Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

‹

'30 for 30' - 'Little Big Men': The miracle on grass

›

'Treme' soundtrack gets release date, track listing

'Better Off Ted': The last two episodes are here! (Just not on TV)

iTunes, Amazon have one or both available to download

By Alan SepinwallWednesday, Sep 1, 2010 11:32 AM

Phil and Lem from "Better Off Ted" are back - on iTunes, at least.

Credit: ABC

Hey, remember those two "Better Off Ted" episodes that weren't aired before ABC canceled the show, and that were going to air in June if the NBA Finals didn't go to a Game 7? Well, unfortunately, the Lakers and Celtics just wanted to keep playing and playing, and ABC never rescheduled the episodes, and with the new TV season about to begin in a few weeks, it doesn't look like they'll air anytime soon in this country. (Both aired in Australia a few weeks ago.)

But there is now a legal means of seeing both, as they were released to iTunes this morning. (One of them is also on Amazon's video on demand service.) UPDATE: And if you're a Netflix subscriber, you can stream both of them.

So go enjoy your last rush of Veronica, Lem, Phil and company. Haven't had a chance to watch yet myself, but hopefully there's a Veridian Dynamics commercial or two in there.

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Related Searches: Alan Sepinwall, Better Off Ted

Alan Sepinwall Recaps & Reviews

View By Show »

Pennywise

Alan, you're breaking my heart. The way you say "with the new season about to begin" it's like you're saying the new season of Ted. Quit playing games with my heart.
September 1, 2010 at 11:42AM EST Reply to Comment
anthonystrand

Wonderful! I know what I'm doing at lunch today!
September 1, 2010 at 11:46AM EST Reply to Comment
ADKid25

Thank you for the heads-up! You've automatically made my day 100% better with this news. Now we just need a DVD release.
September 1, 2010 at 11:59AM EST Reply to Comment
Paul C

I was so sad when the credits came up on the last episode as it meant that this terrific series had come to a premature end.

The last 2 are really solid, as you'd expect.
September 1, 2010 at 12:14PM EST Reply to Comment
klg19

Sigh. A bittersweet pleasure, at best.

The cancellation of this brilliant show makes me hate everything there is about the network system.
September 1, 2010 at 12:15PM EST Reply to Comment
Bgklein

After watching them think we can get one last review?
September 1, 2010 at 12:54PM EST Reply to Comment
mad about Madmen

Write a comment...
September 1, 2010 at 1:13PM EST Reply to Comment
Ace

I will definitely be watching these on Netflix as soon as I get home this afternoon. I loved this show and will be sad when the last two are gone. Bye Phil and Lem. :(
September 1, 2010 at 1:16PM EST Reply to Comment
mad about Madmen

Alan, thank you soooo much for this information!
I can't begin to tell you how much I cursed the Lakers and Celtics!
I can't think of a better way to end my summer by viewing this incredibly ingenious, intellligent, and hilarious comedy. I will miss those commercials and, mostly Lem and Phil. :(

September 1, 2010 at 1:27PM EST Reply to Comment
fred

Those two episodes are just excellent, which is no surprise of course.

That said, ep. 12 is certainly one of the best/most hilarious episode of the show ever!
September 1, 2010 at 2:04PM EST Reply to Comment
- Agree on episode 12. When Lem tried to welcome Linda onto the "Friend ship", that scene had me in tears.
  September 2, 2010 at 4:57AM EST
- JB Also agree about Ep. 12. Veronica's line about the ankles and the wood...maybe the best in the series.
  September 2, 2010 at 10:01AM EST
Kevin

This is both happy and sad news. I was even thinking about "Ted" the other day when I was doing some business research. I came across a company's website that had a video that so reminded me of the Viridian Dynamics spots I was laughing in my cubicle. Here's to the best corporate comedy.
September 1, 2010 at 2:41PM EST Reply to Comment
J

HOORAY. Thanks for this.
September 1, 2010 at 3:23PM EST Reply to Comment
Dudleys Mom

Thank you for posting this! I'm getting a little desperate for new content right about now. Hey...maybe that's why it was realized NOW.
September 1, 2010 at 4:57PM EST Reply to Comment
- Dudleys Mom I meant to type, why it was **released** now. I long for the ability to edit comments...
  September 1, 2010 at 4:58PM EST
Wow, the episodes hit Australia first? So weird. I don't have pay so I didn't see them when they aired here.

They were excellent, as was the whole series. Sometimes I think that for every great show that goes on too long there's a couple of great ones that finish short and deserved to be remembered as cult classics for enthusiasts to talk about in that vain for a long time.

This was an excellent cast, I love Andrea Anders in this.

A bit like Party Down, the Ted and Linda scenes and the Henry and Casey scenes are just so awesome, but it different ways. The pudding scene in the finale was brilliant. Ted/Linda is the rapid fire writing that I love, whereas the Henry/Casey season two stuff was slower and more subtle.
September 1, 2010 at 10:38PM EST Reply to Comment
Damn, I didn't even know it got canceled. I mean, last I remember we were all celebrating over it's renewal for season two. Has it really been that long?
September 2, 2010 at 1:22AM EST Reply to Comment
anon

Any word of a season 2 DVD release date?
September 2, 2010 at 8:42AM EST Reply to Comment
Just watched the two missing episodes last night. It is a real shame that this a great show had to suffer such an ignominious death.
September 2, 2010 at 11:12AM EST Reply to Comment
- Sean ABC mishandled this show from the very beginning, like they've done with a lot of other sitcoms over the last few years.
  
