There’s a lot more to watching television than one may think. We all watch our favorite tv shows for different reasons and in different ways even if we may not notice it. Those differences tend to make up your tv watching style. I’ll admit, for me, my tv watching style is a little particular but that’s only because I have a lot of opinions surrounding television. You may be a little extra like me, a little low key or you might not even like watching tv at all which is kind of its own style in itself. Wherever you may stand, there are a few tv watching styles that might seem familiar when you truly think about them.
Watching from the First Episode VS The Middle of the Season
There’s a tv show that you’ve heard amazing things about, so you decide to check it out. The show is three seasons in, with the new season just recently starting, and they are on episode 5. How do you start? Do you pick up where the show is and just backtrack once the current season finishes up, or do you start from square one?
Personally, I don’t understand starting a show from anywhere other than the first episode. I’m not going to judge though since everyone has their own ways of watching new shows. The reason why I like to watch a show from the beginning is that I like a good introduction. I want to know who is who and the foundation for the storyline. I also don’t care for tv shows/movies that rely on flashbacks as a way to fill in the information. Flashbacks are commonly used, but I don’t really care for having half the episode in flashbacks.
It really comes down to what kind of show it is. With sitcoms or comedy shows, it’s a bit easier to pick up wherever the show is, but in other genres like thrillers and dramas, a little bit more background information is sometimes needed to figure out what’s going on.
A Source of Entertainment VS Invested in the Storyline
That new show you heard about, what made you want to watch it? Did the storyline sound interesting or maybe it’s a show that’s in your favorite genre? Maybe you just heard how entertaining one of the characters is. There is no one reason to watch a tv show, however, there may be a certain tv watching style that you may find yourself sticking to based on that show.
There are people who watch tv and there are people who are television enthusiasts. These enthusiasts pretty much illustrate why tv watching can be considered a hobby. I’m a mixture of the two. There are some shows that I turn on just because I need to have something on the tv, but I also like them. I really don’t need to pay attention to these shows because I just look at them as something to watch. On the other hand, there are shows where I’m invested in the characters, their development, the storyline, etc and sometimes I have to pay attention really closely, so I don’t miss anything. I also tend to like to read discussions about these shows.
As I mentioned before, you can be invested in a show to the point of analyzing the characters and their actions and relationships while still being entertained. Your tv watching style doesn’t have to be one-note. We are versatile around here.
I’m Okay if it has Only One Season VS Not Even Watching if it doesn’t have More Than 3
You got your new show, and you see that it only has one season so far. Do you still feel like watching or are shows that already have at least 3 seasons more your style? In all honesty, I get not wanting to watch a show that only has one season, because whether you’re watching it for entertainment or because it’s a storyline you find really interesting, it’s going to be disappointing if the show got canceled after only one season.
I personally like when a show has more than one season by the time I get to it, but I’ve also watched shows that only had one season and even got canceled. I’m also the type of person who seems to find out about a show when it’s on its last season or before it was canceled, like Graceland. I started watching The Society on Netflix even after I learned their 2nd season was canceled.
Having your favorite show, or one that you really enjoyed canceled is something that feels kind of personal sometimes. I know I get a bit offended when my favorite shows are canceled. I was very mad when they canceled The Get Down. It is not uncommon for people to get attached to the shows they watch. Choosing not to watch a show with only one season is like not setting yourself up for potential disappointment.
I’ll Stick it Out VS If The Show is Bad, I’m Quitting
That show you started watching, you’re on episode 3 and things are just not clicking for you. The characters aren’t interesting and you were pretty much on your phone the entire time the last episode. Do you stick it out and see if it gets better or are you splitting?
I try to give most shows a chance, but if I’ve tried watching the same episode twice, I usually don’t stick around. There are some shows, however, that take a little while to build up like Behind Her Eyes, but at least that one actually turned out to be interesting. Then there are other shows that just don’t find their footing and you can tell. That’s kind of where “hate-watching” is introduced. Not every tv show you watch is going to be something you want to stick with because you like it. Sometimes people find themselves sticking with a show because it’s over the top or so unbelievably bad that you can’t turn it off.
Sometimes your tv watching style depends on the show itself. We react to and bond with different shows for different reasons. There are patterns you start to notice about your tv watching ways. You tend to keep those patterns close because they make your experience better.
Share all the details about how you enjoy watching tv in the comment section below!
Photo by Jens Kreuter on Unsplash
