Friday, February 27, 2015

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Binge Watching & It's Effect on Television

It’s 3am on a Saturday morning and I just finished the last available episode of ABC’s Scandal on Netflix and Amazon Video. I watched over 30 episodes in the span of one week. This wasn’t an easy feat. I watched in the morning, in between classes, while doing homework, and before bed. Basically my spare time was filled with the on-goings of Olivia Pope and Associates.

Netflix can be streamed via computer, tablets, phones,
gaming devices, blu-ray players, and smart TVs.
But now what? I have to wait a week in between each new episode? (sometimes longer because ABC just loves their month long hiatuses). What kind of torment is this? That has been one of the biggest drawbacks to binge-watching that I’ve experienced so far. But overall, the positives outweigh the negatives.

Binge-watching is when someone watches multiple episodes or even seasons of a show in one sitting. There has been a lot of debate over how many episodes constitutes binge-watching. 4-5 episodes of an hour long series and 6-7 for half hour is usually the standard. But it really all depends on the person at hand.

Services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, and HBO Go have made binge-watching more accessible. Likewise people are utilizing their DVRs and cable on-demand services far more (As I type this I have 5 episodes of Arrow on my DVR just waiting for me to watch them).

According to the Nielsen Company, 78% of television-viewing Americans take part in some kind of asynchronous viewing. In my personal experience, I find myself binge-watching television more and more each year. With the pressures of school, trying to find a job/internship, and having a social life – it’s hard for a twentysomething to adhere to a television schedule.

However, there are some shows or special instances in which I have to watch live. This includes series/season finales and shows that I’m more than likely going to be spoiled if I don’t watch live. For example, I know if I don’t watch Survivor at its scheduled time – my twitter dashboard will tell me everything that happened in the episode as almost everyone I know watches it. This is relative to people’s social circles and their personal television consumption as a group.

The first two seasons of ABC's Scandal is available for
instant streaming on Netflix. (Photo via ABC)
With the growing trend of binge-watching, services such as Netflix and Hulu now produce original programming with season-releases only. That is, they release every episode of the season at the same time. Two of the biggest hits to come from this are Netflix’s House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. Both series have received critical praise and multiple award wins and nominations. 

In some cases, binge-watching on Netflix can actually help a struggling series. Scandal and Breaking Bad both benefited greatly after they were added to the instant streaming service. Scandal pulled in so-so numbers within its 7-episode debut season. The political drama, after being added to Netflix, now pulls in an audience of over ten million viewers per episode.

Vince Gilligan credits the success of his show Breaking Bad to the instant streaming service, saying "I think Netflix kept us on the air. I don’t think our show would have even lasted beyond Season 2. It’s a new era in television, and we’ve been very fortunate to reap the benefits."

It's clear that in this new age of technology, our television watching habits are evolving and are no longer constricted to the primetime television schedule. So much so, that some  networks are adapting to this new climate. ABC now offers "binge-watching weeks" in which they upload all episodes of their current shows on their website and allow viewers to stream them all week. As more and more people continue to binge-watch, it will be interesting to see how the television industry adapts and grows from here on out. 

The Best and the Worst: Fall Primetime Preview


Over the last week primetime television networks have been holding their annual up-fronts, giving us a peak at new series and pilots for the 2014-2015 television season. Usually there are only a few shows in the bunch that catch my attention – but this year close to a dozen shows all look like they are going to deliver. Here is the best and the worst of the new series:

Julie Chen reveals new Big Brother twist. Spoiler: It's awful

The new Big Brother twist is terrible. Also, water is wet. Prepare for another mess of a season.

For the past 14 years, Big Brother has been one of my favorite summer past-times. From the episodes to the live feeds, I would consider myself a Big Brother super-fan. That said, I haven't thoroughly enjoyed a season since 2009 (season 11). Why? Two reasons. Terrible casting and the employment of over-the-top ridiculous twists. Remember MVP? or that terrible coaches twist? Last time I checked, Big Brother wasn't The Voice. 

The season 16 houseguests have yet to be released, but after last year's cast of actual human garbage - I don't have high hopes of finding a new favorite houseguest. What confuses me however, is that the same casting agents who cast the US version also cast the Canadian version - which was absolutely amazing this winter.

I wonder how the BBUS producers feel about the Canadian version using their format and completely out-doing them at every turn. Because let's be real - season 2 of BB Canada was by far the best season of Big Brother we've had in a long time. The cast was perfect and supplied us with lots of drama - drama that was not focused around racist nature. It was refreshing to watch after the terribleness of BB15. 


