Two candidates. Two drastically different visions for the future of America. And endless polls showing them virtually tied. Look, we all know Tuesday is going to be stressful, no matter what side of the political aisle you’re sitting on. You’re probably going to be checking your phone every five minutes for results that may take several days to come through. You can only watch Steve Kornacki and John King update their map graphics for so long. If you need a break, or a long, engrossing distraction, try this list of comfort-viewing TV shows, excellent binges, and top-rated films.
5 comfort-viewing TV picks
‘Parks and Recreation’
It’s true, you’ve probably watched every single episode of this NBC sitcom about a big-hearted small town city employee 10 times through. But that doesn’t make the show any less funny, and it’s just possible you’d enjoy a vision of a world where politicians are honest and whole-heartedly committed to making their country a better place. Travel back to Pawnee, and let Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), and April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza) comfort you with a vision of democracy at its most idealistic. Available on Peacock
‘Heartstopper’
This gentle teen dramedy features one of the sweeter romances on TV, and demonstrates over and over again that there is no one way to be queer, or come out, or fall in love. Based on the popular graphic novel of the same name by Alice Oseman, the third season premiered on Netflix earlier this fall, offering the particularly anxious viewer ample opportunities to watch Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke, more recently seen in the Disney+ show “Agatha All Along”) navigate the trials of young love. Available on Netflix
‘Abbott Elementary’
Quinta Brunson’s grade school mockumentary has been held up as a proof that the traditional broadcast network sitcom still has life in it. Whether it’s a throwback or a vision of the future, it’s indisputable proof that solid joke writing and an unbeatable cast of comedy pros can still carry the day. The show shares with “Parks” a hope that a devoted group of smart professionals trying their very best can effect meaningful change in the lives of the people (or in this case, kids) around them. Brunson’s elementary school teacher Janine has navigated career opportunities, some tough love mentorship from more senior teachers Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter), and a burgeoning romance with fellow teacher Gregory (Tyler James Williams). Available on Hulu
‘What We Do in the Shadows’
Taking the world of the mockumentary in a slightly different direction than “Abbott,” “Shadows” follows the lives of a group of bumbling vampires sharing a house on Staten Island. Despite dwelling in the world of mortals for decades, the crew can’t quite seem to grasp the rules of modern living, leaving their sporadic grasps for power somewhat less than effective. But if you’ve exhausted the world of Nadja, Laszlo, and the gang, you may still want to visit “Wellington Paranormal,” which is yet another spinoff of the original Taika Waititi-starring film version of “What We Do in the Shadows.” “Wellington” takes place in the titular city and follows a group of, you guessed it, bumblers. In this case, they’re members of the local police department in the New Zealand city, investigating strange and paranormal occurrences. Available on Hulu (“Shadows”) and Max (“Wellington”)
‘Harley Quinn’
This show may not exactly be comforting, per se, but it is one of the funniest shows on television right now. Following the adventures of Harley Quinn, the one-time paramour of the Joker, as she attempts to rise to the top of Gotham’s group of villains and be taken seriously in her own right without her famous ex, the animated sitcom is profane, perverse, and hysterical. If you’ve gotten bored of overly serious Hollywood adaptations of comic book properties, find a home with “Harley,” which finds endless humor poking fun at the DC comics universe. It also features an incredible voice performance from Kaley Cuoco, best known for playing Penny on “The Big Bang Theory,” but here doing exactly the kind of dialed-up-to-11 performance you want from a character like this. Available on Max
5 TV shows worth binge-watching
‘The Penguin’
Did Colin Farrell’s Penguin villain from the Robert Pattinson-starring “The Batman” truly need his own spinoff show? This engrossing series proves the answer is yes. Buried beneath layers of prosthetics, Farrell’s performance as Oz Cobb drives the show, but it’s the work of Broadway star Cristin Milioti (a Tony nominee for “Once”) as mobster’s daughter Sofia Falcone that has been garnering rave reviews. The show is still airing its first season, so you can hop on this bandwagon in the early days while having seven episodes to plow through to distract yourself. Available on Max
‘The Diplomat’
If you want to simply get lost in twists upon twists, this Keri Russell dramedy might be the way to go. Following the adventures of a reluctant ambassador to the U.K., “The Diplomat” has intrigue to spare, plus a compelling if minimally believable lead in Russell’s Kate, who can extrapolate world affairs in only a sentence or two, but has never remembered to brush her hair before leaving the house. The recently premiered second season isn’t quite as strong as the first, but it’s got enough twists to keep you riveted and guessing. Available on Netflix
