No Right Answer: Best Way to Watch TV - Binge Viewing or Week to Week?
- Thread starter Firefilm
- Start date
It sounds like the complaint is that some people can't control themselves when a good show has available episodes so they want the option taken away from everyone so that they don't do that to themselves.
This isn't something I appreciate people advocating they control for me. It's insulting, frankly. I'm a big boy and I know when to go to bed. I've got all kinds of entertainment at my disposal that could keep me busy every waking moment and yet somehow we find the strength to go to bed and go to work.
Look, just make all the shows available when possible and let viewers decide what to do with it. Don't make those of us who can actually control our impulses suffer because others lack self control. That's ridiculous, like removing soda from shelves because there are fat people who are addicted to them. People who want to mete it out over time can do that with all episodes released at once but people who just want to binge watch can't if you make it time-released.
The only middle ground I can think of is if they released a few episodes at a time. Some binge watching, some arbitrary totalitarian control. But even then, the insult is still there that I can't view content that has already been made because you can't handle it being there to your detriment.
As far as network TV, I understand that it's all about the adds. I get that they have to have it as weekly releases and that they have to have ads in it. Netflix is just looking for subscribers to their service so ads are a non-issue. Huluplus has the subscription angle that benefits one huge spike to get people subscribed too and they also have generally successful ads that can't be blocked as far as I'm aware. So binge watching works great for them. TV services are also generally perfecting On Demand that prevents fast forwarding over the adds. So the solution isn't full release or weekly releases on their end, it's really just about making sure the ads can't be blocked. If the ads have to be watched then they really shouldn't give a rat's ass over whether or not people watch them instantly or over weeks. It's the same amount of money in the bank for them.
As for the article that brought this up. For it to be a legitimate study on the comparison of the spike you'd have to have two or more examples of shows with similar fan bases/popularity to compare. Then you have to see if the total area on the graph under the one large spike for multiple episodic releases are greater or less than the total sum of the smaller spikes for the episodic release. If the difference is more or less for one then I guess that's saying something. But really it comes down to number of clicks. Who cares about social buzz if one show gets clicked a million more times? Maybe the two don't necessarily correlate if one large spike actually generates more clicks overall even if the amount of buzz over the life of the season is different? It certainly deserves to be reviewed but these are significant criticisms of the study.
This isn't something I appreciate people advocating they control for me. It's insulting, frankly. I'm a big boy and I know when to go to bed. I've got all kinds of entertainment at my disposal that could keep me busy every waking moment and yet somehow we find the strength to go to bed and go to work.
Look, just make all the shows available when possible and let viewers decide what to do with it. Don't make those of us who can actually control our impulses suffer because others lack self control. That's ridiculous, like removing soda from shelves because there are fat people who are addicted to them. People who want to mete it out over time can do that with all episodes released at once but people who just want to binge watch can't if you make it time-released.
The only middle ground I can think of is if they released a few episodes at a time. Some binge watching, some arbitrary totalitarian control. But even then, the insult is still there that I can't view content that has already been made because you can't handle it being there to your detriment.
As far as network TV, I understand that it's all about the adds. I get that they have to have it as weekly releases and that they have to have ads in it. Netflix is just looking for subscribers to their service so ads are a non-issue. Huluplus has the subscription angle that benefits one huge spike to get people subscribed too and they also have generally successful ads that can't be blocked as far as I'm aware. So binge watching works great for them. TV services are also generally perfecting On Demand that prevents fast forwarding over the adds. So the solution isn't full release or weekly releases on their end, it's really just about making sure the ads can't be blocked. If the ads have to be watched then they really shouldn't give a rat's ass over whether or not people watch them instantly or over weeks. It's the same amount of money in the bank for them.
As for the article that brought this up. For it to be a legitimate study on the comparison of the spike you'd have to have two or more examples of shows with similar fan bases/popularity to compare. Then you have to see if the total area on the graph under the one large spike for multiple episodic releases are greater or less than the total sum of the smaller spikes for the episodic release. If the difference is more or less for one then I guess that's saying something. But really it comes down to number of clicks. Who cares about social buzz if one show gets clicked a million more times? Maybe the two don't necessarily correlate if one large spike actually generates more clicks overall even if the amount of buzz over the life of the season is different? It certainly deserves to be reviewed but these are significant criticisms of the study.
