Once upon a time, appointment viewing existed.
This meant gathering around the TV weekly at a set time to watch the new episode of any given show. For decades, this was the way viewers digested TV shows and it helped add to the anticipation of each episode.
Technology slowly crept in to move viewers farther from appointment viewing, eventually settling on a subscription-based streaming experience that would release all episodes at once. And thus the binge model fully took hold.
Today, this binging model still exists but many streamers are opting for a weekly release schedule, bringing back a form of appointment viewing. The main difference is you can still watch the episode whenever you want after it is released.
At the risk of sounding like an old man, I really miss the days of appointment viewing.
Growing up, I was a huge fan of Lost. I would gather around the TV each week with my family to watch what would happen next. I had to watch at that time because the next day at school, everyone would dissect the episode.
I’ve since watched Lost in a binged setting and the two experiences are vastly different. I preferred the weekly approach over six years but there were benefits to watching all episodes in the short span.
Many of my favorite current shows follow this weekly format. Invincible is a show that’s easy to digest but the weekly schedule made it more fun to watch it.
This topic has gained some notoriety as there has been some discussion around The Bear‘s third season releasing all at once.
Despite many streamer’s shift to weekly releases, many still release entire seasons at a time. I think this is a good thing.
While I prefer the weekly release schedule, I think having variety makes for a healthy TV market. Not everyone watches TV the same way I do, which means they’ll have different preferences than I do.
I’ve loved having the option to view TV the way I want to watch. When network TV ruled, you had to watch what the networks put on. Sure, there were many different channels, but you were limited to what was on.
Streaming has given the option to consume TV in your own unique way. Everyone will have a unique viewing experience based on their preferences. Having a little bit of everything is the ideal setting as it gives everyone what they need and want.
Is the current streaming format perfect? No and I don’t think we’ll ever arrive at a perfect model. There are plenty of fair criticisms about too many streaming options that are equating to what cable once was.
But in terms of viewing, streamers offering both weekly and all-at-once options is a big positive. Between those two options, I enjoy weekly episodes more than watching them all at once.
It gives me something to look forward to each week and it helps me better digest the story.
What about you? Do you prefer a weekly or all-at-once release schedule? Do you miss appointment viewing? Let us known in the comments below or head over to our Discord to join the conversation.
Featured Image: Matoo.Studio (via Unsplash)
The Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast About Video Games
The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of The Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, hosts Corey Dirrig, Stephanie Klimov, LeRon Dawkins, and Pat Klein come together with their friends, colleagues, and fellow creators to talk about their week in video games, discuss industry topics, conduct interviews, answer listener questions, and more. New episodes every Monday. Get each episode one week early and more perks over on the Boss Rush Network Patreon page.
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