You swore you'd only stay for a couple but ended up in the McDonald's queue at 3am, praying Uber wasn't on surge. The morning after a big night out is always the worst: your head hurts, your mouth is as dry as the bottom of a budgie's cage, and your dignity's as long gone as the £50 you blew on house white and tequila shots. There's only one thing for it: comfort TV in bed.
When you're (ahem) a little bit hungover, you don't want complicated costume dramas or nuanced Netflix docs. You want comedies and reality shows that are easy to digest and deliver every time. With this in mind, here are 10 failsafe options guaranteed to improve your mood as your body gradually rids itself of last night's sins*.
*Alcohol... all the alcohol.
Absolutely Fabulous
Jennifer Saunders' sitcom is perfect hangover viewing because it's consistently funny and comfortingly familiar. You don't have to be an Ab Fab stan to appreciate jokes stemming from Edina and Patsy's total abdication of responsibility, daughter Saffy's understandable exasperation or the glamorous absurdity of the fashion world. Plus, there's something reassuring in the knowledge that however hammered you got last night, you won't have drunk as much as Edi and Patsy.
Watch on: Netflix
Photo: BBC
Queer Eye
This reboot of a semi-forgotten noughties makeover show has been 2018's breakout Netflix hit. Yes, it's about a gaggle of gay guys giving a succession of (mostly) straight blokes a glow-up, but it's also about emotional growth. The best episodes show men who are really stuck in a rut confronting their insecurities and embracing their best authentic selves. If you drank gin last night, Queer Eye will make you cry. If you drank something other than gin, Queer Eye will probably make you cry, too.
Watch on: Netflix
Photo: Netflix
First Dates
Though Channel 4 has now shown more than 70 episodes, First Dates is still satisfying viewing. That's partly because the First Dates restaurant (and more recently, hotel) is probably the only place where people still have a proper, no-googling-first blind date. But it's also because it's completely lovely watching those first sparks of romantic attraction. Maybe you didn't get lucky last night, but hopefully someone on First Dates will. (And yes, it's totally acceptable to fancy Fred, the maître d’.)
Watch on: All 4
Photo: Channel 4
Chewing Gum
Created, written by and starring the brilliant Michaela Coel, Chewing Gum is one of our generation's freshest sitcoms. Coel plays 24-year-old Tracey Gordon, a Beyoncé-obsessed London shop assistant who's sexually repressed and desperate to become more worldly. Coel's scripts explore issues of race, class and gender politics without skimping on hilarious one-liners or sublime moments of slapstick. If you want to ease your hangover guilt by watching something substantial but also very entertaining, Chewing Gum is ideal.
Watch on: All 4
Photo: Channel 4
RuPaul's Drag Race
Basically X Factor for drag queens, this is currently the best reality show around. RuPaul's Drag Race is fabulous because it challenges traditional notions of masculinity and femininity, never loses its sense of humour, and features relatable contestants who've often overcome major obstacles. Oh, and if you forgot to take off last night's face, seeing the queens create their intricate and outrageous beauty looks will definitely make you reach for the makeup remover.
Watch on: Netflix
Photo: Netflix
Don't Tell the Bride
This long-running reality show has endured because its premise is simple but brilliant: a couple is given enough money to pay for their wedding, but only if the groom arranges every detail without input from the bride. It's sometimes very funny, sometimes surprisingly touching, and always comforting when you have dry mouth and a thumping headache. Because however messy your life seems today, at least you don't have a wedding to attend – or, heaven forbid, plan.
Watch: Classic clips on BBC iPlayer, and full episodes on All 4
Photo: Channel4
Parks and Recreation
A sitcom about a fictional town-planning department might sound dull af, but it's actually an addictive delight. Playing super enthusiastic bureaucrat Leslie Knope, Amy Poehler leads a terrific ensemble cast that includes Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, the scene-stealing Retta and a pre-Hollywood Chris Pratt. Parks and Rec is the rare show that manages to be sweet and well-meaning throughout without dropping its joke count. When you're hungover, it's almost like a hug and a giggle with a lovely old friend.
Watch on: Netflix
Photo: Netflix
Come Dine with Me
There have now been 41 series (!) of Come Dine with Me, but the format's still holding up. Cooking inspo and snooping around people's houses is part of the fun, but it's the judging that makes this show. Somehow, there's always one contestant who vastly overestimates their culinary prowess, and another whose scores in the cab home are rather harsher than anyone anticipated. And when an overcomplicated main course turns into a total disaster, you'll feel even smugger as you enjoy your simple, hangover-blitzing tea and toast.
Watch on: All 4
Photo: Channel 4
The Great British Bake Off
At the end of March, the first seven series of Great British Bake Off – ie. every BBC episode – were added to Netflix. Having it on demand is a lifesaver after a big night out thanks to the firm-but-fair, grandmotherly presence of Mary Berry. In real life, she'd probably raise an eyebrow, then fix you a Berocca anyway. Factor in some endearingly rubbish puns from Mel and Sue and it's a winner any time you wake up feeling like a sunken Victoria sponge.
Watch on: Netflix
Photo: Netflix
Friends
Do millennials know any TV show better than Friends? This ingrained familiarity makes it a go-to show when you're hungover: you probably know where to find your favourite episodes, but if you cba searching, the first one you find will be just as funny. Just try not to get into an argument with your flatmate about which of the six is the best character. Because, well, it's obviously Rachel.
Watch on: Netflix or Comedy Central
Photo: NetflixLike what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Sharp Objects Finale Recap: "Don't Tell Mama"
We Just Got A Big Update On Season 2 Of The OA
True Detective Is Back & The Detectives Look Moodier Than Ever