This blog entry is basically for my own use, to have a lot of my favorite links stored in one place that I can easily view and update if needed. There are a lot of channels and sites where people can either stream or view on demand video or audio programs. These sites can be accessed for free via a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, in addition to a smart TV.
So the following is a list of ones that I've found useful.
PLUTO TV:
This site's "live TV" section is free, supported by occasional commercial interruptions like broadcast television, and has a gazillion channels. It's a lot like watching regular TV, but each channel will sometimes focus on just one show. My favorite is their "Doctor Who" channel that airs episodes of the classic series (1963-1989), mainly in chronological order although with some stories missing from the lineup. (For example, I was recently watching "Earthshock" on it, and then the next story they played was "Mawdryn Undead" -- skipping over 3 stories in between.)
Here are direct links to some of Pluto TV's channels. Note that when you visit the links below, the default setting on the site is for the sound off. You must click the red "Unmute" button in the bottom left corner of the screen to hear the audio of the program.
DOCTOR WHO (Channel 532):
DARK SHADOWS (Channel 535):
UNSOLVED MYSTERIES (Channel 379):
This is the original 1980s-90s version hosted by Robert Stack.
FORENSIC FILES (Channel 370):
The 2000s true crime documentary series.
CBSN (Channel 204):
CBS News 24-hour live news channel.
There are also numerous local CBSN channels for various cities located in the "Local Channels" section of the site. For example, CBSN NEW YORK is Channel 1029, which can be found at https://pluto.tv/live-tv/cbsn-new-york
NBC NEWS NOW (Channel 213):
BRITISH TV (Channel 154)
Generally old TV dramas and comedies.
STAR TREK (Channel 150):
PLUTO TV CULT FILMS (Channel 109):
There are other numerous movie channels on the site, of various genres.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY (Channel 511):
Again, there are numerous channels devoted to streaming episodes of classic TV sitcoms.
MTV SPANKIN' NEW (Channel 869):
Does MTV still play music videos? Yep, there are numerous music video channels on PlutoTV, including this one which focuses on newer artists.
TUBI TV
Tubi TV has free video on demand, where users can watch specific episodes of a series by selecting the episode that they want to watch. There are a ton of series to view on here, so a good way to find shows is to simply browse the site. The links below provide some highlights.
This page shows various old TV series that are available to watch. Click the titles to view the programs. Some of my favorites are:
FATHER KNOWS BEST (1950s sitcom):
DENNIS THE MENACE (1950s/60s sitcom):
SPACE 1999 (1970s series):
KAMEN RIDER (classic Japanese superhero TV series):
DARK SHADOWS (1960s gothic soap opera):
THE SAINT (1960s series starring Roger Moore):
SECRET AGENT (a.k.a. DANGER MAN) starring Patrick McGoohan:
THE PRISONER starring Patrick McGoohan:
THE ROKU CHANNEL:
https://therokuchannel.roku.com/
This is a site similar to Tubi TV which has numerous video on demand episodes and movies, but also some live TV streaming channels, including NBC News Now and ABC News Live. (ABC's website also has a live stream of ABC News.) Simply use the search bar on the site or follow the links to browse the available content. Some of the available dramas include classic British TV series like Kavanagh QC and The Darling Buds of May.
LOCAST:
https://www.locast.org/
https://www.locast.org/
This site allows views to watch local TV channels without having to use an antenna. Available channels are limited to one's own regular viewing area due to rights reasons. Even if you use an antenna to watch TV, this site may be able to bring in some low-power channels that aren't able to be picked up by your antenna.
Some local TV channels provide a live stream of their over-the-air video on the websites, at least of the local content, such as my local Detroit Fox affiliate:
FILMON:
The above link goes to the live video feed on BBC One (British TV). Unfortunately, the site only allows visitors to view less than a minute of BBC One for free; paid subscribers to the service are able to view it uninterrupted. However, if you don't want to pay, just keep refreshing the page before the free minutes is up, to view more of the channel. To see the BBC One TV schedule (to know what you are seeing), click here. Generally BBC live TV is not available outside the UK. The BBC's page for Doctor Who can be found here.
FilmOn also has a Silent Cinema live TV channel which allows viewers to see two minutes of the channel for free. (Again, just keep refreshing the page if you don't want to pay.)
FilmOn does have some free live TV channels (no refreshing required), such as the EuroTrash channel (of old foreign B-movies) and conservative news channel NewsMax. Click the "Live TV" tab at the top left of the screen to browse the available TV channels.
YOUTUBE:
This site, of course, has some TV episodes, radio episodes, and movies for free, as well as user-generated content of interest. Channels devoted to old movies include Silent Film House, Cult Cinema Classics, Silent movies, I Demand Complete Silents and more. You can also find here the live feeds for ABC News Live, NBC News Now, and the U.K. channel Sky News.
VIMEO:
This site is like YouTube, where users have uploaded various video content. For example, here is a reconstruction of the silent film version of The Phantom of the Opera:
THE INTERNET ARCHIVE:
This site has literally millions of old video and audio to enjoy, including pages to listen to Old Time Radio as well as classic TV and silent movies to watch.
AMERICAN ARCHIVE OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING:
This website contains thousands of archived videos, including episodes of the MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour dating back to 1975 (up to the present), as well as William F. Buckley's Firing Line. (When going to the pages for those particular series, click the red "View the collection" button to be taken to the page where you can view the episodes.)
iSPOT:
Have you seen a commercial recently on TV and want to watch it again or know more about it (who was the actor, what the plot description was, etc.)? The above site provides data about new commercials.
-- AUDIO FILES:--
TUNE IN:
I don't have cable TV, but I frequently listen to the live audio feed of CNN on the Tune In website. Occasionally I listen to MSNBC on there as well. There are numerous radio stations that can be heard on the site. Local radio stations can be listened to on Tune In, or by visiting each station's website to see if a live audio stream is available. For example, the local WDTK "The Patriot" 101.5 FM Detroit channel (which plays conservative talk radio shows like Sean Hannity's) can be heard here and WJR 760 AM Detroit (which airs Rush Limbaugh at noon) can be heard here.
BBC RADIO:
The BBC website allows listeners to hear a live stream of BBC radio stations as well as listen to the past week's worth of individual programs. Some of the shows can be listened to for a much longer period, and some can also be downloaded as MP3 files so that you can save them permanently on your computer in case the site ever removes the content. To view lists of BBC radio schedules, click here. (BBC Radio 4 is the channel that plays the most original new radio drama. BBC Radio 4 Extra [formerly known as BBC Radio 7] airs a lot of classic radio drama and comedy episodes.)
DRAMA OF THE WEEK:
The "Drama of the Week" page highlights a particular radio drama that aired in the past week and makes it available for download. The episodes are generally only available for 14 days, so it pays to check the page at least once a week to download the available content. There is also the Comedy of the Week, which is available to download for 30 days.
CBC RADIO (Canada):
The live streams of CBC Radio One (talk) and CBC Music [formerly CBC Radio Two] stations can be heard here.
OLD-TIME RADIO:
Many old-time radio episodes can be heard on the aforementioned YouTube and Internet Archive. Here are a few more pages where OTR files can be downloaded:
Old Time Radio Researchers Group Library:
Old Time Radio Downloads:
Jerry Haendiges' OTR page:
Old Time Radio Lover:
Old Time Radio Shows on MP3:
Well, that should keep you busy watching and listening for now! :-)
