Free and legal: Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann

The Internet really is the future of your television needs. Whether you buy shows on iTunes, or use peer to peer tech, it’s a safe wager that the majority of you likely have a mix of Internet and broadcast television viewing habits.

At Televised Revolution, we believe that television should be good. And free. So, with this in mind, we’re seeking to highlight the TV distributors that are doing it right and putting up their shows for consumption unbound by geography, or saddled with the need to download additional software.

Recent weeks have been very US news-centric with the recent inauguration of Barack Obama. There was no finer way to enjoy the reportage of the new President than to watch the left-wing pundits Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann. Both have strong passion for civics, combined with a very healthy sense of wit.

Both now also have their shows available for download to those unable to receive the US MSNBC channel.

For those of you unfamiliar with either host, here is a quick primer:

Keith Olbermann is the host of Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Olbermann started his career as a sports journalist, during which he worked on ESPN’s SportsCenter. He has often been cited as the inspiration for Sports Nights Casey McCall. Every night on Countdown, Olbermann awards a prize for the ‘Worst Person In The World’. He is said to be a total diva off-camera.

Rachel Maddow is the host of The Rachel Maddow Show. Maddow has only been presenting her program since Sept 08 after filling in as a guest host for Keith Olbermann on a few occasions. Quickly, Maddow doubled her timeslots ratings. Maddow was the first openly gay American to win a Rhodes scholarship and has subsequently become the first openly gay anchor of a prime time news program. Reportedly, she does not own a television set.

If you have an interest in US politics and don’t mind a bit of cable television punditry, both MSNBC shows are a sterling example of how politics can be shown to be lively and integral to ones daily lives.

The Rachel Maddow Show and Countdown with Keith Olbermann are available on the MSNBC website and through iTunes.