Some of TV’s Best Shows Will Be Free to Stream This Weekend

Some of the best shows you can watch on TV right now will be free to stream all weekend long, commemorating the first weekend of 2025 with some premium binge-watch content. This gift is being given to viewers by Apple TV+, which announced the new promo in a recent social media post (which you can check out below). The free preview of Apple TV+ content runs from Saturday, January 4th through Sunday, January 5th.

That’s a short window of time to operate in, so what should you do to use your time wisely? Below we have a quick rundown of some of the Apple TV+ original programming you should take a look at during this free preview.

For All Mankind

In an alternative 1969, the world, and especially the United States, watch in shock as the Soviet Union successfully manages to land men on the Moon before the USA does. With that defeat, NASA is presented with a renewed challenge in the space race that they never expected to face. Now, the cold war rivalry takes on a new intensity and grander ambition to reach far further than ever dreamed and with more diverse resources than ever before.

For All Mankind has been one of the bigger breakthrough hits for Apple TV+ since premiering in 2019, and is now heading into Season 5. The alt-history drama has a stacked cast of talented actors and superb period-piece production values.

Servant

A Philadelphia couple are in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens a door for a mysterious force to enter their home.

M. Night Shyamalan has been heavily-criticized for his films, but not everyone knows how he helped Apple TV+ launch back in 2019 by giving the streaming service a buzzworthy horror-thriller-mystery series. Servant ran for seasons (40 episodes) and is a wonderfully creepy slow-burn horror story, with an excellent ensemble cast (Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Rupert Grint), led by the breakout performance of one of horror’s newest “Final Girls,” Nell Tiger Free (The First Omen). A great binge of some of Shyamalan’s best work.

The Morning Show

After a fallout with their popular but scandal-ridden morning show co-host Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell), a New York City TV station hires a new spunky journalist, the progressive and hotheaded southern girl Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon), as the new co-host. The scheming station head manager Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup) sees in her the chance to push his career further; the show’s other popular co-host Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston), disgruntled by the fact that she has to take in a newbie, tries to use this new situation to make her own power move and turn Bradley into an ally. Meanwhile, Mitch refuses to accept defeat and tries to take everyone in the station who knew about his scandal but said nothing down with him.

The Morning Show was the star-studded drama that Apple TV+ was built on. A fourth and final season is on the way.

Foundation

Far in the future, The Empire is about to face a reckoning unlike anything else it’s faced before: several millennia of chaos have been predicted by the galaxy’s leading psycho-historian, Hari Seldon (Jared Harris). But can The Empire offset the disaster before it begins?

Foundation is one of the more popular and acclaimed sci-fi-fantasy shows to come along in years and is perfect for those who were hardcore fans of franchises like Star Trek, Stargate, or Battlestar Galactica.

Severance

Mark (Adam Scott) leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.

Severance was one of the biggest new hit shows that Apple TV+ released during the pandemic era – but the wait for Season 2 has been a two-year drag. With Severance Season 2 premiering in a few weeks, this free preview promotion is tailor-made for catching up on the show.

Silo

In a bleak dystopian future, humanity clings to survival deep underground within the confines of a colossal silo. Juliette, an engineer tasked with unraveling the mystery behind the death of a colleague, uncovers startling secrets that threaten the very fabric of their enclosed world. Based on the novel “Wool” by Hugh Howey.

One of the best sci-fi shows on TV right now, led by the impeccable Rebecca Ferguson. A must-see.

Disclaimer

Cate Blanchett plays Catherine Ravenscroft, a successful and respected television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. When an intriguing novel written by a widower, played by Kevin Kline, appears on her bedside table, she is horrified to realize she is a key character in a story that she had hoped was long buried in the past, that reveals her darkest secret that she thought was hers alone.

Disclaimer is the new TV project from Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Gravity), and has definitely lived up to his acclaimed pedigree. If you’re a mystery-drama fan, this is as good as it gets.

Mythic Quest

The head of a successful video game design company and his troubled staff struggle to keep their hit game ‘Mythic Quest’ on top.

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia creator Rob McElhenney partners with some of that series’ creative minds (Charlie Day, Megan Ganz, David Hornsby) for a show that skewers Silicon Valley and the gaming industry, offering a surprising amount of genuine heart and character drama along with its laughs.

Ted Lasso

In a shocking development, struggling English Premier League team AFC Richmond hires American football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) as its new manager. Lasso knows nothing about soccer/football. With unshakable enthusiasm and positivity he rises to the challenge but little known to him there are forces within the club that don’t want him to succeed.

If you haven’t discovered what makes this show the feel-good MVP of television, now is your chance.

Shrinking

Jimmy (Jason Segel) is struggling to grieve the loss of his wife while being a dad, friend, and therapist. He decides to try a new approach with everyone in his path: unfiltered, brutal honesty. Can he help himself by helping others? Will it bring him back into the light?

If you like Jason Segel’s blend of drama and comedy then it’s even more of a delight to see him sharing scenes with Harrison Ford. At two seasons and just 23 episodes, this is an easy weekend binge.