Free to air TV guide: Best shows on free to air Australia

Published On

April 19, 2024

Best Shows On Free To Air

There are hundreds of TV series to watch instantly on free-to-air. To make things that little bit easier we have selected some of the best TV show titles available to watch for free, giving you an easy, digestible selection of content to choose from with our free to air TV guide.

With so many options available to us on streaming TV, it’s easy to miss some of the great shows that free to air TV has to offer. It seems like every day there’s some new show demanding we set aside an evening to binge-watch it, but it can be difficult to keep track of them all during a busy work week.

So here we’re going to help you keep track of what’s on in this free to air TV guide.

Search our Free To Air TV Guide

Network 10 is the home of some of Australia’s most popular reality shows like MasterChef Australia and Ambulance Australia. Recently, the network has also revived some TV favourites, including Gladiators and Ready Steady Cook.

Here are some latest releases on Channel 10 and 10 Play.

Catch up on trending showsfree on 10 Play!Watch Now

Masterchef Australia

MasterChef Australia 2024

The 2024 season of MasterChef Australia, which will be the show’s 16th season since it debuted back in 2009, has been confirmed to premiere this month on Channel 10. Andy Allen will return as judge alongside a new set of judges that include season 1 runner-up Poh Ling Yeow. 

The Cheap Seats

The Cheap Seats 2024

For the biggest and sometimes cutest stories and even those that aren’t news-worthy, it’s funny they’re on TV, you can rest assured that they will be delivered straight to your screens religiously and with delightful sarcasm in the always hilarious The Cheap Seats

Visit our Channel 10 TV guide

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

Finally, the latest tenth season of the reality series I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! is here. Julia Morris returns as presenter alongside new host Robert Irwin.

Gladiators

 Gladiators Australia 2024

Hosted by Liz Ellis and Beau Ryan, Australia’s Gladiators, the wildly fun and intense sports game show that first graced the screens in the 90s will feature the ever formidable Gladiators and fearless Aussie Contenders for the ultimate face-off. 

Dessert Masters

Dessert Masters

From the makers of MasterChef Australia comes another delectable series that’s bound to elevate your appreciation for desserts in Dessert Masters. For the first time ever, the country’s best pastry chefs will compete for the grand title of Australia’s “Dessert Master”.

ABC is best known for its original dramas, some of the best you can watch right now are Total Control, House of Gods, The Newsreader, Bay of Fires, Mystery Road, and Savage River.

The network also screens many trending shows from the UK, including top favourites Vera, The Suspect, Happy Valley, and Midsomer Murders, just to name a few.

Check out some popular titles on ABC and ABC iView.

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After the Party

After the Party

New Zealand drama After the Party, which stars Robyn Malcolm (Far North, Top of the Lake), is screening on ABC in Australia from April 28. It follows the harrowing tale of a wife and a mother who accuses her husband of a sex crime, alienating everyone around her in pursuit of the truth.

White Fever

White Fever

ABC’s new comedy series, White Fever, stars Ra Chapman as Korean-Australian adoptee Jane. When she gets called out for having a white man fetish, she goes out her way to prove to everyone that she doesn’t. 

Visit our ABC TV Guide

The Suspect

The Suspect TV series ABC

The Suspect is a British police procedural series based on Michael Robotham’s novel and brought to life by screenwriter Peter Berry and producer Natasha Romaniuk. Starring Aidan Turner as clinical psychologist Joe O’Loughlin, the plot kicks off when a woman is found brutally stabbed in a cemetery, with a shocking twist – it seems self-inflicted. 

Happy Valley

Happy Valley S3

Happy Valley was a smash-hit when it first aired in 2014, winning the BAFTA for Best Drama the following year. Complex, gripping, and beautifully acted, the BBC crime drama reeled in audiences from around the world, including Australia. Final third series now screening on ABC iView.

Muster Dogs

Muster-Dogs-Season-2

The first season of Muster Dogs, which premiered in 2022, followed a litter of kelpie pups as they began their training with farmers across the country, who spent one year turning them into working dogs. For its second season, the beloved show will introduce a litter of border collies.

