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7 best TV shows you can watch for free on Amazon Freevee, Roku, Plex and more

abraham smithApril 30, 2023

0 0 1 minute read

There’s no free lunch, but some are pretty excellent Free streaming services out there. Actually find free tv and movies online has never been easier. And don’t mistakenly believe that these free streaming platforms are just filled with junk, too. There are actually many quality TV shows that you can watch without spending a penny.

Thanks to streaming platforms like Amazon Freevee and Roku Channel, you can be enjoying some of the best TV shows of all time in seconds – no monthly subscription required. From a classic sci-fi series that’s still making waves today, to a detective thriller about a doctor with a taste for human flesh, there’s something for everyone on this list.

So if you want to watch quality TV without subscribing to any of the best streaming services like Netflix or HBO Max, then we’re here to point you in the right direction. Below are seven really excellent series that are free to stream right now.

Table of Contents

Schott’s Creek

Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose, Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose and Eugene Levy as Johnny Rose in

(Image credit: CBC)

Schitt’s Creek is a delightfully funny sitcom that focuses on the Rose family, a foursome of wealthy snobs who lose all their money after being scammed. With no other choice, the family is forced to relocate to the town of the same name, a hillbilly area she once bought the charter for as a joke. Trading a life of luxury for rooms at the local motel, the Roses experience the mother of all culture shocks.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way: Much like The Office and Parks and Recreation, Schitt’s Creek starts out pretty slow. The first handful of episodes are pretty mundane, and the central cast is disconcertingly unsympathetic. But you’ll soon befriend the Rose clan, and their bizarre eccentricities turn into truly comedic things. By the end of Season 2’s launch, Schitt’s Creek has successfully morphed into one of the healthiest, most hilarious comedy shows around – and the seasons that follow are an absolute hoot.

Genre: comedy
Original run: 2015 – 2020
Season Count: 6 (81 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93% (opens in new tab)
Stars: Eugene Levy, Dan Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Annie Murphy
Stream it for free freevee (opens in new tab)

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Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist starring Skylar Astin and Jane Levy

(Image credit: NBC)

Remember that episode of Scrubs where a patient sees everything that’s going on around him as a musical? Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is basically that concept, but as an entire TV show. Jane Levy plays Zoey Clarke, a software engineer who develops the ability to hear people’s innermost thoughts as songs after an MRI goes wrong. This of course led to all sorts of silly situations and a whole bunch of rousing musical numbers.

If you enjoyed Glee, then Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist should definitely be on your watch list. Levy is superb in the lead role, which brings warmth and wit to Zoey, and you might recognize Skylar Astin from the Perfect Pitch films as her colleague and close friend (no prize if you suspect he’s also in love with her!). Unfortunately, it was pulled from NBC after just two seasons, but The Roku Channel later commissioned a feature-length Christmas special (opens in new tab) which can also be streamed for free on the platform.

Genre: comedy
Original run: 2020 – 2021
Season Count: 2 (26 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76% (opens in new tab)
Stars: Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Peter Gallagher
Stream it for free The Roku Channel (opens in new tab)

Lost

The cast of Lost

(Image credit: Disney)

There was a time when Lost was the biggest show on TV. It was the archetypal Watercooler show that generated hundreds of discussions around the office and was responsible for seemingly endless forum threads. Its long-term legacy has suffered due to the uneven quality of later seasons and its divisive ending, but its first three seasons remain among the most compelling television shows ever created.

The show focuses on the passage of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815, which land on a tropical island after their plane crashed in the South Pacific. The plane crash survivors soon discover that this is no ordinary island, and they may not be alone either.

With elements of sci-fi, supernatural horrors and character drama, Lost has it all. Also, the use of flashbacks to deepen the audience’s understanding of their main characters is a technique that is copied to this day. Be warned, however, that Lost has an awkward habit of solving puzzles and then never fully solving them, but if you can overcome this frustrating quirk, Lost is the perfect binge-watch show.

