Binge-watch

Bob's Blog

Binge-watch



Collins English Dictionary has chosen 'binge-watch' as its 2015 Word of the Year.


That's when viewers catch-up by watching their recorded television series in one go, episode after episode. That's called binge-watching that is.


Are you a binge-watcher?


And, what makes a binge-watcher?

It's watching the first episode of a recorded series that you'd missed because you were on holiday or because you were viewing another programme on another channel. And not to lose the continuity, watching the next recording directly following it. And the next. And the next. It's compulsive. It can be a marathon. It's a busy activity, slouching and couching; but job activity in the house is directly affected - nothing. It's catchup time: the decorating stays undecorated, the washing stays unwashed and the shortlist of DIY jobs gets longer.


With programmes that have six episodes or so, it's manageable. After all, that only amounts to six to twelve hours of your life. One quarter to one half of your day watching TV. What's wrong with that? Problems occur when it's a series that goes on and on, then has a subsequent series, or seasons, then more. Blue Bloods and Friends are prime examples, although, if you watch them in the wrong order, I don't think you'd notice. And they are available on multiple channels, each one showing a different series. Confusing?

Programming these takes a certain amount of intelligence. No doubt there will be a university degree in binge-watch very soon. The Plus 1 TV channels have made things even more challenging. If it's a complicated detective drama, you have the added complication of getting the murders in the right order, not finding out who the dastardly murderer is prematurely, or finding out who did it and with what. And that's before they've wielded as much as an eyebrow.


Binge-watching is a skill. Not to waste time, fast-forwarding the ads is recommended. Lack of timing or concentration results in overrunning and having to rewind. If this occurs, unskilled operators may watch the same segment twice. Experience binge-watchers may brew the coffee with one hand and work the remote with the other hand at the same time. This is called binge-juggling. This is not to be recommended as can result in a visit to ER.

In reality, ER: the actual hospital department, not the virtual programme.