A selection of BBC programmes can be bought from the iTunes Store in the UK

Starting today, BBC Worldwide, the main commercial arm of the corporation, has released a number of previously aired programmes.

They include the latest episodes of Torchwood, Life On Mars, Little Britain and Spooks, so fans can catch up with episodes they may have missed or would like to see again.

Recently aired programmes, such as Ashes to Ashes, will be available on iTunes after appearing on the BBC iPlayer.

Each episode can be downloaded from iTunes for £1.89 and then viewed on a Mac or PC, video iPod, iPhone or Apple TV.

"We want to give audiences a wide variety of options on how and where to view their favourite BBC shows,” said BBC Worldwide Director of Digital Media Simon Danker. "With more people choosing to watch TV shows on iPods, fans of series such as The Mighty Boosh and The Catherine Tate Show can now enjoy those shows wherever they are."

The corporation said making programmes available on iTunes complements its existing deals with online outlets such as Youtube and Myspace, and Project Kangaroo, its recently announced Video on Demand (VoD) service with ITV and C4.