ITV has joined the BBC and Channel 4 in offering classic programmes over iTunes.

Shows will be priced from £1.89p per episode and fans will be able to download complete series for viewing on PCs, iPods or iPhones.

Classics including Inspector Morse, The Prisoner, The Saint and adaptations of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and Emma will be made available later in the year.

"ITV has thousands of hours of classic content in the archive which we are bringing to a whole new audience via iTunes," said Dawn Airey, managing director of ITV global content.

"Our strategy is to deliver 360-degree value for our content on multiple platforms, and in multiple territories, and our partnership with Apple is a demonstration that we are delivering on that strategy."

BBC programmes, including Life on Mars and Torchwood, and Channel 4 hits, such as Shameless and Skins, are already available via iTunes.

The moves are seen as part of a wider trend towards offering television catch-up services through a variety of channels, and reflect a growing demand by users to view programmes whenever and wherever they want.

The BBC iPlayer, which allows viewers to watch BBC programmes up to seven days after broadcast, boasts 2.2 million users in the three months since its launch.