Who doesn't love when something is free? Especially when it comes to watching movies online. Trying to pay for all the different streaming services can quickly add up. The good news is there is a bevy of options to watch free movies online, and we're helping keep track of the best of the best across a range of services.

There are a number of free streaming services online that will allow you to watch some great movies, including global options like Amazon Freevee, The Roku Channel and Tubi; others are US specific, like Crackle, Fandango at Home, Pluto TV and Xuomo. But watching any of these services won't cost you a thing, save for the fact you’ll have to deal with occasional ad-break.

But that is likely worth the price considering the wide range of movie selections that each service offers. We've reviewed each platform to come up with our own list of the best free movies online right now.

Amazon Freevee (available US & UK)

Atomic Blonde (2017)

Charlize Theron gives John Wick a run for this money in the "Certified Fresh" action movie. Theron plays an MI6 agent investigating a murder in Cold War Berlin; betrayals and hard-hitting action ensue. Atomic Blonde is a blast and features one of the standout action scenes of the last 10 years with its stairway fight.

Emma (2020)

Jane Austen's classic Emma has been adapted a handful of times for the big screen (including getting a modern day adaptation with Clueless), but Anya Taylor-Joy's performance as the young woman who takes her friends' love lives into her own hands is one of the best you'll see. Witty and impeccably designed, Emma is a treat.

Fargo (1996)

The greatest trick that the Coen brothers ever played was convincing us that Fargo was based on a true story. OK, maybe not, but their Oscar-winning dark comedy about a group of inept criminals and the determined, pregnant police chief tracking them down (played by an Oscar-winning Frances McDormand), remains one of the seminal works of the brothers' career and served as the inspiration for the hit FX series Fargo.

Mud (2012)

Jeff Nichols directed the hit indie movie The Bikeriders that came out this summer, but he has long been providing fantastic hidden gems for movie fans. One such example is Mud, about two young boys who befriend a fugitive hiding out as he hopes to reconnect with this true love. Aside from Nichols' script and direction, the highlight of the movie is Matthew McConaughey's performance, one that helped defined the "McConaissance" of the early 2010s.

Warm Bodies (2013)

Romeo & Juliet with zombies is a generally accurate summation of Warm Bodies, but the movie is a whole lot better than that description might seem at first glance. Nicholas Hoult stars as a zombie who's cold, dead heart is reawakened when he sees  the living girl Julie (Teresa Palmer). Who knew it was so easy to fall for the undead.

Best of the rest on Amazon Freevee: The Birdcage, Blue Velvet, Citizenfour, Escape from New York, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Invisible Man, Paths of Glory, Requiem for a Dream, Some Like It Hot, Split, Waiting, Wind River

Crackle (available in US)

Bronson (2008) 

Tom Hardy is an A-list star, but back in 2008 he wasn't widely known or proven as a leading man, that is until Bronson came out. The Nicolas Winding Refn movie saw Hardy star as a career criminal who creates an alternate personality named Charles Bronson over three decades spent in prison. It's a wild performance from Hardy that put him on the map. 

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

A classic example of the German Expressionism movement of the early 20th century, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a haunting movie even more than a 100 years later, as it depicts a hypnotist who uses a somnambulist to commit a series of murders. Watching the movie you'll see many pieces that had great influence on classic movies throughout the years. 

Life Itself (2014)

One of the best documentarians of his generation, Steve James, took his camera to capture the career and life of one of the most influential film critics ever, Roger Ebert. Life Itself, inspired by Ebert's own memoir, not only touches on the accomplishments and impact of Ebert's work, but even how his late-in-life struggles with health could not damper his spirits or his love for the movies. 

Short Term 12 (2013)

Anyone that is a fan of Brie Larson's career must watch her breakout role in Short Term 12, where she plays a supervisor at a residential treatment facility for at-risk youths. She is fantastic in the movie, and it has an ensemble that also includes the likes of John Gallagher Jr., Stephanie Beatriz, Rami Malek, Kaitlyn Dever and LaKetih Stanfield. 

Stagecoach (1939) 

John Wayne is the most iconic movie cowboy of all time, and it all started with Stagecoach. It's not his first western, but it was the one that took him to stardom as the John Ford movie was an action-packed adventure that is just as thrilling to watch today as it was back then.

Best of the rest on Crackle: Blackfish, Digging for Fire, Gaslight, Halloween, The Hunt, I Am Not Your Negro, In the Fade, Metropolois, The Wolfpack

Fandango at Home (available in US)

Bernie (2011) 

If you enjoyed Hit Man this year (streaming exclusively on Netflix), then you are likely to also enjoy Bernie, another Richard Linklater movie based on a crazy but true story. In this case, Jack Black plays a friendly mortician who strikes up a friendship with a cantankerous, controlling, wealthy widow (Shirley MacLaine), only to eventually murder her. But what happens after that is where it gets truly unbelievable.

Charade (1963)

Fans of a good mystery thriller are going to love Charade, which features two Hollywood icons in Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, the latter of whom becomes a target when a fortune her late husband stole comes to her. Who can she trust? Find out in this gripping trek across Europe.

His Girl Friday (1940) 

If you prefer Cary Grant's comedic roles, then there are few better than His Girl Friday, where he plays a fast talking newspaper editor desperate to keep his best reporter, and ex-wife (Rosalind Russell), from quitting and marrying another man. The Howard Hawks movie is widely considered one of the best comedies of all time.

On Golden Pond (1981)

Another set of acting legends team up in On Golden Pond, as Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn play an elderly married couple who reluctantly agree to care for the son of their daughter's (Jane Fonda) new boyfriend. It's a superbly acted, emotional movie that won Oscars for both Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn.

RBG (2018)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was already in the history books when she became a Supreme Court justice, but over her time on the high court she became a transcendent figure in American culture. This documentary depicts that as well as recounts her incredible career from her pursuit of a law degree to her time on the bench.

