Binge watching ...VS... "One episode per week"

Discussions about Movies & TV shows not "Super" related.
Post Reply
User avatar
Maskripper
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1091
Joined: 7 years ago
Contact:

When it comes to watch the episodes of one season of a TV series, there are basically two options.

I would like to know your opinion about it.
----
You can watch all episodes in long sessions (binge watching) in a matter of days

Examples:
All episodes are released on the same day (streaming)
You buy all episodes (dics or digital)
You wait until all the episodes of a weekly show have been released (which takes around 9 months on a show with more than 20 episodes)

OR

You watch one episode a week (as one episode is released per week)

Example:
You watch the single (weekly) episodes as soon as possible, once a week
-----

Which version do you prefer?
I am sure that many would say, that it is great to have all episodes available at once so you can watch them like you want.
That is somehow right in my opinion,
BUT
the "one episode per week" version has it advantages too:

You can enjoy a season over a matter of up to 9 months.
Every week you watch one episode, you watch the trailer for the next one, and you are looking forward to the next one. The whole week you are thrilled to see the next one. (example: all shows of the Arrowverse)
You can already watch episodes while the filming (for other episodes) is still going on! So you can watch episodes "earlier".
-

Take the upcoming Batwoman show for example.
Let's say they would release all episodes of season 1 on one day.
With my level of excitement around that show...it would end in disaster. Like a kid on christmas, I would rip open all the gifts as quickly as possible (aka watch all the episodes in a matter of days).
Perhaps I could force myself to watch only one episode a day, but even then...it would all be over much quicker.

And I do believe that an episode has a higher "value" when you don't have the option to watch them like you want, when you are forced to wait until next week.
Ok, for many shows I certainly can wait UNTIL all episodes are released.
But when there is a show you are... madly excited about....you won't wait 8 or 9 months until that happens.

In conclusion: For my "most wanted" TV shows...I do love a weekly release. For all other...binge watching is an option.

What do you folks think about it?
Binge watching ..OR... "one episode per week"?
Last edited by Maskripper 4 years ago, edited 2 times in total.
Vist my blog and its Youtube channel:
http://www.maskripper.org
https://www.youtube.com/c/MaskripperOrg

Masked women in action! Superheroines, burglars, villainesses are waiting for you...
User avatar
tallyho
Ambassador
Ambassador
Posts: 5390
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: Land of No Hope and Past Glories

Why not put this as a poll?
How strange are the ways of the gods ...........and how cruel.

I am here to help one and all enjoy this site, so if you have any questions or feel you are being trolled please contact me (Hit the 'CONTACT' little speech bubble below my Avatar).
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

This is a great idea for a subject topic. I am somewhere in the middle on this one. For the series that I have caught in the middle of their run or where the series has already ended, I end up watching anywhere from 4 to 6 episodes per week in order to catch up. I remember when Matthew Weiner's new show came out on Amazon, he pleaded with the company to release the episodes once a week in order to give the episodes room to breathe, for viewers to reflect on them. Even with me doing 4 to 6 episodes a week with the Game of Thrones and the Sopranos, while I definitely enjoyed both series, I do feel that if I had caught both series in real time that I would have enjoyed them more, savored them, appreciated the little nuances that maybe get lost when bulldozing through a season in seven days. I think a good series is like a good wine, one does not just gulp it down, one savors the flavors and textures of the particular vintage. Also, I found that once I finally caught up on the Game of Thrones that I enjoyed the social aspect of watching each new episode and talking with friends about that particular episode. I find that when you binge a series you are on your own little island with no one to talk to, or commiserate with about a particular episode. You can still discuss series that you binge with others it is just that it is easier if either you both binge or watch on the same timeline. I also enjoy the anticipation of eagerly awaiting next week's episode instead of just going from episode 9 to 10.
User avatar
Maskripper
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1091
Joined: 7 years ago
Contact:

bushwackerbob wrote:
4 years ago
I think a good series is like a good wine, one does not just gulp it down, one savors the flavors and textures of the particular vintage. Also, I found that once I finally caught up on the Game of Thrones that I enjoyed the social aspect of watching each new episode and talking with friends about that particular episode. I find that when you binge a series you are on your own little island with no one to talk to, or commiserate with about a particular episode. You can still discuss series that you binge with others it is just that it is easier if either you both binge or watch on the same timeline. I also enjoy the anticipation of eagerly awaiting next week's episode instead of just going from episode 9 to 10.
Indeed, two good reasons for "one episode per week"!
Vist my blog and its Youtube channel:
http://www.maskripper.org
https://www.youtube.com/c/MaskripperOrg

