Besides reducing the amount of blogs I write, this life has also affected the amount of TV I watch. This can be argued as both a good thing and a bad thing, but I know deep down it's a good thing. But I do enjoy watching television and writing about it. I just don't have the time to watch everything I want to. That and many of the shows I enjoy are not something I can really share with my girlfriend as we have some different tastes. Again I'm not complaining. I love spending time with her and WANT to be doing other things besides watching TV by myself. Hopefully if she reads this she takes it the right way...I choose her over things that used to be bigger parts of my life. Things that I know when it comes down to it, are trivial components of life.
One other thing I want to...let's say rant about...is streaming and binge watching. I love the access to television that is available in digital form. For someone who currently doesn't have cable, and therefore no DVR, I need to be able to fine ways to watch the shows I want to watch. Not only that, but I just don't have time to schedule my week around television. Which is fun to think about as there was a time not too long ago when that was your only option if you wanted to watch television. So I enjoy the accessibility, however it has lead me to some frustrations. I apologize now as the people I am complaining about is probably you, and EVERYONE else.
I first had frustrations like this several years back with a favorite show of mine. Arrested Development was a brilliant show that aired for three seasons in the early 2000s. I watched it when it was on, which started on Sunday nights. The show was amazing, but constantly battled low ratings. It won a Best Comedy Series Emmy one season which was a huge accomplishment, yet still low ratings. So eventually it had to be cut short. In retrospect it was probably better suited for a shorter run anyway, but it was sad. What really got me though was a few years down the road when people slowly started finding out about it and watching it. Some of us actually watched it live. There are dozens of us...dozens! But now there were many many more. Had those people given the show a chance when it was on, it might have had an extensive run.
Well now all shows face this dilemma. Sure ratings now take into consideration DVR numbers from delayed viewings, but what about everyone who just waits until old seasons are available on Netflix and other platforms? Really my big complaint is there. Amazon and Hulu do a great job of offering current episodes immediately. Any several channels are offering their shows on stand alone apps (see HBO, FX, Showtime, etc). But I feel like most people I ever hear talking about television are saying "I just started [insert cancelled show here]."
I also feel like I've gone in a different direction than I originally anticipated with this rant. What I also don't love about this is the actual idea of binge watching. People don't have time to plan their time accordingly to watch shows when they're on, but they'll sit on the couch for 5 hours watching episode after episode of a show. It's like you're actually spending more time watching TV now. I am all for catching up on a few episodes in a current season, but watching a full season of an old show over the course of a weekend?! That and I am admittedly a snob about watching shows in real time. I like a lot of shows that are long-form stories. I've never been into episodic procedurals that have a different story each episode. And I don't love a lot of sitcoms, though there are some great ones out there. I really like to immerse myself into a story, waiting a week or a season break for the next part of a story. It gives me time to think about it and when I'm lucky, talk about it with people. You also appreciate it more as the anticipation builds. It's almost numbing finishing one episode and jumping right into the next with no real time to digest what you just watched. I understand that watching shows is just a form of entertainment, but I like the full experience of really thinking about it and developing theories or debating friends on things like "Who do you think Negan killed?", "Is Jon Snow dead or alive?" or "What's in the hatch?"
But I am never going to tell anyone they are doing it wrong. Everyone is entitled to experience television how they want to. And again I enjoy the accessibility of television in all it's various forms. I just miss the days of experiencing shows in real time with people and forever being in fear of accidentally hearing major spoilers. This is completely MY opinion and you are welcome to disagree. I just wanted to express my thoughts.
With that, I will be starting to post my Top TV lists for the past year of television. Which I couldn't do if I waited until everything was on Netflix. Enjoy!