Lots of people would have you believe that ‘scheduled TV’ is dead. On-demand, marathon-viewing is the consumers’ ideal future of television.
Is it?
I don’t think many people would argue that the ability to cue up an entire season of a show and binge-watch it is anything but awesome. What’s not to like? The great thing about the Netflix approach is the instant gratification of consumption- no commercials, no waiting, no interruptions. 13 hours on a rainy Sunday, and you’ve watched every delightfully devious episode of the award-winning House of Cards.
By comparison, to watch all 10 episodes of HBO’s amazing Game of Thrones, you’ll have to tune in every Sunday at 10pm and then wait a week between each episode, bringing your overall commitment to 2 and a half months.
While the Netflix model certainly seems more in keeping with the time-strapped, A.D.D. nature of our society, I posit that it limits the overall enjoyment of the show and misses huge opportunities to deepen engagement with an audience.
Aside from blurring the story timeline, the loss of impact on cliffhangers and other dramatic moments, and the disregard for the integrity of individual episodes, binge-watching eliminates so much of what makes a show entertaining and engaging – ‘the conversation’. The conversation is what happens during and between episodes. It’s the glue that builds viewership, solidifies a fanbase and organically spurs word-of-mouth endorsements.
“How about when Tony whacked that guy while taking Meadow to see colleges?”
“I think the Island is actually limbo. They’re all already dead.”
“And then Don nails it- ‘It’s not called the wheel. It’s a Carousel’. Amazing.”
“OMFG! #BreakingBad”
In many ways, the conversation about the show is actually the payoff for watching the show. It connects us to others who have experienced the same thing at the same time. The subtle acknowledgement that we are all collectively watching, enjoying, and sharing the same experience is incredibly powerful.
In the Netflix model, everyone’s experiencing the details, the scenes, the moments, the episodes, and ultimately the story at different times and in different ways. The conversations can’t happen in coherent and meaningful ways.
For instance, as of this writing, House of Cards Season 2 has been out for a couple weeks. While I marathoned it and thoroughly enjoyed it on the day it debuted, my conversations since then have been limited to “Oh, well let me know when you’ve started/finished.” or “Episode 1, amirite?” because there’s asynchronous consumption at play. I can’t tweet about it as I’m watching, because no one else is experiencing it at the same time as I am. Chatrooms, facebook, and twitter are off limits because, of course, “Spoilers!”. I can’t openly talk about it with friends and coworkers because they’re all on different episodes or haven’t marathoned it yet. And even amongst the few who are in the same boat as I am, our conversations can only touch on the handful of major moments we can recall from the 13 hour marathon BECAUSE it’s a 13. Hour. Marathon.
All said, I applaud Netflix for experimenting with new formats and having the guts to try something different. They’ve certainly put their money where their mouth is and it’s paid dividends in many respects, particularly with House of Cards. However, at $100 Million per ‘season’, I wonder if they’ll want to open up the conversation with viewers and extend it past a single rainy Sunday.
