I must admit, as a huge David Tennant fan, I squee'd a bit last week at the free Doctor Who download. And this week, iTunes is bringing us his latest project for free - the pilot episode of Broadchurch.

AMC has a new show out this fall called Low Winter Sun, a seedy cop drama starring Mark Strong. You probably know Mark Strong as the bad guy from Sherlock Holmes or Kick-Ass. He's a fantastic, beautiful actor and this new AMC script looks like a compelling character vehicle for him.

The show itself starts off a bit slow, but the writer's have hinted that this is a long-burn plot with many twists and turns to come.

You can download the pilot of Low Winter Sun for free on iTunes presently:

Pilot - Low Winter Sun, Season 1

From Season 4 of Doctor Who, when David Tennant reigned supreme and the lovely Catherine Tate was his companion, was produced a FANTASTIC Doctor Who episode called The Fires of Pompeii.

If you have been thinking about trying out Doctor Who, but you haven't been quite certain whether you'd like it, this episode is a great way to test the waters. It has everything you could want in British Sci-Fi: Rome, aliens, volcanoes and adventure!



And best of all, it's free this week on iTunes. Give it a peek:

Get The Fires of Pompeii - Doctor Who, Season 4

This week, iTunes offers a free pilot episode of A&E's new show "The Beast", starring Patrick Swayze.

I guess I'm glad to see that Patrick Swayze is working after his scare with pancreatic cancer. Last I read, he was still pretty sick, so I don't know what that means for the future of this show. In the show, he appears pretty gaunt, but the look lends a fierceness to his demeanor that's suited to the part. Here's hoping he stays healthy.

That said, the show is much better than I expected for a standard FBI drama. It's gritty, intense, and darker than I thought it'd be. The pilot has a great twist that makes it worth watching on its own.

Get "The Beast".

1. The Paper - Race For Editor-In-Chief (20:24)
The Paper is a new MTV reality show about a bunch of journalism students putting out their school paper. I haven't watched the full episode, but in the preview I saw on tv, there was a chick with glasses singing really loudly and that was pretty annoying. But hey, it's 20 minutes of faux-reality from MTV, and maybe it will be the next Hills.


2. The Riches - Various Clips (under 2 minutes)
I'm obsessed with the Riches. Such a good show. Basically, Eddie Izzard (who is my favorite!) and Minnie Driver are Irish con-men that are released from prison, and then happen to get in a car accident with a very wealthy couple called "The Riches". The Riches are killed, so they assume their identities, including freakily good southern accents. Definitely worth checking out.

Many of the past week's free TV episodes are still available. But you want to hear about the new ones, right?

1. Capture of the Green River Killer (10:03)
Get a preview of this upcoming Lifetime miniseries, based on the true story of Washington's Green River Killer, and his eventual capture. James Marsters (who played "Spike" on Buffy) is in it. Which makes it totally worth watching.

2. Big Ideas for a Small Planet (25:38)
I'm super into the environment lately. Shrinking my carbon footprint and everything. I've been drawing inspiration from a number of green blogs, and am participating in Earth Hour tonight.
So this award-winning documentary that covers developments in alternative energy that may help us avert the climate crisis is timely, and definitely worth a watch.

Pretty uninteresting free tv this week, I'm afraid. A few more episodes of things we've seen before, and a bunch of repeats from past weeks.

1. Greek - Pilot (52:22); Black, White, and Read All Over (45:58)
An ABC Family show about being greek in college? I'm sure there will be lots of squeaky-clean drama fun for the whole family. Still, you get two entire free episodes to hook you.

Greek also has about seven 30 minute videos on their casting for each episode, if you want to check that stuff out. The same link above will take you there.

2. America's Prom Queen - Casting Episode (11:10)
Yeah. This is still there, plus a free episode called "Prom Princesses". I'm not really sure why America needs a prom queen, since prom queens are mostly a high school popularity contest. Without standing on the backs of your teenage peers, how vital is a prom queen title anyway? Well, Jai Rodriguez, one of the Queer Eye guys is a judge, so maybe it's worth a peek.

3. Life of Ryan - Flashback (20:58)
A full episode of that Life of Ryan show with the angsty skateboarding kid. I think this is a Season Two clip show with some deleted scenes and stuff.

