Topic: Episodes once a week or all at once?

[Brian Blessed]

What is your preference?

I was all for the binge; if there was a bad episode it barely registered, as I was onto the next one.

But I’ve totally reversed on that.

And it’s because of the discussions to be had, good or bad. Because I do enjoy those.

I binged The Umbrella Academy over the weekend and loved it. I went to find the thread on here, and there are about 20 posts on the season, mainly discussing a single aspect.

Whereas another show I love is Better Call Saul. It’s an episode once a week, and the thread has twenty or more replies per episode.

So what is your preference?

[Red Viper]

Same as you I was bang into binging at first but now much prefer when a series releases weekly episodes.

[AndyMuller]

Yeah weekly for me to be honest. Not into this releasing everything but then holding back 2 episodes until a month later though, looking at you Stranger Things season 4.

[Red Viper]

Yeah weekly for me to be honest. Not into this releasing everything but then holding back 2 episodes until a month later though, looking at you Stranger Things season 4.

Netflix will be missing a trick if they don't release the final season weekly. The build up and hype for it will probably be crazy and would be daft to blow it all on a binge release that will be over and done for most after a week.

[stewil007]

I've just binged Ted Lasso in less than 2 days - its definitely a lot easier when its light hearted and half an hour/45 mins episodes.

Some programmes lend themselves to it, others you need that week to think on what you've just watched, either to digest it all or give you a chance to rewatch.

[.adam]

I don't watch any live TV (other than sport). I only watch box sets.

I like to pick something I want to watch and then will watch two or so episodes a night until I finish it then will move on to the next show.

For this reason, I'd rather they all be available in one go or else I'll wait until they are all available.

[Son of Spion]

One episode a week.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Both are good.

One is great for binging. The other is great for that sense of anticipation.

I like  that they mix them up personally

If you don't want to wait then simply just start watching them when they are all released.

[Kenny's Jacket]

One a week if you are in a position where you and your circle of friends watch it at the same pace, the discussion enhances the show I feel. 

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

What is your preference?

I was all for the binge; if there was a bad episode it barely registered, as I was onto the next one.

But I’ve totally reversed on that.

And it’s because of the discussions to be had, good or bad. Because I do enjoy those.

I binged The Umbrella Academy over the weekend and loved it. I went to find the thread on here, and there are about 20 posts on the season, mainly discussing a single aspect.

Whereas another show I love is Better Call Saul. It’s an episode once a week, and the thread has twenty or more replies per episode.

So what is your preference?

Depends on the type of show really.

I'd rather watch serious content on a weekly basis, where you can digest what has happened, talk about it with friends and look forward to the next episode. So recently the likes of Better Call Saul, Succession and Ozark.

But for shows like Arrested Development, Parks & Rec, US Office and Community they are much better to binge watch.

[disgraced cake]

Weekly for me, but everything I watch at the minute seems to be all at once. Makes sense if it's something that aired years previously and every episode is at your fingertips, but it has been rare I'm watching something as it aired weekly in recent times.

I think it depends on what the series is, though. I've watched The Boys every week as it's aired but I wouldn't mind that being out all at once. If it's a mystery series you're watching, I think it's much better to watch one a week. Perfect example in years gone by would be something like Lost. People used to lose discussing/theorising about it etc. If you watched 20 episodes of that in a few days it'd all just get lost (ha ha) on you. Well, it would on me anyway. Comedies are fine by me all at once, too.

Certainly in terms of American telly everything good has been coming from Netflix, Amazon, Disney etc in the past few years. The networks like AMC and FX haven't had much on that I've liked in a while now, HBO will usually be up to something good. Maybe I'm just missing things but I wish they'd start knocking out more quality series.

