Bingeing TV shows vs. weekly watching

[Jon AS]

Since this was turning into a derail in the Arrow thread Jaxom suggested starting a new topic. Not sure I've got much to add to what I already said there, but if I do I'll put it here.

I'll copy some stuff from the other thread here.

I had a reply earlier. The 503 floob error ate it.

Suffice to say, I prefer being able to talk about a show and dissecting it with others week to week. I really do feel it enhances the experience. I think weekly coverage and fan discussion/dissection can help a show chart a better course if it starts listlessly. Provided a show is given the time, of course.

I get some prefer to digest their television differently. I won't ever tell you that you shouldn't enjoy what Netflix can do. I don't. It's a personal choice. I realize I'm likely in a minority.

The "concept of Netflix" to me is being able to watch a lot of content for a reasonable price without having to follow anybody else's schedule. It's what I've been waiting the entire media landscape to shift towards since first getting broadband access. The only downside with the current state of the market is that, thanks to antiquated distribution models holding back progress, content is scattered over a variety of platforms and occasionally not available at all, depending on which country you live in.

As such, while I sympathise with the sentiment that releasing all episodes of a show at once may be somewhat detrimental to the parts of the experience that more or less require a more sedate pace of consumption, I feel that it is nonetheless important that this release model allows for me to go at my own speed, just as I can do with pretty much any other form of entertainment, instead of having my leisure time activities scheduled by some network's marketing department.

I actually have the first two seasons of House of Cards. Watched four of them so far. Then all of the other stuff I enjoy came back on and I haven't been able to go back to it. I like it. I do. I can't for the life of me think of how to have a decent discussion about it though as I'm aware of how some things do end up due to the prevalence of information or there. And here? Start a beginners thread to discuss it and is impossible to keep riff raff out.

House of Cards is pretty funny, but it's also not a show that I'm really interested in discussing.

I think we've had some success with threads where certain groundrules are established from the get go. A Daredevil thread with a pre-determined slower pace would probably work pretty well, provided it's not the only thread for discussing the show.

[DaveSumm]

If this model takes off, the period of time where Internet forums existed alongside TV shows will be ever smaller: 50 years without, 10 with, then Netflix. I actually wouldn't have a problem with weekly episodes though, hopefully they'll try it with a series and not see a loss in revenue. I'm certainly pretty miffed I've finished Daredevil, which occupies one single weekend of my life so far. It deserves more. I can't for a second imagine I could ever feel the same way toward a series finale like Lost if I'd blitzed it in one sitting, you've gotta live that sort of thing for years.

So I suppose I'm pro weekly viewing, but not for discussion purposes. I worry that discussion on the internet stunts my own opinion on things, I get sucked into the echo chamber and end up getting brought down by negative points, or not enjoying aspects I used to because others have pointed out flaws. I usually try and stay away from discussions if I start a series but always end up failing.

[Dr. Pepper]

I've never experienced an issue not being able to discuss a Netflix show at a pace I prefer. On this particular forum, it might be difficult since it's very limited. But in real life or on dedicated tv forums, I can discuss as I please as they are able to create dedicated forums for each show and then dedicated threads for each episode of that show. I'm probably not going to use this forum to discuss a Netflix show if I am not going to watch that show within a week or two. For example, after the first episode of Marco Polo, I quit visiting that thread here because I decided to go on a once a month viewing schedule.

I don't really worry about spoilers as this is the only place where I've ever encountered issues with spoilers. In one thread, a poster will come in and tell us all when one piece of speculation is a book spoiler. In another thread, general unintentional carelessness might lead to big spoiler reveals. Elsewhere online, it's just something that I never even have to shield myself from. It might help that I don't do social media beyond having a near blank facebook page to see pictures of my nieces and nephew.

In short, I like the Netflix model as it offers me a lot more choices in how and when I view something.

[sj4iy]

My personal preference is to binge watch (or read, or listen, depending on the form of entertainment)...when things are too drawn out, I either tend to get busy and forget about it or get too anxious about it because I want to see the next episode.

In fact, I just finished binge watching Daredevil...and it was great. It was one of those that really lends itself to it, because it's not really episodic storytelling...everything flows.

However, if I'm watching a series with my husband, I wait for him. It's our time together, and I don't want to watch ahead of him.

[drawkcabi]

When Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine were running new episodes, I'd record them every week on VHS. When my nephews would come over for a visit we'd watch a bunch of episodes at once.

I remember lamenting that I wish I could see them for the first time like that, all at once.

Now with Netflix, I can. There is something I enjoy with a series that airs one episode a week and having a chance to digest and discuss each episode for a week. I really like it now, where some shows are like Daredevil, House of Cards, and Orange is the New Black, an entire season up at once to binge watch. Then other shows are like Mad Men, Better Call Saul, The Flash, and Arrow, one a week.

It's the best of both worlds, I hope the Netflix method stays but never completely takes over the one show a week method either.

[RedEyedGhost]

Netflix has a show coming up that will be released one per week (and they did that with Better Call Saul in countries that do not have AMC). I can't remember the name or the big name actress lead, but I read about it on hitfix a couple of months ago.

