Looking for a binge-watch? 3 free shows on the Roku Channel I recommend
We’ll admit that the Roku interface can be headache-inducing at times, what with its seemingly unending array of options. Regardless, the Roku Channel is one of the best free streaming services around and a great way to enjoy free TV shows and movies online. Yes, complete and totally free!
The channel offers a rotating selection of media, with monthly new content joining the tens of thousands of movies and series already available, all free to watch thanks to the support of periodic ads.
Of course, the Roku Channel is available on all Roku devices — including the latest Roku Ultra and the more budget-friendly Streaming Stick 4K— as well as on select Samsung TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, and web browsers at TheRokuChannel.com.
That makes it all very easy to set up so you’re quickly off-and-running with a great new show to binge. To help you narrow down that sprawling streaming selection to a few high-quality options, here is a trio of free TV shows we recommend watching on the Roku Channel.
‘Pride and Prejudice’ (1995)
The beloved 1995 miniseries adaptation of Jane Austen’s most popular novel turns 30 this year, and you can celebrate the milestone by revisiting the enemies-to-lovers story of Elizabeth Bennet (Jennifer Ehle, in a BAFTA-winning turn) and Fitzwilliam Darcy (a star-making Colin Firth, thanks to a memorable wet shirt scene).
The witty, sumptuous six-episode BBC drama was both a critical and popular success. More than 10 million people tuned in weekly during the original BBC One broadcast, and the series received an Emmy win for its outstanding costume design as well as a Peabody.
Critics especially gushed over the shrewd casting of Ehle and Firth as Austen’s romantic leads, with Gerard Gilbert of The Independent praising Firth for “not being in the slightest bit soft and fluffy” as the haughty Mr. Darcy and Ehle for “showing the right brand of spirited intelligence as Elizabeth.”
Watch on the Roku Channel
If you love break-out-in-song big-screen musicals like “Wicked” and “Better Man,” you’ll love this small-screen charmer that blends an NBC sitcom with a jukebox musical. Created by Austin Winsberg, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” centers on Zoey Clarke (Jane Levy), a software developer who discovers she has the ability to hear the innermost thoughts of people as songs.
Each of the show’s’ 25 episodes — as well as the 2021 holiday film “Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas”, which was commissioned by the Roku Channel — features multiple song-and-dance numbers that push the plot forward, performed by cast members like Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, Lauren Graham, Peter Gallagher and Mary Steenburgen.
Though the show was canceled by NBC after two seasons, “Zoey’s” had a devoted fanbase and a largely positive response from critics. Per Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 76% approval rating that bumped up to 83% for the sophomore season.
Watch on the Roku Channel
‘Broadchurch’
If detective shows and crime thrillers are more your thing, you can’t go wrong with “Broadchurch.” It showcases a who’s who of British talents, including Oscar winner Olivia Colman, not one but three “Doctor Who” leads (David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker and David Bradley) and the Internet’s current boyfriend, “Bridgerton” star Jonathan Bailey.
The three-season ITV crime drama is a masterfully paced mystery, with tension gradually and deliberating building up with every clue discovered and every secret unraveled.
Set in the fictional English town of Broadchurch, the BAFTA-winning series focuses on Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (Tennant) and Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Colman) as they investigate the death of local 11-year-old boy Danny Latimer, a horrific murder that sends reverberating shock waves through the close-knit coastal community.
Watch on the Roku Channel
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