[Ciara (with a capital "C")]

I have really struggled with my memory over the last couple of years. I already had a dodgy memory - not names or faces or losing keys but would struggle to remember details from films or I would ask my Husband if he wanted a cup of tea and 5 mins later would have to ask him again when I went to boil the kettle, that kind of thing. But I have really noticed over the last 6 months how much I struggle day to day. For example, last night we watched 5 mins of the next episode of a programme we watch, and I had to pause it to get my Husband to recap the last moments of the episode before, we had watched the night before. Once he started talking I could remember it then, but I definitely feel like my brain has fogged up. Similarly in work, I can't remember words or need to have presentations etc.. infront of me.

With programmes, I find now if I binge watch something I am much more likely to forget it quicker.

If I watch one a week, maybe I do hold onto the details a bit more.

I am not sure if that makes sense but definitely feels like my experience.

Might start a new thread about the brain fog thing post pandemic/covid and see if others experience this. It's nearly worrying now, or at least making me a bit anxious that I am going to forget how to speak before calls/meetings!

[ScouserAtHeart]

All at once. Instant gratification for the win

[gjr1]

All at once until I’ve watched them all.

Then i wish it was once a week

[Barefoot Doctor]

A bit of both. There's loads of shows I've binged which I'd otherwise have binned after an episode or two if they were on weekly. The 'just one more episode' Netflix thing has been revolutionary for how we consume TV, but I do think the downside is that it makes a lot of stuff feel flash in the pan. You start watching something on the Friday, binge it over a weekend, and then forgot about it until the next season comes out in a year or two. It becomes like fast food, enjoyable but not truly satisfying. Whereas the very best TV is to be savoured - letting previous episodes sit with you as you build anticipation for what comes next. It feels more of an investment, more of a commitment, and ultimately more rewarding.

The biggest downside, for me, of the bingewatch model is that it's totally changed how most TV shows are structured. Far too many treat shows now as 'one big movie' and for the most part that doesn't really work. The episodic nature of TV is a huge strength and it's been lost a little. Been watching The Sandman over the last few days and it's great to see it's gone with an episodic model - every episode feels unique in its structure, while obviously still telling a bigger story.

[Hedley Lamarr]

Depends how long the show is.  I don’t know if I could of coped watching The Wire on a weekly basis, but Apple’s Blackbird, six episodes, was perfect weekly.

[Elmo!]

The downside of one episode a week is it makes it harder to chop and change which streaming services to subscribe to. I refuse to have Netflix, Prime, Apple TV, Disney +, and Now TV all at the same time but harder to cancel one when you are waiting weeks for a show to finish (and another one will inevitably start in the meantime). I suspect this is partly why the industry has moved back towards this model.

[BER]

Two a week is perfection, Amazon done it with Outer Range but haven't since. Really don't get their strategy of releasing three the first week and then one a week.

[redwillow]

All at once for me

[Kashinoda]

Can't remember the last thing I watched episodically, maybe Breaking Bad. Even with Game of Thrones I would just wait for the entire season to finish then binge it over a day.

I think it really adds to the experience, you end up feeling more immersed in the world.

[Armand9]

all at once, every single time

i get some of the points made and from the channel's perspective it makes more sense to release very popular shows weekly

but I want it all, and I want it now

i generally do what Kashinoda does, save them up and binge them even if they are weekly - currently doing it with westworld

[jackh]

Never really been one for 'binging', partly because I like to have a couple of series' on the go at the same time rather than fully immersing in one. Similarly, I like to take a break between seasons for older things, rather than just blasting through a whole series as one long run.

Typically, I'd say I'll have two things on the go at once and that I'll watch a couple of episodes a week of each - 4/5/6 weeks depending on the length of the seasons.

No spoilers please, but I'm currently on with Mad Men 5, Sopranos 4, and Better Call Saul - five hours of tv drama a week and some decent variety. BCS I'll obviously be finished after next week, whereas I'll be with Mad Man and Sopranos for another 3 weeks or so I think. After those two, I'll probably pick up two pairs of seasons other show before returning in about 10 weeks/3 months.

