YouTube is not just for vlogs, trailers, and cooking tutorials. Every month, YouTube adds new movies and TV shows that can be streamed for free. Go to the Movies & TV tab on the sidebar to explore November’s options. These programs are free with ads, meaning a few commercials will run during your presentation.
One of our picks for free TV shows on YouTube is 21 Jump Street. Before the popular movies in the 2010s, 21 Jump Street was a classic 1980s TV show that launched the career of an A-list actor. Find out the rest of our selections below.
Check out the best new shows to stream, the best shows on Netflix, the best movies on Amazon Prime, the best movies on Disney+, and the best free movies on YouTube.
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21 Jump Street (1987)
13%
7.2/10The younger generation will likely associate 21 Jump Street with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, the duo who starred in the feature film by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. To the older generation, they’ll recognize 21 Jump Street as a TV show that ran on Fox during the late 1980s. Most notably, 21 Jump Street was Johnny Depp’s breakout role as a young actor.
Created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell, 21 Jump Street revolves around a division of the police department where youthful-looking officers pose as teenagers and go undercover in the field. The officers frequently infiltrate high schools to investigate cases with teenagers, which typically deal with drugs, alcohol, sex, and gang violence. Many officers, including Tom Hanson (Depp), couldn’t wait to leave high school and enter the real world. Now, they must find a way to survive high school again while trying to do a job.
The Whitest Kids U' Know (2007)
The offbeat comedy is not for everyone, but the group’s originality and boldness are undeniable. Examples of early sketches include Pregnancy Test, a skit where a woman mistakes an iPod shuffle for a pregnancy test; The Dating Show, a twist on a dating show with misogynistic bachelors; and Super Size Me With Whiskey, a fake documentary where Trevor only consumes whiskey.
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997)
In Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, viewers must determine whether a story is true or false. It sounds simple, especially when most of the stories are so unfathomable that they feel made up. Each episode typically presents five stories, with most being fact rather than fiction. Some of these stories involve supernatural elements, while others cover day-to-day issues.
James Brolin hosted season 1, with Star Trek: The Next Generation star Jonathan Frakes taking over in season 2 and beyond. At the end of each episode, the host informs viewers if the stories are fact or fiction. Be prepared to be amazed and bewildered.
Dual Survival (2010)
Cody Lundin is a survivalist who teaches primitive living and homesteading. Dave Canterbury is ex-military and believes in being the hunter, not the hunted. Together, they form the odd couple on Dual Survival. In the Discovery Channel show, Cody and Dave are dropped into a new scenario where their survival skills are challenged and tested.
Example scenarios: shipwrecked off the coast of Nova Scotia, stuck in the caves of Belize, and stranded in the jungles of Laos. Together, Cody and Dave must put aside their differing philosophies and work as a team. Their survival depends on it. In later seasons, Joseph Teti replaced Dave, and Matt Graham came in for Cody.
Extreme Cheapskates (2012)
It’s OK to be frugal and cost-conscious. However, the people in Extreme Cheapskates take thriftiness to a new, sometimes uncomfortable, level. These economical shoppers nickel and dime their way through life. These cheapskates have never passed up a discount, nor will they ever pay for something without a deal.
Saving a few bucks is a good thing. Obsessing over it and making it your personality is beyond sane. To put things into perspective, one cheapskate, Ben, threw a party on a $4 budget. Another interview subject, Kate, goes dumpster diving in New York City. Extreme Cheapskates is a fascinating look into when frugality becomes life.
My Strange Addiction (2010)
Most people associate addiction with drugs and alcohol. However, My Strange Addiction depicts people with unfathomable fixations on extremely peculiar things. Each episode spotlights two people with abnormal addictions. The series tries to explain how these unusual compulsions started and if they can be fixed.
Here are a few of the strange addictions: a woman eats household cleaner, a man treats a doll like his wife, a man ingests glass for attention, a woman sleeps with her blow dryer on, and a woman lives as an adult baby. Trust us: It gets worse. My Strange Addiction is truly a show you need to see to believe.
Iron Chef (1993)
“I say unto you in the words of my uncle: Allez! Cuisine!” This famous phrase comes from the Chairman at the start of each battle in the iconic Japanese cooking show, Iron Chef. A challenger enters the kitchen to battle an Iron Chef in a culinary competition. Each Iron Chef is an expert in a particular cuisine: Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, etc. The challenger picks the Iron Chef they want to face at the start of each episode.
Then, the Chairman will unveil the secret ingredient at the center of each dish in their multicourse meal. The competitors race to their stations and start to cook, having only an hour to prep and plate. The dishes are then presented to the judges to determine the winner. Without Iron Chef, there are no competition shows like Chopped on The Food Network.
Storm Chasers (2007)
7.4/10If Twisters taught us one thing, it’s this: If you feel it, chase it. Head to Tornado Alley to follow the real-life men and women who pursue twisters in Storm Chasers. The early seasons focus on Dr. Joshua Wurman, a scientist who wants to improve tornado warning stems, and filmmaker Sean Casey, a documentarian looking to film inside the storm.
