Remember when you were a kid and you would go to Blockbuster and search through the aisles for a good movie? Not to mention the bomb candy isle they always seemed to have. And F.Y.E. with their huge stores full of movies, TV shows, records and CD's. I was fortunate enough to grow up with a Blockbuster nearby that stayed open relatively late in the game for the business. Since the digital age began these stores have become more and more obsolete. At the tips of your finger's exists endless options for streaming. With Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, XFINITY and numerous other companies, almost every show is at the users disposal. If you check the trending shows on any of these apps you'll find a substantial number of series that were probably some of your parents favorite shows on cable (at least my moms). With this new found accessibility through apps, older shows are making a comeback in the streaming world. Now, if a user wants to try a new show they can just watch the first episode with no commitment, and if they like it, binge watch until the sun comes up (literally in most cases). There's no more going out to the video store to read the back covers of a TV show and decide if it's worth it or not.
One of these timeless beauties is Friends. I don't think I'll ever hear the words, "How you doin," with out also hearing Joey Tribbiani's voice in my head. The sit-com first aired in 1994 and lasted a good ten years before the finale in 2004. I mean, what's better than watching a show where everyone is kind of a mess but they still manage to somehow live in a lavish apartment in New York and lead the fun lives everyone wishes to have with their best friends? The continuous popularity of the show led to rumors about a revival season, and this tantalizing idea sits in the back of fans heads and taunts them.
While the Friend's revival is still up in the air, there are other shows that have already done the thing. Full House is one of these iconic throwback shows, and Netflix recently released the second season in the series revival, Fuller House. The revival features the childhood characters everyone knows and loves all grown up, with appearances from their even more lovable father, aunts, uncles and childhood BFFs. The nostalgia alone is enough to draw anyone in who watched the original show. Famous catchphrases sprinkled in throughout the episodes make old fans hearts melt and tighten the grip the ominous 'binge watch' has over us all.
Another TBT show features the antics of a lot of stoned teenagers. You got it, That 70's Show! The show which released in 1998 and is set back in the 70's was extremely successful and lasted eight seasons. There's also Gossip Girl, a TV drama set in the upper east side of Manhattan, all about rich socialites and their extravagant issues. The show's been hypnotizing girls with it's drama since 2007 and with the help of streaming apps, still today. The drama of a heated conversation and the slap of a flip phone closing will never get old!
Throwback shows aren't the only reason for streaming devices like Netflix and Hulu's success. Netflix originals have been crazy popular, like Stranger Things and Orange is the New Black. One of Netflix's original series, Riverdale, even got picked up by the CW to be broadcasted on cable. Collaborations between streaming devices and TV networks are also vital to the companies success. XFINITY and Hulu can even live stream episodes from cable.
With all these options with literally the easiest method for consumption (of show material), streaming devices like Netflix and Hulu have completely ravaged the industry and left the country with nearly zero Blockbusters left.
