Why people rewatch familiar shows when they have a long watchlist

I have a watchlist full of excellent series I've never started. On a tiring evening I still put on an old comedy episode I've seen three times. Maybe knowing exactly what emotional effort a familiar show requires is part of its appeal, while a new series asks for attention I don't have. Does anyone else use rewatches almost like background comfort food, even when you're excited about new things in theory?