Saturday, January 27, 2018

Netflix and Chill

Television show watching has changed quite a bit with the "invention" of DVRs and OnDemand and even more so with online "television" like Netflix and Amazon Prime.  Back in the day, we waited all week (or even weeks) to find out who shot J.R. or if Ross and Rachel would get together/break up/get together again or who was voted off Survivor.   At work the next day, there was the obligatory water-cooler talk about last night's show.  It was kind of fun to gasp, laugh, or shake your head over what went down the night before.
Nowadays, there are so many ways to watch television and most of us don't actually watch it on the day/time that it first airs.  Watching TV during my work week is a challenge as I always have work I have to do after school.  I might have the TV on while I'm working, but it's more for noise. Intellectual shows that need attention are saved on the DVR until at least the weekend, but usually not watched until a school break.  By break, there are multiple shows saved so it could turn into binge watching.  Regardless, I no longer contribute to the water-cooler talk.  Water-cooler talk seems to be about other things these days as most aren't watching shows they day they air.
Even more sporadically watched seems to be the shows created by and aired on the online streaming media companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime.  They create their own shows and release an entire season at a time.  Someone coming in on a show late can catch up with an episode a day or binge watch several seasons over a weekend.  But being able to talk about these shows with others is kind of over.  Between the binge watching and the NUMBER of shows they offer, it is rare that anyone you know is watching the same thing you are.
I do have both Netflix (streaming) and Amazon Prime, which is kind of silly, as I have plenty of things to watch on the DVR and don't even have time for that.  The streaming shows aren't shows you can have in the background and just listen to.  You've got to pay attention, and I have so little time to do that.  But I've found about 20 minutes a day in the morning when I'm getting ready for work that I can set the iPad on the bathroom sink and watch something on one of these sites.  I started this in late summer because a friend of mine did the graphic work on a new Netflix series called "Mindhunter".  I wanted to watch it so carved out this little bit of time, and got through the season in about a month.  It was a FANTASTIC show, but no one else I know watched it while I was.  Since then, several people have recommended "The Crown" to me.  I was a bit hesitant to start it since it's already in Season 2, but I did start and now I'm OBSESSED with it.  There have been so many, "Oh my gosh!" moments!  Yet again, those who recommended have already watched it, so my discussion over it has been limited.
Watching TV has gotten so easy and the options are endless anymore, but the social aspect has all but disappeared.  While I like being able to watch TV when I have the time, I do miss the discussion about it the next day.

20 comments:

  1. I was talking to a colleague on Friday about having to wait until the next episode of The Alienist airs on Monday and how it seems almost foreign to have to wait for episodes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! It's weird to have to wait anymore. And in the event my DVR misses an episode, I get so frustrated that it's not just immediately available when I want to watch it. What do you mean it's not available? :)

      Delete
  2. I use to watch a lot of TV, back in the day when we all had to wait for that next episode. In recent years, I've pretty much lost interest. Maybe that's for the best since we can't stream and I really don't have the desire to order series via Netflix snail-mail. Besides, I rarely have the attention span for binging. What little I do watch (mostly a few select food competition programs) I tend to DVR and watch at my convenience. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are so many things out there, it's a lot of commitment if you want to watch. I tend to use my DVR more than anything else too. Although it gets awfully full in between breaks.

      Delete
  3. I remember those days by the water cooler and planning my evenings so I wouldn't be left out and accidentally hear the plot before I saw it!

    These days with a DVR, I never watch anything in real time because I can't stand sitting through a commercial. I consider fast forwarding through a commercial as mandatory. So much so, we recently were watching something at a hotel and I had to explain to my daughter why we had to watch the commercials even though it wasn't "live".

    I just cancelled my streaming subscription to Netflix last week when I learned they were raising their prices yet again. I still have Prime and what few television shows I binge watched I can still get on DVD mailed to my home. I did compromise and upped my DVD plan to 2 at a time instead of just 1. That still saved me $11/month overall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you on the commercials! Nobody has time for that anymore. That's reason enough right there to not watch something when it originally airs.
      I dropped my DVD subscription to netflix a couple of years ago as I just have never been someone to watch movies at home - I get sidetracked and don't pay attention. The DVD have the most popular content (current movies) compared to the streaming, but they don't do the original shows on DVD. It's a toss up I guess.

      Delete
  4. They do release some of their original shows on DVD but others they don't. I don't know why that is. Orange is the New Black is one that I know is on DVD but Black Mirror, which I watch the occasional show from isn't.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That’s interesting. I hadn’t realized they’d DVD their original stuff. Maybe the more popular?

      Delete
  5. I can't join in without seeming like I'm moaning. I have the Irish, UK, and all the European channels but Netfix and Prime doesn't work here. Well they doo but at such a lessened offering at the same price as the full US or UK that I couldn't in buy in.
    But in truth the only thing I've felt I've missed is Game of Thrones. And you couldn't get me watch The Crown for more than 5 mins.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha! Yah, I figured as much about the Crown. To be honest, I had no desire for quite some time as I've never had much interest in the Royals. But it got talked up SO much and I got sucked in. It's fascinating. I find myself both appalled AND fascinated by all the pomp and circumstance.
      Game of Thrones is an HBO show, so you might be able to find it by going directly to them? I know there are licensing issues in other countries, but don't they film some of it there? You should at least be able to watch it! :)

      Delete
    2. Ha, that only 'cause Markle is a Cally chick being ploughed by a prince and all you lot thing 'shit, we could do him'. And of course she's not only Californian but LA too boot. :-D

      Delete
    3. Yes! And she'd never fly in The Crown!!!! Divorced, an actress, her family is a mess and older than he is. It's a good thing no one cares about Harry. :)

      Delete
  6. Ohh there's a magnificant moon with you about noon our time in South Cally and Hawaii. Blood moon new moon and eclipse, first time in 150 years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was up a little before 5am walking the dog and saw the eclipse - it was small. TONIGHT however the moon was amazing! It was huge.

      Delete
    2. I worry about you and your work rate. You are getting the better part of three days out of every one.

      Delete
    3. I feel like that too. (wahhhhh)
      The worst part is that I come home with several hours of work to do, fall asleep while doing it, and wake up to even more on my to do list than before. UGH! It's a vicious cycle.

      Delete
  7. This is my favorite. And if you get a chance you'll laugh like a mad thing. It's called The Winsors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHfl5RJ9VL8

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will check it out this weekend. I feel like I have heard the name of it, but I don't think I've ever seen it. Fun!

      Delete
    2. That was great! It's like an SNL for the Royals. Ha ha! I didn't realize it's fairly new. Didn't there used to be a long running show about the them?

      Delete
    3. Ohh there's loads of them. If a commissioning officer needs an easy pick he goes with a royal. But that one is priceless.

      Delete