Peter Kafka

Recent Posts by Peter Kafka

Hulu Gets the Best Show on CBS

There used to be a time when the idea of getting CBS shows on Hulu seemed like a big deal.

That’s because the three other broadcast networks — Fox, NBC and ABC — were already equity partners in the video site, and the notion of getting Les Moonves on board seemed pretty intriguing to lots of people.

But while CBS never did join the joint venture as an equity partner, it did agree to license its old shows to Hulu’s Hulu Plus subscription service. When that news came out last fall, it didn’t seem to have much impact.*

But perhaps it will now, since Hulu Plus is going to start showing previous seasons of “The Good Wife,” CBS’ best show.

To be clear, when I say “best” I mean “the show on the network I enjoy watching the most.” “The Good Wife” doesn’t do the same numbers as “The Big Bang Theory” or “Two and a Half Men” or “CSI: Cleveland” or “NCIS: Des Moines” or whatever. But my hunch is that among the 4 million TV enthusiasts who are paying for a Hulu Plus subscription, the show indexes much higher than the rest of CBS’ fare.

In any case, you can decide for yourself, starting Sunday.

* One reason it wasn’t an earth-shaker: CBS had already agreed to license some of its old stuff to Netflix and Amazon.

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First the NSA came for, well, jeez pretty much everybody’s data at this point, and I said nothing because wait how does this joke work

— Parker Higgins via Twitter