Sorry it's so sparse. Hopefully next week will be better!

Lots of free TV popped up on iTunes this week. Let's have a look:

1. New Amsterdam - Pilot (43:56)
I watched this pilot on TV a couple of weeks ago. The show has gotten great reviews as kind of a Highlander meets CSI. John Amsterdam, the main character, was given a curse by some indian tribe in the 1700's where he can't die until he meets "the one". So he's lived hundreds of years, had multiple wives, sired dozens of kids, and had a gazillion occupations, but he hasn't met her yet.

Then, while chasing a suspect through the subway, he has a heart attack, falls down unconscious, and wakes up in a morgue. Was the "one" somewhere on the subway deck? Unfortunately, we're going to have to survive dozens detective mystery episodes with flashbacks to his early life to find out...

2. Canterbury's Law - Pilot (44:41)
I did not watch this show when it debuted on tv, but I know a few things about it. One, it stars Julianna Marguilles who I always adored on ER. Two, she places a lawyer who is mean to everybody but really good at what she does. Sort of a lawyer equivalent of House, and the polar opposite of Eli Stone. I have a hard time picturing Julianna as a Bia-tch, which is probably why I'll eventually tune in.

3. Greek - Pilot (52:22); Black, White, and Read All Over (45:58)
An ABC Family show about being greek in college? I'm sure there will be lots of squeaky-clean drama fun for the whole family. Still, you get two entire free episodes to hook you.

4. MLB 2008 Season Preview (1 hr); MLB 2008 Fantasy Season Preview (44:10)
MLB.com brings two significant season previews for the upcoming season. Great way to get psyched up for the upcoming season. (Go Indians!)

5. AxMen - Man vs. Mountain (44:12)
Another meaty full episode from the History Channel's series on loggers. I was watching this last night. Men really are men, and many limbs have been lost. It's kind of sad, actually.

1. Mystery Diagnosis - Survivors 2006 (40:55)
A baby boy is stricken with nonstop vomiting. A woman drinks three gallons of water night and day. A man who doesn't sweat. This Discovery Channel show looks into some very cool medical mysteries.
2. America's Prom Queen - Casting Episode (11:10)
I'm not really sure why America needs a prom queen, since prom queens are mostly a high school popularity contest. Without standing on the backs of your teenage peers, how vital is a prom queen title anyway? Well, Jai Rodriguez, one of the Queer Eye guys is a judge, so maybe it's worth a peek.
3. Unhitched - Behind the Scenes (9:20)
If you liked Karen from the Office, this is her new series. Did you know that she's apparently dating the guy that plays Jim in real life? In this series, she helps a group of defunct guys get divorces and start to repair their love lives. I think.

Lots of good free TV and entertainment on iTunes this week:

1. American Idol - Josiah's Journey (4:30)
Josiah was kind of a weird diva/brat/sweetheart that didn't make American Idol's final round. A whiz with a keyboard, he famously dismissed the band from the stage in his final round of auditions only to kind of suck. It was too bad - he definitely had talent and provided some much needed drama to the show. Check out his journey for free.

2. The Mean Mrs. Dickstein (15:00)
Do you like Sex in the City? Then you should download this free short story on tape, written by Cynthia Nixon. It chronicles some events of her living in New York City, and I believe she narrates it as well. No link for this because Apple is lame. Go to iTunes and search.

3. An Introduction to the 12 Second Sequence (10:00)
Jorge Cruise offers 10 minutes of get-in-shape inspiration.

4. Bakugan - The Battle Begins! (22:15)
Yay for free anime episodes! In Bakugan, Drago must ally with his human friend Dan to eliminate the evil Naga and restore balance to the parallel universe! Awesome!

5. quarterlife - Featurette (9:01)
quarterlife is a new show that depicts the lives of a bunch of 20-somethings living in New York. Yeah, it's Friends with graphic designers.

6. Eli Stone - George Michael Video "Faith" (2:58)
It's only three minutes, but at least it's three minutes with George Michael...

Remember the good old days, when there were only like five Pussycat Dolls, and you could keep track of them? Then they had a reality show and added a few more, and then they started self-replicating through some process of alien mitosis. Now there are about ninety-four million Pussycat Dolls.