Pluto TV (available in US)

Arrival (2016)

Denis Villeneuve is the current master of sci-fi thanks to his brilliant movies Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two, but he was putting his stamp on the genre well before that, including with his excellent movie Arrival. Amy Adams stars as a language expert brought in to help communicate with an alien species after they arrive on earth. The story ends up being a twisty, emotional journey that is both heartbreaking and affirming.

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

John Singleton's Oscar-nominated debut is still a powerful look into the life of teenagers growing up in Los Angeles in the early 90s, with its climactic moment losing none of its emotional punch even more than 30 years later.

Collateral (2004)

If you prefer Tom Cruise as the hero, his classic movie Top Gun is also streaming on Pluto TV for free. But you should definitely watch his villainous turn in Michael Mann's Collateral, where he plays a hitman who takes a cab driver (Jamie Foxx) hostage to drive him around to various targets throughout the night. Foxx is also fantastic in the movie, so much so that it was one of his two Oscar nominations in 2005 (the other being Ray, for which he won Best Actor).

Fences (2016)

Denzel Washington directed and starred in this adaptation of the classic August Wilson play Fences, which sees him play a working class man struggling to come to terms with his life and his failures as he raises his family. Though Washington headlines the movie (and is fantastic), it's Viola Davis who steals the show as his wife, Rose, a performance that earned her an Oscar.

Gladiator (2000)

We're just a couple months away from the release of Gladiator 2, so now is the perfect time to catch up on the Best Picture winning movie. The Ridley Scott epic of a Roman general who becomes a slave when he defies the emperor and then seeks his revenge remains one of the best movies of the 21st century (if not ever). 

Best of the rest on Pluto TV: All the President's Men, Days of Heaven, A Fish Called Wanda, Grease, The Matrix, No Country for Old Men, Pulp Fiction, The Raid: Redemption, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Rain Man, The Red Shoes, Sorry to Bother You, Tombstone, Tropic Thunder, Zodiac

The Roku Channel (available US & UK)

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Moviegoers were supposed to be getting Chapter 2 of Kevin Costner's new western Horizon: An American Saga, however it was pulled from the release calendar for the time being. So in its place you can watch Costner's previous, Best Picture-winning western epic Dances with Wolves, which gets a bit of a bad rap seeing as it beat out Goodfellas for the trophy (a fair argument to have) but is still a sweeping and well made movie.

Jackie Brown (1997)

The opinion on Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown has risen in recent years, as fans rediscover Tarantino's adaptation of the Elmore Leonard source material that stars a fierce Pam Grier and features fun performances from Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro and Robert Forster. See why it shouldn't be overlooked against Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

For my money one of the best coming-of-age movies to come out in recent memory, The Perks of Being a Wallflower stars Logan Lerman as Charlie, an introverted 15-year-old whose past traumas make it hard for him to connect with others, until he meets a pair of welcoming seniors, played by Emma Watson and Ezra Miller.

School of Rock (2003)

Jack Black pours his love of rock n' roll into the superb Richard Linklater comedy School of Rock, where Black plays a substitute teacher who, realizing his class' talent in music, decides to form a rock band with them. 

Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)

Playing off the stranded in the woods idea, Tucker and Dale vs Evil is a horror spoof that sees kind Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) being confused as dangerous killers when a group of city teens attempt to go hiking and end up accidentally killing themselves. As things escalate, this movie just gets funnier.

Best of the rest on The Roku Channel: The Birdcage, The Great Escape, Hoosiers, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Lincoln Lawyer, Mississippi Burning, Moonstruck, Rain Main, Stronger, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Thelma & Louise, Waiting...

Tubi (available in US & UK)

The Goonies (1985)

One of the quintessential kids movies, The Goonies is an all-time adventure about a group of friends that go searching for a pirate's treasure to help save their home. It maybe jarring to think that the young Sean Astin, Ke Huy Quan and Josh Brolin we see on screen are now all in their 50s, but hey, Goonies never say die.

The Graduate (1967)

There's a reason why The Graduate is constantly listed as one of the greatest movies of all time (Dustin Hoffman's dry, hilarious performance and the complicated but impactful romances are at the top of the list). Well, now it's easier than ever to watch it if it is one you've missed out on so far.

The Mummy (1999)

Millennials like myself have a special place in our hearts for The Mummy. Brendan Fraser's performance as the hero Rick O'Connell is among the Oscar-winning actor's best and most charming, and his chemistry with Rachel Weisz is fantastic. Throw in a perfect blend of action, humor and scares and it is one of the best movies you can watch at anytime, so it's an added bonus that it's free.

The Replacements (2000)

Football season is coming up, so what better time than to watch a cult classic football comedy, The Replacements. Very loosely based on the NFL strikes that took place in 1987, Keanu Reeves stars as a former college quarterback looking for a second chance alongside Gene Hackman as his coach. While Reeves and Hackman headline, you'll spot more than a few faces you recognize in the movie.

Talk to Her (2002)

Talk to Her is one of the best movie from Pedro Almodovar, one of the most accomplished Spanish filmmakers of his generation. This Oscar-winning movie (Best Original Screenplay) tells the story of the friendship between two men as they care for two women who are in deep comas.

Best of the rest on Tubi: 12 Angry Men, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Another Round, The Apartment, The Art of Self-Defense, The Big Country, Bring It On, Bull Durham, Cabaret, Downfall, Fiddler on the Roof, Friday, It Happened One Night, Memento, Paddington, Spartacus, The Third Man, Witness for the Prosecution

Xuomo (available in US)

The Big Chill (1983)

One of the original hangout movies, The Big Chill sees an all-star ensemble (Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, Tom Berenger, William Hurt, Mary Kay Place, Jeff Goldblum and JoBeth Williams) reunite and spend a long weekend together after the death of one of their friends. Between the partying (complete with a great soundtrack), the friends discuss many of the issues they are going through and test how they've changed since college.

Dial M for Murder (1954)

While it's hard to call any Alfred Hitchcock movie underrated as he is one of the most acclaimed directors ever, Dial M for Murder is usually just on the outside of the four or five movies that people first think of when discussing the master of suspense. But this story of a man attempting to commit the perfect murder of his wife has got everything you could want in a Hitchcockian thriller. 

