Apple has opened its iTunes television programme service in the UK, allowing users to buy individual shows in the same way as songs and movies.

The company will initially offer 28 UK and US shows from ABC, Disney, MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Comedy. Apple hopes to expand the content following the launch.

Among the titles included in the launch are US hit shows Lost and Desperate Housewives, and the UK-produced Barrio 19 and Comedy Blue.

The downloads will be priced at £1.89 per episode in the UK and will be playable through iTunes on a Mac, PC, iPod and AppleTV.

Television programmes have been available from the iTunes store since 2005 in the US, where users pay only $1.99 per episode.

By the beginning of this year, more than 50 million shows had been downloaded through the service.

The announcement comes just one week before Apple is scheduled to hold a special event in San Francisco, at which the company is widely expected to unveil a new line of iPod media players.