A - B
C - D
E - F
A - B
C - ... etc

Best thing about watching something current (as with BCS now) is being able to be part of the discussion. Even with the older things though, such as Mad Men and Sopranos for me at the moment, I'll read along with the likes of AV Club/Vulture or Sepinwall or Zoller-Seitz's dedicated books on the shows - if RAWK has a dedicated thread, I'll even cross-reference episode dates via Wikipedia and read-along here on the forum!

[Drinks Sangria]

I have really struggled with my memory over the last couple of years. I already had a dodgy memory - not names or faces or losing keys but would struggle to remember details from films or I would ask my Husband if he wanted a cup of tea and 5 mins later would have to ask him again when I went to boil the kettle, that kind of thing. But I have really noticed over the last 6 months how much I struggle day to day. For example, last night we watched 5 mins of the next episode of a programme we watch, and I had to pause it to get my Husband to recap the last moments of the episode before, we had watched the night before. Once he started talking I could remember it then, but I definitely feel like my brain has fogged up. Similarly in work, I can't remember words or need to have presentations etc.. infront of me.

With programmes, I find now if I binge watch something I am much more likely to forget it quicker.

If I watch one a week, maybe I do hold onto the details a bit more.

I am not sure if that makes sense but definitely feels like my experience.

Might start a new thread about the brain fog thing post pandemic/covid and see if others experience this. It's nearly worrying now, or at least making me a bit anxious that I am going to forget how to speak before calls/meetings!

I've a colleague who's sharp as a tack but for around 9 months post-long covid, which he had for around 3 months, his memory was dreadful with a lot of what you describe. He even had to go off again and come back on massively reduced duties because he couldn't remember even the most basic things or he would zone out whilst you were talking to him. Another 5/6 months on, he's back to his best, perfectly fine and he describes it as the most worrying and bizarre time of his life, he couldn't understand or really cope with his own limitations during that period. He's fine now, I'm sure you will be Ciara, just takes some time unfortunately. Definitely sounds like what he suffered with though.

[So… Howard Philips]

I've a colleague who's sharp as a tack but for around 9 months post-long covid, which he had for around 3 months, his memory was dreadful with a lot of what you describe. He even had to go off again and come back on massively reduced duties because he couldn't remember even the most basic things or he would zone out whilst you were talking to him. Another 5/6 months on, he's back to his best, perfectly fine and he describes it as the most worrying and bizarre time of his life, he couldn't understand or really cope with his own limitations during that period. He's fine now, I'm sure you will be Ciara, just takes some time unfortunately. Definitely sounds like what he suffered with though.

I’m into my third week post Covid and have memory problems.

I’ve been enjoying the ‘Alienist’ on Netflix but have reached the point where I need some reminders as to the plot. Very frustrating.

[Drinks Sangria]

I’m into my third week post Covid and have memory problems.

I’ve been enjoying the ‘Alienist’ on Netflix but have reached the point where I need some reminders as to the plot. Very frustrating.

I'm sure it will get better mate. Everyone I know who's had memory issues has recovered after some time.

I thought the first season of the Alienist was a really enjoyable slow-burner. Quite dark in a good way. Couldn't get into the second season and still have it to watch.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

It depends on the type of show.

If you have something that is based on tension, intrigue, a mystery, or a general spectacle which leaves you on the edge of your seat, or has an active community which is part of the fun of following, then week to week all the way. So things like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Boys, the star wars and marvel series, Game of Thrones, etc.

If you have something which is a bit more about atmosphere, tone, a matter of fact story, or of course a story which is real life (because not much point having a weekly thing if you know what will happen just by searching for it), then all at once I would say. So things like Mindhunter, or Narcos, or We own this City, or The Crown, or a show I have just watched called The Newsreader.

So yeah it depends.

I think the worst case I have ever seen is for an Anime I like, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure part 6. Netflix got the exclusive rights in the west which used to be Crunchyroll and released weekly. Being an anime which is about weird and wakey superpowers fights with lots of twists and turns, and a large active fandom, weekly showings suited it to a T.