Fist of Fury (1972)

Martial arts legend Bruce Lee only made a handful of movies during his tragically short career, but they are all entertaining. You can check out Fist of Fury for free on Xuomo, which sees Lee as a martial arts student who takes up against encroaching dojo from Japan that looks to take over the school of his former master.

Halloween (1978)

The original Halloween is an all-time classic horror/slasher movies, as Jamie Lee Curtis stars as one of the original final girls, taking on the relentless knife-wielding Michael Myers, who would become instantly iconic following this movie's release. Spooky season will be here before you know it, so might as well get started early and watch Halloween.

The Thing from Another World (1951)

John Carpenter's The Thing is rightly praised as a great sci-fi/horror movie, but it is loosely based on this 1950s creature classic, The Thing from Another World. It is definitely more hokey than Carpenter's version, but that is actually what gives it its charm. Despite it being very much of its time it still works as an entertaining watch. 

Best of the rest on Xuomo: Nymphomaniac Part I & II, Sharknado, 

It was 51 years ago today, July 20, that Bruce Lee tragically passed away. The martial arts legend was only 32 at the time. While we never got to see just how high he could take his career, even in his short life, he left behind a number of indelible movies that are a blast to watch. In fact, you can watch four of them right now for free online in honor of Bruce Lee.

Lee's The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon and Game of Death are streaming on free, ad-supported streaming services; all four are on Pluto TV, while The Big Boss and Fist of Fury are on Tubi. And all it'll cost you is some patience as ads play a handful of times during the movie. 

These are just some of the vast library of free movies online that are available on Pluto TV and Tubi and other similar streaming platforms (ie Amazon Freevee, The Roku Channel). If you're interested in watching these classic martial arts movies from the legend himself, here are some more details on each.

The Big Boss was released in 1971 in Hong Kong before it made its way to the US in 1972 and marked Lee's first major leading role. The movie was made by Hong Kong-based production company Golden Harvest, which produced all four of these movies. In The Big Boss, Lee plays a young man sworn to a path of non-violence, but that is put to the test when his cousins start to go missing from their jobs.

Lee followed the success of The Big Boss with Fist of Fury (also known as The Chinese Connection) in 1972. Here Lee stars as a martial arts student who seeks vengeance for the death of his teacher.

That same year he made The Way of the Dragon. This movie, which Lee also wrote and directed, sees his character head to Italy and ends up defending relatives he has there against violent members of a gang, one of which is played by Chuck Norris. Yes, if you've ever wondered what the movie is where Bruce Lee fights Chuck Norris against the backdrop of the Colosseum, The Way of the Dragon is it.

Finally, there's Game of Death. Lee originally starred, wrote and was directing the movie, but he was never able to finish it before his death. His Enter the Dragon director, Robert Clouse, came to put the available footage together into a finished product, which was released in 1978. Though the result differed from Lee's original story and was ultimately not that well received, it does offer a few iconic movie nuggets: one, Lee fought NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabar, and also the yellow jumpsuit he wore was a likely inspiration for the costume of the Bride in Kill Bill Vol. 1.

If you don't want to deal with ads, you can rent all of these movies on digital on-demand platforms as well. FYI, if you're looking for Enter the Dragon, that is only available on digital on-demand platforms.

Who doesn't love going to the movies? But let's be honest, the price of tickets these days can be a deterrent. Well, how does a free movie ticket sound? That is what Pluto TV is providing lucky moviegoers this summer with its "Free Movie Weekend" program that officially kicks off on June 8 and continues throughout the summer in select locations.

Part of Pluto TV's Summer of Cinema campaign, the FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) service has teamed up with independent and family-run movie theaters across the US to offer moviegoers complimentary movie tickets during select weekends every weekend from now through September 1. The goal, per Pluto TV's official announcement, is to "honor the magic of cinema and inspire patrons to support local and historic theaters."

Fourteen movie theaters are participating in Free Movie Weekend this year. Check out to see if the promotion is coming to your area with the official list:

• Gardena Cinema, Los Angeles, June 8-9
• Water Gardens Cinema 6, Pleasant Grove, Utah, June 21-22
• Roslyn Theatre, Roslyn, Wash., June 22-23
• Texas Theatre, Dallas, June 29-30
• Tampa Theatre, Tampa, Fla., July 6-7
• The Tara Theatre, Atlanta, July 13-14
• The Independent, Charlotte, NC, July 20-21
• Star Theatre, Berkeley Springs, W.V., July 27-28
• Next Act Cinema, Pikesville, Md., July 27-28
• The Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville, Pa., August 3-4
• Stuart Cinema and Cafe, Brooklyn, N.Y., August 10-11
• Capitol Theatre, Arlington, Mass., August 17-18
• Redford Theatre, Detroit, August 24-25
• Music Box Theatre, Chicago, August 31-September 1

Launched in 2021, Pluto TV's Free Movie Weekend has teamed up with nearly 40 movie theaters in 30 states.

Even if your area is not participating in Free Movie Weekend this year, Pluto TV has a slate of new movies to watch for free as part of its Summer of Cinema lineup. Movies like Transformers (2007), Mission: Impossible (1996), War of the Worlds (2005), Tropic Thunder, The Italian Job (2003) and Collateral will roll out on the service each month over the summer.

"By joining 'Summer of Cinema' with 'Free Movie Weekends,' Pluto TV is able to champion a love of blockbuster movies and allow audiences to experience the fun both at theaters and in their homes, all for free," said Amy Kuessner, executive vice president of programming for Pluto TV.

If this is getting you excited to head to see a movie, check out what 2024 new movies are coming out this summer with our rundown of the release schedule. Some highlights include Horizon: An American Saga, Twisters, Deadpool & Wolverine and Alien: Romulus.