Masked women in action! Superheroines, burglars, villainesses are waiting for you...
User avatar
DrDominator9
Emissary
Emissary
Posts: 2455
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: On the Border of the Neutral Zone

This is a tough call but I think I come down on the side of the bingeing. I never got a chance to see Designated Survivor when it ran. It slipped by me. So when I found it on Netflix it was fantastic to be able to watch the episodes in sequence one after the other and not lose that dramatic impact show after show. So bingeing is my call.
Follow this link to descriptions of my stories and easy links to them:

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=32025
User avatar
tallyho
Ambassador
Ambassador
Posts: 5390
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: Land of No Hope and Past Glories

Dont forget you have had network fuck ups and strikes where the weekly episodes get jumbled up. Always remember American Gothic got affected by the writers strike intermittently over a couple of months and inexplicably the network showed them in the scheduling order regardless of the episodes missed out. They then compounded the error by releasing them in DVD boxed set IN THE SAME BLOODY ORDER so you get 1,2,3,5,7,6,4 etc ffs. No wonder the ratings tanked.
None of those issues with binge-ing
How strange are the ways of the gods ...........and how cruel.

I am here to help one and all enjoy this site, so if you have any questions or feel you are being trolled please contact me (Hit the 'CONTACT' little speech bubble below my Avatar).
Visitor
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 926
Joined: 14 years ago

I've doe it both ways and like them for the above reasons.

Doing them one a week usually is for this is the high point of my weekly viewing. I have something to look forward to after watching and wanting to forget the rest that was available. The downside for commercial television is when it's over is the wait.

Binge watching is for series DVDs where I can watch as many or few as I want at a time. I have really nothing better to do with my time and even if I've seen the show before, I can now now enjoy it and have control over rewatching a scene or skipping the boring parts.
Imagineer
Overlord
Overlord
Posts: 614
Joined: 12 years ago

I think binge-watching reduces the value of new serialized content -- and I think as Netflix continues to evolve, they'll step back from the full-season release model and parcel out shows in smaller chunks, at least for high-profile highly-anticipated shows. Maybe not an episode-per-week model, but something that lets buzz build in a way they can better capitalize on it.

I usually regret binge-watching, and I'm resentful of the social media pressure to binge-watch to avoid spoilers, and disappointed by the way binge-releasing compresses and suppresses shared consideration of the show, especially among people in the real world, where it's casual among friends and acquaintances.

I might *want* the whole box of chocolates at once, but indulgence is not quite the same as satisfaction.
User avatar
DrDominator9
Emissary
Emissary
Posts: 2455
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: On the Border of the Neutral Zone

Imagineer wrote:
4 years ago
I think binge-watching reduces the value of new serialized content -- and I think as Netflix continues to evolve, they'll step back from the full-season release model and parcel out shows in smaller chunks, at least for high-profile highly-anticipated shows. Maybe not an episode-per-week model, but something that lets buzz build in a way they can better capitalize on it.

I usually regret binge-watching, and I'm resentful of the social media pressure to binge-watch to avoid spoilers, and disappointed by the way binge-releasing compresses and suppresses shared consideration of the show, especially among people in the real world, where it's casual among friends and acquaintances.

I might *want* the whole box of chocolates at once, but indulgence is not quite the same as satisfaction.
I have to say that you make several solid points here, Imagineer.
Follow this link to descriptions of my stories and easy links to them:

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=32025
GeekyPornCritic

I binge watching my favorite TV shows, and catching up on previous seasons if I discover a new show. It is very enjoyable as it is like completing the story of a season in one session or a few sessions. If a show is new, then of course I am only able to watch just one episode a week.

I started watching Supergirl at the start of season 4 so I decided to binge watch the first season. It helped me understand some of the story and understand the series's progress.

