In this era of relentlessly rising streaming prices, free streaming services like Tubi are truly a godsend for TV and movie lovers. The ad-supported, Fox-owned platform offers over 20,000 free TV shows and movies to watch, a sprawling and eclectic library that contains content from major film studios including Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate and television networks including A&E, Lifetime and Starz.
That's quite a lot of binge-ready options, especially for a platform with no subscription fees, but all of that selection can make it overwhelming when it comes time to choose which title you're going to click "play" on next.
That's where Tom's Guide comes in. We've sifted through the Tubi library and picked five great shows, from classic sitcoms to creepy thrillers, that you can watch on the streaming service right now for literally $0.
Show title |
Genre |
On Tubi |
For Fans Of ... |
"All in the Family" |
Classic sitcom |
Season 1, Season 9 |
"The Jeffersons" or "Modern Family" |
"Big Mood" |
Comedy/drama |
Seasons 1-2 |
"Fleabag" or "Broad City" |
Empire"" |
Musical drama |
Seasons 1-6 |
"Succession" or "Power" |
"The Fall" |
Crime thriller |
Seasons 1-3 |
"Mindhunter" or "The Killing" |
"Dawson's Creek" |
Teen drama |
Seasons 1-6 |
"The Summer I Turned Pretty" or "One Tree Hill" |
'Empire'
If you want your familial drama with a side of stellar music, look no further than "Empire," the hit Fox series created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, which ran on the television network for six seasons from January 2015 to April 2020.
Powered by a star-studded cast that includes Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson and Vivica A. Fox — to say nothing of its numerous high-profile guest stars and cameos, such as Snoop Dogg, Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey, Chris Rock and Mary J. Blige — the musical soap centers on the fictional hip-hop company Empire Entertainment and the interpersonal drama among the founding family as they fight for control of it.
"Though heavy on melodrama, "Empire" elevates the nighttime soap with its top-notch cast, musical entertainment, and engrossing plots," said critics over on Rotten Tomatoes, where the debut season opened with an 84% approval rating.
Watch "Empire" on Tubi now
'The Fall'
Set in Northern Ireland, this deliciously dark cat-and-mouse crime drama from Allan Cubitt ("The Runaway," "Death and Nightingales") pairs Gillian Anderson as Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson and Jamie Dornan as Paul Spector, a serial killer who's been attacking young professional women in the city of Belfast. Over three seasons, the psychological thriller examines the tense connection — and dangerous chemistry — between these characters who are both on the hunt.
Both Anderson and Dornan deservedly received critical acclaim for their work in "The Fall," with the latter winning the IFTA for Best Lead Actor for his chilling performance. (The show overall also took home the award for Best Television Drama.) "Less sensationalistic and more provocative than most police procedurals, 'The Fall' is unapologetically sexy with pressure-building tension driven by plausible characters and motifs," reads the critical consensus over on Rotten Tomatoes, where the drama debuted with a 96% approval rating.
Watch "The Fall" on Tubi now
'Big Mood'
With its second season recently added to the Tubi platform, "Big Mood" pairs together "Bridgerton" star Nicola Coughlan and "It's a Sin" actress Lydia West as struggling playwright Maggie and bar manager Eddie, decade-long buddies living closely and codependently in a flat in Dalston, East London.
The twentysomething gals are juggling all of the usual new-adult trials and tribulations, from professional pressures to personal messiness, but all with the added hardship of Maggie's ongoing mental health challenges. As the women move into their thirties and the next stage of their respective lives, they'll have to decide whether their chaotic connection is worth keeping.
Watch "Big Mood" on Tubi now
'Dawson's Creek'
The teen drama to which all others are compared, the WB's iconic '90s tentpole "Dawson's Creek" made household names out of a quartet of young actors — Katie Holmes as soulful tomboy Joey Potter, Joshua Jackson as wisecracking sidekick Pacey Witter, Michelle Williams as the mature and mysterious Jen Lindley and the late James Van Der Beek as film-loving dreamer Dawson Leary — for playing a tight-knit group of friends navigating romantic drama, adolescent angst and general growing pains in the small, fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts.
Over six seasons, viewers watched the high schoolers break up, make up and grow up, with creator Kevin Williamson offering the New England youngsters a thoughtfulness, care and sophistication not usually afforded to TV characters their age. It's because of that careful consideration that the teen classic endures all these decades later.
Watch "Dawson's Creek" on Tubi now
'All in the Family'
The recent, shocking loss of the great Rob Reiner has us craving some quality time with the Bunkers, the working-class family at the heart of Norman Lear's iconic CBS sitcom "All in the Family."
The influential comedy ran for nine seasons from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979 — two of which you can watch for free on Tubi — which gave viewers plenty of time to get to know hilariously bigoted, blue-collar dad Archie (Carroll O'Connor), ditzy, doting mom Edith (Jean Stapleton), progressive daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) and her loud-and-proud husband Michael (Reiner), affectionately dubbed "Meathead" by his combative father-in-law.
Earning 22 Emmys and 55 nominations across its nearly decade-long tenure, "All in the Family" is one of the most acclaimed and groundbreaking comedy series of all time, regularly addressing real-world social and political issues in between its many punchlines.
Watch "All in the Family" on Tubi now
