Some of Netflix's most popular shows aren't available on the ad tier

Netflix has introduced a new, ad-supported tier – but some of its most popular shows, including originals, are not available on the plan. Per Deadline, the lack of available content all comes down to licensing restrictions. 

Originals like House of Cards, The Last Kingdom, and Peaky Blinders are not available on the new-tier, and popular shows like New Girl, The Good Place, and Friday Night Lights also can't be watched. While each series still shows on the streamer, a padlock displays to indicate that it can't be viewed on the ad-supported plan.

Other titles that are unavailable, per What's On Netflix, include: The Sinner, Queen of the South, Sing 2, The Bad Guys, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Still Alice, Uncharted, Morbius, and The Hurt Locker. 

So, while Netflix's new plan can save you a lot of money – Netflix Basic with ads cost $6.99 a month in the US, compared to the Standard tier at $15.49 a month, while Basic with ads is £4.99 a month and Standard is £10.99 a month in the UK – it also comes with a fairly significant reduction of movies and TV shows. 

As for how the ads work, Netflix has indicated that "an average of about 4 minutes of ads per hour" will be displayed, though that will change depending on the title. Ads can't be skipped, but, per Deadline, some new films – like Knives Out 2 – will feature a "pre-roll" of ads, so they won't interrupt the movie. 

Learn everything you need to know about Netflix Basic with ads through the link. You can also fill out your watchlist with our guides to the best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies streaming now.