What is your experience with binge watching a show vs.watching week to week?

Neither. I record (DVR) the show when it airs, but don’t watch it. Then I can view it – sometimes later that night – but fast forward through the ads.

I hate advertising.

The most I can binge with is to episodes (2 hours) – more than that and the plots all mix together.

Times I’ve been home alone, either on a snow day, vacation day or home sick, I’ve done it. I find it more enjoyable than watching regularly scheduled shows. I almost always either miss regularly scheduled shows, or if I DVR them, it becomes a chore to try to find time to watch. When I binge watch, I seem to get more into the show than I might ordinarily. I like the continuity of it. It becomes like a fun day home thing.

I remember binge watching a season of 24. Mostly, I’ll watch a couple of episodes and then go and do something else. I think I prefer to space my viewing out more. I’ve got too much to do to sit and watch anything for hours at a time. Like @elbanditoroso, I record things I want to watch so I can view them at times that suit me. I have sometimes thought “I should have a marathon xxx weekend of watching xxx’ but I never end up doing it.

I prefer to binge watch. I think it’s easier to follow the storyline this way. It also seems more exciting for some reason, but it’s hard for me to explain why. It’s fun to cuddle with the person you love and spend hours watching an entertaining show.

I have done that with a lot of shows. House, Battlestar Galactica, Breaking Bad, Law & Order. I am currently doing that with West Wing.

The West Wing will keep you tied to your chair for a very extended length of time and for a number of reasons @filmfann. I’m watching that myself but I limit myself to an episode per time. Otherwise, yes, I could binge watch The West Wing – easily.

Binge watching generally changes my consciousness, so when I venture out in the world, everything is colored by the ethics and aesthetics of whatever I’ve been watching. I may carry myself differently even. I don’t think too much, though about which way to watch something. Whether it happens is more based on circumstance.

I’ve binge watched a few shows recently and I still don’t know which way I prefer. The anticipation of having to wait can definitely make you appreciate a show more sometimes, but then again, binge watching really allows you to absorb the story in a way that makes it feel as if you experience things along with the characters to a higher degree. Then again… when I was younger, I watched the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it’s almost like I grew up with the characters. That couldn’t have happened if I was able to binge watch, but then again, connecting that much with a show could have simply had something to do with the fact that I was so young. (Though I have no problem admitting that I still love that TV show, and watching many of the episodes as an adult made me realize how many things I didn’t pick up on as a kid…)

…. * shrug * Lol

@DrasticDreamer

I am the queen an expert of all things Buffy. I’ve probably watched the whole series at lease 5 times. Some episodes, like 10 times. Best. Show. Ever.

I get what you’re saying @kevbo I feel like there are zombies outside. You do sort of become absorbed in the universe of the show.

My wife is in Hawaii and I’ve been watching season 4 of The Walking Dead. It seems better than when I watched the season in real time. Interesting.

I love binge-watching a good series. I watched all 10 episodes of “Mozart in the Jungle” last week on Amazon in 2 days.

I don’t have a TV anymore, so almost all my viewing is binge-viewing. I prefer it, since it means not having to wait for a week to resolve a storyline. I can watch on my own timeline. Generally speaking, the only reason I do weekly viewing is if it’s something that friends get together to watch on a semi-regular basis.

@tinyfaery I just watched the entire series about a year ago, and I just paused the first episode so that I could respond here. Lol! It’ll never get old. :D

I just got rid of my cable about a week and a half ago. I’m sort of going through withdrawal, but I watch better things now.

FYI I am now watching Frozen.

My experience is there is a sweet spot of 2–3 shows. When I watch more than 3 shows I start to realize it is stressing me out. Especially if the show is a little nerve racking on it’s own. However getting to see 2 or 3 episodes is a huge treat not to have to wait a whole week to see the next episode.

I’m binge watching YouTube all Christmas and New Years. Religion and quantum computing.

I think binge watching really brings out the quality of the show. If you watch 2 episodes and you’re eager for a third, it’s a good show for you. If you watch 2 episodes and don’t have a problem going and doing something else, might be better to just skip it.

