Reruns Remind Us Of Better Times

We all have our television favorites. Mash, Friends, Third Rock or Big Bang - when the reruns come on we run to the couch to watch. Turns out there is a scientific reason why.

Psychologists say it's because your brain loves nostalgia. With all the choices we have we could watch pretty much anything-anytime-anywhere but the things that we do feel compelled to re-watch are those that provide us with either comfort or perspective.
Psychologists also say nostalgia is a source of consolation that also allows us to escape our current reality. Researchers have found that repetition plays a role.

Derek Thompson write in The Atlantic, "The scientific term for this is 'mere exposure effect,' meaning that we like something more merely because we've been exposed to it. So there is evidence not only that we replay songs that we like, but also that-- up to a certain point!-- we like songs the more often that we play them."

Researchers say there's nothing wrong with our affinity for reruns, because there's nothing wrong with reminiscence as long as you're not idealizing or completely living in the past. (Huffington Post)

What TV show can you watch reruns of over and over?