Assignment 7: Binge-Watching

 
Binge-watching was a phrase coined by Netflix to mean: watching many episodes of a TV show or shows in succession (such as over a weekend or in one day). The phrase has only been around for about 5 years.  I don't really like binge-watching. I'm just used to the old-fashioned way we watch TV - one episode per week. I'm too busy, most of the time, for binge-watching, unless my DVR is almost full and I'm trying to watch stuff just to get it off there. For example, I try to keep up on everything, but I record 2 soap operas, "General Hospital" and "Young and the Restless," and I'm behind on watching both. I like all the soaps, but they're not so good that I want to watch them every day. I'd rather watch Primetime shows, so they usually take priority. If I'm caught up on all of my other DVR shows, I do try to watch "General Hospital." VIDEO

As you may remember from my first blog post here, I watch a lot of TV.  Before streaming videos were common, you could only binge-watch if a TV network was showing a marathon of shows, or if you bought a videotape or DVD set, or (later) if you recorded a whole season on the DVR.  I still buy DVD's and have a DVR, so that's where I do most of my binge-watching. I don't watch TV on my phone. The screen is way too small. I really don't even like watching on my laptop. I use my ROKU to watch Netflix, Amazon, HULU, et al.  Although I'm mostly discussing TV shows here, people also do binge-watch movies, and they binge-read as well. There are a lot of movie series or franchises and a lot of book series. I don't go to the movies much, but I love to watch any movie with a superhero in it, or any "Star Trek," "Star Wars," "Lord of the Rings" or "Harry Potter" movie. I also loved all of the "Hunger Games," "Mazerunner," James Bond and "Divergent" movies. I don't have much time to read, but in the past decade I did binge-read the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, The Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins, The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson, the Hammarby series by Carin Gerhardsen,  the Harper Connelly mysteries by Charlaine Harris, and all of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

In the past, there were some shows I binge-watched on DVD, or on a late-night marathon, long after they had started airing: "Highlander (92-98)," "Revenge (2011-15)," "Desperate Housewives (2004-12)," "Homicide: Life on the Street (93-99)," "Dawson's Creek (98-03)," "Dynasty (81-89)," "Eureka (2006-12)," "Mad Men (07-15)," "Queer As Folk (2000-05)," "Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-present)," "I Married Joan (52-55)," "Teen Wolf (2011-17)," "Dexter (2006-13)," "The Closer (2005-12)," "Joan of Arcadia (2003-05)," "Laugh-in (67-73)," "Car 54, Where Are You? (61-63)," "Poltergeist: The Legacy (96-99)", "Forever Knight (92-96)," and "Medium (2005-11)."  These are all that I can remember right now; there are probably others. Before I had a DVR, I would watch many re-runs late at night, usually on cable.

There are some shows that I watched when I was younger, but I can always watch them if I see them now in re-runs, like "Hogan's Heroes (65-71)," "The Flying Nun (65-70)," "M*A*S*H (72-83)," any of the "Star Trek" or "Law & Order" franchises; "Two and a Half Men (2003-15)," "Fawlty Towers (75-79)," "The Bob Newhart Show (72-78)," "Seinfeld (89-98)," "Twilight Zone (59-64)," "Monty Python's Flying Circus (69-74)," "Designing Women (86-93)," "Night Court (84-92)" and "Barney Miller (75-82)." They never get old to me. I can always laugh or enjoy them.

