Let’s be frank, things feel pretty bleak right now, but we all know that in tough times there’s nothing like a little dose of nostalgia to make everything feel a bit better, if only momentarily.
Luckily, the BBC and Channel 4 are here to help you drag that feeling out for as long as possible, with a wealth of 90s and 00s boxsets available to watch for free on their streaming platforms over lockdown.
Here’s our pick of the best...
The O.C. (All4 – From 22 January)
There’s not long to wait until we can re-live Seth and Summer’s romance from the beginning, shed tears all over again at that Marissa scene and marvel at Sandy Cohen’s perfect head of hair, as the hit 00s teen drama begins streaming later this month.
Get ready to sing along with the theme tune every single time, too.
The West Wing (All4)
You might have thought better of revisiting a US political drama while Trump was still in the White House, but with his presidency now drawing to a close, there’s no better time to remember when Martin Sheen was in charge – albeit fictionally as democrat Jed Bartlett.
The classic US political drama ran for seven seasons between 1999 and 2006, and has been uploaded in its entirety to All4.
Dawson’s Creek (All4)
Nothing epitomises being a teenager in the 90s quite like Dawson’s Creek, and while it’s been nearly 18 years since it finished, the complicated love lives of Dawson, Joey, Pacey, Jen et al still feel so contemporary.
The whole series is available on All4, but if you can’t tolerate adverts and you have a Netflix account, you might be interested to hear its also available to stream there too.
One Tree Hill (All4)
If you were a Dawson’s Creek fan back in the day, chances are you loved One Tree Hill too, which took the teen drama baton when we said goodbye to the Creek in 2003.
Having now been off our screens for eight years, all nine seasons are on their All4.
Spooks (BBC iPlayer)
Having helped launch the careers of its three main stars Matthew Macfadyen, David Oyelowo and Keeley Hawes, Spooks is still fondly remembered as one of the biggest British dramas of the 00s.
And if you’re wondering what all the spies have been up to since leaving their MI5 days behind, you can find out here.
Cutting It (BBC iPlayer)
Long before her Britain’s Got Talent days, Amanda Holden was starring in this gloriously 00s drama about two rival hair salons.
If you loved Footballers Wives’ and Bad Girls (which sadly are still nowhere to be seen on streaming services), then this is perfect for a bit of camp, uncomplicated viewing.
Bodies (BBC iPlayer)
Jed Mercurio may now be best know for creating Line Of Duty, but long before the days of AC-12, he was behind the BBC Three drama Bodies.
Starring Max Beasley, it was unlike other British hospital dramas in that its surgical procedures were shown in explicit and detailed ways, which should come as no surprise given Jed’s love of procedure on Line Of Duty.
Life On Mars (BBC iPlayer)
Life On Mars found a huge following when it debuted back in 2006 with its blend of fantasy elements with a period police drama.
And if you can’t get enough of Life On Mars, there’s also three seasons of spin-off show Ashes To Ashes on iPlayer to enjoy too.
Waterloo Road (BBC iPlayer)
So many familiar faces starred in the BBC school drama over the years, it’s hard to keep track.
But if you fancy revisiting where it all started for the likes of Jodie Comer, Chelsee Healey, Adam Thomas, Holliday Grainger and Jenna Coleman, all series are available on iPlayer now.
Desmond’s (All4)
Technically, Desmond’s started in 1989, but we’ve still included it here as it became Channel 4′s longest running sitcom in terms of episodes during the 90s, running for 71 instalments before ending in 1994.
The Bafta-winning show also debuted on Netflix in October, so you can also watch there if you don’t fancy sitting through the adverts.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (All4)
While a Buffy reboot has been rumoured for a few years now, fans were delighted when the original series made its way to E4 earlier this year.
But if you didn’t manage to catch it, or want to watch it all again, the complete boxset is still available on All4.
Angel (All4)
If after making your way through seven whole seasons of Buffy you’re still craving more supernatural shenanigans, there’s spin-off Angel, starring David Boreanaz as Buffy’s ex-boyfriend.
ER (All4)
While a medical drama may not be everyone’s top pick right now for obvious reasons, ER was an absolute force when it debuted in the 90s, running for 15 seasons – that’s a whopping 331 episodes!
A pre-Hollywood George Clooney stars as the dishy Dr Doug, while later series see the likes of Alex Kingston, Maura Tierney, Mekhi Phifer and John Stamos heading up the emergency room.
Scrubs (All4)
Sticking with the hospital theme, why not book an appointment with hapless medics J.D. and Christopher and the rest of the gang, as let’s face it, we could all do with a few laughs right now.
Malcom In The Middle (All4)
This sitcom followed the lives of reluctant child genius Malcolm and his dysfunctional family, who would regularly find themselves in ridiculous situations.