Netflix instead did a really weird thing where they released like a 3rd of the season early all in one go, and won't be releasing the rest until another year or so, again all I one go. This killed the hype for the series, killed the fandom talking about it weekly as exciting and stupid shit happened, and blew all the tensions right away (also didn't help that Netflix had it going at a much quicker pace than other seasons).

[reddebs]

Depends what live TV is happening as in we've just had an inordinate amount of live sport on day and night so I've barely watched any "normal" TV.

We record everything anyway on series link so we can watch when there's nothing live on so we kinda binge but not a whole series just whatevers been recorded so far.

[Riquende]

Is one episode a day considered binging? That's pretty much how it goes for us when something new starts that has all the episodes online.

[UntouchableLuis]

In today's world it's hard to not binge if it's a really big show. Game of Thrones for example was virtually impossible to avoid spoilers for.

I'm a teacher so during the summer I love a good binge. Personally prefer having all the episodes up and being able to choose to watch 1,2 or 5 depending on how you're feeling.

[SvenJohansen]

I do a bit of both. Like others have said it depends on the show. I'm rewatching Better Call Saul from the start so that's binge watching. Black Bird was good weekly as I would be eagerly awaiting Friday for the next episode. Excellent show by the way! Severance was a weekly one too. It makes a nice change from binging one after the other. Sometimes after I've watched 4 or 5 in a row I feel I need a break from it. Documentaries are a good alternative.

[FlashingBlade]

Depends...during Covid lock downs me and the lad had ' Sci Fi Fridays' and the weekly release of eg the Mandalorian really gave us something to look forward too....i also enjoy weekly release of 'Only Murder in the Building'..nice sunday night viewing ...having said the binge watched the Sandman over two nights.

So in conclusion a little from column A and little from column B

[rushyman]

I see merits in both

It depends what you want out of it I suppose

I do miss the old way of watching tv like quantum leap thursdays at 9 for example, was a highlight of the week for me

But One thing about the two I’m watching at the moment (westworld, better call Saul) is it’s easy to lose track of what you’ve watched as it’s so convoluted, especially Westworld. That’s pretty much a running theme in today’s tv shows aswell

Back when I was watching quantum leap for example life was pretty, I hesitate to say mundane, but it definitely wasn’t as event filled in a week as it can be now with devices media outlets and sports consumption

All in all to follow it well and immerse yourself into the story I’d say you have to binge it. I recently finished the 100. I wouldve definitely left it at season 2/3 if it were weekly, but as those what would’ve been weeks only took a few hours in a binge method, your able to get through and watch and I’m very glad I did as it was excellent overall

[Macphisto80]

I see merits in both

It depends what you want out of it I suppose

I do miss the old way of watching tv like quantum leap thursdays at 9 for example, was a highlight of the week for me

But One thing about the two I’m watching at the moment (westworld, better call Saul) is it’s easy to lose track of what you’ve watched as it’s so convoluted, especially Westworld. That’s pretty much a running theme in today’s tv shows aswell

Back when I was watching quantum leap for example life was pretty, I hesitate to say mundane, but it definitely wasn’t as event filled in a week as it can be now with devices media outlets and sports consumption

All in all to follow it well and immerse yourself into the story I’d say you have to binge it. I recently finished the 100. I wouldve definitely left it at season 2/3 if it were weekly, but as those what would’ve been weeks only took a few hours in a binge method, your able to get through and watch and I’m very glad I did as it was excellent overall

This is why I think The X-Files worked so well, and is one of the absolute best TV series ever made. Not just because it was excellent overall, but because of how it was structured. The one off monster of the week episodes that didn't demand any of the previous knowledge of the lore that preceded previous episodes, and you could just jump in and watch without worrying about previous episode orders. Whenever the main lore stuff came about, it usually did so in spurts of one or two episodes, then it went and did something different again. In fact, I'd say the X-Files could be broken up into two separate series' and you'd lose nothing in the process. One for the main story, and the other for the brilliant monster of the week. I think the latter is where it was at.