From Killing Eve To The OC: These Are The 30 Best Shows On Free To Air TV

So, you’ve scrolled through all the streaming services and you still can’t find something to watch? We’ve all been there. Sometimes, even with a number of subscriptions to streaming services, you just can’t find the right TV show to match your mood. 

But never fear — free-to-air TV is here to get you out of your viewing rut! Yes, you read that right. We’ve compiled 30 of the best series on free-to-air TV that you can watch right now, completely for free. 

In this list, you’ll find something for every taste and every mood. In need of a classic Aussie drama fix? We’ve got you covered. Looking for a reality TV hit to get you through a rainy Sunday afternoon. Keep reading! Or just in need of a good laugh? Well, you’re in luck. 

So sit back, relax and get ready to bookmark this page as we present to you 30 of the best shows on free-to-air TV right now.

Two of Australia’s greatest acting talents go head-to-head in this powerful political drama. Total Control, which is now up to Season 3, stars Deborah Mailman as an Indigenous woman named Alex Irving, who is hailed as a national hero after she intervenes in a shooting. Her heroic act gets the attention of Prime Minister Rachel Anderson (Rachel Griffiths), who hires her as a senator. But soon after she arrives in Canberra, Alex realises the PM may have ulterior motives for bringing her there. 

Where to watch: ABC and ABCiView 

This ABC series has been hailed as one of the best Australian TV shows of recent years. Set in a Melbourne newsroom in the 1980s, The Newsreader follows news anchor Helen (Anna Torv) and ambitious news reporter Dale (Sam Reid) as they report on some of the biggest stories of the '80s, while navigating their close personal bond. 

Where to watch: ABC and ABCiView 

This anthology series takes place in the same universe as the 1996 cult film. Each season follows a different group of characters in a different time period. Season 5, which premiered in 2023, stars Ted Lasso’s Juno Temple as Dorothy ‘Dot’ Lyon, a Minnesota housewife who has been secretly living a double life. After Dot is arrested for accidentally tasering a police officer during a riot at the school board meeting, masked men turn up at her door and kidnap her. While Dot eventually manages to escape, she can’t evade her past for long, especially not with North Dakota Sheriff/her ex-husband Roy Tillman (Jon Hamm) hot on her trail.

Where to watch: SBS and SBS on Demand

Here’s one for the Swifties! Long before he was Taylor Swift’s very public boyfriend, Travis Kelce appeared in his own reality TV show looking for love. It’s basically like his very own tailored season of The Bachelor. 

Where to watch: 7Plus 

California, here we come! We all grew up on this baby, so now you can relive your The OC glory days by binge-watching it again and again (and again). Whether you want to revisit Chrismukkah, watch Marissa's antics unfold, or remind yourself why Sandy Cohen will always be our daddies, The OC is always a good idea.

Where to watch: 9Now

We have to warn you that watching The Dog House Australia will probably leave you with a burning desire to adopt at least 10 dogs. This reality series follows the staff and volunteers at Kemps Creek Shelter in Western Sydney, as they match rescue dogs with their forever homes. The show then follows the dog’s journey as they settle in with their new families. 

Where to watch: Channel 10 and 10Play

This underrated comedy series follows the former members of a hip-hop star’s entourage, who have to move back to their hometown and readjust to their normal lives after the star suddenly dies. Think Entourage meets 30 Rock. The cast includes Veep’s Sam Richardson and Happy Ending’s Adam Pally. 

Where to watch: Pedestrian TV 

RFDS will remind you of the Aussie dramas you watched as a kid. The series stars Stephen Peacocke, Rob Collins and Thomas Weatherill and follows the workers of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, who travel into the most remote areas of Australia to save people from a range of perilous situations. 

Where to watch: Channel 7 and 7Plus 

From the same people who made Love on the Spectrum, Better Date Than Never follows a group of single people who are stepping into the dating world for the first time. Heartwarming, funny and uplifting, Better Date Than Never will have you heavily invested in the dating lives of people you’ve never met. 

Where to watch: ABC and ABCiView 

This Aussie favourite returned to our screens last year after a 14-year hiatus. The reboot is hosted by comedian Celia Pacquola and judged by a panel of surprise guests, as each week four comedians take on the ultimate improvisation challenge as they walk through a door to the words ‘Thank God You’re Here’. 

Where to watch: Channel 10 and 10Play 

Starstruck is the millennial answer to Notting Hill. It stars New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo as Jesse, a millennial expat making ends meet in East London with a string of dead-end jobs.

When she meets Tom in a nightclub toilet, she thinks she's in for your standard one-night stand. But when she wakes up in bed with him the next morning, she realises she's just slept with a massive film star.

Where to watch: ABC and ABCiView 

MasterChef Australia is one of the most loved and longest-running reality shows on Australian TV. Each season sees a new crop of budding chefs battle it out in the MasterChef kitchen in front of the celebrity judges, in the hope of being named that year’s MasterChef and winning a prize of $250,000. 

Where to watch: Channel 10 and 10Play 

If you’re not already obsessed with Alone Australia, you’re about to be. The reality series follows 10 ordinary Australians who are dropped off alone in separate areas of the Tasmanian wilderness. The contestants must survive in the wilderness… alone, as they battle hunger, extreme weather and loneliness. 

