turn the tv on

87

When I was 17 my friend and I tried to count the number of TV series I actively followed over the course of a year and 87 was the number we landed on. It wasn’t 87 all at once, but between January and December I would actively keep up with 87 shows. Fast forward 10 years and I think the count is now in single digits. Obviously, a lot of that can be attributed to me being an adult and having less time to spend in front of the TV. Also, the past decade has seen content consumption on social media replace our traditional viewing habits. But earlier this year I realised that there is another key reason. There are very few TV shows that I enjoy watching in isolation.

While spending time with extended family over Christmas, one of my cousins got us all into a show called Severance. It had been an Apple TV hit over the summer, but the majority of us hadn’t seen it. Us all watching it together became part of our nightly routine. The show was good, however, we didn’t manage to complete season 2 by the time New Year’s rolled around. Upon returning home, I tried watching the final few episodes by myself but could only make it through the first one. Initially I thought maybe the show had lost its lustre, but upon reflection my real issue was the loss of that communal viewing experience.

The company of people, correction, the company of the right people fundamentally elevates the viewing experience of a show. You are able to share your thoughts in real time and be a participant in dialogue that goes beyond what is shown on the screen. It becomes a point of connection with others and the moments shared form lasting memories.

Can I tell you a single plot line that happened in the 4 seasons of Chicago Med my cousins and I binged in 2019? No. But, to this day I can list all the nicknames we gave the characters and inside jokes we shared. Similarly, the best part of watching shows like Arrow and the Flash as a teenager was going to school the next day to do an episode debrief with friends and theorise on what was going to happen next.

I think, alongside the low cost of production, the desire for a communal experience is why reality show viewership is going up.

Since the genesis of streaming, television audiences have become fragmented. Fewer and fewer people are sitting down in their living rooms to watch shows at the same time, we now have on demand services. This means that even if you have friends with the same interest in TV, you may experience the same show months apart. Thus, you can’t have deep dive conversations about it, delving into the nitty gritty in real time. Instead you are left trying to do large recaps, after the fact, and rack your brains for any details you can remember.

In contrast, most of the viewership of a reality show, like Love is Blind or Love Island occurs within hours or days of the episodes dropping. This causes the internet to buzz with coverage. From video recaps, to viral tweets to clips trending on social media, the commentary creates a sense of community. You get to react to the show in real time with thousands of strangers and participate in the wider social discourse.

But as meaningful as the online energy can feel, it can’t fully replicate togetherness. The real payoff of a show’s virality is that more people in your actual life end up watching alongside you. It is low effort enough to drag even the most reluctant viewer in. Businesses are now starting to recognise the desire for in person connection, with season 7 of Love Island USA leading to a surge in bars and venues hosting watch parties for the reality show as if it were a live sports game.

The quality of the television is secondary. The experience shared around the screen is far more valuable than what is shown through it. At least that is true for me. That is why, despite Severance being an excellent drama, I still can’t get myself to finish the second season. It is also why I am no longer following 87 TV shows over the course of a year.

The only surefire way to get me to watch a series is to sit on the sofa next to me and turn the TV on.