Fremantle Media puts classic comedies online

[BGonaSTICK]

Production company Fremantle Media has launched a web site offering downloads of hit ITV comedies such as Bless This House, George and Mildred, Tommy Cooper's Half Hour and Love Thy Neighbour. The site, TVComedyClassics.com, also offers previously unseen episodes and interviews.

Shows cost 99p on a download-to-rent basis, and £2.49 for the download-to-own option.

Peter Kalhan, senior VP home entertainment & archive sales at FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), said: "TVComedyClassics.com is a brand new distribution channel for FME and a great way for us to interact directly with our consumers by delivering to them the content they want, when and where they want it.

"We very much see TVComedyClassics.com as just the first in many programme genre portal web sites we will be developing and we're certain it will be a big hit with comedy fans. With the launch of this web site, we're truly taking home entertainment into the home."

Meanwhile, Google is closing its premium video service. Launched early in 2006, Google Video sold episodes of US series online for $1.99, but the venture's performance was eclipsed by the huge success of YouTube, which Google acquired later last year.