I wonder if the video game industry influenced binge watching as gamers binge playing video games for many hours from start to finish. In 80s players had to binge play to complete a game because games did not have save files or passwords. Many popular youtubers are known for binge playing games. It seems this concept has spread to television. If Johnny is going to binge play Call of Duty for 8 hours,then I am sure Johnny and his girlfriend Kim will binge watch their favorite show. This is just a theory, a game theory.
Dazzle1
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1769
Joined: 10 years ago

I don't binge watch anymore, after the first few hours, I get tired of watching it

When younger I did binge watch the entire John Pertwee 3rd Doctor over a long weekend.
User avatar
exxxidor456
Staff Sargeant
Staff Sargeant
Posts: 155
Joined: 6 years ago

I prefer to spread things out and watch one episode per week. Gives me more time to absorb what I've seen and it's nice to look forward to the next episode.
xxjimbob2000
Henchman
Henchman
Posts: 60
Joined: 10 years ago

I prefer to watch episodes at a little bit of a slower pace instead of binge-watching all at once. I used to enjoy binge-watching shows, but I hit a point where I realized I was having trouble retaining what happened in the show if I binge-watched it. I binged a few shows and had to re-watch them because I had no idea what had happened in the show (if I was prepping for a new season).

I don't wait a full week before watching something on a streaming service; I'll typically watch maybe an episode a night or every other night. Obviously, Network TV or Cable (HBO, etc.) I have to wait a week, which I'm fine with.

With a streaming service (or when catching up on a show that I missed that has all eps available), I do like the ability to watch the next episode immediately if the episode I just finished had some kind of bombshell cliffhanger that I want the resolution to.

That being said, it is nice that we have the options to choose to watch shows how they want to in the age of streaming media or Netflix/Hulu/etc.
User avatar
theScribbler
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1039
Joined: 13 years ago

I like either.

Recently watched Jessica Jones S2 in a week. Same for Iron Fist. I don't binge a whole 10 ep, 13 ep season in a day. Not gonna waste a whole day like that, other stuff i'd rather do.

Agents of SHIELD is weekly. I watch it on demand each week, except when I had to skip a week, so watched 2 eps together after. ABC puts stupid promo bugs during the broadcast show like a big white 'watch Family Feud' over a dark important scene. Out of spite for that, I don't watch Family Feud. Don't get those ad bugs with on demand, so i watch AoS on demand. I just realized, this is the only primetime show I've been watching this summer. And it's finished now, 2 hour finale was friday (I still haven't watched, soon tho). Summer broadcast TV is lame.
the Scribbler

:christmastree:
If U C Xmas tree on TV show
it's Xmas Activism! :christmas:

:lynda1:
If U C attractive brunette in a movie

it's Dark Haired Women Activism!

Be very careful!
Don't B indoctrinated!
Cover your eyes! & ears!
:tv:
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

I just wanted to say that while I do favor not bingeing all the episodes at once, I do appreciate the era that we live in that allows for Netflix, Amazon, and the ability to access past episodes of a particular series. There are so many series that I did not get in on in the beginning and I appreciate that through today's technology and media that I have the ability to catch up with the rest of the audience and are able to enjoy new episodes of popular series with everyone else. Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad credited Netflix in regards to the show's increasing popularity with the ability to get caught up with the episodes. In an era where there are so many options to choose from, so many networks, so many channels, that it is often hard to identify at the beginning a truly great television show that you might want to try. The streaming services serve as a great resource in order to catch up to what the cool kids are watching. Twenty to thirty years ago you had some options such as DVD's, but for the most part if you missed out on the ground floor on a terrific series, you had to join it in the middle of the series and sort of learn the backstories as you go.
Lurkndog
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 376
Joined: 13 years ago

GeekyPornCritic wrote:
4 years ago
I wonder if the video game industry influenced binge watching as gamers binge playing video games for many hours from start to finish. In 80s players had to binge play to complete a game because games did not have save files or passwords. Many popular youtubers are known for binge playing games. It seems this concept has spread to television. If Johnny is going to binge play Call of Duty for 8 hours,then I am sure Johnny and his girlfriend Kim will binge watch their favorite show. This is just a theory, a game theory.
Not all video gamers are binge players, though. Probably not even most. It's more teenagers and college students with tons of time on their hands, and no kids.

For me, I tend to favor playing for an hour or two, then getting up and moving around and doing something else. My prime gaming time used to be Saturday morning while I did my laundry.

I generally feel the same way about TV. I'll watch for an hour or two, then go and do something else.

