How to decide which show to watch next

In a time of Netflix & Co. a thousand of different shows are available to watch at any time. You are no longer dependent on a set TV program and don’t have to record shows because the sender won’t show it twice — and this is a good thing, right? At least till you are faced with such an overload of options, you can’t decide which show to watch next anymore. Here are four easy steps how to tackle this problem.

Step 1

Ask yourself which genre you feel like
Every streaming service offers a number of different genres. Sometimes you might feel more like a crime show — watching others being convicted while you are safely tight up in your blanket with a bowl of popcorn. Other times you might prefer a comedy show when you are with friends and want to have a good laugh.

In case you are not certain which genre fits the best to your mood, you can easily look it up on the table beneath. It’s an overview of the most common genres, its characteristics and which mood it suits the best.

Step 2

Decide if you are looking for something long-lasting or for the moment
The second step is to decide if you’re looking for a show that should entertain you for a short period of time speaking 1–2 weeks or for a longer period like Grey’s Anatomy approximately takes you a half lifetime to finish all 12 seasons. By doing this you can narrow your options down again.

The number of seasons. If you are looking for a quick entertainment look out for shows with about 3 seasons and if you are looking for a longer one choose a number of seasons above 4.

The type of episodes. Usually the episodes of a show are built on each other, but there are exceptions. Some shows provide you with episodes where each one stands for itself. For example, you can watch every „How I met your mother“ episode without knowing the context and you’ll still understand the plot.

Step 3

Explore your options
Now you should start exploring the shows you are interested in.

Use the reviews of the streaming website. Every platform offers the opportunity to write reviews on their shows. You can simply explore other member’s opinion of a show by choosing the show and select „Details“.

Use professional websites. There are a bunch of different websites which provide you with show reviews and rankings. The most popular ones are Metacritics and ScreenRant.

Ask your friends for recommendations. Recommendations by peers are a precious resource to make your decision since their recommendations are based on a deeper knowledge about your personal preferences. Furthermore, what’s better than watching the same show your friend saw? There’s no better way to bound than be passionate about the same show.

Step 4

Take a sneak peek
The last step before you finally choose a show is to make sure it is really what you expected. Do you like the characters, speed of the show etc.? You can’t answer these questions without seeing real parts of the show.

Watch a trailer on YouTube. By watching a trailer you can get a first impression of the characters and the cast, do you perceive them as sympathetic, interesting or boring? Does the character fit to the actor? There’s a good chance you will like the show, if the trailer appeals to you.

Watch at least the first two episodes. The first episode is usually called „Pilot“ and the episode which was produced to convince the station to pick up the show, so it might convince you too.

The second episode starts to develop the plot and gives an impression how the show will proceed. It needs time to develop a plot and for you to understand it, so it’s important to watch at least the first two episodes.
Don’t forget that you also need time to become familiar with the roles and cast — maybe a character appears not sympathetic in the beginning, but develops a more relatable character throughout the show. Who had thought that we are going to end up liking Blair Waldorf after we got to know her better?

Step 5

Have fun watching!