While the world goes into shutdown over the Coronavirus and the general public refusing to go outside other to horde toilet rolls, pasta and flour, what do you do when you’re ‘stuck at home’?
With many public events being cancelled and people either losing their jobs or their hours are cut back due to the economy coming to a stand still, not everyone can afford a subscription to a paid streaming service like Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime and others. There’s plenty of other free streaming services available to access, but what can you choose?
Here’s a select picking of semi-decent to decent libraries to choose from that will only cost you your bandwidth, electricity, and possibly your e-mail address to sign up to (and also dealing with commercials occasionally). Enough to binge on over at least a week. Once you get through these shows, explore the sites a little more for a more detailed library collection.
Echo Point (1995)
Where: TenPlay (Need e-mail to register)
Seasons: One
Episodes available: 131
About: Follow the lives of a social community full of families and teenagers living near the ocean side. Starring Martin Henderson, Rose Byrne, Jessica Napier, Melissa Tkautz and Louise Crawford.
Rescue Special Ops (2009)
Where: 9Now (Need e-mail to register)
Seasons: Three
Episodes available: 48
About: Experienced paramedics dealing with rescue missions and life-changing situations. Starring Les Hill, Peter Phelps, Libby Tanner and Daniel Amalm.
Sea Patrol (2007)
Where: 9Now (Need e-mail to register)
Seasons: Five
Episodes available: 68
About: The adventures of the crew aboard HMAS Hammersley, dealing with illegal fishing, asylum seekers and crime. Starring Lisa McCune, Josh Lawson and Kristian Schmid.
Packed To The Rafters (2006)
Where: 7Plus (Need e-mail to register)
Seasons: Six
Episodes available: 122
About: The Rafter family of all ages and generations bonding under the one roof, trying to get by on a day-to-day basis. Starring Rebecca Gibney, Erik Thomson, Michael Caton and Hugh Sheridan.
The Secret Life Of Us (2001)
Where: 7Plus (Need e-mail to register)
Seasons: Four
Episodes available: 86
About: Follow the lives of a group of friends in their 20s to 30s, dealing with love, lust, life, careers and anything that stands in their way, all bonding around an apartment block in St Kilda. Starring Samuel Johnson, Claudia Karvan, Deborah Mailman and Joel Edgerton.
Classic Countdown (1974)
Where: ABC iView (No need for registration)
Seasons: n/a
Episodes available: 13 + many extras
About: As known as Countdown, the music show hosted by Molly Meldrum showcased talent and a range of music when originally broadcast from 1974 to 1987. While many of the early episodes are missing or erased, the remaining episodes survive with repeats during Rage’s Retro Month every January. Classic Countdown is a collection of highlights of each year, with interviews, music and reflections by artists who have strolled through the studio doors.
Recovery: The Music And The Mayhem (1996)
Where: ABC iView (No need for registration)
Seasons: n/a
Episodes available: n/a
About: From 1996 to 2000, Dylan Lewis and a bunch of co-hosts presented a live music show for Generation X / Y early Saturday mornings on ABC TV. Many national and international artists performed or appeared on the show in one form or another, creating music history in some cases (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion anyone?). While full episodes aren’t avaible to stream, the 2019 documentary, reunion and a bunch of performances and clips are available at your own peril.
If you get through all of the above and still wondering what else to watch, start saving your money and invest in a gaming console.