Where to watch: SBS and SBS on Demand 

Love Island Australia is a sugary reality TV hit for when you just want to watch something fun. Hosted by Sophie Monk, the series follows a group of single Aussies who are looking for love. The singles move into the Love Island villa where they get to know each other and pair up at the ‘recoupling’ ceremonies. But just when they think they’ve found their match, a new ‘bombshell’ enters the villa. 

Where to watch: Channel Nine and 9Now 

Each week Wil Anderson, Jan Fran and some of Australia's best comedians dissect and question the news, while sorting fact from fiction. It’s perfect for fans of Good News Week and The Glass House. 

Where to watch: ABC and ABC iView 

This beloved Aussie series was a staple of every gen x and elder millennial’s TV schedule and now you can relive it or watch the entire series for the first time. The series stars Claudia Karvan, Samuel Johnson, Joel Edgerton and Deborah Mailman, and follows a group of 20-somethings living in an apartment building in St Kilda, as they navigate love, sex, and their careers. 

Where to watch: 10Play and 7Plus 

Millions of people tuned in for the season finale of The Traitors UK at the end of 2023. And now you can watch it as well as the Australian and US versions on 10Play. The reality series follows a group of contestants who are split into ‘faithfuls’ and ‘traitors’. The traitors kill off the faithfuls one by one, while the faithfuls try to figure out who the traitors are and eliminate them from the competition. It’s kind of like Survivor meets the ultimate murder mystery night. 

Where to watch: Channel 10 and 10Play 

Based on Anne Rice's book series, this supernatural thriller follows a young neurosurgeon named Rowan Fielding (The White Lotus’ Alexandra Daddario) who discovers she's the heir to a family of witches. While coming to terms with her new powers, she must fight a sinister force that has been haunting her family for centuries.

Where to watch: ABCiView 

If you need a nostalgic reality TV fix, you can watch all five seasons of The Simple Life on 7Plus or 10Play. The series follows noughties socialites Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, as they take on a bunch of normal, minimum-wage jobs to see how the other half live. 

In the years since it first aired, the show has become a cult hit, with people finally understanding that Paris and Nicole were in on the joke. 

Where to watch: 7Plus and 10Play 

This American thriller series has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It follows two Navajo police officers who team up to solve a brutal double homicide that challenges their own spiritual beliefs. 

Where to watch: SBS on Demand 

Set in World War II, this new Aussie series follows an Italian immigrant who hires a draft dodger and her Indigenous farmhand to help run her family farm while the men are fighting in the war. The women soon form a close bond that is tested when the men return from the war. 

Where to watch: SBS on Demand 

Starring The Bold Type’s Aisha Dee, Virginia Gay and Janet Andrewartha, Safe Home is an exploration of Australia’s family violence epidemic, wrapped up in a mystery. The mini-series follows the women who work at a family violence legal centre in inner city Melbourne and the women they attempt to keep safe. 

Where to watch: SBS on Demand 

Below Deck Down Under follows the captain, crew and guests on one of Australia’s most luxurious super yachts. Each week the crew welcome a new group of guests and strive to give them a luxury yachting experience in some of Australia’s most picturesque locations, while dealing with bad weather, rowdy guests and staff conflicts. 

Where to watch: 7Plus 

Another classic Aussie drama, Tangle follows two generations of two families living in inner city Melbourne as they navigate love, sex, money and politics. The cast includes Ben Mendelsohn, Justine Clarke, Kat Stewart and Lincoln Younes. 

Where to watch: 7Plus and 10Play 

Starring Rob Stitch, Celia Pacquola, Kitty Flanagan, Nina Oyama and Michelle Davidson, this Aussie comedy follows the employees at the National Building Authority as they navigate the red tape, white elephants and corporate lingo of the Australian public service industry. 

Where to watch: ABC and ABCiView 

Starring David Tennant, Olivia Colman and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Broadchurch has been hailed as one of the best British crime series of all time. 

When the body of an 11-year-old boy is found on a beach, out-of-town Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (Tennant) is appointed to lead the case, much to the chagrin of local detective Ellie Miller (Colman). As the pair dig deeper into the case, the local’s long-buried secrets come to the surface.

Where to watch: SBS on Demand 

This classic teen series from the noughties follows half-brothers Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan (James Lafferty), who clash on and off the basketball court. Over the years, the brothers form a close bond, as they both fall in and out of love and deal with their overbearing father. The series also stars Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz. 

Where to watch: 7plus 

This offbeat comedy follows five teenage girls as they navigate puberty, dating, and life at a Catholic school in Northern Ireland during the Troubles of the mid-1990s. The three-season series is perfect for fans of Heartbreak High and Sex Education. 

Where to watch: SBS Viceland and SBS on Demand 

You’re The Worst is an unconventional rom-com about two terrible people who meet at a wedding and decide to get together over the course of five seasons, they do shitty things to each other but ultimately can’t stay away from each other.

Where to watch: SBS on Demand 

Starring Anna Paquin, Colin Hanks and Jake Lacy, A Friend of the Family tells the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times by their friend and neighbour. It’s a dark but incredibly well-made series.

Where to watch: 7Plus 

This British spy thriller follows intelligence agent Eve (Sandra Oh) who is tasked with tracking down career assassin Villanelle. While trapped in a game of cat and mouse, the women find themselves strangely drawn to each other.

Where to watch: ABC iView