# What TV shows aren't available online (legally)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828 "2009-05-18T05:42:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/1 "2009-05-18T05:42:18Z")
As my Series 2 Dual Tuner TiVo is about to become a paperweight, I’m half considering upgrading. On the other hand, I’m half considering saving the money and just waiting an extra 24 hours until everything shows up online. I know that most of what I watch is available on Hulu or [abc.go.com](http://abc.go.com) (which will all be moving over to Hulu next season), but I’m wondering if there’s anything that I’m overlooking. Are there any network or basic cable shows that simply must be watched when they’re broadcast or a full year later when the DVD comes out? ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/2 "2009-05-18T05:50:59Z")
HBO and Showtime do not have their shows online. Neither does AMC, which airs Breaking Bad and Mad Men. If you like House you have to wait a week before they show a new episode. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Seventh\_Deadly\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6bbea6/32.png) [@The\_Seventh\_Deadly\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Seventh_Deadly_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/3 "2009-05-18T07:21:50Z")
_Law & Order_ is famous for vigorously defending their copyright. You can’t find them online legally, and (at least for the original series) you can’t find them illegally either. (At least, I can’t find them as streaming content; they may be available as pirated bittorrent.) Most annoying to me is the fact that seasons 6-13 aren’t even available on DVD! ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/4 "2009-05-18T07:30:07Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Are there any network or basic cable shows that simply must be watched when they’re broadcast or a full year later when the DVD comes out? Pretty much _everything_ on Australian TV, except for a handful of things on ABC and SBS. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/5 "2009-05-18T18:34:05Z")
**Martini Enfield** Luckily, I’m not interested in Kath & Kim. **thetruewheel** That’s strange, so I might end up with life without Law & Order. **Lakai** , I’m not paying for HBO or Showtime now, so that isn’t an issue. But Mad Men might be. That I’ll have to think about. ---
**Author:** ![BaconAndEggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@BaconAndEggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaconAndEggs)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/6 "2009-05-18T20:07:39Z")
Batman (1966), Wonder Years, Out of this World, Small Wonder ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/7 "2009-05-18T22:19:06Z")
[Here](http://www.hulu.com/browse/alphabetical/episode) is Hulu’s TV section. In some cases, even if Hulu itself doesn’t carry a show, it will direct you to the appropriate site if you search for it. I’ve noticed that _Supernatural_ is fairly hard to find online. CW puts the latest ep or two up but the player is awful. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/8 "2009-05-19T03:37:46Z")
> [@thetruewheel](#): > > _Law & Order_ is famous for vigorously defending their copyright. You can’t find them online legally, and (at least for the original series) you can’t find them illegally either. (At least, I can’t find them as streaming content; they may be available as pirated bittorrent.) > > Most annoying to me is the fact that seasons 6-13 aren’t even available on DVD! Law & Order original series episodes as well as its offspring are available via file hosting sites such as Rapidshare and Megaupload. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/9 "2009-05-19T05:03:41Z")
Lost and Battlestar Galactica were the two big missings. (Or have they been added now?) Hulu does have Fringe and Kings, though. Unfortunately Kings is being held back to summer. =\ ---
**Author:** ![2nd\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f475e1/32.png) [@2nd\_Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_Law)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/10 "2009-05-19T05:10:55Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Lost and Battlestar Galactica were the two big missings. (Or have they been added now?) > > Hulu does have Fringe and Kings, though. Unfortunately Kings is being held back to summer. =\ Lost is online at [abc.com](http://abc.com) BSG is on hulu. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/11 "2009-05-19T05:12:11Z")
Big Bang Theory. My DVR decided not to tape the season finale of BBT and, I, foolishly thought [CBS.com](http://CBS.com) would have full episodes… ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tv-shows-arent-available-online-legally/496828/12 "2009-05-19T05:41:15Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Big Bang Theory. My DVR decided not to tape the season finale of BBT and, I, foolishly thought [CBS.com](http://CBS.com) would have full episodes… Yeah, too bad there is absolutely no where on the Net that might let you watch the Big Bang Theory online. Which reminds me, such websites as MIGHT exist theoretically… seem to carry legit commercials from well-known companies. How could companies buy commercial space on websites which show pirated TV shows & movies without incurring liability upon themselves?