[Jack Bauer 24]

I'm all for a good binge :)

Weekly is nice to because I like anticipating the nights my shows come on.

[The Mance]

I love the binge experience. For me the biggest reasons i engage in any sort of discussion about weekly episodes is either to speculate about what is coming next in whatever show I'm following, or else to fill the vacant hole in my heart with some sort of show related chatter while I wait impatiently for the next episode. Bingeing eliminates the need for both of those things.

As far as enjoying the anticipation, or any sort of shared ritual experience, meh. I had more than enough of that growing up. Along with sweating the possibility of (dum dum duuummm) missing an episode! :tantrum:

No thanks, I'll take my instant gratification with a side of no commercials, pleasethankyou.

[Davrum]

I prefer to bingewatch because in this busy modern world it's so easy to forget details after 7 days (and/or 10 freakin' months!) of waiting for the next episode.

Unfortunately it's also because of this busy modern world I don't get time to bingewatch.

[Jaxom 1974]

House of Cats is funny?

Another issue I have, and it's minor, is who has the time to watch thirteen hours of a show in one or two days?

[DivisionByZero]

House of Cats is funny?

Another issue I have, and it's minor, is who has the time to watch thirteen hours of a show in one or two days?

House of Cats? I can picture that, actually. In fact, being the internet, I bet there already is a version of House of Cards played by cats out there somewhere.

[Dr. Pepper]

Another issue I have, and it's minor, is who has the time to watch thirteen hours of a show in one or two days?

People who enjoy tv. People who like to spend a weekend involved in a favored hobby. People who either don't have kids, like to involve their kids in their hobby if appropriate, whose kids have early bed times, or whose kids have their own activities going on. Mostly, spending lots of time on tv really isn't different than spending lots of time on many other activities.

[Jaxom 1974]

People who enjoy tv. People who like to spend a weekend involved in a favored hobby. People who either don't have kids, like to involve their kids in their hobby if appropriate, whose kids have early bed times, or whose kids have their own activities going on. Mostly, spending lots of time on tv really isn't different than spending lots of time on many other activities.

So mainly twenty somethings who aren't overly invested in life yet. Got it. Good on you if you can get away with that.

[Dr. Pepper]

So mainly twenty somethings who aren't overly invested in life yet. Got it. Good on you if you can get away with that.

Right, because people who have a hobbies are somehow not "overly invested in life yet", as though tv isn't something that exists or 'life' can only occur in one certain way.

[Jon AS]

House of Cats is funny?

Assuming we're not talking about some adorable fan recreation involving kittens (which, come to think of it, would also be funny), it's simply so preposterous while simultaneously taking itself quite seriously which combines to make it rather amusing.

[red snow]

My version of binge watching is "an episode a day until I finish". That's all I really have time for.

It's also because there's so many shows I'd like to watch that it's too tricky finding a pattern to watch them on release (Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays always seem stacked for me)

I'm not sure why but

Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, True Detecitve Flash and Arrow make it on to my weekly schedule (Black Sails will be next year too!). I think it's because they all have easy plots to follow at breakfast/before work (that's when I watch most TV) and/or also because they are shows that I like discussing at work or on the forum. In terms of shows that are popular in the workplace it's too much of a spoiler risk not to see it - the forum is better behaved in this regard.

I think it's cool that people now have the choice to watch things at their own speed. It's nothing that new as being from the UK, there's been a fairly long history of some shows only coming out on DVD (or even video). I guess i got into binge watching as a student as my dad would record buffy/angel/stargate/X-files etc and I'd collect the vast number of video tapes at vacation and watch them all. I guess students have long holidays with nothing to do!

The internet just makes it so much easier to watch whatever you want whenever. And Netflix give you the option to watch a whole season instantly.

[Greywolf2375]

My preference is to see the shows as they come out - maybe not the night of the show, but at least within that week. I don't mind spoilers, but I do enjoy the current discussion of a show and I feel that if I go more than a day later I'm way behind and dragging the conversation backwards.

[OnionAhaiReborn]

I don't particularly care, my desire to discuss most shows episode by episode is pretty limited. I think in most cases it won't make a difference to my enjoyment whether I watch in quick succession or week by week.

Although I will say that last year's True Detective mania was a lot of fun, and I can't imagine that having happened if the show hadn't been released week by week. I'll probably be enjoying the build up to Mad Men's finale in a similar way, as the media frenzy intensifies.

[3CityApache]

My version of binge watching is "an episode a day until I finish". That's all I really have time for.

This exactly. Sometimes, if the show is really enjoyable, I can manage two episodes in one go. But usually I don't mind waiting a week for another episode. A few exceptions I can think of include Shameless, I could watch it constantly if I could.

[Jaxom 1974]

Right, because people who have a hobbies are somehow not "overly invested in life yet", as though tv isn't something that exists or 'life' can only occur in one certain way.

Look. You're the one who answered a rhetorical question with a shitty response dripping with entitlement. Get over yourself.