Our problem is that we get TV shows on DVD that we like, and then binge on them to the saturation point. By the time we’re ready to go back to it, it’s hard to find where we left off, it’s been so long. To date the only TV series we’ve followed on DVD from start to finish is “Six Feet Under”, and that was with a few marathon 4–5+ episode viewings. I don’t know that that really does the series justice. For a bit there the relentless darkness of “Six Feet” was almost impossible to take, watching more than one episode at a time.

However, I have to say that every second that I spent watching “Six Feet” was rewarded by the final episode.

I think the ultimate way to watch a TV show is daily immersion. 1–2½ hour episodes a day or 1, 1 hour episode daily. Probably 5 days a week. Time to digest and fog over the inevitable inaccuracies, but not lose the thread.

I crushed through all four seasons of Walking Dead. I’d walk around scoping out safe spots in the back of my mind. Possible weapons. Weak points.

You know you’re yapping too much about zombies when your family has a conversation like this:

DAUGHTER (5yrs): What was that noise?
DAD: I think it was a car honking.
DAUGHTER: Oh no. That will attract zombies!

Yeah.

If it’s a well crafted dramatic series, I prefer binge watching. If it’s a sitcom like Modern Family, there’s no point to that for me since they’re pretty much stand alone episodes.

But I really got into Babylon Five when they started daily reruns so instead of having to wait a week between shows, it was only a day. For me, that’s about the right speed for binging.

But I also remember when after the first year of 24, they reran the entire season in 24 consecutive episodes, that’s when I got hooked on it.

I hadn’t been watching all season long because I thought the whole real-time structure was way too gimmicky. I thought a show that had to resort to something like that probably wasn’t worth it.

But I found out that sometimes a show is more quality than it’s original gimmick. So after watching that first 24 hour season rerun, I was hooked.

One of these days I’ll binge watch all the seasons of Breaking Bad just so I can catch all the little intricacies I missed the first time around when I just watched week to week.

I have almost two full season of Elementary stored up on my DVR and will probably start a binge of 2–3 episodes per day soon.

its hard for me to clarify why. It’s enjoyable to nestle with the individual you cherish and invest hours viewing an enthralling show.

I do not binge watch. After more than an hour or so I’ve had enough and need to be doing something else: eating, reading, sleeping, putting wood on the fire, laundry, ...

I also cannot stand to watch commercial TV. The ads drive me crazy they detract so much from the show. I can be deeply into the plot and the characters and, ‘Bam!’, an ad for some slimy law firm “Dial 2 if ya’ want to sue!” comes screaming at me. No thanks.

I watch TV on my Roku Netflix channel. I watched the entire Breaking Bad series start to finish, one episode per day – ok… I did watch 2 episodes a couple of times. It was wonderful.

When I eat a fine steak I don’t stuff the whole thing in my mouth at one time. I get much more enjoyment by putting my fork down between mouthfuls and letting it last. I savor it.
I treat TV, wine (and sex) the same way.

I can’t imagine watching a show week-to-week. I don’t watch tv, but I do go through the occasional binge. And I generally will wait a few years before I check out a show that someone has recommended, just so I can have multiple seasons to view – binge style.

I’m currently working my way through Boardwalk Empire. Previous binges have included Six Feet Under (probably my favorite), Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and Louie.

I can watch movies back to back, say a trilogy or whatever, just got through all the POTC films with my son, first time i’d even seen the final two.
Don’t ever binge watch with tv series though, don’t know why, just never fancied it.

I’ve binged_ Arrested Development_ (never watched all I own), Desperate Housewives (never watched all I own), and Six Feet Under (gloriously complete!). One day I hope to cocoon, home alone, and watch the whole of Sports Night – it was a fabulous but short lived series, easily marathoned.

I have not purchased the amazingly incredible Frank’s Place, or I would have already cocooned for it.