If a show is a half hour long, I'll watch multiple episodes back to back, but usually not more than 4 or so.
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

I know that this is probably a generational thing, but I cannot envision myself vegging out in front of a screen for eight hours. I think I would go mad. I know someone who actually binged the whole season of 24 (24 episodes) in one setting! I could never do that.
User avatar
tallyho
Ambassador
Ambassador
Posts: 5390
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: Land of No Hope and Past Glories

bushwackerbob wrote:
4 years ago
I know that this is probably a generational thing, but I cannot envision myself vegging out in front of a screen for eight hours. I think I would go mad. I know someone who actually binged the whole season of 24 (24 episodes) in one setting! I could never do that.
Thats on account of it being badly written crap
A is the traitor no wait
B is the traitor no its
C is the traitor no hang on its really - go to A
In each episode repeat to fade

The idea that the would be assassins thought it a better option to kill a plane load of passengers and bail out of a jumbo jet that's vaguely somewhere over a desert that there's a motorbike that you will be landing next to at NIGHT, thereby attracting the worlds media to look at everyone on that plane and the list of dead to become widely circulated rather than just quietly meet the journalist whose identity you want to assume at the airport and bump him off quietly is just preposterous rubbish

Badlly written bullshit
Sutherland was good and his daughter was hot, but the plot is something I could surpass in my sleep after 20 pints and a night at Diamond Lil's (of Union Street, Plymouth)
How strange are the ways of the gods ...........and how cruel.

I am here to help one and all enjoy this site, so if you have any questions or feel you are being trolled please contact me (Hit the 'CONTACT' little speech bubble below my Avatar).
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

tallyho wrote:
4 years ago
bushwackerbob wrote:
4 years ago
I know that this is probably a generational thing, but I cannot envision myself vegging out in front of a screen for eight hours. I think I would go mad. I know someone who actually binged the whole season of 24 (24 episodes) in one setting! I could never do that.
Thats on account of it being badly written crap
A is the traitor no wait
B is the traitor no its
C is the traitor no hang on its really - go to A
In each episode repeat to fade

The idea that the would be assassins thought it a better option to kill a plane load of passengers and bail out of a jumbo jet that's vaguely somewhere over a desert that there's a motorbike that you will be landing next to at NIGHT, thereby attracting the worlds media to look at everyone on that plane and the list of dead to become widely circulated rather than just quietly meet the journalist whose identity you want to assume at the airport and bump him off quietly is just preposterous rubbish

Badlly written bullshit
Sutherland was good and his daughter was hot, but the plot is something I could surpass in my sleep after 20 pints and a night at Diamond Lil's (of Union Street, Plymouth)
I certainly agree with you that the some of the plots of the series were somewhat outlandish and weak, especially some of the later seasons. Some of those final seasons were definitely subpar and nearly as great as the earlier seasons. Keep in mind the context in which the series aired, it was shortly after 9/11, when the U.S was attacked and we were in the middle of the war on terror. On how many shows did the hero save the day SPOILER ALERT! only to see him pay the ultimate personal price at the end. At that time, the hero not being able to save his wife was for the audience shocking, unexpected, and counterintuitive to how television told stories at the time. 24 was at the forefront of that television revolution of storytelling at the time. Yes, some of those storylines were unrealistic, preposterous, and out there at times, but for me and millions of viewers worldwide at home it was like being on a thrill ride at an amusement park where you enjoyed the ride and did not sweat the details. You talk about it being poorly written but it won the 2004 Golden Globe and the 2006 U.S Prime Time Emmy Award for best drama. Badly written crap? 24 in retrospect was one of the most important shows in FOX history in that the show gave them mainstream credibility both for critics and the fact that it garnered very good ratings for Fox at a time where it was still lagging considerably behind the ABC, NBC, and CBS. If you are referring to some of the latter seasons, I would be inclined to agree with you, but those first two or three early seasons were excellent, spellbinding television. If you are on a network such as FOX, you do not last as long as they did if you are spewing out badly written bullshit week after week.
User avatar
Maskripper
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1091
Joined: 7 years ago
Contact:

bushwackerbob wrote:
4 years ago
I know that this is probably a generational thing, but I cannot envision myself vegging out in front of a screen for eight hours. I think I would go mad. I know someone who actually binged the whole season of 24 (24 episodes) in one setting! I could never do that.
Yeah, me too normally. I did see the whole season 1 of the "the returned" (the original) on a sunday, but that were "only" 8 episodes (around one hour each) , and I had little breaks here and there..
But that was a one time only thing so far.
It seems that binge watching....:
"the practice of watching multiple episodes of a television programme in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming"

...is already if you watch 2 or 3 episodes in a row, and ok then I binge watch quite often. But that all depends on the series.
Vist my blog and its Youtube channel:
http://www.maskripper.org
https://www.youtube.com/c/MaskripperOrg

