'It's my job to recommend TV shows. These are the 7 to watch in summer.'

The upcoming summer break is the perfect time to catch up on sleep, eat all the food in your house, indulge in some self-care, and most importantly, binge some damn good TV. 

If you’re lucky enough to have some time off work, or at the very least an extended long weekend, then now is the time to plan what TV shows to stream that may have slipped through the cracks in busier times.  

SBS On Demand has loads of gritty dramas, dark comedies, crime series, and sexy shows and that’s not even the best news: they are all completely free to stream. That’s precisely zero dollarydoos. 

Discover your next obsession with these enthralling drama series on SBS On Demand. 

Erotic Stories

Erotic Stories. Image: SBS On Demand.

Gird your loins and prepare for eight steamy stories to turn any quiet night in from an 8 to a solid 11 out of 10. Each episode of Erotic Stories explores sex and intimacy with a star-studded cast like we've never seen them before: mid-life friends put their friendship to the test by experimenting with sex toys, a sexual drought is broken with the help of a dating app, and a young couple navigate long-distance intimacy for the first time.

The SBS Original anthology series features a cast of Australian icons, such as The Importance of Being Earnest’s Frances O’Connor, The Clearing’s Mark Coles Smith, Rake’s Kate Box and The Twelve’s Alex Fitzalan.

Each provocative episode runs for half an hour, offering the perfect amount of time to dive into each character's world without overstaying your welcome. The subjects covered offer a refreshing and illuminating perspective on intimacy, lust and desire that you won't want to miss. 

Fargo (Season 5) 

Fargo. Image: SBS On Demand.

Already a cult fave among TV fans (if you know, you know), Fargo is an American black comedy crime drama anthology series inspired by the 1996 film of the same name. Each series focused on a different crime set in a new city and time but living in a shared universe. 

The latest fifth instalment is set in Minnesota and North Dakota in 2019, and surrounds a Midwestern housewife with a dark past. Ted Lasso star Juno Temple leads an all-star cast, alongside Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, Stranger Things star Joe Keery, New Girl actor Lamorne Morris, and Academy-award nominee, Jennifer Jason Leigh.

This is the ideal watch for people who can’t commit to following a story over multiple seasons and just want a truly enthralling crime story they can binge in a weekend. Sign me up! 

The Doll Factory

The Doll Factory. Image: SBS On Demand. 

Consider yourself equal parts spooked and intrigued by The Doll Factory, the highly anticipated six-part thriller based on the best-selling novel by Elizabeth Macneal. It's led by a stellar cast including Esme Creed-Miles (Hanna), Éanna Hardwicke (Normal People), George Webster (Wedding Season), Freddy Carter (Shadow and Bone) and Saoirse Monica Jackson (Derry Girls).

The story is as creepy as the title sounds. Set in London in 1850, it revolves around doll painter Iris (played by Creed-Miles) who dreams of becoming an artist.

Iris meets taxidermist Silas (played by Hardwicke) and painter Louis (played by Webster), and has to grapple with starting a new life with these questionable characters or staying loyal to her twin sister. As Iris’s world expands, a story of dark obsession begins to unfold.

This limited series is the perfect night of viewing for period drama and thriller fans, whether you’ve read the book or not. The Doll Factory arrives soon to screens, so add to your favourites list now so you don’t forget!

All episodes are available to stream free from 7 December on SBS On Demand.

Safe Home

Safe Home. Image: SBS On Demand.

Gripping drama series Safe Home is an important watch for anyone who has ever looked at a situation of family violence and wondered: why didn’t she leave? 

The SBS Original Australian series is led by The Bold Type’s Aisha Dee, playing a young communications specialist in Melbourne, who quits her job at a prominent law firm to work at a community legal centre specialising in family violence. 

Everything that can go wrong does on her first day, when Phoebe makes a terrible mistake that puts a client’s life at risk. As interconnecting stories unfold, relationships are tested and the pressure mounts to save the centre.

The cast is rounded out with other Australian acting legends like All Saints star Virginia Gay, Wentworth’s Ian Bliss, and Logie-nominee Mabel Li. 

This is must-see viewing, with the four episodes taking on a challenging subject in an honest and realistic manner. It’s also a captivating drama that has you hooked from the get-go.  

Significant Other

Significant Other. Image: SBS On Demand. 

This British comedy is the anti-rom-com that's absolutely going to be your next obsession. 

Sam and Anna have a meet-cute in a very unromantic way: father-of-two Sam is in the midst of trying to overdose on painkillers when his neighbour Anna knocks on his door, saying she’s having a heart attack. 

On the ambulance ride, the two share their first ‘date’ and upon arriving at the hospital, Sam asks if he can list Anna as his “significant other” so he can be discharged — and she agrees. This is just the beginning of this truly unconventional love story. 

Fans of cult comedy The IT Crowd will recognise the actress playing Anna as Katherine Parkinson, while Sam is played by Youssef Kerkour, an actor known for roles in British shows like Home and Stay Close. As expected, Significant Other is a hilarious and unpredictable ride from beginning to end. 

DI Ray 

DI Ray. Image: SBS On Demand.

This British police procedural will have you hooked, as it follows Birmingham detective DI Rachita Ray, who finds out she was only recruited to investigate a homicide because she's South Asian and the department wanted to appear sensitive to “ethnic needs.” 

DI Ray stars Bend It Like Beckham’s Parminder Nagra in the title role, along with Game of Thrones’ Gemma Whelan and Beyond Paradise’s Jamie Bamber.

The series has all the hallmarks of a stellar police drama, with the investigation escalating to become a homicide-turned-global-drug-smuggling case. But it has the added element of exploring how minorities are still exploited in the name of organisations wanting to ‘appear’ diverse. 

And the good news is that the series has already been renewed for a six-episode second season. 

Blue Lights

Blue Lights. Image: SBS On Demand. 

Set in Northern Ireland, Blue Lights is a BBC drama following probationary police officers working in Belfast. This engaging and thrilling crime drama revolves around Annie and Tommy, two rookies navigating their new jobs in a city still living under the shadow of the historic Troubles era. 

Acting newcomers Katherine Devlin and Nathan Braniff star as Annie and Tommy, alongside UK talent like Sherlock’s Siân Brooke and Marcella actor, Martin McCann. 

The characters in the series are always believable and authentic, plus the way the series doesn't shy away from the area's history, but instead delicately tackles it, is something that’s rarely pulled off, especially in a police drama. 

The series has already been commissioned for a second series so now is the time to get hooked.

Find 15,000+ hours of premium content, including a wide range of drama series free to stream on SBS On Demand. Add the SBS On Demand app on your smart TV or download the app on your phone.

Feature image: SBS On Demand.