Yes, you’ll need a proper internet connection to stream. Yes, you’ll have to sit through advertisements. But you won’t have to pay a single cent, and you’ll find some pretty good shows out there. Of course, you’ll also have to slog through hundreds of not-as-interesting TV shows to find the good ones. And you’ll have to dig through those to find the good geeky ones. Or just look below, since we’ve done the hard work for you! Here are some of the best free-to-watch TV shows you can stream online right now, that are tailored to geeky tastes.
10. Andromeda
All 5 seasons of Andromeda, totaling 110 episodes, are available to stream for free on Vudu! Created by Gene Roddenberry, the same mind behind Star Trek, Andromeda is a similar spacefaring sci-fi TV series. Don’t expect it to be as great as Star Trek ever was; not even the best points of the series ever come close to Star Trek. But that doesn’t mean Andromeda is a bad show. It can stand on its own merits, and there’s plenty to enjoy if you can look past its flaws. In fact, you’ll find plenty of Trekkies who’d prefer to watch Andromeda over Voyager. Andromeda has a lot more campy fun than all but the original Star Trek series—and for some, that’s a big plus.
9. Highlander
All 6 seasons of Highlander, totaling 120 episodes, are available to stream for free on Vudu! “There can only be one.” If you’ve heard that iconic phrase before but never knew where it came from, then today’s you’re lucky day! It comes from the Highlander franchise, which includes the original film from 1986 as well as the spin-off TV series from 1992 to 1998. Highlander the TV series centers on Duncan McLeod, an Immortal who can only die by being beheaded. He must conceal who he is while living amongst modern society, all while identifying and hunting down other Immortals before they get him. While the series takes a while to find its footing, and the whole thing is certainly worth a watch, it’s the third and fourth seasons that stand out as the best. Certainly better than the movie sequels!
8. Lexx
All 4 seasons of Lexx, totaling 60 episodes, are available to stream for free on Vudu! Lexx is just one of many sci-fi TV series set in space, but it brings a whole lot of unique charm to the table. This Canadian-German co-production starts off super weird, and only gets even weirder from there. It’s indescribable, really. It centers on a group of spacefaring adventurers aboard an organic spacecraft called Lexx. They hop from planet to planet, even from universe to universe, as their story unfolds over thousands of years. If you’re looking for some completely off-the-wall science fiction television, there aren’t many shows better than Lexx.
7. ALF
All 4 seasons of ALF, totaling 99 episodes, are available to stream for free on Vudu! Every decade has its own look-and-feel when it comes to TV sitcoms, and as far as the 1980s are concerned, ALF might just be one of the most iconic TV sitcoms of its age. The premise involves a wise-cracking alien, whose name is ALF (short for Alien Life Form), who comes crashing into the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family—and ends up living with them. You can see where that’s going, right? ALF can be polarizing given its unusual concept, and it stands up about as well as any TV sitcom from the 1980s (read: it doesn’t). But that’s half the fun of watching this TV series in the first place!
6. Vampire Knight
All 2 seasons of Vampire Knight, totaling 26 episodes, are available to stream for free on Vudu! Based on the manga of the same name, Vampire Knight centers on the character of Yuki, a girl who was once attacked by a rogue vampire and rescued by a pure vampire. Yuki is adopted and grows up as the daughter of Cross Academy’s headmaster. The pure vampire who rescued her leads a group of vampires at the same school, and Yuki lives to protect him (and the vampire race as a whole). But nothing is what it seems on the surface, and there are dark secrets and mysteries that could make things very complicated for Yuki and those in her life.
5. The Dead Zone
All 6 seasons of The Dead Zone, totaling 80 episodes, are available to stream for free on Vudu! Loosely based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, The Dead Zone stars Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith, a teacher who gains psychic powers after an accident leaves him in a coma for six years. In the TV series, he uses his ability—being able to see past and future visions by touching things—to solve crimes (so you can think of it as part sci-fi drama and part detective crime show). Doctors think it has to do with a “dead zone” in his brain. Things get even more complicated when his visions being pointing to an apocalyptic event caused by the future election of a politician.
4. The Dresden Files
The entire series of The Dresden Files, totaling 12 episodes, is available to stream for free on Vudu! The immensely popular fantasy book series, The Dresden Files, was adapted into a TV series back in 2007. It features the same Harry Dresden as its main character, a private detective with wizarding powers who investigates supernatural events. Sadly, it was never renewed for a second season, so we never get to see the full nature of The Dresden Files’ sprawling mythology on TV. But for anyone who’s into urban fantasy, The Dresden Files is worth checking out, even if the episode count is low.
3. Being Human
All 5 seasons of Being Human, totaling 36 episodes, are available to stream for free on Vudu! We’re talking about the BBC’s version of Being Human from 2008, not the SyFy reboot that came in 2011. Not that the SyFy one is bad, but the BBC one is free to watch online (and slightly better, anyway). In the world of Being Human, supernatural beings exist among humans but usually don’t intermingle. But three roommates—a ghost, a werewolf, and a vampire—do try to live normal human lives, even though that comes with all kinds of risks and obstacles. Being Human is a classic series worth watching if you haven’t already. Few other shows have done this kind of supernatural comedy-horror as well as this show has.
2. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
The first season of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, totaling 26 episodes, is available to stream for free on Vudu! The second season—another 26 episodes—costs $2 per episode or $22 for the entire season. Ghost in the Shell is a pioneer in anime and one of the best classic anime series worth watching. It’s an adaptation of the manga of the same name and the 1995 anime movie of the same name. It centers on an elite law enforcement team called Public Security Section 9, which investigates cybercrimes and cyberterrorism. In particular, they’re hunting down an elite hacker who’s the root of the Stand Alone Complex (copycat criminals). Whether you’re an anime fan or not, you’ll enjoy watching Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex if you like sci-fi, cyberpunk, espionage, mystery, suspense, and thrillers.
1. Death Note
The entire series of Death Note, totaling 37 episodes, is available to stream for free on Vudu! Death Note isn’t just one of the best anime series ever made—it’s one of the best mystery-suspense TV series of all time. It’s the king of all cat-and-mouse thrillers with its complex plots and characters. Light Yagami is a genius high school student who comes into possession of a supernatural “Death Note,” a notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing their name in its pages. He uses it and becomes a vigilante, cleansing the world of immoral people. L is an odd but clever detective who’s put in charge of an elite task force with one goal: figure out how these criminals are dying, identify the one who’s killing them, and apprehend him. It’s amazing that Death Note can be watched in its entirety for free, given how good it is. You’ll be hooked from the first episode, and you won’t want to stop until you’ve reached the end—there are just so many plot twists along the way.