 

I wish I had time to catch up on so many shows that I had to quit watching due to lack of time; Either I have most of these on DVD, on VHS, or they're available online: "Runaways (2017-present)," "The Gilmore Girls (2000-07)," "The Good Fight (2017-present)," "Star Trek: Discovery (2017-present)," "Orphan Black (2013-17)," "Stranger Things (2016-present)," "The OA (2016-present)," "Unreal (2015-present)," "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-present)," "Torchwood (2006-11)," "Outcast (2016-present)," "Travelers (2016-present)," "Mr. Mercedes (2017-present)," "Luther (2010-18)," "The Americans (2013-present)," "Fargo (2014-present)," "Lost (2004-10)," "Person of Interest (2011-16)," "Mr. Robot (2015)," "Humans (2015-present)," "The Fosters (2013-present)," "The Expanse (2015-present)," "Stargate SG-1 (97-2007)," "Stargate: Atlantis (2004-09)," "24 (2001-10)," "Alias (2001-06)," "Arrow (2012-present)," "Covert Affairs (201-14)," the older "Doctor Who" franchise (1963-1989), "Glee (2009-15)," "Grey's Anatomy (2005-present)," "Hollywood Heights (2012),"

"Nashville (2012-present)," "The Good Wife (2009-16)," "Sleepy Hollow (2013-17)," "True Blood (2008-14)," "V (2009)," "The Vampire Diaries (2009-17)," "The Originals (2013-present)," "12 Monkeys (2015-present)," "Empire (2015-present)," "Greenleaf (2016-present)," "The Royals (2015-present)," "Impastor (2015-16)," "Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll (2015-16)," "Damages (2007-12)," "Riverdale (2017-present)," "Bloodline (2015-17)," "Altered Carbon (2018-present)," "Mindhunter (2017-present)," "The Punisher (2017-present)," "Atypical (2017-present)," "Atlanta (2016-present)," "Victoria (2016-present)," "Archer (2009-present),"   "The Exorcist (2016-present)," "Midnight Diner (2016)," "Van Helsing (2016-present)," "The Librarians (2014-present)," "Queen Sugar (2016-present)" (OWN), "Outlander (2014-present," "Lucifer (2015-present)," "The X-Files (93-02, 2016-present)," "The Magicians (2015-present)," "Bull (2016-present)," "Younger (2015-present)," "Beyond (2016-present)," "Mary Kills People (2017-present)," "Castlevania (2017-present)," "The Durrells in Corfu (2016-present)," "Top of the Lake (2013-present)," "Deadwood (2004-06)," "The Good Doctor (2017-present)," "The Sinner (2017-present)," "The Tick (2016-present)," "Timeless (2016-present)," "Designated Survivor (2016-present)," "Scandal (2012-present)," "People of Earth (2016-present)," "Friday Night Lights (2006-11)," "ER (94-09)," "The West Wing (99-06)," "Genius (2017-present)," "Saving Hope (2012-17)," "Extinct (2017-present)," "Knighfall (2017-present)," "Vikings (2013-present)," "Electric Dreams (2017-present)," "Counterpart (2017-present)," "The Alienist (2018-present)," "Indian Summers (2015-16)," "Jane the Virgin (2014-present)," "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015-present)," "The Shannara Chronicles (2016-17)," "Night Manager (2016-present)," "Sense8 (2015-18)" "Rome (2005-07)," "Nurse Jackie (2009-15)," "Prime Suspect (91-06)," "Entourage (2004-11)," "Continuum (2012-15)," "The Son (2017-present)," "The Glades (2010-13)," "Grimm (2011-17)," "Transparent (2014-present)," "Poldark (2015-present)," "Mr. Selfridge (2013-16)," and "The Night Of (2016)."  There are many others, I'm sure, that I just haven't thought of.  Since I try to watch every new fiction show on TV, I usually will just watch one or two episodes for the review and then not watch the rest due to lack of time.

I've heard that these shows are very good, but I haven't seen them at all; I would probably like them: "The Wire (2002-08)," "Game of Thrones (2011-present)," "The Crown (2016-present)," "House of Cards (2013-present)," 'The Handmaid's Tale (2017-present)," "Six Feet Under (2001-05)," "Call the Midwife (2012-present)," "Black Mirror (2011-present)," "Rectify (2013-present)," "Endeavor (2012-present)," "Episodes (2011-17)," "The Knick (2014-15)," "Shameless (2011-present)," "Grace and Frankie (2015-present)," "True Detective (2014-present)," and "Orange is the New Black (2013-present)."

