Heroes and 9 other shows you can watch for free on CW TV

These days, streaming sites are all the rage. The big ones require payment, like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video. There are a few good free ones, such as Tubi, the Roku Channel, and Freevee. However, an underrated great free streaming service is CW TV.

Originally known as CW Seed, the official website for the CW naturally provides a lot of content from that network, including a bunch of “one season and done” shows such as Frequency or The Secret Circle. There are also a couple of past CW ones like Reign, 90210, and others. However, the streamer also has some pretty good content you can’t find elsewhere.

Some shows may be available at places like Peacock or Hulu, but having them for free is great. There are also a few shows only available on the CW that deserve a look. So here’s a look at ten shows you can watch for free on the CW website and how it’s an overlooked gem for free TV shows.

10 great shows you can watch for free on CW TV

Heroes

Heroes is often cited as a show that was terrific in its first season but slumped badly afterward. Yet that first season is still excellent, watching these people learn of their superpowers and adjust to a complex mystery. It boasts a fantastic cast of Milo Ventimiglia, Hayden Panettiere, Masi Oka, Zachery Quinto, Ali Larter, and more (especially Kristen Bell as a psycho villainess).

Even if the last three seasons aren’t on par with the first year, they still pack some fun stuff, and the show appeared to be turning a corner in quality when it was axed. If nothing else, it’s fun to remember when this series was a true phenomenon, and it actually fits well on the CW.

Grimm

This inventive NBC series mixed police procedural with a unique supernatural theme. David Giuntoli is a Portland cop who discovers he’s the latest in the long line of “Grimms,” hunters who can see legendary creatures hiding among humans. He has to split his time between hunting them down and solving crimes that often involve said creatures.

The cast is fun, especially Superman & Lois’ Bitsie Tulloch as Nick’s girlfriend, and the show adds more wild twists in each of its six seasons. It’s a terrific series that shines well with the effects, the story, and even some nice humor and warm characters, but it’s still a freaky series to enjoy in full for free.

Lost Girl

This cult Canadian series offers some truly steamy supernatural fun. Bo (Anna Silk) is a succubus handling her gift for controlling people and needing to “feed” in intriguing ways. She does freelance work for folks alongside quirky thief/con artist Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) while balancing her feelings for werewolf cop Dyson and human scientist Laurel.

The show is delightful in its sharp humor, a wild mythology, and a leading lady who has no problem getting sexy if she wants. Plus, CW’s favorite Rachel Skarsten is a nice addition to Tamsin. Its five-season run is in full on the app and deserves a watch for a fantastically inventive series.

Forever

This 2014 series only lasted one season on ABC but was well worth watching. Henry Morgan (Ioan Gruffudd) can’t explain how he’s been alive for 200 years, or when he does die, he wakes up naked in a body of water. He uses his expertise as a medical examiner in New York, aiding on cases with Alana de la Garza’s cop.

The show is good at mixing Henry’s long past with present cases, and Judd Hirsch is terrific as the adopted son who looks so much older than Henry. There’s also Henry searching for his long-missing wife and tangling with an evil immortal. It’s too bad it didn’t last longer, but at least the CW lets you enjoy this show for as long as its title.

Harrow

If you want a more grounded Ioan Gruffudd series, try this Australian crime drama. He’s the title role of Daniel Harrow, a forensic psychologist who gets along better with the dead than the living. He still aids the cops in investigations while hiding a few dark secrets of his past.

While it starts as a standard procedural, the show gets darker as Harrow crosses several lines to see justice done. It also delves into his complex life, with Gruffudd handling it well. The three-season run does end on a good note for the character, and the show is an underrated Aussie crime series to enjoy in full for free.

The Gifted

Only running two seasons, this Fox series is a good tie-in to the X-Men comics. It uses several popular characters like Blink (Jamie Chung), Polaris (Emma Dunton), and the Frost sisters (all played by Skyler Samuels). There’s also Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker, Natalie Alyn Lind, and others in the cast.

The show makes the FX work well while touching on the classic X-Men theme of persecution and fighting for a world that hates them. The cast sells it nicely, and the 26-episode run is like a comic book come to life. So it’s a perfect fit for the CW and gives this underrated show another chance to shine.

Prodigal Son

This Fox series won over fans with its dark take on a crime show. Tom Payne is a psychologist who works with the NYPD, using his expertise to capture serial killers. He has unique insight because his father (Michael Sheen) was a serial killer who keeps insisting on “helping” from his prison cell. Sheen completely steals the show as this nutcase who gets the best lines and honestly doesn’t get why his son is so ashamed of him.

The cases can be dark and twisted as the cops go in deep on them. The supporting cast is good, like Lou Diamond Phillips, Bellamy Young, and Halston Sage, and often mixes some social commentary among cases. It only lasted two seasons but is more than worth enjoying for its black comedy vibes alongside the grisly crimes.

Dark Matter

This Syfy Channel series has a great start: Six people and an android wake up on a ship with no memory of who they are or how they got there. They soon realize they are a pack of vicious mercenaries and take advantage of this clean slate to start new lives. Too bad their old ones won’t stop hunting them for crimes they don’t remember.

The cast (including The Rookie’s Melisa O’Neill) handles the twists, and the sci-fi action is terrific. It has everything from alternate realities to time travel as it builds up its plotlines. There’s also some fun humor between the crew members. Sadly axed on a cliffhanger, the series is a great ride for one of the more underrated sci-fi shows of recent years.

For The People

Shonda Rhimes is known for mega-hits like Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away With Murder, and Bridgerton. Yet this ABC show only ran two seasons in 2018-2020. It’s a shame as it’s a good setup, showing the lawyers on both the prosecution and public defender sides in a New York federal courthouse. The show is fun, dividing up the cases and plotlines yet showing they get along outside of court.

Naturally, for a Rhimes show, there are some steamy hookups and quirky humor delivered by a great cast, including Britt Robertson, Wesam Keesh, and a pre-Bridgerton Rege-Jean Page. It was a short run, but the CW lets you enjoy it as even a “lesser” Rhymes show still has some appeal.

Star

A new addition to the CW site, this spin-off of Empire focuses on a pack of young ladies trying to make it in the music industry. The music is fun, along with some wild scenes, crazy cliffhangers, and even a crossover with Empire. It’s also fun seeing faces like Brandy, Queen Latifah, Brittany O’Grady, and more with some actually good music.

The series amped it up as it went on to tackle some powerful issues of racism, women’s rights, and more. Sadly, the crazy cliffhanger was never resolved, but the music alone makes this a great watch for the CW site.