Binge-watching

Binge-watching, a somewhat recent term made to refer the uninterrupted watching of a series. It is because of streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime that binge-watching is, first, possible and secondly now a staple in our entertainment culture. With said services now creating their own content (Orange is the New Black, Goliath, Marvel's Runaways.) there is now a new form of television. In regards to commercial breaks and recaps that are incorporated in regular shows. Shows on streaming services don't need them and this transforms the way it presents itself. (One can argue that original shows created by streaming services isn't actually TV but for the sake of simplicity I'll refer to them as such.) This has also changed how we critically view regular TV and just catching up on them.

"Is this bingeable?" is a bit of a mixed question. A show's "bingeability" relies largely on how much it demands the next episode. Cliffhangers, surprise twists and sudden reveals within the last few minutes of a show are tools to keep people interested in the show and great for building anticipation. Especially considering back in the old days (so to speak) that you'd have to wait an entire week, or sometimes more, to find out what happens next.

But with streamed shows (as I call them) you don't have to; with the click of a button or the tap of your finger, you can find out immediately. Now, depending on the kind of person you are, a show's bingeability will be based on how much of it you can handle. If it's action-oriented, I can knock out a show like Altered Carbon in a day (yes, I have a lot of free time) but with more emotional, dramatic series I can only watch a few episodes at a time. (I'm very empathetic, okay?) So the bingeability of a show depends on personal taste. But I regard it like a good book, one you can't put down (until you have to do something.) A good bingeable show is one you can't tear yourself away from and end up ruining your sleep cycle. (unless you're some kind of responsible person who knows how to take care of yourself.)

Though I now prefer streamed shows (I like my story arcs in one sitting.) some shows work being aired on a weekly basis and some don't, such as Netflix's Daredevil; which can rightfully be called the precursor to the all the following Netflix Marvel shows. Its success paved the way for the MCU connected shows, some of which have the most hard-hitting, raw writing I've ever seen on TV. But I don't think that it would've done as well had it aired on a weekly basis rather than having a complete first season all at once. Without even getting into the more violent scenes in the series, the show would have had a hard time finding a network that would play it on the air during primetime hours, which would've put it in the late hours and the live ratings for Matt Murdock beating the crap out of bad guys with his bare hands wouldn't be as stellar as the show is. Waiting week to week to see Matt beat a guy into the dirt would've ruined the momentum the story builds by having the entire season available at once.

Though many shows still excel airing on a weekly basis, one must pay attention to this new style of TV. There are new streamed series coming out every day, some of which are on par or excel beyond that of regular TV. With every new form of media comes the obsoletion of the older one. Such as when TV overtook radio as the prime entertainment device. Though it us a bit of a stretch to call streaming a new medium. With the convenience and just having it all in one go, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to say streaming may the new way TV is done.