Jeopardy! remains one of the most popular game shows on US TV, but most fans would be lying if they said they didn't miss having the late Alex Trebek, who passed away in 2020, behind the lectern hosting daily episodes. However, it is now easier than ever to watch classic Alex Trebek-hosted Jeopardy! episodes, as Pluto TV has a dedicated Jeopardy! channel.

PlutoTV is a free, ad-supported streaming channel that is available to anyone and everyone in the US. No subscription is necessary, no login, just go to Pluto TV on your computer, smart TV or other mobile device and start watching. 

Once there, Jeopardy! fans can watch the familiar sight of Trebek standing behind his podium and interacting with contestants. Pluto TV's Jeopardy! channel streams Jeopardy! episodes 24/7 on its live feed, curating episodes from Jeopardy! season 17 through season 34. Viewers can also watch Jeopardy! episodes on-demand via Pluto TV.

Jeopardy! season 17-34 covers episodes from fall 2000 to summer 2018. In that stretch the game show saw the historic run of Ken Jennings, as well as other popular players like Buzzy Cohen, Brad Rutter, David Madden, Julia Collins, Matt Jackson, Austin Rogers and Arthur Chu. At least at this time, Pluto TV does not have episodes featuring more recent champions like James Holzhauer or Amy Schneider.

Classic episodes of Jeopardy! used to be available to stream on Netflix, but they no longer are available on the popular streaming service. So this channel is the easiest way to watch Alex Trebek-led episodes of Jeopardy! online right now, and obviously you can't get cheaper than free.

In addition, Pluto TV has past episodes of other popular game shows as well, including Wheel of Fortune, The Price Is Right, Deal or No Deal and more.

Of course, Jeopardy! goes on without Trebek, with new Jeopardy! hosts Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik splitting hosting duties for the daily episodes of Jeopardy! and a number of new primetime specials for the game, including Jeopardy! Masters and Celebrity Jeopardy!, the latter of which returns in fall 2023 with Celebrity Jeopardy! season 2.

Yet, as we head into a new era of game show history in the US that is also set to see Pat Sajak retire as the host of Wheel of Fortune (set to be replaced by Ryan Seacrest), it'll be nice to have the ability to go back to more familiar times when Trebek was a constant, calming presence in our lives.

Here is the link to the Pluto TV Jeopardy! channel.

Star Trek has existed in our universe (and presumably everywhere else in the multiverse) for more than 50 years. In that time we've grown from the early days of Capt. Kirk, Spock and Bones, to Picard and Riker and Data. The legacy has lived on beyond The Next Generation, with spinoffs Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise on TV, and a parallel series of films with an all-new cast.

And with Star Trek: Discovery — the first to live exclusively (more or less) on a dedicated streaming service and not on traditional terrestrial television — we've got a next, next, next generation of Trek. 

Discovery pushed back from the proverbial space dock in September 2017 at what was then CBS All Access but is now Paramount Plus. Since its debut, it has firmly planted its flag in the universe not just of science-fiction, but in dramatic television as a whole.

Star Trek: Discovery season 4 will return in the near future, but let's catch up on what you might have missed and everything else you need to know about the series.

'Star Trek: Discovery' season 4 release date

After releasing the first seven episodes of its fourth season on Paramount Plus in November and December 2021, Star Trek: Discovery is slated to return with new episodes of season 4 on Feb. 10.

More Star Trek: Discovery is on the way after that, as Paramount Plus announced that it had renewed the original series for season 5.

How to watch 'Star Trek: Discovery' in the U.S.

Paramount Plus is the standalone streaming service for ViacomCBS, which is a huge media company that's home to all kinds of content. That includes Paramount, and that means the larger Star Trek universe. It's also home to other exclusives like The Good Fight, the Jordan Peele reboot of The Twilight Zone, as well as a number of other new Star Trek original series, including Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy.

Paramount Plus has multiple plans for subscribers but, don't worry, you can watch Star Trek: Discovery on both of them. The first is an ad-supported plan (standard price $4.99 per month) and the other is ad-free ($9.99 per month).  There are often offers on subscriptions so check our guide to find the best streaming deals around.

How to watch 'Star Trek: Discovery' in the UK and more

In the UK, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Star Trek: Discovery is launching on Pluto TV — Viacom's free ad-supported streaming service. Previous seasons had been aired on Netflix but Viacom was going to hold Star Trek: Discovery season 4 until the launch of Paramount Plus across Europe, in 2022. 

A fan outcry put a halt to those plans and it's now free to stream live, on Pluto TV's Sci-Fi channel on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 9 pm, local time.

Getting set up on Pluto TV is super easy. The service is free, you don't even need to sign up to use it and it's available on a wide range of devices.

Pluto TV has more than 100 live channels to choose from with shows ranging from Duck Dynasty, to Baywatch, Most Haunted to BET's Tyler Perry shows. Plenty to binge-watch, when you're not engrossed in Star Trek.

How to watch 'Star Trek: Discovery' everywhere else

Outside the US and Europe, Star Trek: Discovery is available on Netflix in 188 countries. In Canada, it's available on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel, and the streaming service Crave. 

Paramount Plus is planning to expand into more international regions in 2022, so it may wind up where you are at some point soon, just FYI.

There is a handy way to watch your favourite TV shows wherever you are in the world — it is called a VPN. This lets you get around the usual digital barriers by changing your IP address, meaning you can watch your favourite TV shows even if you're away from home.

If you're travelling and away from home but still want to watch Star Trek: Discovery on Pluto TV, you might find that the content is geo-blocked. However, choose a VPN server based in the UK and stream content just like you would back home. 

Our favourite is ExpressVPN, which lets you change your IP address on whichever device you want to watch your favorite TV show on. ExpressVPN is one of the best out there. Not only because it is straightforward and easy to use, but it also has great security and, best of all, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

This is the number one rated VPN in the world right now and as well as trying it out for free for a month, you can sign up for an annual plan and get 3 months absolutely free.

Star Trek: Discovery: the cast, the premise and why it's a big deal

Let's just cut to the chase. This is a good show. Yes, you'll probably want to have at least a minimum context of the Trek universe, but it's not absolutely necessary. Discovery has a few characters you'll know from the other series, but it's mostly about new ones.

