Whether you’re in a relationship or single, these romantic comedy TV shows are perfect for both the amorous kind or lack thereof.

It’s that time again, whether you condemn the Hallmark holiday like Satan’s cat in a doghouse or welcome it like hot velvety cocoa on a frosty Winter night. Yes friends, February the 14th is upon us. And cupid’s little arrow is headed straight for our bums, whether we like it or not. Usually romantic comedies are geared to make your heart all gooey but this list proves otherwise.

These days it’s unavoidable. Especially since marketing for V-day starts after Christmas ends. But fret not dear readers! These romantic comedy TV shows will help you laugh through V-day while researching love just being a dopamine hit or extend the perfect evening with your fellow couch potato partner.

Unless you’d rather watch the cry-fest that is This Is Us. You’d need a warehouse full of Kleenex to stop those tears. Go right ahead. We’ve warned you.

4) You’re the Worst (FXX)

The opening scene starts with Jimmy (Chris Geere) snapping photos of his…Schnipi…with every disposable camera at a wedding. End of entry.

Wait, what’s that? You would like to know more about the show? That wasn’t enough for you to find this on FXX on demand right now and find out what he’s up to? Ugh. Fine.

It turns out Jimmy is at his Ex’s wedding and only showed up to ruin it. When he eventually gets kicked out, he runs into Gretchen (Aya Cash), another wedding hater on the sidewalk. The two connect on that topic and one thing leads to another. Before we know it, we have two relationship bashers trying to justify single-dom to the other while sleeping together at the same time.

Along for the ride are their friends and fantastic supporting cast: Edgar (Desmin Borges) is Jimmy’s roommate who seems aloof at first but is so full of heart it’s soul-burstingly good. There’s Lindsay (Kether Donohue) who nails it as the ‘egg persona’ (hard on the outside, soft on the inside).

At first, every character seems like the basic tropes now familiar to us on regular sitcoms. But creator and writer Stephen Falk (Weeds, Orange is the New Black) brings a depth to each one of them before unseen in your standard romantic comedies.

Unique moments and genuine laughs come fast and furious, worthy of multiple viewings. So sit back and let Gretchen and Jimmy take you on a not-so-one-night-stand this V-day.

3) Man Seeking Woman (FXX)

Have you ever had a blind date with a dumpster troll? Organise a war room meeting over a text message? Police force ever try to talk you out of a drunk dial? If you answered yes to any of these, you and Josh have a lot in common.

Man Seeking Woman takes the already horrifying experiences of dating and multiplies it by a million. Based on the book, The Last Girlfriend on Earth, also written and created by Simon Rich, this show captures the true essence of dating and being single. From societal pressures of friends and family to the odd stew of people we meet while trying to act civilised, everything is creatively brought to life.

Jay Baruchel plays the neurotically electrified Josh Greenberg fumbling from one relationship to the next. All the while Mike Scaggs (Eric Andre) tries to navigate his best friend fearlessly through the endless treachery of the courtship realm. Both are really well cast and one up each other with their performances with every line they speak. Each scenario they have to contend with is more ludicrous than the next, which keeps this series fresh every time.

Once in a while, we’ll get a treat from the point of view of Liz (Britt Lower), Josh’s sister, as she traverses through her own dating traps as they rename those episodes to Woman Seeking Man. Super clever.

2) The End of the F***ing World (Netflix)

What would happen if Quentin Tarantino wrote an angsty teenage love story? The End of The F***ing World would happen, that’s what. The show, not the collective shattering of Tarantino fans’ minds exploding when hearing the news and causing the apocalypse.

Masterfully written, directed and performed, TEOTFW is on the darkest spectrum of comedy at certain points (almost black) but still manages to make you guffaw with its deadpan delivery and smash cut scenes. James (Alex Lawther, Black Mirror), with his Dexter-like tendencies, is struggling to feel something, anything at all, when Alyssa (Jessica Barden) barges into his life. Alyssa, alternatively, feels everything but rarely ever shows it (egg persona).

These kids do a fantastic job as they highlight the extreme scope of what life would be like if we did what we imagined we could do as adolescents. Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Charles S. Forsman, it leads you down a dark path you don’t want to go down at first, but by the end of Season 1 are glad you tagged along with James and Alyssa. What also helps is the ginchiest 50s music to smooth over those bumps in the road, daddy-o!

You may even be happier to be single after this one. If you’re currently in a relationship, you’ll probably be a bit more wary. Who’s ready for Valentine’s Day hugs?!

1) Lovesick (Netflix)

In a complete change of pace and not so dark, here we have Lovesick. Lovesick follows Dylan (Johnny Flynn) on his quest to tell his former lovers that he’s contracted an STD. Oh man. That sounds dark, but stick around. It gets better. No, really!

Each episode provides the backstory to how he met (and eventually bedded) each woman on the list. We see how Dylan has evolved (or devolved) accordingly with each relationship, jumping from the past, present and future. It’s a premise that no one wants to find themselves in and thankfully for us this show exists so we don’t have to find out firsthand what that’s like.

As you can imagine sharing such sensitive information with anyone, let alone your exes, is no easy task. Luckily, his best mates are there to help. Luke (Daniel Ings) is a ladies man of sorts who, when not battling his own drama, is a steady foundation for Dylan. Their flatmate Angus (Joshua McGuire) also provides a helping hand in his free time when he isn’t too busy bungling his own relationships as well.

Evie (Antonia Thomas) provides some of the best insight for Dylan, as she’s the most level headed of all four mates. Although, we do discover more and more with each episode that their histories intertwine way more than they lead on. It’s a brilliant twist on traditional romantic comedies by creator Tom Edge. We all know a Dylan, Luke, Angus and Evie in our circle of friends. Hopefully none of them have forced you to apply medical cream on your nether regions.

And there you have it little lovebirds!

Or lone wolves. A few romantic comedy TV shows to keep those love saps away. Or keep them close. Do with this article as you must. Share it with your significant other as a hint for plans this candy coated lovers day. Or as a way to warn yourself of the perils of dating. Administer wisely. <3

You can also watch these shows while you patiently wait for the new stand alone Black Widow movie, which you can read all about here.