I gave up broadcast TV sometime in the 1990’s. The best thing I saw on TV this Christmastime-in-a-hotel-room was the esurance commercial with the old woman that posted her pictures to her wall and ‘unfriends’ her friend for contradicting her. Hilarious.

I can’t just watch TV. It takes a lot to keep my focus. Last night I binged on the Walking Dead while listening to music. reading, drinking wine, and talking with the s/o. Maybe that’s were the strange dreams came from.

I hate commercials so I really only watch OnDemand & Netflix.

I have not binge-watched. I DVR shows and then FF through the ads. Much better!

I’ve really only binged on the first season of Ray Donovan and over the summer my boyfriend and I watched every episode of Rescue Me.

I binge on Netflix only. No ads.
What should I watch today? After season 4 of walking dead I cleaned out my closet and make up. I deserve another binge.

On my Binge Bucket List are Sopranos, Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. One day…...

By the way, if anybody wants an older series that was very good, in my opinion, NYPD Blue was a great show. It’s one of those that you need to pay attention to, because there will be little hints and nuances that you need to catch.

@tinyfaery Have you seen Vikings? Great show, but I’m not sure if Netflix has it. We can’t use Netflix with our internet.

@jca

You’re right about NYPD Blue. Steven Bochco did some really great TV in those days.

And I think it was better after David Caruso’s exit after Season 1. Stupid career move for him but great for the rest of us. (I tried getting into CSI Miami but just reached the end of my rope with him and his fakey posing and stilted line readings for “dramatic effect”. What a ham.

But Jimmy Smits was terrific as was the rest of the cast, many of whom I still recognize when they pop up on various TV series nowadays (Nick Turturro, currently on Blue Bloods as well as numerous other cop shows is one example). I really loved that series and never missed an episode when it originally aired.

BTW, do you remember the guy who played Sid, the weaselly junkie informant? His name escapes me right now, but I was surprised to see his name pop up on Babylon 5 years later and more surprised still to realize he was playing Lando Molari, the pompous Ambassador. Couldn’t think of two more different type of character roles. What a terrific actor !

I used to watch NYPD Blue. I’m that old.

I’ll try Vikings, though I’ve heard it’s a poor man’s GOT.

Watching shows in a marathon session would, it seems to me, grow stale & ruin the freshness.

I loved Fringe. It’s a little sci-fi with relationship stuff thrown in and some mental illness.

I saw the first season of Homeland and really liked it.

I can’t compare Vikings and GOT because I never jumped on that bandwagon. I think of floppy wieners when I hear about GOT (thanks to South Park.)

If you like raunchy comedy you can try VEEP. It’s hilarious.

Oh yeah another show on my Binge Bucket List is The Tudors. I heard that it’s got great costumes, great sets, great jewelry, great scenery and great sex. 5 good reasons are enough for me!

We watched 4–6 episodes of the NCIS marathon in a hotel room post-Christmas and I found it about as plausible and well researched as…Gilligan’s Island?
What a POS with holes Squeeky2 I could drive a semi through. Sure, there might have been cutting edge information there, but it was rendered moot by the ridiculous story lines.

Suspension of Disbelief should not have to equal sleep?

I watch NCIS primarily for the unique characters and their interactions.

But I’ve seen interviews with some if the leads and showrunners and they’re supposedly based upon the real-life organization of the same initials.

But i’m sure “dramatic license” is at play often :)

To each his own, @Buttonstc, but after a few episodes, back to back, I found it too cartoonish.

“A week, and we have absolutely no leads!”
“Well, the crime did happen at 7:30 a.m., leading one to think it might be a night-shift worker. Let’s try this: search for 23 yo Filipino males that have suffered at least one amputation due to a career in the garment district, working the 11 to 7 shift that happen to be blonde.”
“BINGO! You’re brilliant!”

@jca the first 2 seasons of the Tudors were really good, after that I started to lose interest.
Last week I finished the 3rd season of Shameless, it’s a little gritty but still pretty good.

Sorry, @Buttonstc, I was informed that I was actually speaking of “Criminal Minds”, rather than “NCIS”.