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.

The Bad
Lost in 8 Minutes (Seven, 1:50pm)- Kudos on the US ABC, or Channel 7, or whomever has created this quick guide to the increasingly intricate Lost. With its former flashbacks, present day oddities, and the newly introduced flash-forwards, the shows jigsaw puzzle has become an exercise in mental torture for many. And then there is tomorrow nights episode that takes it even further with time travel added to the equation. Points are lost, however for scheduling a program entitled “Lost in 8 Minutes” and giving it a timeslot that lasts ten minutes. The rational side of my brain can’t explain why this bothers me.

The Ugly
Back To You (Ten, 8pm)- The fact the program itself is not very good is a big enough hurdle to deal with, but weighing it down with the bitter shrew that is Patricia Heaton is excruciating. I hear that inmates at Guantanamo opt for waterboarding over viewing this show.

The Bad
House (Ten, 8:30pm)- A patient will enter the hospital. House will try to find a cure, fail 3-4 times, then realise the medical ramifications of something obvious about the way they live their lives. The End. Dr MacGuffin MD.

The Ugly
The Mint (Nine, Midnight)- It’s almost enough to have one asking to watch The Night Cap. Almost. Surely there are shows that can generate higher profit than this?

The Bad
The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Nine, 8:30pm)- It’s trashy and bad TV. But, I suspect most of y’all are digging it regardless.

The Ugly
The Night Cap (Seven HD, 9:30pm)- With skeletal Jessica Rowe a regular, the series was going to be a dud. But add to the mix Monique Wright and Paul Murray, and suddenly you have a special form of anthrax designed for your brain. Late night TV was never meant to be this insipid.

The Bad
The Amazing Race (Seven, 7:30pm)- It’s Wacky Races, but with bona fide people. The show certainly peaked several seasons ago, but gosh is this an easy to watch, entertaining series. Just try not to get sucked in.

The Ugly
Spicks & Specks (ABC2 8pm)- Sure, it’s more popular than ever, but is there a more tired-feeling show on the air right now? It’s a shame that the ABC feel compelled to produce so many episodes each year. Surely scaling it back to short seasons a la the UK’s Never Mind The Buzzcocks would maintain the longevity of the franchise.

The Good
Stupid Stupid Man (ABC1 9pm)- Produced originally for TV1 is this moderate to good Australian sitcom set in the world of mens magazines. “Men’s magazine COQ (it’s French for rooster) covers all the cutting edge issues important to today’s man: fast cars, high-achieving sports people and lots of good looking, scantily clad women“. Starring Bob Franklin, Matthew Newton, and Wayne Hope, Stupid Stupid Man is likely to fly under most peoples radars. Especially with Underbelly against it on Nine.

The Bad
Cashmere Mafia (Nine, 9:30pm)- Nine kicks off this new US import series that is from the producers of Sex & The City. Expect more of the same, only a bit more sanitized with the program produced for US free to air.

The Ugly
Back To You (Ten, 8pm)- Considered one of the best US sitcoms to currently be on the air, this new Kelsey Grammer series is proof that the format is most certainly dead. If anybody can name me a quality multi-camera sitcom to be produced post-Seinfeld, I wish you luck!