Where to find sitcoms from the 50s/60s/70s in North America --- Part 2: Video Streams

[Sal]

Thanks to the Internet, in particular the practices of sharing and streaming videos, you can watch your favourite TV shows at any time from your computer without having to wait for them on TV or shelling out a small fortune for DVDs, (otherwise I would have more of them). Each of the major networks has complete episodes of their more popular series available on their web sites, and as is the case with DVDs, you can find episodes of shows from about 1994 onward on any file sharing site (Kazaa, Ares, BitTorrent, etc.) or video sites like Google Video and YouTube. As is also the case with DVDs, the older series are also the toughest to find, which is why I've come up with this list of video sites where you can see them for free. Each one of these sites has their own system for sharing videos, which I've noted below. I have not included YouTube because they have just about everything and it would take too long to list them all, and also because their videos are very short---operating at about a 10 minute limit---so, for the most part, you'll get maybe a few brief clips instead of a complete episode. For some shows like "Get Smart", you might get an episode broken down into small segments, like TV Land does with "That Girl" and "Mary Tyler Moore", but you really have to look hard to find them. One exception is "Father Knows Best". Type it in and you'll see a full 21 minute episode in which oldest son Bud takes up playing the bongos! Unless YouTube changes their rules, a treat like this is fairly rare. For now, here's what you'll get from each site:



In2TV

---Complete episodes of popular series
---Episode lists change every month
---Only available in US

Alice
Chico and the Man
F Troop
The Flintstones
Gilligan's Island
The Jetsons
My Favorite Martian
Welcome Back, Kotter



TV Land

---Like YouTube, they offer brief clips from shows that are currently running on their TV channel

---Some complete episodes are available for series that might run as part of a marathon, or other special features, on TV. (Ex: That Girl, MASH, Mary Tyler Moore) These episodes are changed every week.


All In The Family
The Andy Griffith Show
The Brady Bunch
Get Smart
Good Times
Green Acres
I Love Lucy
The Jeffersons
Leave It To Beaver
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
MASH
The Odd Couple
Sanford & Son


Retro Television Network (RTN) Buffalo

---Live video streaming of vintage series aired on WNGS-TV in Buffalo. Note air times. Local commercials are included.


11:30 AM (Eastern) Beverly Hillbillies
12:00 PM Get Smart
12:30 Hogan's Heroes
1:00 Mork & Mindy
1:30 Gomer Pyle USMC
3:00 Happy Days
3:30 Lucy Show
11:30 PM The Andy Griffith Show


MovieFlix

---Video service which offers complete episodes to be viewed at any time

---Two types are offered: Free and Plus, which you have to pay for

---You have to register to use both

---As with any of these sites, the episodes available are of the 'public domain' variety, which is why the usual handful of Dick Van Dyke episodes are there. But I still like these sites anyway. The variety, rarity, and quantity is impressive.

---Here are the series in which some, or all, episodes can be seen for free:


Date With The Angels (early 50s series with Betty White, not seen anywhere else)

Jack Benny
Ozzie & Harriet
Trouble With Father
You Asked For It
You Bet Your Life


LikeTelevision

---Complete episodes which can be seen at any time after downloading RealVideo

---You used to be able to pay to see these shows, but now they're mostly free


---Bonus: use the Randomizer to view a random selection of clips


The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet
The Andy Griffith Show
Beverly Hillbillies
George Burns/Gracie Allen Show
Your Show Of Shows/Caesar's Hour (includes classic "This Is Your Life" parody)

Dick Van Dyke Show
I Married Joan (1 episode)
Jack Benny
Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson
The Jonathan Winters Show (2 episodes)
Life With Elizabeth (2 episodes) (also with Betty White)---worth seeing to compare with "Date With The Angels"
Lucy Show
Three Stooges
You Asked For It
You Bet Your Life


TV4U

---The newest, and in my opinion, the best of all these services.

---Complete episodes from many different categories available to be seen free at any time. Look under Comedy for these series.


Abbott & Costello
The Andy Griffith Show
Blondie
Colgate Comedy Hour with Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
Dusty's Trail (late 60s, starring Bob Denver)
I Married Joan
Life With Elizabeth
Love That Bob/The Bob Cummings Show
Make Room For Daddy
Mr. Peepers
Ozzie & Harriet
Petticoat Junction (in black & white)
Private Secretary
Beverly Hillbillies
Dick Van Dyke Show
Three Stooges
Jack Benny
Lucy Show
Milton Berle/Texaco Star Theater
Red Skelton
Topper
Trouble With Father
You Bet Your Life

...and more coming soon

To say I'm impressed with this list would be a great understatement. Thanks to whoever came up with the idea.