You can watch Tell Me a Story on Paramount+ in the United States, where all 10 episodes of Season 1 and all 10 episodes of Season 2 stream in the subscription tier. The series left CBS All Access when that service rebranded to Paramount+ in March 2021, and no other major US subscription service currently carries it. Availability outside the US varies by region.
The licensing mechanism behind where it streams
Tell Me a Story is a CBS Studios production originally commissioned for CBS All Access. That ownership chain explains almost everything about its streaming footprint. CBS Studios retains domestic distribution rights, and Paramount Global owns both the studio and the Paramount+ platform. When a studio owns the platform, its own shows usually stay exclusive to that platform rather than licensing out to Netflix or Hulu.
Kevin Williamson created the series, which reimagines classic fairy tales as psychological thrillers set in modern New York. Season 1 premiered in October 2018 and ran 10 episodes. Season 2 premiered in December 2019 and also ran 10. CBS All Access ordered a third season in 2020, then reversed the decision before production began. That cancellation matters for viewers: there is no third season to hunt for, and the story ends on a Season 2 cliffhanger.
The rebrand from CBS All Access to Paramount+ in March 2021 did not change who owns the show. It only changed the app and the subscription name. This is why older articles saying "watch on CBS All Access" are outdated but not wrong about the underlying rights holder. Plainly: the show never moved to a new owner, only to a new logo.
What you actually pay and what you get
Paramount+ sells two US tiers. The ad-supported Essential plan and the ad-free with Showtime plan differ in price and in ad load, but Tell Me a Story sits in the general entertainment catalog available on both. Pricing changes frequently, so check the current rate at signup rather than trusting a number from an older review.
The catalog math matters more than the price. Twenty episodes at roughly 42 to 50 minutes each means about 15 hours of total runtime. That is a two-weekend binge at a comfortable pace, or a single aggressive weekend. If Tell Me a Story is the only reason you would subscribe, a one-month subscription covers the entire series with room to spare.
| Where to watch | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Paramount+ (US) | Streaming, both seasons | Primary and only major US subscription home |
| Paramount+ via Amazon Prime Channels | Streaming add-on | Same catalog, billed through Amazon |
| CBS broadcast | Not available | Never aired on the broadcast network |
| Netflix, Hulu, Max | Not available | No US licensing deal as of this writing |
| Digital purchase (Apple, Amazon, Google) | Seasonal availability varies | Check per season; not guaranteed |
| Physical DVD | Region 1 release exists | Season 1 and Season 2 sold separately |
The Amazon Prime Channels route deserves a note. Subscribing to Paramount+ through Amazon bills you through your Amazon account and plays inside the Prime Video app. The content is identical, but cancellation happens in Amazon's interface rather than Paramount's. This confuses people who cancel in the wrong place and keep getting charged.
Edge cases that trip people up
Region locking is the biggest one. Paramount+ operates in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Latin America, and parts of Europe, but catalogs differ by country because international rights are negotiated separately. A viewer in the UK may find the show present, absent, or licensed to a local broadcaster depending on the deal in force. There is no single global answer to where to watch.
VPN use to access another region's catalog violates the terms of service of essentially every major streamer and can trigger account flags. It is also technically unreliable because streaming platforms detect VPN exit nodes aggressively. This guide does not recommend it.
The free-trial question comes up constantly. Paramount+ has offered trials at various points, sometimes a week, sometimes shorter, and sometimes none at all for returning subscribers. Trial length is a promotional decision that changes without notice, so treat any specific number you read online as possibly stale. Check the signup page directly.
Account sharing is another edge case. Paramount+ has tightened household definitions over time, similar to other services. Watching from a different address for an extended period may prompt verification. Short travel usually works; long-term sharing across households increasingly does not.
Misconceptions worth correcting
The most common error is assuming the show is on CBS itself because of the name. It never was. CBS All Access was a subscription product, and Tell Me a Story premiered there as a streaming original. Broadcast viewers never saw it.
The second is assuming cancellation means removal. A cancelled show can stay on its home platform indefinitely because the owner profits from keeping catalog content available. Cancellation affects future seasons, not past availability. Tell Me a Story has stayed put since 2021.
The third is confusing it with similarly titled shows. Tell Me a Story shares a title pattern with several unrelated series and podcasts. Search results mix them freely. The Kevin Williamson version is the one with the fairy-tale premise and two seasons.
A counterintuitive professional caveat: streaming catalogs are licensing arrangements with expiry dates, not permanent archives. A title can leave a service and return later. The exclusivity of a studio-owned show makes removal less likely, but "less likely" is not "never." Anyone planning a subscription around one title should verify it is live on the service before paying.
Practical steps before you subscribe
Use these checks in order. Each takes under a minute.
Search the title directly inside the Paramount+ app or website before paying, not in a general search engine. Confirm both seasons show as playable, not "coming soon" or region-blocked. If you plan to cancel after one month, note the exact billing date and cancel at least 48 hours before renewal. If subscribing through Amazon Channels, cancel in Amazon's subscription settings, not Paramount's. Check whether a free trial is offered at signup; do not assume one exists. If you are outside the US, check your local Paramount+ catalog or a regional broadcaster first.
For most US viewers, the sequence is simple: one month of Paramount+, 20 episodes, cancel or keep based on whether you want the rest of the catalog. The show itself takes about 15 hours, leaving plenty of time to sample other Paramount+ originals before the billing cycle ends.
What this guide cannot tell you
Streaming rights shift. Prices change, trials appear and disappear, and regional catalogs are renegotiated on schedules the public never sees. Any specific availability claim has a shelf life measured in months, not years. The ownership structure described here is stable and explains the pattern, but the pattern itself can change if Paramount Global licenses the show out or restructures its platform.
There is also no authoritative public database that tracks every regional availability of every title in real time. JustWatch and similar aggregators are useful but lag behind actual changes by days or weeks and rely on crowd-sourced updates for smaller markets. Treat them as a starting point, not a verdict.
This article is general educational information about streaming availability, not a recommendation to subscribe to any service or a guarantee of catalog access. Availability, pricing, and terms can change without notice, so verify current details on the provider's own platform before paying.