# Watching TV Series Online **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 24, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712 "2012-09-24T21:25:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/1 "2012-09-24T21:25:43Z")
With all of the Emmy hullaballoo about MadMen not winning, I decided I would like to start watching the series from the beginning. There are several online venues with past episodes but they require a video downloader/player that reeks of malware or some other nefarious purpose. Is there a free and legal way to watch these old vids safely? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/2 "2012-09-27T12:37:49Z")
See if your local library has the series. Get a trial subscription of Netflix and watch it before the free subscription ends. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/3 "2012-09-27T17:39:52Z")
You know, there have been dozens of well-meaning people registering lately JUST so they can tell you exactly how to do this, but those mean ol’ mods keep banning them before they can get their message out. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/4 "2012-09-27T17:55:11Z")
The only places you’re going to find legal and malware-free tv shows to watch are: 1. The network’s web site ([mtv.com](http://mtv.com), [cbs.com](http://cbs.com), etc) 2. The show’s web site 3. Hulu 4. Netflix 5. Amazon 6. iTunes You can also find many shows on YouTube, but for the most part they are not exactly “legal” (that’s sort of not your problem, though) If you go anywhere else to watch shows or movies, you are crusin’ for a brusin. Stay safe! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/5 "2012-09-27T19:18:48Z")
Oddly enough I just read an article in a magazine that compared and contrasted streaming and disc services. Anyway, I missed a streaming service - Vudu. ---
**Author:** ![Rubixcube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Rubixcube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubixcube)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/6 "2012-09-27T23:02:42Z")
And Crackle, not that they have much of a selection. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/7 "2012-09-28T22:06:14Z")
Is wwitv illegal? ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/8 "2012-09-29T03:27:00Z")
I decided to jump on the Mad Men bandwagon when I saw that AMC was going to run all of the old episodes in order before the premier of last season. They were on at a weird hour, very early Sunday morning, but I just set my DVR and began to enjoy. Checking their website it shows that they are rerunning last season in those Sunday slots. Maybe for the new season begins they’ll start again from the beginning. So if you have a recorder and don’t have Dish or anything you might be able to see them with just some patience. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/9 "2012-09-29T03:53:06Z")
:smack: I don’t know why I didn’t think of Netflix. Thanks for the advice, everyone. Signed, The Village Idiot ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/10 "2012-09-29T11:32:24Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > :smack: I don’t know why I didn’t think of Netflix. Thanks for the advice, everyone. > > Signed, > > The Village Idiot A lot of series that I want to watch (“True Blood,” “Dexter,” “Homeland”) aren’t on Netflix. Happily it does have “Mad Men” and “Prime Suspect” and “The Office (U.K.)” (which are other great series). ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/11 "2012-09-29T16:40:34Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > A lot of series that I want to watch (“True Blood,” “Dexter,” “Homeland”) aren’t on Netflix. Happily it does have “Mad Men” and “Prime Suspect” and “The Office (U.K.)” (which are other great series). They used to stream Dexter. You have to keep an eye on their streaming, as they are always adding titles and taking some away. I always keep an eye [here](http://www.streamingsoon.com/) to see when things are going to stop streaming, but they also give you upcoming titles. For example, the streaming for Married With Children ends Oct 1…and Walking Dead Season 2 starts streaming Sept 30 Netflix does stream Showtime shows from time to time, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen them streaming an HBO show. Maybe because HBO has their own streaming service with HBOGO ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/12 "2012-09-29T18:32:13Z")
I’m currently watching Weeds on Netflix, which is a Showtime series. (Boy is it good.) I don’t think the most recent season of Mad Men is on Netflix. I really hate waiting. I’m currently behind the curve on Breaking Bad and it’s killing me. Weeds is really terrific, though, so I’m good. I’m also watching a lot of Doctor Who, which is delish. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/13 "2012-09-29T19:43:21Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > I don’t think the most recent season of Mad Men is on Netflix. All 4 seasons are currently listed for instant viewing. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/14 "2012-09-30T22:23:48Z")
I repeat my query in response #7 above, is wwitv illegal? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-series-online/635712/15 "2012-10-01T00:49:51Z")
I just took a look at wwitv. It looks like it aggregates the streaming sites for television channels throughout the world. For the US, these are mostly government access channels. So my opinion is that it’s not illegal, but it’s also not very useful. Certainly it doesn’t help the OP see Mad Men.