Both chasers use high-tech vehicles — Doppler on Wheels (DOW) and Tornado Intercept Vehicle (TIV) — in the field. The series gives viewers an inside look into the challenges facing storm chasers daily, including inconsistent weather patterns and powerful storms. One thing remains clear: timing is everything. It’s a race to reach the storm in this heart-pounding adventure series.
Project Runway (2004)
78%
7.4/10“Make it work!” That iconic phrase has become associated with Project Runway, Bravo’s long-running fashion competition series. Project Runway recruits the best amateur stylists and designers to compete to win prize money for their fashion line and gain exposure in fashion magazines. The contestants are challenged to create clothing around the week’s theme in each episode.
Previous themes include edible food items, recyclable materials, and flowers. The outfits are modeled during a fashion show and judged by experts Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, and Michael Kors. Klum also co-hosted the series with Tim Gunn. Designers are eliminated in each episode, and the finalists make it to New York Fashion Week to showcase their collections. If you love fashion, then Project Runway is a must-watch.
Broadchurch (2013)
84%
8.4/10Broadchurch is the best version of a murder mystery series — tense, suspenseful, and emotionally gripping. Broadchurch, a picturesque coastal town, becomes a crime scene when the body of 11-year-old Danny Latimer (Oskar McNamara) is found dead at the base of the cliffs. Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (Doctor Who‘s David Tennant), an out-of-town veteran with a complicated past, becomes the lead on the case, much to the dismay of local Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Wonka‘s Olivia Colman).
The two cops learn that Danny’s death occurred via strangulation, and the body’s position was altered to look like an accident. As Hardy and Miller progress with the investigation, the townspeople begin to unravel, as secrets come to the forefront of a once-peaceful town. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better crime drama than Broadchurch.
The Jerry Springer Show (1991)
“Jerry!, Jerry!, Jerry!” Jerry Springer became one of the most controversial talk show hosts in America with The Jerry Springer Show. Beginning in the early 1990s, the daytime talk show became known for off-color commentary on a variety of issues, from illegitimate children and sexuality to divorce and infidelity. Springer embraced the trashiness of the program, introducing each episode as the “worst TV show of all time.”
The best episodes of Jerry Springer played like a car crash — so bad that you can’t look away. Morality aside, The Jerry Springer Show could always make you laugh thanks to an eclectic group of characters at the center of each episode. The show is not for everyone, but if trash TV is your speciality, then you’ll love The Jerry Springer Show.
Hell's Kitchen (2005)
7.2/10If you enter Hell’s Kitchen, be prepared to meet the devil, chef Gordon Ramsay. The reality series is a competition between talented chefs, with the winner becoming the head chef at one of Ramsay’s restaurants. If you thought this would be easy, think again. At the beginning of the series, Ramsay divides the chefs into two teams.
These teams then compete in a series of challenges at “Hell’s Kitchen,” one of Ramsay’s kitchens in Hollywood. The challenges range from prep work and taste tests to dish recreation and dinner services. Ramsay does not hold back, as he frequently screams and berates the contestants when they fail a task. Contestants will have to go to hell and back to win this show.
ReBoot (1994)
7.9/10Created in 1994, ReBoot is the first computer-animated television series in history. Yes, even before Pixar’s Toy Story, Canadian network YTV was using computer animation to ask some probing questions about an emerging digital world. Bob is a guardian from the Super Computer.
He is tasked to defend the digital city of Mainframe from evil computer viruses that seek to control the city and infect the entire ‘net. He’s helped along the way by his friends Dot and Enzo and his dog Frisket. It pales in comparison to Toy Story, of course, but ReBoot is a fascinating look at the dawn of the computer age.
Eighty-Sixed (2017)
If you’re looking for a show that will both entertain and make you cringe, Eighty-Sixed may be just the one for you. Cazzie David stars in and co-writes the show, unapologetically dubbed “Curb your Enthusiasm” for millennials. While that might be a bit of a stretch, the show unapologetically charges forward through both funny and embarrassing topics.
A series that mirrors this web series, with similar plot lines, characters, and events, is expected to debut on television. Producers will slightly adjust it for TV audiences; it will be called Half Empty, and Cazzie David will also serve as the primary writer. It’s an excellent show for viewers who don’t want to invest a lot of attention in each episode. It’s funny, subtle, and each episode will be short, which is perfect for the folks who like to binge-watch.
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (2007)
4.9/10Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is a game show made for the entire family. Contestants have to answer 10 questions and one final bonus question to win. The questions are from elementary school textbooks, meaning adults should know the answers. However, you’ll be surprised how many contestants forget simple reading, writing, and arithmetic.
If a contestant needs help, they can turn to one of their classmates on the set. These classmates are brilliant elementary school kids who can provide air when a contestant uses a lifeline. If the contestant gets a question wrong or walks away from the game, they must look into the camera and declare that they are not smarter than a fifth grader.
