Thursday, February 21, 2008

CBS Interactive brings Classic TV to the Net

I just read a story over at StarPulse that is just so awesome, I had to tell you all about it.

It seems that CBS Interactive is going to be streaming a lot of classic television series online for free. Well, it is ad-supported, but for all intents and purposes, it is free for people to watch online.

And they didn't start with less than their best either. The initial line up seems geared to please a lot of people and get a buzz going.

To start, the first seasons of Melrose Place, MacGuyver and Hawaii Five-O, all cultish shows in their own right and I am certain a lot of people would like to watch episodes of them online. Especially MacGuyver, because let's face it, .

But wait, there's more. It seems that the first two seasons of The Twilight Zone are also part of this initial push. I love this series and I am very pleased to see it more widely available online.
That is 65 episodes of classic twisted television gold, which includes such classic episodes as "Time Enough at Last," "Eye of the Beholder," and "Nick of Time" and so many more.

Oh and speaking of William Shatner, the entire run of the Star Trek, the Original Series is going to be available for viewing as well. I don't know if they are going to be the original versions or those remastered ones with the CG inserts, but I think it will likely be the latter. But I still think it is an incredible gesture on the part of CBS Interactive to make the entire series available 24/7 to fans of Star Trek. And I am sure, likely very profitable.

I am probably not going to be able to watch the above content because I am Canadian, and when it comes to streaming legal network television programming, I am basically scum because of it, but I am happy for all you lucky people down there in the Lower 48 who can partake of these series, especially The Twilight Zone, as I think that is one of the true gems of early television. I am also optimistic that other CBS properties will get the same treatment, like perhaps some of their socially conscious shows from the 1970's like All in the Family, Maude and Good Times.

Only time can tell what is going to be next for this particular enterprise.

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