‘Evil’
You‘ll need a stomach for horror to manage this demonic procedural on Paramount, but the show never gets to the level of, say, a “Halloween” movie. Psychologist Kristen (Katja Herbers), a skeptic on all things divine, teams up with a Roman Catholic priest (Mike Colter) and a tech genius (Aasif Mandvi) to investigate apparently possessed people and face off with the sinister Leland, a probably demonic foe played by “Lost”’s Michael Emerson in a wildly unleashed performance. Come for the creepy demons, stay for the heroic trio’s mysteriously infinite selection of stylish fall coats. Available on Paramount+
‘Severance’
The Apple TV+ drama is part workplace satire, part saga about what it means to be human, and all in all a very off-putting vision of what the near future holds for us. Mark (Adam Scott) has been Severed, a procedure that divided his brain into two distinct personas: one who goes to work all day, and then the real Mark, who awakens at the end of the workday with no memory of what he’s been up to. His work self is a total innocent who has never seen the outdoors, but his after-work self is floundering in the aftermath of his wife’s death. The first season, executive produced by Ben Stiller, offered fascinating world-building and enough freaky doings from the fictional company Mark works for to power quite a few seasons of mysteries. A trailer has finally been released for the hotly anticipated second season, so now’s the perfect time to dive in … or refresh your memory of what the Waffle Party turned out to be. Available on Apple TV+
‘Masters of the Air’
This World War II drama was executive produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, a duo with a distinctly impressive pedigree around historical dramas. The show follows the exploits of the 100th Bomb Group, which flew B-17 bomber missions over Nazi Germany. As former Globe TV critic Matthew Gilbert put it at the time, the show had a somewhat thin characterization for its various airmen. But, he argued, “It is an old-school tribute to the Greatest Generation and to those who fought against fascism — wait for the hoisting of the American flag in the finale — and as such it can be moving.” Just what you need right now, right? Available Apple TV+
5 highly rated films available to stream
‘His Three Daughters’
Sibling drama comes to a head in “His Three Daughters,” starring Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne as sisters who return to the Brooklyn apartment where they grew up to take care of their father, who’s dying of cancer. According to Globe film critic Odie Henderson, the trio of stars are “at the top of their game” in the Netflix film directed and written by Azazel Jacobs. “Each is superb in her own way, with Lyonne giving a career-best performance,” Henderson writes in his 3½-star review. Available on Netflix
‘Hit Man’
A film that’s “somewhat” based on a true story, director Richard Linklater puts his spin on the tale of Gary Johnson, a Texas college professor who also moonlights for the police as a faux assassin. Henderson calls the flick a “sexy and superb comic neo-noir,” with star Glen Powell hitting all the marks with his standout performance. “The actor has co-written (along with Linklater) a star-making part for himself, a role filled with twisty surprises and major personality shifts,” writes Henderson in his 4-star review. “My noir-loving heart found a lot to love here.” Available on Netflix
‘Music by John Williams’
Longtime film composer and former Boston Pops conductor John Williams has delighted audiences for decades with his iconic scores for classics such as “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” and so many more. Earning 54 Oscar nominations, including five wins, the beloved cinema icon’s impressive career gets the documentary treatment in Disney+’s “Music by John Williams.” Henderson writes in his 3½-star review that the film “is a fine tribute to the magic of a legendary maestro.” Available on Disney+
‘Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’
Even after all these years, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band still know how to rock a stage. The Boss and his beloved band are at the center of the new documentary “Road Diary,” which gives fans an intimate look at their 2023-24 tour, their first in six years. If you need a little music to help you through Election Night jitters, Henderson promises in his 3-star review that “the film doesn’t scrimp on the musical goods, and that’s where it shines brightest.” Available on Disney+ and Hulu
‘Wolfs’
No strangers to crime comedies, “Ocean’s Eleven” costars Brad Pitt and George Clooney team up for another action-packed flick, this time playing a pair of rival fixers forced to work together after getting booked for the same bloody clean-up job. While the plot of “Wolfs” is a bit “convoluted,” according to Henderson, Pitt and Clooney’s charm shines. “Together, they exude an enormous amount of chemistry, enough to make this AppleTV+ movie worth watching,” he writes in his 3-star review. Available on Apple TV+
Lisa Weidenfeld can be reached at lisa.weidenfeld@globe.com. Follow her on X @LisaWeidenfeld and Instagram @lisaweidenfeld. Matt Juul can be reached at matthew.juul@globe.com.