Part of the reason my wife and I binge watch some shows is that primarily network TV is notorious now for only showing a few episodes in the new season before deciding to cancel them. I speak for myself that I try to avoid new shows in the first season simply because I don't want to waste my time if they get cancelled. The other reason as was touched on was the ability to not watch ads during the show. Right now our normal TV practice is to let the show record on our PVR for at least 20 minutes and then start watching so we can skip through the ads, by doing that we can usually catch up to the end of the show pretty much right as it finishes in real time.
Really the answer is British telly. Ignoring soaps, gameshows, etc. - when it comes to proper drama, the British format is to script and shoot a whole series at once, often months before airing - sure that means our series are 6 or 12 episodes generally, but they will always have a strongly consistent story that was fully scripted and directed by one or two people, rather than made up week by week in a writers room.
It then means our weekly instalments are individually much better because they connect much more strongly to the whole series.
Plus if it's the BBC there's no adverts anyway =D
Fundamentally, good tv dramas are designed to have suspense and pacing built in to them, so to binge watch if anything lessens their impact.
It then means our weekly instalments are individually much better because they connect much more strongly to the whole series.
Plus if it's the BBC there's no adverts anyway =D
Fundamentally, good tv dramas are designed to have suspense and pacing built in to them, so to binge watch if anything lessens their impact.
I agree. Nobody should be Lost.
As for the topic:
They can get rid of it, but it won't change the way I watch the shows. And I kind of wonder if it'd change the way most of us watch the shows.
I do get that we're an instant gratification culture, but the DVD model has been driving things along since basically the advent of season collections in the first place. We've been binge watching longer than there was Netflix and in a world where people can download off iTunes or stream instantly, DVD/BD still drive sales.
If there's one thing increasing cable prices taught me, it's that I can wait. I can wait the six months to a year to get it on DVD and I can often wait even longer to watch it on Netflix.
Also, 24's inconsistencies are bad no matter the timeframe.
There may be no right answer, but this is definitely my answer.
Good episode, though.
As for the topic:
They can get rid of it, but it won't change the way I watch the shows. And I kind of wonder if it'd change the way most of us watch the shows.
I do get that we're an instant gratification culture, but the DVD model has been driving things along since basically the advent of season collections in the first place. We've been binge watching longer than there was Netflix and in a world where people can download off iTunes or stream instantly, DVD/BD still drive sales.
If there's one thing increasing cable prices taught me, it's that I can wait. I can wait the six months to a year to get it on DVD and I can often wait even longer to watch it on Netflix.
Also, 24's inconsistencies are bad no matter the timeframe.
There may be no right answer, but this is definitely my answer.
Good episode, though.
I disagree with the idea that being given a block of shows is intimidating to a potential viewer. If I'm cruising through Netflix and I see something I'm interested in that has 40, 60, 100+ episodes, I think, "This must be pretty good or it wouldn't have gotten this far." Being fed one episode at a time only increases the chances that I'll miss an episode, hope that I can find a rerun/online version before next week's episode airs, and either put pressure on myself to watch a TV show or to drop off it entirely.
On the other hand, there's things like Sherlock where I plowed through 3 seasons in under a week because there are only 3 episodes per season. I understand the frustration of wanting another season but having to wait a subjective eternity for the producers to finish their work.
On the other hand, there's things like Sherlock where I plowed through 3 seasons in under a week because there are only 3 episodes per season. I understand the frustration of wanting another season but having to wait a subjective eternity for the producers to finish their work.
Usually the only time I binge watch is if I am catching up on a series I missed or it's something I've already seen.
I'm going to give this one to Chris. Binge watching, whether by Netflix, hulu, DVR, or DVD box-sets has the advantage of giving you the viewer control of when and for how long you watch however many episodes of a show you feel like. Another plus is that many shows really do have many inter-weaving story lines that run in a single season (Game of Thrones) so you can wait at least 40+ minutes to see where this plot thread or that is going, instead of waiting a whole week. We viewers, thanks to school and work and other real world stuff to do, can easily forget quite a bit in a week.
