People of my generation grew up watching our favorite TV shows for free. And although today’s cable and internet subscriptions - like Netflix - may offer a lot of choice, they can be expensive. Fortunately, YouTube already has a backlog of hundreds of famous television shows, some classic and some hidden gems that you can watch without paying a dollar. From this veritable treasure trove of drama, sci-fi, comedy, documentary, and more, we’ve selected 6. Simply click on the video to play the first season of any given series. Each link provides several hours of quality viewing pleasure.
Just make sure you add this page to your favorites, and remember which episode you got up to!
1. I, Claudius
Genre: Historical Drama
Year: 1976
Starring: Derek Jacobi, Sian Phillips, Brian Blessed, John Hurt, Patrick Stewart
Summary: This star-studded swords and sandals epic was based on the Claudius novels by Robert Graves. Made by the BBC and broadcast in America by PBS, the series was a blockbuster success that launched great interest in the historical genre. The palace intrigue, murders, affairs, and scintillating dialogue have made this a personal favorite of mine. Start watching I, Claudius, and you’ll quickly be shouting “Hail Caesar!” at your TV!
2. The Green Hornet
Genre: Superhero
Year: 1967
Starring: Van Williams, Bruce Lee
Summary: Who doesn’t remember the adventures of the masked crusaders, Green Hornet and his fists-of-fury sidekick Kato (played by a young Bruce Lee)? For a good time comic-book style adventure, you could so much worse than revisit this sixties American classic.
3. Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minster
Genre: Political Satire / Sitcom
Year: 1980-1984 & 1986-1988
Starring: Nigel Hawthorne, Paul Eddington
Summary: Have you ever enjoyed Margaret Thatcher’s favorite TV show? Yes, Minister, and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister, is thought to be the greatest of all British sitcoms by some pundits – and I can see why. The dialogue is as witty as anything ever shown on television, the plots are delightfully absurd, and the characters are terrific. Don’t worry if you’re not up on the political makeup of the United Kingdom, it really doesn’t matter. You just need to know that there’s a politician who wants to get things done, and a civil servant who is bent on opposing him.
4. The Century of the Self
Genre: Documentary
Year: 2002
Starring: Adam Curtis (Narration)
Summary: If you are craving some intellectual stimulation, then the documentaries of Adam Curtis could be just what you’re after. This particular series tells the story of how Sigmund Freud’s work on the study of desire has been utilized by corporations and governments to fundamentally alter the way we live our lives.
