Stream Apple TV Plus for free — these 5 shows have dropped the paywall

Apple TV Plus logo shown on TV
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If you're looking for something to stream during the gap between Christmas and New Year's Day holidays, Apple TV Plus is coming to your rescue. Apple's streaming TV service is dropping the paywall for all first season episodes on select shows for a limited-time promotion.

The shows available for free streaming include the first seasons Ted Lasso, Bad Sisters, Trying, Prehistoric Planet and The Morning Show. You'll be able to stream them without an Apple TV Plus subscription or even a trial through January 3.

To stream the episodes of those five shows, you'll need to watch on an device that's compatible with the Apple TV app, which includes iPhones, iPads, Macs and the Apple TV set-top box. Some third-party streaming devices and smart TVs also support the Apple TV app.

9to5Mac, which first reported on the promotion, says that you may be prompted to sign up for an Apple TV Plus trial or for the monthly service itself when you go to stream the free episodes, but you can apparently ignore that prompt.

An Apple TV Plus subscription costs $6.99/month and gives you access to Apple's library of original TV shows and movies. In recent months, the service has started including movies from other studios to supplement its own content. We rank Apple TV Plus among the best streaming services right now.

If any of the first season episodes of these shows prompt you to sign up for Apple TV Plus, check out our round-up of the best Apple TV Plus shows and movies to watch. You can also see if Apple TV Plus is among the streaming services you should cancel this month.

Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.