Stealthoneill (Level 14)

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of TV. That has been a fact since my Grandad sat me down at a young at in front of his small colour television on a weekly basis and introduced me to the world of Star Trek. That being one of my earliest memories you can imagine where I went from there. I now watch hours of television and sometimes find myself questioning the decision I made, the shows I watch and the way I spend my time. I was asked not so long ago why I watch what I do and how I decide what shows I am going to stick with.

The One Season Rule

After years of attempting - And failing miserably - to watch TV on a weekly basis, I developed a system of binging on TV. My peers chose to go out weekly and socialize while I huddled around a small monitor, watching TV shows and attempting (At best, that’s what I’ll call it) to write about them. I developed what I’ve come to know as the One Season Rule a few years ago and have found it revolutionized my TV viewing experience.

The rule is quite simple: I read up on shows before watching them and decide if that show is something I want to invest my time in. Then, that decision made, I throw on the first episode and give it a chance. Passing this I am then invested for the rest of the season. I only decide not to stick with a show after the first season. If a show is absolutely terrible I’ll break early but I’ve had a high success rate and have always had a high tolerance for bad TV shows (See later) so all has been good.

Serialised shows are often strong because of the characters in the show, the relationships they develop and the connection to the audience. Often times I’ll hear people talking about how they watched a pilot for a show and never went back. Well, point number one: Pilots are terrible most of the time and no indication of what the actual show will be like. Point Two: The characters haven’t had any time to show you who they are and why you’re going to want to keep this connection. You feel no apathy after an hour and this leads to a lot of people missing out.

Lost drew me in on sch a level that I was invested on a weekly basis. Every week I went through a roller coaster with every other fan. A huge smile on my face as the episode began, heart beating faster as the episode went on and a heart wrenching anger after the episode. Lost was a tough watch because of the lack of answers and, without seeing the end, we really didn’t know what the show was building too. Yes, it was fun to theorize and talk over a small lunch with work companions or ignore family functions as I huddled in the corner with my cousin comparing notes but that show offered little reprive until the end and, some may argue, we’re still waiting for the pay off. I’ve gone back and watched Lost over again twice since it ended and that show works so much better as a show I binge on over a small time scale rather than over five years.

This rule isn’t perfect, of course not, and here is where I confess something so dark and sinister I’m sure I’ll lose most who happen upon my little corner - Hence, waiting until the end. I still watch Two and a Half Men. Whether out of a sense of anticipation as I wait for Charlie Sheen’s inevitable breakdown or the thought of countless wasted hours already spent invested int he Harper family, I don’t know. I laugh, maybe, once every three episodes and that isn’t even a big “Haha so funny!” laugh, it’s more a sarcastic eye role as I turn the lights down and thank the big cheese that no one knows about my obsession. I’m the first to tell you that show is an absolute affront to Television, I’m also the one to tell you I’m part of the problem. But that’s that, I suppose. I’ll watch Season Nine out of curiosity and in hope that this show succeeds without Charlie Sheen, even if the sole reason for it to live is to show the “Tiger Blood filled Adonis” that he is no longer “Winning”.

This rule also isn’t something I stick to strictly either. I watched The Chicago Code, Terriers and Firefly weekly because of the quality. Becoming invested in TV shows early is a treacherous ground and I’ve been burned many times. At least if I wait to see what clears the first season hurdle I can begin to prioritise my viewing.

Currently, I’m catching up with Breaking Bad, Justified, Friday Night Lights and Eureka. All with their own merits and all shows I never would have watched on a weekly basis. These shows work for me under my own regulations and my own timescale. I hate falling behind on an active show and then having to actively avoid conversations. At least, this way, I’ve a more broad picture of what is happening and I control TV my way.

Any one else have something similar or strange habits with their own shows? Comments, Questions, feedback always welcome!