Channel 7 and 7plus combine the best of dramas, reality, and sports, all of which you can watch for free. Some of the network’s signature programs include the long-running Home and Away.

Seven also screens some trending procedurals and dramas in the US straight to your screens in Australia with the likes of 9-1-1, The Rookie, One Tree Hill, and many others.

Visit our Channel 7 TV Guide

9-1-1

9-1-1 TV series

It’s been nearly a year since 9-1-1 Season 6 graced our screens. Fortunately, the popular series is back with a fresh instalment that packs what we can expect to be a greater level of indulgent drama and electrifying action.

The Marlow Murder Club

The Marlow Murder Club

The Marlow Murder Club, which debuted in the UK last month, follows a former archeologist, a vicar’s wife, and a dog walker as they begin conducting their own investigation of a mysterious shooting in their usually idyllic town of Marlow.

Home and Away

Home and Away

The second longest drama series in Australia, Home and Away premiered with a ninety minute pilot episode on the Seven Network in 1988. It has since become a television staple, and testament to its success is its global reach, having been broadcast in over eighty countries around the world.

The Rookie

The Rookie

The Rookie follows John Nolan, a man in his forties who becomes the oldest rookie at the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). While most think it’s midlife crisis that fuelled him to start a brand new career at age 45, John thinks otherwise and goes for it anyway. New episodes will stream on Channel 7 (release date TBA), while older episodes available on demand on 7plus.

Australian Idol

Australian Idol

Australian Idol first graced our screens in 2003 on Ten, lasting seven seasons and concluding in 2009. After a 14-year hiatus, Seven revived the series and made a smashing comeback last year, declaring Royston Sagigi-Baira as the Australian Idol 2023 winner. New season also just concluded this year with Dylan Wright crowned Australian Idol 2024.

With so much content available on Australia’s free to air, there’s a plethora of shows and movies you can easily watch for free. Some great programs come from Channel 9 and its catch-up streaming app 9Now.

Apart from sports, Nine also screens big shows like Married at First Sight, Big Miracles, and the US sci-fi adventure La Brea.

Visit our Channel 9 TV Guide

Married at First Sight

Married at First Sight Australia 2024

Australian couples meet for the first time… and get married! Now in its season 11, Married at First Sight continues to be a popular source of fun and lots and lots of guilty pleasure.

La Brea

La Brea Season 3

When a massive sinkhole suddenly appears in the middle of Los Angeles, a family is torn apart – the mother and son lost in a primitive land and the ones left behind scramble to survive. 

Finally returning for a new season, La Brea is back with more mysteries to uncover and a family longing to reunite.

Big Miracles

Big Miracles

From Screen Australia and 9Network, Big Miracles follows couples and individuals in their inspiring journey to create new life despite heartbreaking odds. 

Nancy Drew

Nancy Drew series

Inspired by a popular series of mystery novels featuring the title character, Nancy Drew features Kennedy McMann as the brilliant young detective.

Just when she had put off applying to Columbia University to grieve the loss of her mother, Nancy Drew finds herself caught up in the midst of a murder investigation when town socialite Tiffany Hudson is tragically killed.

Lego Masters Australia

Lego Master Australia Season 3

Lego blocks may be made for kids but they are serious business with adults too. Lego Masters Australia has expert ‘builders’ competing against each other. Each week one contestant gets eliminated.

SBS and SBS On Demand screen a diverse catalogue of content from across the world. It’s also the only free to air network in Australia with an expansive movie library.

Check out some of the latest titles to watch on SBS:

Visit our SBS TV Guide

Swift Street

Swift Street

Swift Street is an Australian crime thriller starring Cliff Curtis (Fear the Walking Dead) and Tanzyn Crawford (Tiny Beautiful Things) as father and daughter who must pay off a debt owed to a vicious crime boss. 

Blue Lights

Blue Lights

The first season of Blue Lights premiered last year to wide acclaim, very much so in Australia where it became one of the most popular shows on free to air during its run.

