NBC Universal Adds Classic TV Dramas to iTunes

[Pavan]

NBC Universal & Apple Offer New Primetime, Cable, Late-Night & Classic TV Shows on the iTunes Music Store
iTunes Music Store Video Downloads Top Three Million

BURBANK, California and CUPERTINO, California—December 6, 2005—NBC Universal and Apple® today announced an unprecedented lineup of new primetime, cable, late-night and classic TV shows, including primetime hits such as “Law & Order” and late-night favorites such as sketches from “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on the iTunes® Music Store (www.itunes.com). iTunes now offers more than 300 episodes of 16 popular TV shows for viewing on a computer or iPod®. Customers have purchased and downloaded more than three million videos since their debut on October 12, making the iTunes Music Store the world’s most popular video download store.

NBC Universal programming now available on the iTunes Music Store spans from the 1950s to the present, including NBC’s “Law & Order,” “The Office,” “Surface,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Night with Conan O'Brien,” the USA Network’s Emmy Award-winning “Monk” and Sci-Fi Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica” as well as classic TV shows including “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Dragnet,” “Adam-12” and “Knight Rider,” on the iTunes Music Store beginning today. Customers can purchase and download their favorite shows, including current shows the day after they air on TV, and watch them on their computer or iPod. The NBC Universal programs will be available in newly designated areas of the iTunes Music Store featuring the NBC Universal brands, including the NBC network, Sci-Fi Channel and the USA Network.

“We’re thrilled to expand the iTunes video catalog with 11 popular TV shows from NBC, USA Network and the Sci-Fi Channel,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “In our first two months we’ve sold more than three million videos, and have expanded our TV catalog from five shows to 16 shows.”

“We are committed to helping viewers enjoy the wide breadth of our programs across an equally wide range of devices and distribution models,” said Bob Wright, vice chairman of GE and chairman and CEO of NBC Universal. “Apple has developed a distribution platform that is attractive to consumers while at the same time providing the safeguards against theft that are so important to us and to every content provider. We are pleased to partner with them in this new venture.”

With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated video and Podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for Mac® and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music and videos online. The iTunes Music Store now features a selection of over 3,000 music videos, Pixar short films and a variety of hit TV shows, and more than two million songs from the major music companies and independent record labels.

Pricing & Availability
iTunes 6 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Music Store and is available as a free download from www.apple.com/itunes. Purchase and download of songs and videos from the iTunes Music Store requires a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. Television shows are available in the US only, and video availability varies by country. Television shows are $1.99 (US) per episode, and music videos and short films are $1.99 (US) each.

[vashti1999]

There's nothing there that I'm that excited to see, but I'm just glad they're adding more tv shows to iTunes. Just yesterday I was hoping they'll eventually offer more than what they had (Lost, Desp. Housewives, Night Stalker, That's So Raven, Zack & Cody). I got the video iPod around a month ago and downloaded an episode of Desperate Housewives and I've been watching that same episode over and over again. I'm willing to pay for the downloads if they offer good stuff.

[Pavan]

Do you have the full list of classic TV dramas Universal put out? I downloaded iTunes but can't for some reason access the TV shows list.

[vashti1999]

I'll check it out at home. I'm on my work computer right now, no iTunes.

[TVJunkie101]

I have Itunes. I LOVE IT. I almost never listen to the radio anymore (except in the car).

I just opened Itunes. Oh, Pav, make sure your menu has a "videos" section. If it's the new version, it should. I see Law & Order plus the new NBC stuff (Surface, Jay, etc).

Ah, found it. On the Itunes music store, look on the left hand side for menu, and then select TV Shows. Scroll down and they show Alfred Hitchcock and Dragnet and others.

So cool!

EDIT
I just looked at Dragnet. They have every episode from the first season available for download!

[vashti1999]

Here are the NBC/Universal shows now available on iTunes:

Law & Order - 10 episodes from Season 16

The Office - the 6 first Season episodes and 9 from Season 2

Surface - 10 episodes

Tonight Show - 2 sketches (Headlines and Battle of the Jaywalk All-Stars)

Late Night with Conan O'Brien - 10th Anniversary Special, Best of Triumph, and 4 individual sketches: Famous Helping People, Boy Band and 2 with Triumph)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - 39 episodes from Season 1

Dragnet 1967 - 17 episodes from Season 1

Adam 12 - 26 episodes from Season 1

Knight Rider - 22 episodes from Season 1

Each selection, whether it's a 5 minute sketch or an hour-plus Conan O'Brien special is $1.99.

EDIT: I'm still looking around. I think Monk and Battlestar Galactica are online too. I'll check around for more.

[vashti1999]

Watching Access Hollywood, they just did a story on this and announced that soon they'll be episodes of Access on iTunes too. I hope they add some sitcoms soon too (and maybe lower the price of the downloads).

[vashti1999]

Originally Posted by vashti1999

Law & Order - 10 episodes from Season 16

I missed it the first time, but they also have 22 episodes from Season 1 available. It says "partial season," so I'm assuming there were more than 22 eps that season.

[dawsongirl]

Originally Posted by vashti1999

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - 39 episodes from Season 1

Dragnet 1967 - 17 episodes from Season 1

Adam 12 - 26 episodes from Season 1

So basically the episodes that are on DVD already. That's disappointing.