Internet piracy. It’s been the bane of networks, studios, and record labels for years now - and a few of them are starting to catch on to the truth. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

Free streaming T.V. - sometimes ad-supported, sometimes not - has become the wave of the future. With NBC offering many of their shows for instant viewing on their website and Hulu.com serving up both new and old T.V. ranging from The Addams Family to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, those of us without cable can still enjoy a healthy diet of great shows.

Now, after a merger that has left the WB a happy memory of the past, TheWB.com is about to find new life as the home for free streaming T.V.

The ad-supported programs available will include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, Friends, Smallville, The O.C., Everwood, Roswell, and One Tree Hill. Producers will also be creating original content for the site as its user base grows.

Currently, the site is in private beta. While there is a signup form on the main page, it prompts the user to enter a “Company” name and won’t allow signup without it. I attempted signup with a fake company and received only a cryptic email, “We’ll let you know when you have been approved.”

Looks like the general public will have to wait a while for this one, but it will certainly be worth it.

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Categories: TV stories //