Unlike virtually every other Trek series, Discovery doesn't focus on the commanding officer. That gives a new perspective from which to tell the story. And that's not to say that the captain isn't very much involved or that the stories told are ancillary and not as exciting. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's just a great, intriguing new way to tell the tale.

Discovery takes place a decade or so before The Original Series, with Captain Kirk and the gang.

We're following Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green, who you may remember as Sasha from The Walking Dead). She's obviously not Vulcan but was raised as one by Sarek (James Frain) — yes, Spock's father — and his wife (and Spock's mom) Amanda Grayson (Mia Kirshner). So already you know this is going to be complicated — a human raised as a Vulcan, and foster sister to a half-human/half-Vulcan Spock. Intriguing.

There's also Capt. Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), an interesting name for a very Chinese captain on board the USS Shenzou. Her first officer is Saru (Doug Jones, who you'll know as the amphibian man in The Shape of Water), a Kelpian and the only one of his kind in Starfleet. 

The cast expands a good bit from there, but we'll break that down just a tad more in the Season 1 and 2 sections.

The basic premise laid out is this: the USS Shenzou, with Burnham, Georgiou and Saru on board, stumbles across an anomaly that turns out to be an ancient Klingon ship that's doing its best to hide, but also has become a beacon meant to unite the Klingon houses. Burnham kills someone and accidentally starts a war. A lot of people die and she ends up committing an act of mutiny on the Shenzou before ending up on Discovery.

If there's one major criticism of Discovery as a series, it's this: There is a LOT going on. A lot of characters, a lot of species, and a lot of moving parts. These parts are going to come and go. They're going to twist and turn on on top of each other

That's the end of the non-spoiler parts. We'll dive in a little deeper from here — and ruin things along the way. So if you're not up for that, just go ahead and get your CBS All Access subscription now and get to watching. If you want more in written form, however, read on.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 — War to end all wars

That little act of mutiny Burnham committed on board the Shenzou? It might well have saved the ship and prevented all-out war — and saved the life of Captain Georgiou. Instead, it made Burnham the most hated person in all of Starfleet

Which is why it's interesting that as she's in the middle of a not-so-routine prison transfer (mutiny is still bad, of course), she ends up on board the USS Discovery, thanks to Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs, with an awful accent). He's a brilliant tactician and leader, but butts heads with the scientific staff on board his ship. He wants to win the war, and the scientists want to science the shit out of whatever secretive thing it is they're doing. They need Burnham's help, though they won't tell her (at first) what they're up to.

It turns out that the big secret is a new kind of propulsion system that doesn't so much make a ship go faster as it does make it instantaneously appear somewhere. That is, so long as it doesn't accidentally turn everyone's bodies inside out first. It happens. How does this "Spore Drive" work? With mushrooms. Yes, really. The ability to leap across a galaxy is a convenient plot point, and also a great way to win a war

Meanwhile, the sort-of united Klingons are kicking Starfleet's ass thanks to its cloaking devices. The leader, Voq (Kenneth Mitchell) will do anything to win this war and reunite the Houses in the old ways. It turns out he'll do everything, in fact — including taking over the body of Starfleet officer Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif), who had been held on a Klingon prison ship with scoundrel Harry Judd (Rainn Wilson).

Wait — it's not even complicated yet.

Discovery ends up accidentally jumping (via its Spore Drive) into an alternate universe — one in which Starfleet isn't good, Georgiou isn't dead — and in which Captain Lorca's evil twin originated before ending up on Discovery. Turns out this whole thing was a ruse to get him home.

Meanwhile, Ash Tyler (who has one of those names that has to be said in its entirety) realizes he's actually a weird sort of Klingon agent — which puts a damper on his burgeoning romance with Burnham. There's a new plan to blow up the Klingon home world, and Burnham hands the trigger to ... the female Klingon strategist who was in love with Voq, and turned him into Ash Tyler. (Or Ash Tyler into Voq.)

Plus, bad Georgiou from the alternative is now mostly good Georgiou.

See? It's complicated. It's also very, very good.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 — The Red Angel

The war with the Klingons is over, but now there are some mysterious signals coming from across the galaxy. Discovery — with Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) in the chair while the USS Enterprise undergoes some conveniently weird maintenance — heads off to investigate one of them, where Burnham and Pike discover ... comedian-turned-Starfleet engineer Tig Nortaro (Jett Reno, in the series).

Burnham almost dies during the rescue of Reno — until a mysterious Red Angel-looking figure shows up just in the nick of time and saves her. Where there's a signal, there's a Red Angel, apparently.

Meanwhile, Spock took leave from the Enterprise but also apparently went quite mad and might have killed a couple people. So Burnham wants to to find her foster brother. Also hot on his trail is Section 31, which is a shadowy Starfleet-sanctioned group that does what needs to be done, even if it plays in the gray areas more than you're used to in a Star Trek series. 

There's a lot of intra-Starfleet politics going on in this one. Georgiou and Ash Tyler have ended up with Section 31. And both probably can be trusted to do what's right even if it means doing what's wrong. Probably. 

Eventually everyone figures out that where there's a signal, there's the Red Angel. So they devise a plan to capture the Red Angel to figure out what the hell is going on, why Burnham and Spock and others have had visions of the Red Angel — and, oh, why the fate of all sentient life in the universe is at stake. 

It turns out the Red Angel is ... [Sure you want this spoiler? OK.]

It turns out the Red Angel is Burnham's mother, Gabrielle (Sonja Sohn) believed to have been killed in a Klingon attack when Burnham some 20 years earlier. (This added another layer in Season 1.) It turns out she's been trapped in time 950 years into the future and has been coming back to present day to do ... Something.

And it turns out that that something is to stop Section 31's artificial intelligence called Control from getting some AI data from a 200-thousand-year-old sphere and deciding that every living thing must die. Now it's Control and Section 31 and their superior tech against Discovery, the Kelpians, the Klingons and anyone else they could scrounge up, trying to help Burnham lead Discovery 950 years into the future, where Control won't be able to get to the AI data.