  The network did a similarly poor job on Judy Greer's "Miss Guided" by debuting the show in March (just like BoT), which is an odd month to begin a run, and not pairing it with another strong sitcom. It seems ABC didn't really get it right until they firmly established the Wednesday night comedy block to roll out alongside the rest of the September fall premieres.
  
  Still, youâ€™d think ABC could have squeezed in these last two episodes of BoT at some point over the summer. It would have fit it nicely with â€œThe Middleâ€, â€œModern Familyâ€ and â€œCougar Townâ€ repeats.
  
  September 2, 2010 at 7:01PM EST
hmm2

Alan:

Thanks for telling us. Will you be reviewing them?
September 2, 2010 at 11:49PM EST Reply to Comment
MJ

thanks so much for letting me knowâ€¦. i had no clue, and would've been very unhappy if i never found this out. Stillâ€¦.. sigh.
September 2, 2010 at 11:52PM EST Reply to Comment
Build A Better Fan

Just watched the whole series for the first time on Netflix Instant. Loved the first season, the second was noticeably less good.

Thanks for pointing it out (as well as the awesome YouTube clip!). I can't stand a lot of sitcoms, but this one had some absolute classics. Too bad Nielsen households didn't catch on years before I did.
September 3, 2010 at 9:50PM EST Reply to Comment

'Better Off Ted': The last two episodes are here! (Just not on TV)

Alan Sepinwall Recaps & Reviews

Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Pennywise Alan, you're breaking my heart. The way you say "with the new season about to begin" it's like you're saying the new season of Ted. Quit playing games with my heart.

anthonystrand Wonderful! I know what I'm doing at lunch today!

ADKid25 Thank you for the heads-up! You've automatically made my day 100% better with this news. Now we just need a DVD release.

Paul C I was so sad when the credits came up on the last episode as it meant that this terrific series had come to a premature end. The last 2 are really solid, as you'd expect.

klg19 Sigh. A bittersweet pleasure, at best.The cancellation of this brilliant show makes me hate everything there is about the network system.

Bgklein After watching them think we can get one last review?

mad about Madmen Write a comment...

Ace I will definitely be watching these on Netflix as soon as I get home this afternoon. I loved this show and will be sad when the last two are gone. Bye Phil and Lem. :(

fred Those two episodes are just excellent, which is no surprise of course.That said, ep. 12 is certainly one of the best/most hilarious episode of the show ever!

Agree on episode 12. When Lem tried to welcome Linda onto the "Friend ship", that scene had me in tears.

JB Also agree about Ep. 12. Veronica's line about the ankles and the wood...maybe the best in the series.

Kevin This is both happy and sad news. I was even thinking about "Ted" the other day when I was doing some business research. I came across a company's website that had a video that so reminded me of the Viridian Dynamics spots I was laughing in my cubicle. Here's to the best corporate comedy.

J HOORAY. Thanks for this.

Dudleys Mom Thank you for posting this! I'm getting a little desperate for new content right about now. Hey...maybe that's why it was realized NOW.

Dudleys Mom I meant to type, why it was **released** now. I long for the ability to edit comments...

Damn, I didn't even know it got canceled. I mean, last I remember we were all celebrating over it's renewal for season two. Has it really been that long?

anon Any word of a season 2 DVD release date?

Just watched the two missing episodes last night. It is a real shame that this a great show had to suffer such an ignominious death.

hmm2 Alan:Thanks for telling us. Will you be reviewing them?

MJ thanks so much for letting me knowâ€¦. i had no clue, and would've been very unhappy if i never found this out. Stillâ€¦.. sigh.

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever What's Alan Watching is updated

Around the Web

News From Our Partners

About HitFix

Advertise on HitFix

Subscribe to HitFix

Popular Topics

Pennywise

Alan, you're breaking my heart. The way you say "with the new season about to begin" it's like you're saying the new season of Ted. Quit playing games with my heart.

anthonystrand

Wonderful! I know what I'm doing at lunch today!

ADKid25

Thank you for the heads-up! You've automatically made my day 100% better with this news. Now we just need a DVD release.

Paul C

I was so sad when the credits came up on the last episode as it meant that this terrific series had come to a premature end.

The last 2 are really solid, as you'd expect.

klg19

Sigh. A bittersweet pleasure, at best.

The cancellation of this brilliant show makes me hate everything there is about the network system.

Bgklein

After watching them think we can get one last review?

mad about Madmen

Write a comment...

Ace

I will definitely be watching these on Netflix as soon as I get home this afternoon. I loved this show and will be sad when the last two are gone. Bye Phil and Lem. :(

fred

Those two episodes are just excellent, which is no surprise of course.

That said, ep. 12 is certainly one of the best/most hilarious episode of the show ever!

Kevin

This is both happy and sad news. I was even thinking about "Ted" the other day when I was doing some business research. I came across a company's website that had a video that so reminded me of the Viridian Dynamics spots I was laughing in my cubicle. Here's to the best corporate comedy.

J

HOORAY. Thanks for this.

Dudleys Mom

Thank you for posting this! I'm getting a little desperate for new content right about now. Hey...maybe that's why it was realized NOW.

Dudleys Mom I meant to type, why it was released now. I long for the ability to edit comments...

anon

Any word of a season 2 DVD release date?

hmm2

Alan:

Thanks for telling us. Will you be reviewing them?

MJ

thanks so much for letting me knowâ€¦. i had no clue, and would've been very unhappy if i never found this out. Stillâ€¦.. sigh.

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever
What's Alan Watching is updated