20 Free Shows to Start Watching During Self-Quarantine (VIDEO)
One upside of sheltering in place? Catching up on all of the television series you may have missed.
Luckily, various TV channels and streaming platforms are helping make this even easier by offering hours of content for free. Whether you’re looking for Comfort TV, or just want to catch up on something new, there are tons of exciting options available at no cost right now.
For instance, HBO is offering some of its best-known TV shows for free for the month of April, and Apple TV+ is doing the same for a limited time. And Netflix is helping students stay engaged by streaming some of its documentary series on YouTube.
Kick back and scroll down for details and trailers for 20 shows streaming at no cost on HBO, Apple TV+, and Netflix.
HBO
Ballers
In this comedy, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays a former pro football player who reinvents himself as a financial manager for other NFL stars.
Barry
Saturday Night Live vet Bill Hader gives an Emmy-winning performance as the eponymous hitman/aspiring actor in this dark comedy.
Silicon Valley
This Emmy-nominated comedy series about the trials (and many errors) of tech startup Pied Piper stars Thomas Middleditch, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, and Zach Woods.
Six Feet Under
This award-winning ensemble drama features Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, and Lauren Ambrose playing family members running a Los Angeles funeral home.
The Sopranos
James Gandolfini led the cast of this seminal mob drama, hailed by multiple publications as one of the greatest TV shows of all time.
Succession
As a media magnate ails, his family members vie for control of his empire in this drama, which took home a Golden Globe Award this year.
True Blood
Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball also developed this pulpy drama, which revolves around the vampire and human residents of a small Louisiana town… and the telepathic waitress who brings them into conflict.
Veep
Julia Louis-Dreyfus won six consecutive Emmy Awards for her starring role as the embarrassment-prone U.S. Vice President Selina Meyer in this comedy.
The Wire
Former police reporter-turned-TV writer David Simon profiles the inner workings of Baltimore in this acclaimed crime drama.
Apple TV+
Dickinson
Hailee Steinfeld plays a coming-of-age Emily Dickinson with modern-day sensibilities in this anachronistic period comedy.
For All Mankind
In this alt-history drama, the Soviets are the first to set foot on the Moon, and the United States scrambles to catch up in the space race.
Ghostwriter
In a reboot of the 1990s children’s series of the same name, a ghost inhabits a bookstore and releases fictional characters into the real world, and it’s up to four kids to solve the ensuing mystery.
Helpsters
This children’s show from the puppet masters at Sesame Workshop features a gang of monsters who love nothing more than solving problems.
Little America
This anthology comedy series chronicles the multi-faceted lives of immigrants living in America.
Servant
This psychological horror (executive produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan) centers on a couple who rely (perhaps too heavily) on a doll to help them with the grief of losing their newborn baby.
Snoopy in Space
The beloved Peanuts pup becomes a NASA astronaut in this educational animated series.
Netflix
Abstract: The Art of Design
This docuseries takes viewers inside the minds of prominent figures in the world of design, from architects to footwear designers.
Babies
A newborn’s first year of life is chronicled in this docuseries that delves into the nature vs. nurture divide.
Explained
Vox Media breaks down a different topic in each episode of this docuseries, with installments devoted to cryptocurrency, K-Pop, artificial intelligence, and—gulp—pandemics.
Our Planet
The documentarians behind Planet Earth focus on ecosystems from the poles to the Equator in this stunning eight-part series.