It's one hell of a battle. 

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 — Back to the Future

And that brings us to Season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery. What to Watch did an episode-by-episode recap for season 3, which you can read right here:

• 'Star Trek: Discovery' season 3 episodes 1-4
• 'Star Trek: Discovery' season 3 episode 5: Die Trying
• 'Star Trek: Discovery' season 3 episode 6: Scavengers
• 'Star Trek: Discovery' season 3 episode 7: Unification III
• 'Star Trek: Discovery' season 3 episode 8: The Sanctuary
• 'Star Trek: Discovery' season 3 episode 9: Terra Firma, Part 1
• 'Star Trek: Discovery' season 3 episode 10: Terra Firma, Part 2
• 'Star Trek: Discovery' season 3 episode 11: Su'Kal
• 'Star Trek: Discovery' season 3 episode 12: There Is a Tide ...
• 'Star Trek: Discovery' season 3 episode 13: That Hope Is You, Part 2

'Star Trek: Discovery' season 4

Here is the official synopsis for Star Trek: Discovery season 4:

"Season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery finds Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery facing a threat unlike any they’ve ever encountered. With Federation and non-Federation worlds alike feeling the impact, they must confront the unknown and work together to ensure a hopeful future for all."

And here's the trailer:

The world can be divided into two people: those who are already familiar with Pluto TV and those who need no introduction. Now officially celebrating its tenth year of streaming, it has flown the nest and spread its wings with an incredibly impressive presence in close to 50 countries with its on-demand content now owned by ViacomCBS.

While that works out to roughly 425 channels watched by 50 million subscribers, there is still a vast majority of people that may be unfamiliar with what Pluto TV has to offer. Thankfully that's why we're here: to let you know the how, which, when and where and every other Pluto TV related question in between.

So, without further ado here's everything you need to know about Pluto TV, and a few things you didn't know you needed to know.

What is Pluto TV?

Pluto TV is America's leading free streaming service. In the US, it offers more than 200 live channels and plenty of shows and movies on-demand to watch when you want without any contracts or even having to create an account.

In the UK, Pluto TV offers more than 100 live channels to choose from, including branded and partner channels like My5 Crime and Glory Kickboxing.

What makes Pluto slightly different from other streamers is that it's a more curated experience. Plenty of Pluto's live channels are centered on specific genres of movies and shows, and there are also channels dedicated to individual shows if you're just in the mood to binge a specific show.

Why is Pluto TV free?

Simply put, Pluto TV is free because it runs ads during on-demand and live broadcasts. It's just like watching regular live TV, except you can tailor it around your own interests by choosing the channels that suit you best.

Thankfully, this means you can tune in without having to sign up to yet another streaming service!

How to watch Pluto TV

Watching Pluto TV really couldn't be easier. Not only is the service free, but you don't even need to waste any time making an account to use it, and Pluto TV is available on a wide range of devices.

Right now, you can watch Pluto TV in your browser, on Apple and Android devices, NOW TV, Amazon FireTV, Virgin Media TV, Roku, Chromecast, PlayStation, and Xbox games consoles, LG TVs, and Samsung TV Plus.

What's on Pluto TV

As we've already mentioned, the streamer offers a curated experience, meaning you can find everything from sports to news to anime on the platform thanks to the many channels that ViacomCBS owns and operates, as well as the partnerships they've formed.

Although it would be impossible to list everything that Pluto's showing, we're pretty confident you'll be able to find something you'll want to watch on Pluto TV, especially considering there's a slew of great movies and shows on-demand available in both regions. The best way to check out what's available to watch is simply to head over to the Pluto TV site and scroll through the listings to find something you'll love.

In the US, you can find movies like The Wolf of Wall Street, Titanic, Full Metal Jacket, Silence of the Lambs, and TV series like Cops, The Equalizer, and Degrassi. There's a variety of movie channels available alongside Pluto TV Soaps, a selection of news channels, MTV Dating, Comedy Central, live sports channels including the NFL Channel, Fox Sports, and even dedicated anime channels. There's also a decent selection of Spanish-language channels, plenty of content for kids, and a sampling of what's available to stream on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ Picks channel.

In the UK, you can watch Star Trek: Discovery season 4 as mentioned, plus you can find everything from channels dedicated purely to Baywatch, The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, Mythbusters, Most Haunted, Wild at Heart, Hell's Kitchen to a channel exclusively showing the Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons. Alongside these channels are My5 Crime, Pluto TV History, Pluto TV Animals, Pluto TV Reality, and a range of different channels for movies, comedies, documentaries, and some live sports.

In both regions, there are also holiday channels if you're looking to get into the Christmas spirit, too!

Which countries get Pluto TV?

Pluto TV is currently available in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Canada, France, and throughout Latin America. The amount of channels and content available varies from region to region.

This has been out for more than a week now, and it's been seen by nearly 1 million people on YouTube.

And that doesn't make it any less awesome. 

What you have here is 1 minute and 41 seconds of advertisement for Pluto TV by none other than 68-year-old David Hasselhoff. The actor/singer/other stuff guy is the epitome of 1980s and '90s network TV. And by all rights he hasn't changed a bit.

And you know what? The commercial actually is pretty darn good.

PlutoTV, by the way, is a streaming service that's worth keeping around if for no other reason than it is 100 percent free. It's full of channels that you can't (or shouldn't) find anywhere else. It's supported by advertising (which is how it's free) and is a fun little addition to the 30 other streaming services you're likely already paying for. It's got news and movies and sports, entertainment of all sorts — and my favorite, Slow TV.

It's definitely worth a look, if only to get that sight of The Hoff out of your brain.

We're all stuck at home. The stock market is tanking, and the only thing we're assured of at this point is more uncertainty. But we still need to be able to stream TV, for news as much (if not more) as for entertainment.