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Genre: theatre
Original run: 2004 – 2010
Season Count: 6 (121 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85% (opens in new tab)
Stars: Matthew Fox, Terry O’Quinn, Evangeline Lily, Josh Holloway, Jorge Garcia, Naveen Andrews
Stream it for free freevee (opens in new tab)

Hannibal

Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal

(Image credit: NBC)

Based on characters from Thomas Harris’ popular novel series – one of which was famously adapted into the Best Picture-winning thriller The Silence of the Lambs – Hannibal focuses on the working and personal relationship between an FBI investigator, Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). , and Dr. Hannibal Lector (Mads Mikkelsen), a brilliant forensic psychiatrist who also acts as a serial killer and cannibal on the side.

There’s a lot to like about this twisted thriller series, but it’s Mikkelsen’s performance that really takes the show to the next level. He even manages to rival the great Anthony Hopkins as a psychopathic killer capable of bewitching those around him. Hannibal was never a ratings hit, but over the three seasons it developed a cult following that is strong to this day.

Genre: thriller
Original run: 2013 – 2015
Season Count: 3 (39 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82% (opens in new tab)
Stars: Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Hettienne Park, Laurence Fishburne
Stream it for free plex (opens in new tab)

mad Men

Jon Hamm, John Slattery and Vincent Kartheiser in Mad Men Season 7

(Credit: Michael Yarish/AMC)

Set in a high-profile New York advertising agency in the 1960s, Mad Men follows the staff of Sterling Cooper as they attempt to climb the corporate ladder and adapt to the changing mood and morals of US society during this turbulent time. The lead actor is Don Draper (Jon Hamm), a talented but unpredictable creative director who proves to be a genius, if at times unwieldy.

The world of advertising might not sound like the most compelling hook for drama, but the halls of Sterling Cooper are a veritable hotbed of debauchery and drama. And relevant social issues such as racism and sexism regularly rear their ugly heads. The real meat of Mad Men comes from exploring its various characters, as almost everyone on this show hides secrets and skeletons in their closet.

Genre: theatre
Original run: 2007 – 2015
Season Count: 7 (92 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Stars: Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, Vincent Kartheiser
Stream it for free freevee (opens in new tab)

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Everyone Hates Chris (Tubi)

Tyler James Williams as Chris in Everyone Hates Chris.

(Image credit: Peacock/YouTube)

Loosely based on comedian Chris Rock’s teenage years, Everybody Hates Chris is set in the mid-1980s and follows Chris (Tyler James Williams), a nerdy teenager trying to navigate the rough and tumble Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. When Chris isn’t dealing with bullies at school or the local gangs, he finds himself at odds with his dysfunctional but mostly well-meaning family.

His name may be in the title because Chris isn’t the real star of this show. Terry Crews plays frugal family man Julius, while Tichina Arnold plays Chris’ seriously strict mother, Rochelle. Both are excellent in their roles and the best episodes usually focus on them. Chris Rock himself doesn’t appear in front of the camera, but he narrates the process and adds some of his unique comedic touches to the show.

Genre: comedy
Original run: 2005 – 2009
Season Count: 4 (88 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91% (opens in new tab)
Stars: Tyler James Williams, Terry Crews, Tichina Arnold, Tequan Richmond, Imani Hakim, Vincent Martella
Stream it for free tube (opens in new tab)

The Twilight Zone (Freevee)

Screenshot from an episode of The Twilight Zone

(Image credit: CBS)

The Twilight Zone began in 1959 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential TV shows of all time. And even more than six decades later, it’s truly remarkable how well it’s held up. It’s a sci-fi/horror anthology series in which each episode features a distinct story and fresh characters. Episodes often have twisted endings or present a moral warning to society. It’s startling how many of these commentaries on society have actually become relevant in recent years.

All five original seasons, totaling 156 episodes, are available to watch on Freevee, and while not every single episode is a winner, you can always check out a roundup of the best Twilight Zone episodes (opens in new tab) if you’d rather just see the classics.

The show has been restarted and reimagined several times, most recently in 2019 under the direction of Jordon Peele. This version of The Twilight Zone is also on Freevee if you’d rather see something more modern, but be warned that it doesn’t hold a candle to the original series.

Genre: science fiction
Original run: 1959 – 1964
Season Count: 5 (156 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91% (opens in new tab)
Stream it for free freevee (opens in new tab)