Webisodes of American Idol, Lost Coming Soon!

Forget paying for iTunes versions of your favorite TV shows. If you missed an episode of "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," "Commander in Chief," or "Alias," you'll soon be able to watch an online re-run the day after it airs for free. Disney plans to begin a two-month trial in May showcasing its four most popular ABC shows. The online stream versions are not commercial-free, which means you still have to sit through commercials and online advertisements. But they are counting on the "rabid" fanbase these shows have to test this new business model.

This may work for those who don't want to pay extra for TIVO or iTunes. But ABC is not the only one testing webisodes, Fox also has announced this week that it would begin to offer 60 percent of its primetime shows online. This means you get to catch up on "American Idol," "The Simpsons," and maybe even "The O.C."—now that I like. Now I can watch "American Inventor" since I couldn't TIVO it before, because it airs at the same time as "My Name is Earl." It's a win-win for all.