And these days it's actually easier to stream more for free — and more quality content for free — than ever before. And it's important to note that these are legitimate services. They're not bootlegs, they're not gray-market. They're names that you know and have been around for quite some time.

And in times like these, they definitely can come in handy.

Let's take a look.

The Roku Channel

Roku has put a lot of effort behind The Roku Channel the past year or two, but it's been around since September 2017. Why spin its own free service when there are others? On one hand it's a great way for Roku owners to have something to watch out of the box. No installing additional Roku "channels." (That's their word for apps.) No having to pay anything at all. Just buy Roku player, and you're good to go.

It's also another opportunity for Roku to serve up ads to its customers. And make no mistake — Roku is an advertising company.

But our main concern here is for the end-user. The customer. What do we get from The Roku Channel? We get movies. A lot of movies. Some are newer than others. Some are better than others. And the number of ads you see will vary a bit.

We also get news. As in legitimate, real news from sources like USA Today, ABC News, Yahoo and Cheddar.

There's also sports, from Stadium, Outside TV, beIN Sports Xtra, and Fubo Sports Network, among others.

And there are plenty of traditional TV shows, from the likes of Pluto TV, which includes a wealth of channels you know like BET, MTV, Comedy Central and more — including a wealth of content for children.

And the real kicker here? You don't actually have to own a Roku device to take advantage. Just head to therokuchannel.roku.com and get your stream on.

Sling Free

Sling TV also is enticing prospective customers with free content. And it's ramped things up even more now that everyone's stuck at home, with its "STAY IN & SLING!" Initiative. (Because what we all need in trying times is more exclamation points!)

In addition to having access to ABC News Live, Fox News and 18 local fox affiliates, there also are a number of series up for free viewing via distribution service Filmrise. And, of course, there will be ads.

A few of the series we see right off the bat include Hell's Kitchen , Forensic Files , Kitchen Nightmares , Black Sails , 3rd Rock From The Sun , Rosanne , Grounded For Life , Crimes of Passion , Hunter , Grace Under Fire , Shameless , and the original 21 Jumpstreet .

All this free slinging is available on any device that already has Sling TV, as well as at watch.sling.com without a Sling account.

Pluto.tv

Pluto TV once was a promising young ad-supported TV service, racking up subscribers by having a surprisingly decent stable of channels — some familiar, and some borrowed from content farms more used to seeing their work on YouTube and Facebook.

Today? Pluto TV is very much all of that — only it's now owned by CBSViacom, which purchased it (OK, Viacom purchased it before recombining with CBS) back in 2019 for $340 million in cash.

The important part, though, is that Pluto has more than 200 channels at your disposal. We're talking movies of all stripes. (And a full-blown James Bond movie channel.) We're talking entertainment channels like MTV and Spike and BET and an entire channel dedicated to Baywatch . We're talking news channels like NBC and CNN and CBS and Bloomberg and Cheddar. There's comedy and sports and tech and kids and music and ...

You get the point. And you're literally not allowed to say that there's nothing on so long as Pluto is in existence.

And Pluto is available on most every device on which you would want to watch such a thing, including your web browser.

Tubi.tv

See if you've heard this story before — an ad-supported streaming service does pretty well for itself, with a smattering of channels and content that people actually want to watch. And then it gets purchased for many millions of dollars.

Such is the story of Tubings TV, which just got picked up by Fox for some $440 million in cash.

In any case, Tubi is more about movies and shows and not live TV, which is fine. And you'll definitely find something you want to watch tucked inside there.

It's very much like what you'd expect to find on an airplane somewhere if it didn't have access to the more recent movies and shows. Something to pass the time, for sure.

And you can't beat the price.

IMDB TV

Fun fact: IMDB is now owned by Amazon — which is why you'll very quickly see it point you toward Amazon Prime Video. But it's also where you'll find IMDB TV, which is another way to watch more recent movies for free. (So long as you can put up with advertising, of course.)

There are a few caveats here. First is that you have to be in the United States and its territories. Second is that you'll be going through either the IMDB webpage, Amazon Prime Video app, or through an Amazon Fire TV device.

But after that? You've got access to all kinds of quality movies — as in, better and more recent than you'll find on many of the other services we've listed here.

There's no way to not see ads here, and you can't purchase or download. But what you do get is good content, for the best price possible.

And still on the way — Peacock

One more free(ish) streaming service that's not quite here yet is NBCUniversal's "Peacock." (You know, Peacock because of the iconic NBC logo.)

Peacock isn't scheduled to be available until April 15 for Comcast Xfinity X1 and Flex customers, and June 15 for the rest of the public. And it'll launch with three tiers: A $5-a-month option for the general public that includes ads, and a $10-a-month ad-free plan. And if you're a current Comcast subscriber, you'll get an ad-supported version of Peacock for free.

Ideally, NBCUniversal would move up the launch and open up the free tier to anyone who wants it, even if it was for a limited time as a sort of extended trial in the time of coronavirus, then convert a good number of those trials into paying subscriptions. But so far, it's status quo.

Over-the-air TV with an antenna

One more tried and true method for proper free TV — an over-the-air antenna. For the one time cost of the antenna itself — plus the time it takes to install it (which shouldn't be much at all) — you get access to all kinds of broadcast content. Your local affiliates — things like ABC and CBS and Fox and NBC — and their secondary counterparts. That's news. That's daytime shows. That's primetime.

The only thing it doesn't have is sports, because, well, yeah.

But the process is super simple. Get an antenna and install it. Outside and higher is better, but indoors may work, too. It really all depends on where you live and where your affiliates are located. Then plug the antenna into your TV, or into a streaming tuner box like HDHomerun or Tablo or a Fire TV Recast .

And then, just watch.

We're now two episodes into Star Trek: Picard . And the series premiere —  Remembrance is now available to watch for free in a couple of places. You can watch it on YouTube , and you can watch it on Pluto TV.

YouTube is YouTube and needs no introduction. Pluto TV, however, is a free ad-supported streaming service with more than 250 channels that Viacom — which owns CBS — picked up in 2019. And for the next week (until we get to Episode 3) you'll be able to watch it on Pluto TV .

