My support for binge-watching - as opposed to having to wait a whole week for the next episode your favourite programme to be released - is simple. I have no patience!
I'm aware that it's kind of pathetic. Many - well, most things in life are harder than waiting a mere seven days for the next instalment of whatever show I'm currently obsessed with. But that's only one side of the coin. The other side is that most things in life are hard, especially at the moment. The planet is dying, we've burned through three Prime Ministers in less than a year, and everything costs way too much. I'll take joy anywhere I can get it, and one of those places is my bed, with a cup of tea, and a series of episodes to delve into on the screen before me.
Binge watching is becoming popular, and in a time where escapism is needed by so many, this is no bad thing
Traditionalists might say that a gap between episodes is, or should be, something that makes TV unique, especially in the era of streaming service giants. The popularity of these streaming sites, however, was built largely upon their (then) unique feature of allowing viewers to watch as many episodes in one sitting as they desired. Now, in an effort to catch up, BBC, ITV and other TV mainstays have mirrored this on their respective websites, in an effort to retain their audiences. And, for the impatient - or to put it more nicely, enthusiastic viewer, like myself, this has been an effective move. Binge watching is edging closer to becoming the dominant mode of television viewing, and, in a time where escapism is needed by so many, this is no bad thing.
I will admit, I am prone to a sleepy Sunday in bed, just binge watching for hours. But what’s better than the anticipation of what’s to come?
Think this time last year, with the release of Euphoria, season 2. Aptly named “Euphoria Sundays”, HBO released 1 hour of the show each week, with us all waiting by the screen eager to watch more. And as a creature of habit, it was nice to know that every Sunday at 9pm (or the early hours of the morning for us lot in the UK) it was time to get everyone together for the next instalment.
Patience is a virtue when it comes to watching television, and we're all taking it for granted
Disney+ have taken this almost ‘traditional’ form of TV watching back with its release of Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm series on a weekly release rota. Especially in the current social climate, with our reliance on social media, my favourite thing to do is scroll through Twitter finding the most outrageous theories of the latest TV favourite week-by-week in between episodes.
So whether it be creating clout for the TV company, or just simply keeping things old school, patience is a virtue when it comes to watching television, and we’re all taking it for granted.
But again, who doesn’t love a good binge of our favourite comfort show…
