Freeform Freeform's “Cruel Summer” stars Olivia Holt as Kate Wallis and Chiara Aurelia as Jeanette Turner.
The latest thriller to come to TV is Cruel Summer, which premieres Tuesday, April 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform.
If you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch Cruel Summer streaming online for free:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of Freeform and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a seven-day free trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Cruel Summer live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. You can also watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch most shows on-demand within three days (and sometimes longer) of their conclusion, even if you don’t record them.
AT&T TV
AT&T TV has four different channel packages: “Entertainment”, “Choice”, “Ultimate” and “Premier.” Freeform is included in every one, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for AT&T TV, you can watch Cruel Summer live on the AT&T TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the AT&T TV website.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of Freeform and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch Cruel Summer live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV comes with both its extensive on-demand library (which includes most shows after they air) and 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of Freeform and 30-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest streaming service with Freeform:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Cruel Summer live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
‘Cruel Summer’ Preview
Freeform’s latest series, “Cruel Summer,” is an “unconventional thriller that takes place over three summers — 1993, 1994, 1995 — in a small Texas town when a beautiful popular teen, Kate, is abducted and, seemingly unrelated, a girl, Jeanette, goes from being a sweet, awkward outlier to the most popular girl in town and, by ’95, the most despised person in America,” according to the Freeform press release.
It continues, “Each episode is told from the POV of one of the two main girls (Jeanette and Kate), which will have the viewers’ loyalties constantly shifting as more information is revealed.”
The cast is as follows:
- Chiara Aurelia stars as Jeanette, a sweet high schooler who has a zest for life, but an almost obsessive need to be loved.
- Olivia Holt stars as Kate, the embodiment of teenage perfection whose life is one to be envied until she mysteriously disappears.
- Michael Landes will play Greg, Jeanette’s father, the kind of dad who his kids’ friends love, and who thinks the world of his daughter. Though he may present like he has it all together, there are cracks in his otherwise perfect façade.
- Froy Gutierrez has been cast as Jamie, the kind of guy everyone loves. He starts as Jeannette’s secret crush, who ends up as her boyfriend the following year.
- Harley Quinn Smith will star as Mallory, a quirky outsider who feels left behind when Jeannette becomes the popular girl. Her anger masks her genuine hurt by her once best friend.
- Allius Barnes will portray Vince, Jeannette and Mallory’s other best friend. He’s loyal to his core and continues to stand by Jeannette, even when no one else will.
- Blake Lee plays Martin, the kind of teacher every student loves. He genuinely cares about his students, maybe even a little too much.
- Nathaniel Ashton portrays Ben, Jamie’s best friend, the kind of guy who tries to see everyone’s point of view, which frequently leaves him stuck in the middle.
- Brooklyn Sudano rounds out the cast as Angela, a bartender at the local dive bar who becomes a sympathetic ear, and has no issue standing up for herself.
The premiere is actually two episodes airing back to back. The premiere episode is called “Happy Birthday Jeanette Turner” and it kicks off the missing girl plot from the description. The second episode is called “A Smashing Good Time” and its description reads, “It’s time for the annual Skylin Garden Club Party! Year after year after year, the residents of Skylin struggle with the truth around what happened to Kate, keeping their secrets buried and maintaining appearances.”
Then on April 27 comes “Off With a Bang,” whose description teases, “Victim or villain? Jeanette continues to add fuel to the fire as her reckless behavior causes her friends and family to question her even more.”
“Cruel Summer” premieres Tuesday, April 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT before moving to its regular 10 p.m. ET/PT time slot on April 27.