It all kicks off today with a 24-hour marathon of the Picard premiere. After that you'll be able to watch it at 8 p.m. Here's the full schcedule:

• Jan. 30: Star Trek Picard, 24-hour Marathon of debut episode
• Jan: 31: Star Trek Picard, Invasion of the Body Snatchers
• Feb. 1: Star Trek Picard, The Giver
• Feb. 2: Star Trek Picard, The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus
• Feb. 3: Star Trek Picard, The Librarian: Quest for the Spear
• Feb. 4: Star Trek Picard, The Librarian: King Solomon's Mines
• Feb. 5: Star Trek Picard, The Librarian III

After that, you'll have to head back over to CBS All Access to get your Picard fix.

Does all this free stuff mean that the Picard numbers maybe aren't as high as the folks at CBS would like? (They certainly said otherwise .) Or is it just about getting all the eyeballs they can?

We all know the major ways to stream TV. DirecTV Now. Sling. PlayStation Vue. YouTube TV. They're old favorites, and each is great in its own way.

But cutting the cord is all about not limiting yourself to a single plan, or getting stuck using something that's just not quite what you wanted. Because there aren't any contracts or cancellation fees, we can mix and match all we want, take advantage of free trials, and figure out what works best. And there are a number of streaming options that aren't quite as well known as the big kids, but are still worth a look.

So let's take a look at FuboTV , which has a great trick up its sleeve. And ESPN+ , which can get you that hard-to-find game you've been looking for. And Philo , which is just about the best bang for your buck. AT&T's WatchTV is even less expensive. HDHomerun Premium , which lives alongside your OTA channels. And, finally, PlutoTV — a fun, free service.

Updated Feb. 28, 2019: We've removed HDHomerun Premium as a suggested alternative due to uncertainty about its provider , and more recently technical concerns with the quality of the streams themselves.

FuboTV ($44.99/$49.99 a month)

FuboTV isn't the least expensive alternative on this list. But it's got a solid group of channels in its basic plan, and even more if you go for Fubo Extra, which is only $5 more a month. Plus there are plenty of optional add-ons, including DVR, Showtime and others.

But Fubo's real claim to fame is sports. A whole lot of sports. In addition to the channels you'd expect, you'll also find add-ons for cycling, international sports and outdoors adventures.

And Fubo is one of the few places you can get sports in 4K. It's still in beta, and not everything is streamed at that higher resolution, but it's a great option to have. You'll notice the difference.

Get a free 7-day trial

ESPN+ ($4.99 a month)

You know ESPN. Chances are you already have ESPN on your favorite streaming service. But you need to give ESPN+ a look. Not only will you get live games from Major League Baseball, MLS, Serie A, UEFA Nations League, EFL and the NHL — you'll also get a world of new original content from ESPN.

And that's just scratching the surface. There's also CFL football. Cricket. Rugby. And so much more. All for the price of a cup of coffee a month.

And the cool part? It's seamlessly integrated into the ESPN app on your phone or tablet, and easy enough to get onto a TV, too, via Chromecast or AirPlay. It's also available on Roku, Amazon FireTV, XBOX One, Playstation 4, Oculus Go and Tizen devices.

Sign up for ESPN+

Philo ($16/$20 a month)

If you're looking for an inexpensive way to watch the basics, Philo is an excellent option. You'll be hard-pressed to find more channels — and more channels that you'll actually watch — for less.

Just $16 a month gets you 43 channels. And you'll bump things up to 56 channels for just $20 a month. (And that includes the elusive Cooking Channel.)

And Philo is available on all the major streaming hardware. Go nuts.

Get a free 7-day trial

AT&T WatchTV ($15 a month)

This is AT&T's "skinny" bundle — 37 channels for just $15 a month. You don't have to be an AT&T Wireless subscriber to get WatchTV, though if you have an unlimited phone play they'll throw it in for free. (And you'll get a free premium add-on if you have their Unlimited & More plan.)

It's available on Android and iOS, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Chrome and Safari.

The only real downside? Just a single stream at a time. On the other hand, it's about the cost of a lunch per month.

With an AT&T phone plan   Get a free trial

PlutoTV (free, ad-supported)

News. Weather. Sports. Movies. Original channels you might only find online. PlutoTV has a wealth of content that you don't have to pay a dime for.

And some if it is surprisingly fun. Cats 24/7. The Onion. Fail Army. Cnet. Geek & Sundry. Slow TV. NASA TV.

If you're looking for something different that won't charge you a cent, PlutoTV is definitely worth checking out.

Watch free

Best answer: Yes, you can watch Pluto TV on your Vizio TV. With the ability to enjoy live TV for free, you can love all that Pluto has to offer.

• Out of this world: Pluto TV (Free at Pluto TV)

Revolves around free

Pluto TV is a completely free live TV app that you'll be able to enjoy right from your Vizio TV. This means if you already have a Vizio TV, you can easily download the app to start loving some live shows. With quick access to your TV and saving a few bucks, there's no reason you won't enjoy every minute of some live TV.

Pluto TV has tons of options when it comes to live TV channels. From Fox Sports, MTV Pluto TV, or Comedy Central, this service has anything and everything you could ask for. They also have channels that continuously stream certain shows, like Doctor Who or Dog the Bounty Hunter, so you can binge your favorite shows all day.

How to get the app

Downloading the Pluto TV app on your TV is incredibly quick and simple to do. Once you have it onto your TV, you'll be able to access it for all your favorite shows quickly. Here's a little guide to make sure it's as easy as can be.

1. Click the large V button on your remote.
2. Select Widgets on your TV.
3. Search Pluto TV .
4. Click Install App .
5. Sign in to your Pluto TV profile for your customized channels.

After you get logged in, your live TV shows should start right up, without having to pay a single cent. It's nice to have an easy-to-use free app so you can watch your shows and movies with ease. You get to keep your wallet happy as well as the whole family.