Masked women in action! Superheroines, burglars, villainesses are waiting for you...
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

Maskripper wrote:
4 years ago
bushwackerbob wrote:
4 years ago
I know that this is probably a generational thing, but I cannot envision myself vegging out in front of a screen for eight hours. I think I would go mad. I know someone who actually binged the whole season of 24 (24 episodes) in one setting! I could never do that.
Yeah, me too normally. I did see the whole season 1 of the "the returned" (the original) on a sunday, but that were "only" 8 episodes (around one hour each) , and I had little breaks here and there..
But that was a one time only thing so far.
It seems that binge watching....:
"the practice of watching multiple episodes of a television programme in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming"

...is already if you watch 2 or 3 episodes in a row, and ok then I binge watch quite often. But that all depends on the series.
[/quote
Is "The Returned" a good show, would you recommend it? I believe I saw the ABC version and it sucked. I liked the premise of the show but the casting sucked, they had the dad from the sitcom "That 70's Show" as one of the leads as well as a bunch of boring, listless actors. I think that it is a lot easier to catch up on a series if it is between 8 and 13 episodes like it is on cable and streaming companies whereas the American broadcast networks for most (but not all) shows have between 18 and 22 episodes per season. It must be daunting for someone who wants to join a show in season 4 of one of those shows and have about 60 shows to catch up on. I wonder if someday these American networks will change up their business model and reduce the number of episodes per season and maybe have separate program slates for the Fall and the Spring.
User avatar
Maskripper
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1091
Joined: 7 years ago
Contact:

If I would recommend it (The returned (original))?
Well, I saw all 8 episodes on one day....that should give away my opinion on the show ;-)
Yes, the season 1 was really thrilling for me. And better than the american remake for sure.
Vist my blog and its Youtube channel:
http://www.maskripper.org
https://www.youtube.com/c/MaskripperOrg

Masked women in action! Superheroines, burglars, villainesses are waiting for you...
User avatar
tallyho
Ambassador
Ambassador
Posts: 5390
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: Land of No Hope and Past Glories

bushwackerbob wrote:
4 years ago

You talk about it being poorly written but it won the 2004 Golden Globe and the 2006 U.S Prime Time Emmy Award for best drama. Badly written crap? 24 in retrospect was one of the most important shows in FOX history in that the show gave them mainstream credibility both for critics and the fact that it garnered very good ratings for Fox at a time where it was still lagging considerably behind the ABC, NBC, and CBS. If you are referring to some of the latter seasons, I would be inclined to agree with you, but those first two or three early seasons were excellent, spellbinding television. If you are on a network such as FOX, you do not last as long as they did if you are spewing out badly written bullshit week after week.
Hey I can't help it if you yanks dont know shit from wild honey :giggle:

If there are gaping plot holes, wildly implausible scenarios and people behaving in a totally unrealistic way to how anyone would behave then it IS badly written regardless of the awards it may win

Thats not to say it cant be entertaining and clearly a lot of the US audience were entertained hence its figures and popularity Sutherland was good in it and I watched the first few myself until the 'its him -its her- no its him!' again each episode got tedious

Awards are meaningless - I mean Braveheart won best picture the year Babe came out FFS. Shakespeare has never won best screenplay or even been nominated , I mean go figure :blink: :laugh:
How strange are the ways of the gods ...........and how cruel.

I am here to help one and all enjoy this site, so if you have any questions or feel you are being trolled please contact me (Hit the 'CONTACT' little speech bubble below my Avatar).
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

tallyho wrote:
4 years ago
bushwackerbob wrote:
4 years ago

You talk about it being poorly written but it won the 2004 Golden Globe and the 2006 U.S Prime Time Emmy Award for best drama. Badly written crap? 24 in retrospect was one of the most important shows in FOX history in that the show gave them mainstream credibility both for critics and the fact that it garnered very good ratings for Fox at a time where it was still lagging considerably behind the ABC, NBC, and CBS. If you are referring to some of the latter seasons, I would be inclined to agree with you, but those first two or three early seasons were excellent, spellbinding television. If you are on a network such as FOX, you do not last as long as they did if you are spewing out badly written bullshit week after week.
Hey I can't help it if you yanks dont know shit from wild honey :giggle:

If there are gaping plot holes, wildly implausible scenarios and people behaving in a totally unrealistic way to how anyone would behave then it IS badly written regardless of the awards it may win

