaming allows people who are physically separated to virtually watch movies at the same time, just as if they were sitting in a theater together.

Here are some highly recommended shows your senior loved ones might like to consider:

Scripted shows

Contrary to vintage programs that seemed to cast anyone with a few gray hairs as frail or out of touch (or both), these programs feature relatable main senior characters!

• Grace and Frankie (Netflix) — A comedy starring Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda about two senior women who bond under unusual circumstances.
• The Kominsky Method (Netflix) — A comedy featuring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. It’s a story about a flash in the pan actor who goes on to become a well-regarded acting coach.
• Hot in Cleveland (Amazon) — A comedy starring Wendy Malick, Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Betty White about four women from Los Angeles who decide to move in together in Cleveland.
• Homeland (Hulu) — A critically-acclaimed, award-winning drama starring Mandy Patinkin and Claire Danes about the adventures of a counterterrorism team.
• Trust (Hulu) — A dramatic series starring Donald Sutherland about the abduction of John Paul Getty III.

Period pieces

Modern takes on historical events and eras, these shows are big productions with lavish sets and costumes.

• The Crown (Netflix) — A drama centered around the life of Queen Elizabeth and the British royal family spanning from the 1940s until the present day.
• Downton Abbey (Amazon) — A drama set in early 20th-century United Kingdom, starring Maggie Smith.
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) — A comedy set in 1950s New York, featuring Tony Shaloub.

Games and reality programs

Decades worth of archives are available online allowing people to relive the golden era of television game shows.

• The Great British Baking Show (Netflix) — A popular reality baking competition.
• Wheel of Fortune (Netflix) – In production for five decades, you can watch archived episodes of what remains one of the most popular game shows on TV.
• The Big Flower Fight (Netflix) — A competition among florists.
• Forged in Fire (Amazon) — A competition show challenging blacksmiths to make swords and other objects in a cutthroat contest.
• Jeopardy! (Hulu) — One of the most popular and enduring gameshows in history, every episode since 1965 is available.

Documentaries

Great examples of revealing shows and movies for seniors about historical figures and events.

• The Toys that Made Us (Netflix) — A nostalgic show about popular toys through the years, which as an added bonus may remind seniors of toys they had growing up.
• The Story of Film: An Odyssey (Hulu) — A 15-part series about the history of film.
• Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Netflix) – The story of Fred Rogers and his iconic children’s program “ Rogers’ Neighborhood,” which aired for more than 30 years, starting in 1968.
• The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years (Netflix) — Directed by Ron Howard, this program let’s viewers take a trip back in time to 1964, when the Fab Four created Beatlemania.
• The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+) – The show’s namesake, actor Jeff Goldblum, delves into topics including the history of ice cream, tattoos, jewelry and sneakers.

Blockbusters

Full-length movies for seniors that feature senior characters or senior-friendly themes.

• Gran Torino – A drama starring Clint Eastwood about a Korean War vet who is struggling to accept how the world is changing around him.
• The Bucket List – Comedy starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman about two terminally-ill men who flee the hospital for an epic adventure.
• Boynton Beach Club – Comedy featuring Len Cariou and Brenda Vaccaro about human resilience and the possibility of finding love at any age.
• Grumpy Old Men – Comedy starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Marg. Two feuding neighbors really have something to fight about when they find themselves in competition for the romantic attention of their new neighbor.
• On Golden Pond – Drama starring Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda about a senior couple and the cottage where they’ve spent the summers of their marriage.

While everyone’s taste in what to watch differs, there’s something for everyone with the growing availability of television streaming. The next time your senior loved one settles in for a relaxing night, they’ll have plenty of options to keep them entertained.

Find new ways to spend time with the senior in your life on Bethesda’s blog.