Written by Emma Jones
Are there any shows or movies that you watch every year for different seasons or holidays? I’m talking “Elf” over Christmas break, “Aquamarine” in the summer or “Stranger Things” season two around Halloween. A personal favorite of mine to rewatch when it’s getting close to fall is the show “Over the Garden Wall.”
OTGW is an animated miniseries that ran for one season on Cartoon Network in 2014. With 10 episodes that are only 11 minutes each, it’s very easy to sit down and just binge like it’s a movie. Inspired by a 19th and 20th century farmland-Americana that’s riddled with fantasy, the show makes for a perfect fall watch with equal amounts of cozy and creepy plotlines.
Fall has always been my favorite season. In my opinion, nothing else beats its aesthetic or holidays or seasonal activities. This year especially, I have been very ready for summer to end and the days to start getting cooler — I’ve already got my pumpkin-shaped candy jar ready to fill with treats. Fall is such a nostalgic season for me: It’s watching college football with my dad, jumping in huge piles of leaves with my brothers, baking banana bread with my mom and going trick-or-treating with my best friend. Rewatching OTGW each year has become a tradition that gets me prepared for my favorite season, even if the leaves aren’t changing colors just yet.
Everything about this Emmy-award winning show, from the colors to the music to the characters, epitomizes autumn. The animation is done in muted, warm tones of mainly oranges and browns and greens. The soundtrack, based on pre-1950s melodies and songs, helps add to the whimsical theme of the series while helping it still feel nostalgic. Even many of the characters are reminiscent of fall, with sentient pumpkins, anthropomorphic woodland creatures and a beast the main characters are warned away from.
Don’t just take my word for it that you should curl up with some popcorn and watch OTGW soon — take science’s. A study from Psych Central has shown that watching shows or movies can help boost your mood, and taking a break from schoolwork for something enjoyable is relaxing and helps ward off potential burnout. Watching something with other people (like your roommate) can also help improve your relationship with them by providing a point of connection. (Not that any of this is much of a surprise — who doesn’t love a good movie night?)
All that being said, if you’re ready for fall to get here and also needing something to watch, I highly recommend “Over the Garden Wall.” It’s available on Hulu, Prime Video and HBO Max. If you do end up watching it, please let me know what you think. I hope it satisfies all your cravings for autumn.