Thats not to say it cant be entertaining and clearly a lot of the US audience were entertained hence its figures and popularity Sutherland was good in it and I watched the first few myself until the 'its him -its her- no its him!' again each episode got tedious

Awards are meaningless - I mean Braveheart won best picture the year Babe came out FFS. Shakespeare has never won best screenplay or even been nominated , I mean go figure :blink: :laugh:
It is called suspension of disbelief. Dramatic license. How can people not know that Kara Danvers is Supergirl, the Green Arrow has been shot at for 7 years and is still alive, Tony Soprano in real life should have been in prison or knocked off by season 2, why did George from Seinfeld always have girlfriends that were way above him in the looks department, cop shows solving crimes in an hour, legal shows that wrap up cases in an hour, not recognizing Superman as Clark Kent, the characters on Friends being able to afford those nice apartments, Kiefer Sutherland's Secretary of the Interior becoming President on Designated Survivor when everyone else dies at the Capitol, how plausible are these scenarios? I could literally fill an entire page with examples. These shows are designed for entertainment, they are not friggin documentaries. I get that every show is not for everybody, but that does not mean that a show that is not in someone's wheelhouse or does not appeal to someone is a shitshow. It just may be not for you.
User avatar
tallyho
Ambassador
Ambassador
Posts: 5390
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: Land of No Hope and Past Glories

Fundamental difference in comic book fantasy and something with real world pretensions of fact.
I agree with most of the rest in that they are ALL badly written :giggle: and ALL American :laugh: (well Sienfeld was written for laughs so a lack of realism is irrelevant there so I take that one back)

The Wire is an example of fantastic writing and was great entertainment and plausible to boot. Or you have the style over substance of 24. I have made my choice, and am content with it.

But don't vex yourself fella, everyone knows I'm a dick :laugh:
How strange are the ways of the gods ...........and how cruel.

I am here to help one and all enjoy this site, so if you have any questions or feel you are being trolled please contact me (Hit the 'CONTACT' little speech bubble below my Avatar).
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

The Wire is excellent, I am just making my way into season 2. You do not enjoy most American television, fair enough, to each their own. At least I know where you are coming from now. Many of my examples were dramas not fantasy, you did not address them. I guess we are really talking about cultural differences then because here in America, many or most of our shows are based on that suspension of disbelief, and that may not be the case where you live. Getting back to the Wire, when I heard that they were thinking of casting a Black James Bond, I groaned a bit with this repurposing a character with a different race, but Idris Elba? He would be awesome as James Bond, he would be perfect fit for the role and I would love to see it happen. In his recent interview with Vanity Fair he seemed resigned to the fact that he would not get the role. That is a bummer, he would have been great.
User avatar
tallyho
Ambassador
Ambassador
Posts: 5390
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: Land of No Hope and Past Glories

Realism is depressing and I am all for escapism, and love fantasy and stateside have writers who have penned some excellent stuff - American Gothic, The Lost Room, Firefly- but all the good stuff gets cancelled over populist stuff that gets the ratings.
I like US shoes (and shows come to that -cant be arsed to change the typo!) but as a writer I can see when good plots go bad and then when they are lazily written with minimal effort and then lauded over something that was much better crafted just because its more popular grates with me and 24 in particular with its inane and endlessly repetitive cycle of who the traitor might be in season 1 became a particular bug bear.
I have a question - was there a traitor in each season as ' in who can he trust ' as the driver in most episodes? Or did they vary it slightly with 'who is the target -its him , its her, no its him again no wait it was this other guy all along'? Or indeed anything else.
As I say dropped off after 6-7 episodes when I realised there was the same entertainment value in staring at my washing machine portal, but its a genuine question.
Cuthbert was a babe though I'll give them that.
How strange are the ways of the gods ...........and how cruel.

I am here to help one and all enjoy this site, so if you have any questions or feel you are being trolled please contact me (Hit the 'CONTACT' little speech bubble below my Avatar).
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

In a way this is a silly conversation, everybody likes what they like and me trying to convince you that a show you clearly do not like is a great show is a stupid, pointless exercise on my part. Really foolish. The point I should have been making all along is of the question of whether 24 is a great show, that much like global warming, it is settled science, a consensus has already been formed regarding 24, with the Emmy Awards, Golden Globes, not to mention that it consistently shows up on lists for the greatest television shows of all time. You say that awards shows do not matter and maybe in the grand scheme of things they may not but if you enjoy most American television and you look at the Emmy winners for best drama dating back to the eighties ( I just did so) you will see that every year that a very good to great show won the Emmy and most of those shows (including 24) made TV Guide's top 100 shows of all time. The critics and the millions upon millions of fans have spoken and you happen to disagree with them. Fair enough. Not every show is for everybody and it is sort of childish for anyone (me) to take offense or get hot and bothered over someone not liking a show. Different strokes for different folks.
User avatar
tallyho
Ambassador
Ambassador
Posts: 5390
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: Land of No Hope and Past Glories