If you’ve watched season 1 and have been waiting for new episodes after that cliffhanger,  worry not because the new season of the UK drama is here.

Alone Australia

Alone Australia Season 2

The success of the American survivalist series Alone on SBS prompted the network to green-light the production of its Australian counterpart, Alone Australia, which brought the network record-breaking ratings. Season 2 now streaming on SBS On Demand.

The Doll Factory

The-Doll-Factory

Based on Elizabeth Macneal’s bestselling novel of the same name, The Doll Factory is a new period thriller that’s now streaming for free in Australia via SBS On Demand.

Free to air TV is home to hundreds of exciting local and international shows, which means there’s plenty of best shows on free to air to try.

From reality TV favourite MasterChef Australia and long-time soap opera Home and Away, as well as some of TV’s acclaimed classics Doc Martin and the original Full House, you’ll find lots of great shows to watch. Check out some noteworthy selection and most recent releases below:

There’s lots more to watch of free to air TV this month as well, from 10 Play to ABC iView, you won’t need to miss a second of your new favourite shows thanks to the networks’ free on-demand catch-up services – be sure to sign up for an account with them if you’re asked to, as it opens up access to many more shows to stream and lets you keep track of what you’ve seen.

Whether your favourite drama is on SBS On Demand, sport or reality from 7plus, or comedy from 9Now, you’ll find more to love than ever before across the varied channels on Australia’s free to air TV!

Search Full Streaming TV Library

If you’ve run out of things to watch on free-to-air or can’t find anything that you like on our free to air TV guide, there’s a whole new world of content waiting for you with some of Australia’s streaming providers.

Best of all, you can take advantage of free trials to access hundreds, or even thousands of TV shows to stream, movies, documentaries, and so much more. Check out the streaming free trials you can use from some of the best providers in Australia below:

Streaming TV & Movies Plans

Plan
Inclusions
Price
Monthly
  • 7-day free trial
  • Monthly
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • Stream on up to 4 devices
  • Watch hundreds of shows and movies ad-free
  • $9.99/mth
$9.99/mth
Min Cost - $9.99/mth onwards after free trial

Standard Monthly
  • 7-day free trial
  • Standard Monthly
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • Exclusive content
  • Stream in HD on up to two devices
  • $10.99/mth
$10.99/mth
Min Cost - $10.99 over 1 month

Monthly
  • 7-Day Free Trial
  • Monthly
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • 4K HDR included
  • Up to 6 simultaneous streams
  • $12.99/mth
$12.99/mth
Min Cost - $12.99 over 1 month

Premium
  • 7-day free trial
  • Premium
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • Available in 4K, stream on 2 devices
  • Watch live Ashes, BBL, NBA + more
  • $40/mth
$40/mth
$40/month after 7-day FREE trial, no lock-in contracts.

Basic
  • 7-Day Free Trial
  • Basic
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • Stream in HD on a single device
  • 25,000+ hours of the world's best shows & movies
  • $4.99/mth
$4.99/mth
For first 12 mths, then 10/mth thereafter
Min Cost - $4.99 per month

Starter
  • 10-Day FREE Trial
  • Starter
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • Award winning Foxtel Originals, best drama, Lifestyle favourites & more
  • Login on 5 devices and watch 2 at the same time
  • $35/mth
$35/mth
Min Cost - $35 over 1 month

Standard Monthly
  • Standard Monthly
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • Stream in full HD & up to 5.1 audio
  • Downloads on up to 10 devices
  • $15.99/mth
$15.99/mth
Min Cost - $15.99 over 1 month

Monthly Subscription
  • 14-day free trial
  • Monthly Subscription
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • New docos added weekly
  • Stream in HD, ad-free
  • $8.99/mth
$8.99/mth
Min Cost - $8.99/month

Monthly Subscription with Ads
  • 30-day free trial
  • Monthly Subscription with Ads
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • Titles available in 4K
  • Use 3 screens at the same time
  • $9.99/mth
$9.99/mth
$9.99/month after 30 days free trial

Last audited 3 March 2025

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