Binge watching is definitely better, but it does have its disadvantages. Sometimes I've watched something and wanted to talk about it or rant about how bad it was like Kyle said, but I can't because I would have to necro a thread. The best thing to do is watch a show after its finished entirely but of course if people did that there would be no TV. The problem with bingeing a season of a current show like I do with Supernatural etc is that when I watch a season its been an entire year since the last season, rather than 3 months, so I can't remember a dam thing that happened.
There IS a way of making a sweeping declaration.
Getting the whole season is best. It gives you choice. In fact, I sometimes save entire seasons for that specific purpose. There is nothing more frustrating than watching a GREAT episode of one of my fav shows....only to realize towards the last 5 minutes that this is gonna end on one hell of a cliffhanger....if I WANT to watch another episode, and I have the time...then I can.
Choice is the important thing here. No one is forcing you to binge watch if you dont want to, but publishers CAN force you to go once a week.
Choice is always the best...er...choice.
Getting the whole season is best. It gives you choice. In fact, I sometimes save entire seasons for that specific purpose. There is nothing more frustrating than watching a GREAT episode of one of my fav shows....only to realize towards the last 5 minutes that this is gonna end on one hell of a cliffhanger....if I WANT to watch another episode, and I have the time...then I can.
Choice is the important thing here. No one is forcing you to binge watch if you dont want to, but publishers CAN force you to go once a week.
Choice is always the best...er...choice.
I'm going to speak in anime terms here, because, really, it's media, and it airs on a weekly basis, so, yeah.
Some of the anime I've watched, that I find least memorable, I watched in a period of 2-3 days. Gode Geass? Can't tell you the plot, other than mechs, super powered eye, war, and awkward spaghetti with C.C., along with some other minor details. Eureka Seven? I remember the outline, but I can't pick too many moments off of the show, and while I was obsessed with it back then, I don't care to remember it now. Gundam Seed Destiny? I remember like 3 major points of the whole show. I can recognize the characters, that's about it. Mirai Nikki? That doesn't count because I watched it like 3 times, but I guess the point I'm trying to make is that binge watching might give you the same memorable experience as a week-to-week schedule if you watch all of the episodes three times or more.
Now, for shows I've watched week to week. Nanana's Buried Treasure or whatever. Pretty mediocre, but it has some original ideas (I guess, still mediocre). I disliked it, but I remember it well, and I pondered it much more than anything mentioned above (except for Yuno kill4 Yukki), and received enjoyment and emotional returns accordingly. Kill la Kill? Okay, to be fair, I binge watched the first like 7 episodes. Still. Most memorable show for me. It probably sucks. I'll never know. Because I had that week in between each episode to ponder and overthink it to death, it made sense to me; my character's name in multiple games is SatsukiSenpai.
Don't get me wrong. I'm watching two shows as they air right now (mainly one that I care about - Sword Art Online II), and I want to see the next episode. I'd sell my soul to be able to binge watch it. I can't wait until this saturday, so I can find out what happens next. That half hour will be one of the best half hours of my week (or worst, because anime is still anime), and while the other 167.5 hours will basically be me waiting for the next episode to come, in the back of my mind, I can't help but feel that this is better than binge watching, even when it strictly comes down to personal enjoyment.
I'm not miserable right now. I don't feel like my life is empty. The episode at the end of the week is basically a mini-christmas. That would suck if my present wasn't basically something to ponder and digest for the next week so I don't overthink something stupid like my comments on The Escapist or something.
Some of the anime I've watched, that I find least memorable, I watched in a period of 2-3 days. Gode Geass? Can't tell you the plot, other than mechs, super powered eye, war, and awkward spaghetti with C.C., along with some other minor details. Eureka Seven? I remember the outline, but I can't pick too many moments off of the show, and while I was obsessed with it back then, I don't care to remember it now. Gundam Seed Destiny? I remember like 3 major points of the whole show. I can recognize the characters, that's about it. Mirai Nikki? That doesn't count because I watched it like 3 times, but I guess the point I'm trying to make is that binge watching might give you the same memorable experience as a week-to-week schedule if you watch all of the episodes three times or more.