Jeez you need to get out more.lol

What about the question I asked? Did they stick with that formulaic tripe for the whole however many seasons? Its him its her its him again?
As I say its a genuine question

(I could take umbridge at being likened to a climate change denier when I am giving clear evidence why its badly done in the poor plotting and unfeasability when all you can offer as to why its good is lots of people like it . [Climate changers deny the evidence I am providing it]
It has bags of action and is essentially Bourne in series form in terms of its pace so I fully understand why people like it and enjoy the program - they find it entertaining and good for them- but never the less its fodder for sheep. And I am not a sheep.
I owe you big time - I so rarely get a chance to use 'VEX' and 'UMBRAGE' in context :giggle: )

But whilst you are right interms of neither of us persuading the other, my question still stands do they continue with those cyclical plot loops?
How strange are the ways of the gods ...........and how cruel.

I am here to help one and all enjoy this site, so if you have any questions or feel you are being trolled please contact me (Hit the 'CONTACT' little speech bubble below my Avatar).
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

I bet you are a secret Trump guy as well LOL. You are not offering evidence, just a mere opinion, and expanding on that opinion for your "evidence". You are not proving anything. Unless you write for the friggin Game of Thrones or the Sopranos, I will value the people who actually get paid to evaluate the quality of television shows, those who actually cover these shows for a living, those who actually work in the industry. It is called show business, it's about getting as many people in the tent as possible because at the end of the day if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to see it, does it really fall? It takes a special kind of show to reign in all of those sheep, all of those awards, those ratings, those millions of fans worldwide. You can howl at the wind all you want but it does not make your opinion fact, it makes it a minority opinion.
User avatar
tallyho
Ambassador
Ambassador
Posts: 5390
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: Land of No Hope and Past Glories

You have mis understood - the evidence in how poorly constructed the plot is the implausibility of the opening episode. Thats irrefutable.
How strange are the ways of the gods ...........and how cruel.

I am here to help one and all enjoy this site, so if you have any questions or feel you are being trolled please contact me (Hit the 'CONTACT' little speech bubble below my Avatar).
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

tallyho wrote:
4 years ago
You have mis understood - the evidence in how poorly constructed the plot is the implausibility of the opening episode. Thats irrefutable.
It is also irrefutable that almost every show in the history of American television is based on implausibility of plots and scenarios. Suspension of disbelief. People do not watch tv to watch realistic, real life scenarios, they watch to escape that reality. That is the essence of television. You can either embrace the implausibility of these plots and scenarios or not, that is what choosing a television show to watch is all about. I am sorry that a lot of the shows you watch get cancelled, but that is hardly any reason to get so bitter about the shows that do attain such a wide and large following with fans and critics worldwide. This feels like that take you often hear from dudes who love a particular indy band, and then crap over anything that is popular in the mainstream just to feel like they are edgy, smart, cool , and discerning. These dudes often feel like they are the smartest guys in the room, that they have a special insight into what is good, quality music where in actuality they are just another guy with an opinion. You are entitled to that opinion. The critics and people have spoken and the consensus is clear. Settled science.
User avatar
tallyho
Ambassador
Ambassador
Posts: 5390
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: Land of No Hope and Past Glories

Re winning awards....checkmate
:giggle:
holly.jpg
holly.jpg (11.47 KiB) Viewed 2584 times
How strange are the ways of the gods ...........and how cruel.