Not satisfied with that number, Robin Antin is at it again, now forming a new girl's group called Girlicious, which might be the laziest name for a girls group ever. And, of course, there's a tv show to select the group.

You can watch the first episode, "Let's Get Girlicious", for free on iTunes this week.

And since you've been so patient in reading today's blog, here is a gratuitous picture of some of the Pussycat Dolls in bikinis. You're welcome.

More free tv episodes added to the iTunes store. Hurry, these will probably be gone tomorrow.

1. Pinks - Kansas City (22:36)
I don't really watch the Speed channel, but this show looks cool. People bring their most awesome car to race, and if they lose, they lose their car. Very Fast and the Furious except without Paul Walker moping around everywhere. Why is such a seemingly manly show called "Pinks"? Your guess is as good as mine. And mine involves tutus.

2. Jericho - Reconstruction (44:20)
Maybe the only example ever of fans asking a network to bring a show back, and the network listening. I watched a few episodes of it. It was pretty good, but I wasn't going to tie myself to desk at CBS for it or anything. Still, Season 2 premiere for free. Pick it up while you can.

3. The Animation Show - My Pepper Heart by PES (2:04)
I guess Mike Judge of Beavis & Butthead fame has a show where he showcases great animation? How have I not heard of this. One Mature Audiences Only animated short for your enjoyment.

Usually, we don't cover the free videos on iTunes because in truth, they aren't really very good. They're promos. Previews. To draw you in. They waste your hard drive space.

This week, however, there are a few quality views.

For grown-ups:
1. Lost: Past, Present, and Future (41:25)
It's been 9 months since Lost aired. If you're going to watch Season 4, you'd better watch this and refresh your memory on all of the mysteries you've forgotten existed.

2. The Big Gay Sketch Show (13:49)
Like SNL, but with all gay and lesbian relationships. Sort of funny.

3. My Big Redneck Wedding (21:24)
Since you were a little girl, I'm sure you dreamed of your perfect wedding day: riding in on your ATV with your green John Deere dress on, packing heat and ready to rumble. Wha? Full episode of this strange reality show from CMT.

4. Scott Baio is 46, and Pregnant (40:03)
Full Season 2 premiere from VH1. Mostly consists of Scott Baio sitting in a golf cart, freaking out about his girlfriend being pregnant and how his life is over.

5. Life of Ryan (21:02)
Full Season 1 premiere from MTV. As far as I can tell, Ryan is a skateboarder. But he's also a teenager. That's right: even though he's a skateboarder, he has problems like any other normal kid.

6. Rob & Big (21:29)
Full Season 3 premiere from MTV. Hysterical Rob & Big episode about finding a poop in the pool and sleuthing out who dropped it.

For Kids:
1. Ni Hau, Kai-lan: The Dragonboat Festival (24:05)
Full episode of cute kid's show with singing, dancing, and a smattering of Chinese.

2. A is for Asthma (20:37)
I love Sesame Street, but really? A is for Asthma? Really? Anyway, this is an Elmo focused Sesame Street where he learns what to do when his friend has an asthma attack. Can't wait for "H is for Heimlich"

3. Aprende Con Sesame (Learn along with Sesame - 22:22)
Cool Spanish-only Sesame episode. Great for kids or adults learning spanish, as the spanish is slow and well-articulated. In this episode, they discuss how awesome learning at school is. En espanol, claro. And no, I don't know how to make the swirly thing above the 'n' in my blog. Sorry.

If you haven't seen Flight of the Conchords on HBO, it's a bit difficult to fully describe how entertaining this show is. It's kind of...quietly hysterical.

Basically, two New Zealanders who have a band move to New York to try to make it. They have a single fan, who stalks them mercilessly. Their band manager works at the New Zealand Tourism Bureau and calls attendance at the start of every meeting consisting of the three of them. The curiously side-splitting songs their band writes are interspersed into the episodes.

And their rap names? Hiphopapotamus and Rhymenocerus.

iTunes has a free Podcast promoting Flight of the Conchords that includes a number of the music videos from the show (including the Robots one above), and the video blogs of their crazed fan Mel.

If you want a bit more, iTunes is also offering an EP collection of a number of their best full songs for $5.94.