This week I've been trying to watch "Jessica Jones" Season 2, in between my DVR shows.  There are just way too many good TV shows, and I'm not that picky, so I always have way too much that I want to watch.  Here are the shows I regularly binge-watch when they come out on Netflix with a new season. I love them, so I make time for them: "Longmire (2012-17)," "Daredevil (201-present)," "Jessica Jones (2015-present)," "Luke Cage (2016-present)," "Iron Fist (2017-present)," "The Defenders (2017-present)," "The Killing (2011-14)," and "13 Reasons Why (2017-present)." Also, I watch any standup TV special by Dave Chappelle, Lewis Black, Anthony Jeselnik or Ricky Gervais.   On Amazon, I always watch any new episodes of "Bosch (2014-present)" and "Red Oaks (2014-17)."  All of the other shows I watch regularly are on broadcast or cable network TV.

Last week I binged-watched the entire season of "A.P. Bio (2018)," since I was interviewing two of the show's cast members. I was pleasantly surprised at how funny it is.  Last year I binge-watched the Netflix limited series "Alias Grace (2017)," which was really good, until the end, which was very disappointing. I also binge-watched Amazon's "I Love Dick (2017)," which was very good.  You can't always tell if a series is going to turn out OK or not.  I wish I had time to re-watch some of my favorite series, such as all the Star Treks, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer (96-03)," "Angel (99-04)," "Constantine (2014-15)," "Remington Steele (82-87)," and "The Dead Zone (2002-07)," as well as all of the "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" movies. No matter how I binge-watch, I enjoy doing it. I just wish I had more time!

Some research indicates that binge-watching might be bad for you. It might cause heart problems or insomnia. Well, like any good thing, it should be done in moderation. You can't binge-watch and neglect your job, your studies, your family, your health, etc.  It's like anything that "they" say is bad for you: If you do it too much, you might go blind!

Besides the shows I mentioned here, here are some other really good shows that I recommend you watch.  Dramas: "The Mentalist," "Mad Men," "Leverage," "Veronica Mars," "Castle," "Suits," "White Collar," "Men of a Certain Age," "Royal Pains," "Numb3rs," "Terriers," "Queer As Folk," and "St. Elsewhere."
Sitcoms: "The Larry Sanders Show," "Blackadder," "Police Squad!," "Frasier," "Big Bang Theory," "Will & Grace,"
Sci-Fi/fantasy: "Babylon 5," "Haven," "Fringe," "Once Upon a Time," "Supernatural," "Arrow," "Battlestar Galactica," "Jericho," "Revolution," "Falling Skies," "Eureka," "La Femme Nikita," "Being Human," "Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman," "Farscape," "American Gothic," "Medium," "Firefly," "Dollhouse," "Earth Two," "Heroes," "Alphas," "Wilfred," and "Sliders."

Assignment 2: Programming Trends

Broadcast TV continues to copy cable and streaming networks this year, copying their trends. The new shows this year include some sci-fi and fantasy, along with the usual cop shows, medical shows, law shows, and comedies. You will see many familiar faces turning up as well. FOX has "The Orville," a spoof of shows like "Star Trek," on Thursdays. It's written by and starring Seth McFarlane, who has had great success with shows like "Family Guy" and the movie "Ted." The first new show to premiere in the Fall, it has done well so far in the ratings. There is also a new "Star Trek" show on CBS called "Star Trek: Discovery." The first episode aired on CBS, and the rest is shown on their streaming service, CBS All-Access. You can view it for $7 a month or watch it commercial free for $10. CBS is hoping it will be a big hit, so that they can launch many new streaming shows and be as successful as Netflix, HULU and Amazon Prime. Video Link


Several new shows are showcasing teens with autism and/or high intelligence. ABC has the new medical show "The Good Doctor," about a new intern at a hospital who's not only super smart but also autistic (starring Freddie Highmore of "Bates Motel"). Video Link There's already a good comedy on Netflix about an autistic teen, "Atypical." The "Big Bang Theory" spinoff "Young Sheldon" is airing on CBS. Although many fans have speculated that Sheldon is on the spectrum, there's no mention here of his being autistic, just very smart and clueless. In "Young Sheldon," we get to see how he grew up in his Texas family, narrated by the adult Sheldon (Jim Parsons). It airs on Thursdays. More about the new shows here.