I am here to help one and all enjoy this site, so if you have any questions or feel you are being trolled please contact me (Hit the 'CONTACT' little speech bubble below my Avatar).
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

So now not only are you an "expert" on the fine art of television writing (which show did you write for again?) you are now an "expert" on makeup and hairstyling as well. Maybe the next time I am in the UK I can make an appointment to get my haircut by the "genius" of television writing and makeup and hairstyling. That should be a treat.
User avatar
Maskripper
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1091
Joined: 7 years ago
Contact:

^ .... and it looks like this when a thread goes completely off the rails. :laugh:

#Off topic duel for 4 weeks
Vist my blog and its Youtube channel:
http://www.maskripper.org
https://www.youtube.com/c/MaskripperOrg

Masked women in action! Superheroines, burglars, villainesses are waiting for you...
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

It is all subjective whether one likes a television show or not which is why when you have a dispute over how good a show is, you go to the metrics of ratings=check, awards=check, critical response=check. Tallyho is an outlier for 24 in the same way I am an outlier for Star Wars in that I did not care for the first film and did not want to see the others. Being an outlier is no big deal for me. I am sure everybody has their favorite movie or tv show that they think got shafted in awards shows (for me it was Do the Right Thing not winning the Oscar) but just getting nominated I think lends a show a certain amount of credibility and prestige, that crappy shows or films do not even have a sniff at Emmy or Oscar consideration.
User avatar
DrDominator9
Emissary
Emissary
Posts: 2455
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: On the Border of the Neutral Zone

Okay, bwb and tally, I know you're having fun and all but can we get back to the concept of binge watching now. Who's up for bingeing the first three seasons of Gilligan's Island? No? Crickets? Why am I hearing crickets?
Follow this link to descriptions of my stories and easy links to them:

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=32025
Damselbinder

bushwackerbob wrote:
4 years ago
This is a great idea for a subject topic. I am somewhere in the middle on this one. For the series that I have caught in the middle of their run or where the series has already ended, I end up watching anywhere from 4 to 6 episodes per week in order to catch up. I remember when Matthew Weiner's new show came out on Amazon, he pleaded with the company to release the episodes once a week in order to give the episodes room to breathe, for viewers to reflect on them. Even with me doing 4 to 6 episodes a week with the Game of Thrones and the Sopranos, while I definitely enjoyed both series, I do feel that if I had caught both series in real time that I would have enjoyed them more, savored them, appreciated the little nuances that maybe get lost when bulldozing through a season in seven days. I think a good series is like a good wine, one does not just gulp it down, one savors the flavors and textures of the particular vintage. Also, I found that once I finally caught up on the Game of Thrones that I enjoyed the social aspect of watching each new episode and talking with friends about that particular episode. I find that when you binge a series you are on your own little island with no one to talk to, or commiserate with about a particular episode. You can still discuss series that you binge with others it is just that it is easier if either you both binge or watch on the same timeline. I also enjoy the anticipation of eagerly awaiting next week's episode instead of just going from episode 9 to 10.
I really agree with the episode-savouring thing. With something quality like Sons of Anarchy or Utopia, you really want to give each episode it's own chance. Even in series with a serial plot, the episodes still have a beginning-middle-end structure that makes them little entities in themselves.

I actually think the only stuff that's sometimes - and even then not always - better to binge is anime. A lot of anime is designed like a massive, 26-part movie where the events of one episode just blur straight into another the whole way through. Mobile Suit Gundam and its immediate successor Zeta Gundam were very much like this, which is perhaps one of the reasons why both series worked very well in the 'compilation movie' format, especially the original. There are certainly exceptions: Evangelion, Revolutionary Girl Utena and Ghost in the Shell: SAC are three series I can think of which also have quite a rigidly episodic structure, and work better when long gaps are left between them.
User avatar
Femina
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1473
Joined: 14 years ago
Contact:

Might depend on how serial the show is? A series of episodes connected only by characters and general theme but not necessarily connected episode by episode is likely best standalone (The X-Files from the olden days comes to mind) but I think sequential shows can benefit from long sessions... I know that I tend to remember characters names better if I dedicate a binge than if I'm only invested for an hour a week.
bushwackerbob
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 781
Joined: 10 years ago
Location: Boston, MA

One thing that I enjoy watching shows weekly is engaging in social media in real time, breaking down the episodes, finding Easter eggs, analyzing what works in certain episodes and what falls flat. I know social media can be a negative rabbit hole sometimes, but there are people out there who offer amazing insight and humor into particular episodes and it is cool to find that stuff in real time. When you binge watch a series that communal watching dynamic is lost or at least is made more difficult, kind of like those stories I used to read of people finding Japanese soldiers on these remote islands years after WW2 not realizing that the war was over, they were out of the loop. I remember all of the hullabaloo about the Red Wedding on Game of Thrones years before I started playing catch up on the series and when I finally got to that episode, it was still a mesmerizing, memorable episode but I could not help feeling that losing that surprise element affected my viewing of the episode, that something was lost because of my foreknowledge of the event.
Post Reply