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The completely free streaming service unexpectedly rivalling Netflix

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Jill Halfpenny as Jodie in The Drowned, Jane MacDonald, and Nicholas Ralph as James Herriot and Rachel Shenton as Helen Alderson in All Creatures Great and Small
This UK streamer has a whole treasure trove of free shows (Picture: Channel 5)

It might sound like a bold claim, but there is a streaming platform that could top Netflix.

Yes, we’ve all binge-watched Stranger Things, deleted our online dating profiles because of The Tinder Swindler and been left terrified by the influence of the manosphere after Adolescence.

But, while it can’t be denied that Netflix consistently pumps out world-class content, there is a streaming platform in the UK that has been sorely overlooked by viewers.

And the best part is that it is completely free.

Since its inception in 1997, broadcaster Channel 5 has remained ahead of the curve and listened to its audience, daring to make striking choices with programmes.

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When everyone couldn’t stop banging on about air fryers? It made four documentaries about the handy kitchen appliance in three months.

Everyone obsessing over UK hun culture? It’s produced countless shows with queen of the huns, Jane McDonald.

And it’s not stopped churning out watchable thrillers usually starring Jill Halfpenny. This week alone, it’s dropped The Feud (yes, starring Jill Halfpenny).

Channel 5 can’t be beaten for its quirky content. Here are its 7 best shows you can stream for free.

22 Kids and Counting

The Radford family became standout stars after appearing in 2012 show 15 Kids and Counting, which followed British families with numerous children.

Recognising Sue and Noel Radford’s, as well as their offspring’s appeal, Channel 5 handed them their own show, which developed into one of their biggest hits, 22 Kids and Counting.

While Sue and Noel have sworn off having more children, their family continues to expand, and they are grandparents to more than a dozen grandkids.

Phillip Schofield Cast Away

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Any broadcaster would have sold their grandmother to have the first major TV show starring Phillip Schofield after he left ITV for lying about an ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a younger co-worker.

Who did he pick? Channel 5. And they decided to drop him off all by himself on a desert island for docuseries Cast Away. The format was perfect: all he had were his own thoughts.

While it did not give the former This Morning presenter the redemption arc he was hoping for, the show made for great TV as it was packed with candid admissions.

All Creatures Great and Small

It’s not just the BBC which excels at classic dramas.

Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small has been a viewer favourite since landing in 2020 (coincidentally or not, when it was perfect for lockdown binge-watching).

Set in the 1930s and 40s and based on the James Herriot novels, the show revolves around a trio of vets working in the Yorkshire Dales – and couldn’t be more quintessentially British.

Peppa Pig

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The popularity of Peppa Pig cannot be understated: it is one of the most watched children’s TV shows of all time.

But what viewers may not know is that it first found a home on Channel 5 over 20 years ago in 2004.

While it may not have been immediately obvious to other TV executives, Channel 5 knew it was on to a winner with the anthropomorphic pig family.

Our Yorkshire Farm

In 2018, Channel 5 struck gold when it commissioned Our Yorkshire Farm, which regularly attracted millions of viewers.

The documentary followed former couple and hill shepherds Amanda and Clive Owen living on one of the most remote farms in Britain.

While the original show ended, with the family moving on to Channel 4 show Our Farm Next Door, it’s Channel 5 who can claim they saw the appeal first. 

The Drowning

The Drowning was Channel 5’s most watched show when it aired in 2021.

The thriller starred Jill as a grieving mother whose life spirals when she catches a glimpse of a boy who looks like her missing son.

As well as attracting millions of viewers, it gained favourable reviews from critics who called it ‘gripping’.

Cruising with Jane MacDonald

Crusing with Jane McDonald deserves a special place in UK TV history.

What’s not to love about Jane boating around far-flung countries, including Cambodia, New Zealand and India?

Plus, Channel 5 understood the lure of cruising way before Gen Z TikTokers did.

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