Another theme running through the new shows this year is military service. CBS has "SEAL Team" on Wednesdays, starring David Boreanaz ("Bones"). Video Link NBC has "The Brave" Mondays, about a Special Ops squad of highly trained undercover specialists (starring Anne Heche). Also on Mondays is "Valor" on The CW, a serialized military drama/thriller starring Matt Barr. Not many military-themed series have survived for very long on TV, aside from NCIS and its spinoffs. Trump's presidency, and the working-class male audience that voted for him, may be the reason for these shows.

Also, there are quite a few reboots and familiar faces. "Dynasty" on The CW attempts to remake the successful 1980's ABC Primetime soap opera. "Will & Grace" reunites the original cast of the NBC sitcom that ran 1998-2006. "S.W.A.T." starring Shemar Moore ("Criminal Minds") is a reboot of a 70's cop show that also spawned a 2003 film. “Roseanne” will be returning soon on ABC with the same cast.  Video Link TV veteran John Larroquette was one of the stars of "Me, Myself & I," while Mark Feuerstein ("Royal Pains") stars with two 70's actors Elliot Gould and Linda Lavin in "9JKL" on CBS.  If the reboots are successful, then you can expect more of them. Using familiar actors and rebooting popular shows is something that networks love to do.

There are a few innovative shows on broadcast TV this year. ABC's "Kevin (Probably) Saves the World" has a strange title, but it’s a fun, heartwarming show. Video Link A lovable loser gets help from an angel to fulfill his destiny. FOX has a new Marvel show, "The Gifted," about a family whose children are mutants. It’s really excellent.  The show's creator also did the wonderful spy drama, "Burn Notice," on USA Network. “The Gifted” stars Stephen Moyer ("True Blood") and Amy Acker ("Person of Interest").



Streaming and cable shows continue to be dark and depressing (but mostly well-written). “Damnation” is a type of western drama on USA Network, set in the 1930’s, in a battle between rich and poor.  “Ghost Wars” on Syfy is about a small Alaskan town under attack by paranormal forces. Another Syfy show, “Happy” is about a former cop, turned hitman, who sees a little blue flying unicorn. Video Link “The Punisher” is another violent Marvel comics series on Netflix about a vigilante that kills criminals (formerly seen as the villain in “Daredevil,” season 2.). “Alias Grace” is a murder mystery set in the 1800’s about a cleaning woman who may or may not have murdered her employers. “The End of the F***ing World” has two teenagers in pain, who get into trouble with the law.  These shows are interesting, but they’re very dark and sometimes hard to watch. This trend has been going on for quite a while now, sadly, and it's gotten much worse in the past decade.

Continuing this dark trend, serial killers are still very popular. Besides the serial killer shows we already had, like “Criminal Minds” and “Mr. Mercedes” on DirecTV, we can add the new shows “Mindhunter” on Netflix, and “The Alienist” on TNT.  These are very good, compelling shows, if you don’t mind serial killer stories (which can be very gruesome). Video Link

TV always has trends. There used to be a lot of westerns in the early days of TV. Then there were many variety shows.  Later, we saw lots of shows about vampires.  Trends come and go. As a TV fan, it's always interesting to see what the latest trend is. Here's a peek at last year's programming trends.  Usually the trend starts with one very successful TV show, and then everyone else rushes to copy it. It works...until the next trend comes along to replace it.Video Link