Spirit: Riding Free is currently streaming in Australia on Netflix and Gaia Amazon Channel, and in the US on Netflix and Gaia Amazon Channel, and it uses the format for more than just a visual hook. With 8 seasons behind it, the show has had time to find its rhythm and keep it. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. A harder one to justify skipping than to start. Put it on tonight on Netflix and see for yourself.

Spirit: Riding Free arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Spirit: Riding Free has the visual identity that makes it immediately recognisable, and the writing to back it up. In a small Western town, spunky ex-city girl Lucky forms a tight bond with wild horse Spirit while having adventures with best pals Pru and Abigail. Amber Frank and Sydney Park bring voice work that does more than the format usually asks for. It ran for 8 seasons (2017–2019), and the writing holds up across every one of them. What makes Spirit: Riding Free more than a curiosity is writing that would hold up in any format. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

If you have been sleeping on Spirit: Riding Free because of the format, the format is not the issue here. Fans of Jake and the Never Land Pirates will recognise the sensibility here immediately. At 8 seasons, this is a genuine commitment — one that pays off. The writing operates at a level the format's reputation does not fully prepare you for. Adult animation that actually works for adults.

Spirit: Riding Free wrapped up in 2019, created by Aury Wallington — and 8 seasons are available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.