Now, for shows I've watched week to week. Nanana's Buried Treasure or whatever. Pretty mediocre, but it has some original ideas (I guess, still mediocre). I disliked it, but I remember it well, and I pondered it much more than anything mentioned above (except for Yuno kill4 Yukki), and received enjoyment and emotional returns accordingly. Kill la Kill? Okay, to be fair, I binge watched the first like 7 episodes. Still. Most memorable show for me. It probably sucks. I'll never know. Because I had that week in between each episode to ponder and overthink it to death, it made sense to me; my character's name in multiple games is SatsukiSenpai.
Don't get me wrong. I'm watching two shows as they air right now (mainly one that I care about - Sword Art Online II), and I want to see the next episode. I'd sell my soul to be able to binge watch it. I can't wait until this saturday, so I can find out what happens next. That half hour will be one of the best half hours of my week (or worst, because anime is still anime), and while the other 167.5 hours will basically be me waiting for the next episode to come, in the back of my mind, I can't help but feel that this is better than binge watching, even when it strictly comes down to personal enjoyment.
I'm not miserable right now. I don't feel like my life is empty. The episode at the end of the week is basically a mini-christmas. That would suck if my present wasn't basically something to ponder and digest for the next week so I don't overthink something stupid like my comments on The Escapist or something.
One of the disadvantages to binge watching I've found is that when binge watching it's hard for it to sink in. Like I don't even remember all the shows that I've binge watched.
Honestly I think it depends in part on the type of show, some shows it's a lot easier to "OD" on to the point you get sick of them, others work better back-to-back, it's also partly down to the individual viewer and what feels right for them, some people have the time to binge watch and can digest all that content in a short span of time, others like having anticipation for next week.
Really depends on the show.
Take something slice-of-lifey, like Friends. There is no way in hell you could get me to watch all that in a row. For the first few seasons it's like it doesn't even HAVE a narrative, it's very week-to-week and the episodes are almost completely detached.
Then you take something like Attack on Titan. I watched a single episode of that and realised I was going to have to binge it, otherwise the suspense would kill me. Sure enough, I binged on it a couple of weeks ago and I'm so glad I waited. The story was tight, the character development logical (even the comic relief Potato Girl couldn't remain so gormless in the face of that kind of horror) and they give you just enough mystery and just enough answers to keep you interested.
Except the lab. Fuck that lab. We were promised the Goddamned lab and after 26 episodes we STILL didn't get it.
Take something slice-of-lifey, like Friends. There is no way in hell you could get me to watch all that in a row. For the first few seasons it's like it doesn't even HAVE a narrative, it's very week-to-week and the episodes are almost completely detached.
Then you take something like Attack on Titan. I watched a single episode of that and realised I was going to have to binge it, otherwise the suspense would kill me. Sure enough, I binged on it a couple of weeks ago and I'm so glad I waited. The story was tight, the character development logical (even the comic relief Potato Girl couldn't remain so gormless in the face of that kind of horror) and they give you just enough mystery and just enough answers to keep you interested.
Except the lab. Fuck that lab. We were promised the Goddamned lab and after 26 episodes we STILL didn't get it.
The binge method seems to be becoming the most in-demand method of delivering content, especially with the younger generation. On-demand & Streaming will likely become the new normal over the next few years, with legacy week-to-week cable programming only existing for a declining audience.
People want content. And they want it when they want to watch it, and where they want to watch it. 6am on your cell phone while riding the train into work? Streaming has you covered. Noon at lunch time on the office PC? Ditto there. And even if people have to wait X months for the next season of something, they'll no doubt be enjoying another bunch of programs in the meantime.
On-demand is the future!
People want content. And they want it when they want to watch it, and where they want to watch it. 6am on your cell phone while riding the train into work? Streaming has you covered. Noon at lunch time on the office PC? Ditto there. And even if people have to wait X months for the next season of something, they'll no doubt be enjoying another bunch of programs in the meantime.
On-demand is the future!