If you’re feeling drained from the news, Aimee Agresti has you covered with these political movies and television shows that will help you escape from reality!

Editor’s note: The following feature was written by Aimee Agresti.

Are you a headlines junkie who can’t stand watching the news anymore? Has our topsy-turvy political state given you a case of, what I like to call, the “red-white-and-blues”? Listen, I feel you. And I’ve got you covered. Pick up that remote and switch from fact to fiction!

These shows and movies–representing the full range on the politic-o-meter from legislatively-turbo-charged to lite-and-fluffy–are just what you need to get your political fix with a healthy dose of escapism. Now, much like with real-world politics, I do fully expect this list to spark some heated debates. But kindly keep the mudslinging to a minimum if possible.

‘Election’:

Tom Perrotta’s novel about an off-the-rails high school election is genius to begin with. But add Reese Witherspoon as the diabolically ambitious Tracy Flick, Chris Klein as the lovable football star/political lightweight and Matthew Broderick as the teacher who should’ve stayed out of it, and you’ve got a classic dark comedy that’s also a cautionary tale about how dirty politics can be, no matter how low the stakes.

‘Heartburn’:

Literary goddess Nora Ephron will always be the gold standard for stories of love, loss and laughter. This fabulous 1986 film, based on Ephron’s brilliant novel (which was inspired by her marriage to Washington Post legend Carl Bernstein), follows the ups and downs of a philandering Washington newspaper columnist (Jack Nicholson) and his pregnant, cookbook-author wife (Meryl Streep) and offers a delicious slice of DC life.

It also features Ephron’s trademark wit and one of the snarkiest, most Washington, burns of all-time when our heroine admits to being bored by a conversation about the news and is scolded: “If you read something other than the Style section you might find it interesting.” Ouch!

‘Veep’:

Not to state the obvious but: we totally need to laugh more these days. And not to state the obvious again but: Selina Meyer is just the woman for the job. Emmy-winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus is so perfect as this zany, absurd pol leading a band of equally misfit staffers and the laughs are so constant that an episode of this hit satire can easily double as an abs-workout.

‘The Contender’:

File under: political thriller. I know, this one is a little heavier but too bad because now is absolutely the time to rediscover this inspiring 2000 gem about a tough-as-nails senator/VP pick (a fierce Joan Allen) forced to stand her ground against misogynist peers waging a smear campaign.

Fun fact: I was a Premiere Magazine staffer back when this came out and interviewed the amazing Allen, who dished to me about shadowing Senator Blanche Lincoln to prep for the role!

‘Definitely, Maybe’:

Political rom-com fans, this one’s definitely for you. Ryan Reynolds—at his most charming—is a political consultant on the verge of divorce and recounting past loves: there’s the college flame (Elizabeth Banks), the vivacious campaign aide (Isla Fisher), and the sassy journalist (Rachel Weisz).

Spoiler alert: you’ll fall in love with everyone in here. As a side note: any film that also makes a major plot point out of Jane Eyre scores big with this novelist.

‘The West Wing’:

An informal poll (among friends and kind people who’ve sought me out at book conferences) shows that folks are Netflixing the heck out of this amazing series right now. It’s not hard to see why: Who isn’t nostalgic for President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen)? And Press Secretary C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney) and Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) and (especially) Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe)?

All that fast-walking and fast-talking (courtesy of Aaron Sorkin’s signature quippy, stirring, whipsmart dialogue) made this show a winner for two terms (or seven seasons). Honestly, it may have set the bar too high for what we expect from our government.

‘St. Elmo’s Fire’:

I know, Rob Lowe again. So maybe some of us have had a crush on him for decades, but that’s beside the point. This ‘80s classic about a group of Georgetown grads stumbling through post-collegiate life in the District is the Brat Pack at its very best.

Come for Lowe’s saxophone solos and cheekbones, but stay for Judd Nelson’s power-hungry, party-switching Hill staffer. And for Andrew McCarthy’s sensitive journalist. And, of course, for Demi Moore, fabulous as ever, as the ultimate DC partygirl in that glam bachelorette pad with the killer Billy Idol pop art.

Aimee Agresti’s new novel Campaign Widows is available now! Order your copy from Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound.