 |
| Above: Four of my favorite on-demand shows |
I’ve never followed more than one or two television series
at a time. Years ago, I tuned in weekly to “The Simpsons,” “The X-Files,” “Ally
McBeal” (something I could watch with my wife), “Star Trek Voyager,” and
Gilmore Girls. (Yes, I watched “Gilmore Girls.” I admit it. I developed a crush
on Lauren Graham in the process. But hey, it was a good show).
Today, with the seamless integration of on-demand viewing services
like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and others, it’s become tempting to binge-watch
any show at anytime.
 |
| The restless Rick Grimes as played by Andrew Lincoln |
Binge watching has come in handy for me. “Battlestar
Galactica,” “Family Guy,” “Daredevil,” “Devious Maids,” “Vikings,” and oldies
like Columbo have fit the bill at one time or another. While my current roster of weekly
broadcast shows include “The Walking Dead” and not much else, I take advantage
of the many options where I can watch other shows at my own pace.
 |
| Walter White and company |
I recently finished the entire 5 seasons of “Breaking Bad”
on Netflix. There have been many accolades of this AMC original series, all
deservedly so. I wasn’t as tuned-in as everyone else was to “Breaking Bad”
when it was first broadcast on AMC.
I heard amazing things about it, not just from friends and associates,
but from news shows like NPR’s Fresh air. When I was shopping around a TV pilot
a few years ago, industry professionals were saying the best writing was being
done in television. It’s easy to
agree with them.
 |
| Marvel's "Daredevil," a Netflix original series, renewed for a second season |
What makes viewers carve time out of their busy schedules to
watch show after show in one sitting? What ‘triggers’ lead to watching the
latest original series on Netflix or Amazon? Holidays, bad weather, days off
from work, romantic time together, break-ups and surfing the web all may be
contributors. The bottom line is that at some point we all want to be
entertained, and we all want to experience the plethora of emotions that accompany
storytelling.
New Yorker’s have come a long way since WHT, (Wometco Home
Theater) and hot cable boxes.
Before the rise of cable service we had 7 channels to choose from. After
school, the 4:30 movie was a bonus for highly edited versions of “Planet of the
Apes,” “Godzilla,” or “The Great Escape.”
Most Mets and Yankees baseball games were televised, easy to find, and a
staple for summer nights. If you weren’t lucky enough to catch the “Six Million
Dollar Man” or “Emergency” in its original broadcast time slot, you had to wait
a few months and search TV guide for a rerun.
 |
| Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha: Don't mess with the dress! |
Today, click, scroll, select, sample, nestle in, watch and
off you go. There is no limit to what viewers watch, or how much. Like a book
too good to put down, we want to keep turning the page to see what happens next
in our chosen series. With smart
TV’s in our living rooms, mobile apps in our pocket and laptops in our offices,
binge watching is a few clicks away (get a good Internet service).
"House of Cards?” Tom Cruise marathon? “Modern
Marvels,” “National Geographic,” Disney Animation, or “The Office?” All are
here, for your downfall or delight
I still haven’t been compelled to watch Lost, Mad Men or
Orange is the New Black. Give it time. With today’s multiple viewing options,
anything is possible.