DOES EVERYBODY WANT GOOD FUCKING TV? IS THAT WHAT THEY WANT?!!?! It's exactly what we wanted, Sabrina. And thank you for giving it to us. Oh man, I just re-watched that season and it was great. I don't know if if BBUS will even compare. Probably not considering the twist reveal today. 

Julie Chen announced the twist of season 16 on her talk show (ever so cleverly titled "The Talk"). As expected, it's a total mess. Here's a rundown of this years "most twisted season yet"

  • There will be 2 Head of Households every week
  • Each will nominate 2 people, 4 houseguests in total will be nominated every week
  • The Head of Household isn't safe from eviction anymore
  • There will be a new competition called "Battle of the Block" that threaten's the HOH's safety
  • The viewing public will have major impact on the game in a new twist called "Team America"

Terrible. Every aspect of this twist is just unappealing. I thought 3 houseguests on the block last year was overkill, but 4? Are you joking? Stop messing with the original format. The format isn't the problem. It's the awful people they cast and cringe-worthy twists like this one. 

The BB16 living room. Only 2 eviction chairs, though?
Hmmm. (Photo via CBS)
The Head of Household isn't safe anymore? What's the point of winning it then? You're only going to anger the people you nominate and you could be evicted by the end of the week anyway. There's no longer an incentive to win Head of Household. If anything, this will encourage players to seek more of a floating strategy which really isn't fun to watch. I think floating can be a useful strategy if you employ it with actual strategics. Most floaters usually just fall into it without any real thought. 

Haven't we learned that involving the viewers almost always leads to a hot mess? Like the time America pulled a collective Topaz and nominated Elissa, while thinking they were voting for the MVP?

On a brighter note, there is some good news about this season! This will be the first to air in high definition. Let's welcome the Big Brother producers to 2009! It was literally the only show on network television still airing in standard definition. Well not anymore! We get to watch this mess in HD now!

Rumors have been circulating for weeks about past houseguests returning to play the game again. However no mention was made of the cast by Julie Chen. Now that the twist is out, I'm expecting a cast reveal sometime tomorrow. I don't mind past players returning and it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility considering they've brought people back for multiple seasons (Season 7, 11, 13, and 14 all had returnees).

When all is said and done, I'm still going to watch this season religiously like I have in the past. It's the one show I just refuse to give up no matter how bad it gets. I guess that makes me a true super-fan. 

Big Brother 16's two night premiere will air on June 25 and June 26th on CBS. Check out the CBS press release here. 

2014 Emmy Submissions are in! Will your favorite make the final ballot?

Reading through the Emmy submission list every June is one of my favorite moments of the year. It’s fun to see which actors have the biggest egos. You know, the ones who will submit themselves for the lead categories when they are so obviously supporting.

At first it's nice to see the different types of roles being put forward, but then you come to the terrible realization that many of them are not likely to receive an actual nomination. In recent Emmy history, it’s almost always the same actors vying for the same awards every year. 

If you have an established name, you have a better chance of earning a nomination (or even a win) in a mediocre role than you would if you were an unknown in a fantastic role. Remember that time Melissa McCarthy won for Mike & Molly the same year Bridesmaids was released? Sadly it’s more about who you are than the role at hand.

The 2014 Emmy submissions can be found here. Let me run through some of my favorite parts of these ballots:

  • If your show is on ABC Family, The CW, or MTV – why are you submitting for the Emmys? Why are you wasting your money on this? (Yeah, The Emmys require a submission fee if you’re not already a member of the academy). I don't mean to come off as a TV snob, but come on now. This is ridiculous. Teen Wolf, you really think you have a shot here? 

  • Rapper Nelly submitted himself for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Real Husbands of Hollywood. I was not even aware this was a thing. But really, is the world ready for EMMY-AWARD WINNER Nelly?

  • Rob Lowe once again submitted himself for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Chris Traeger on Parks and Recreation. Yeah, this is the same guy who left half-way through the last season yet still thinks of himself as the show’s “lead."

  • Shameless is submitting themselves into the comedy categories for the first time in 4 seasons. Because season 4 was just a RIOT, yaknow? With Liam almost dying of a cocaine overdose, Fiona going to prison and having a complete meltdown, Ian’s bi-polar disorder, Frank on his deathbed – this season was just a LAUGH-A- PALOOZA. Emmy Rossum gave one of the best dramatic performances this season and I just can’t take her seriously on a Lead Actress in a Comedy ballot. Maybe that’s the joke? How meta.


    Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister
    (HBO's Game of Thrones)
    (Photo via Entertainment Weekly)
  • Each submission lists the specific role for each actor – scroll down to Tatiana Maslany for Orphan Black. As Sarah, Beth, Cosima, Rachel (and more). AND MORE. I have a very good feeling that she is going to pick up a nomination this year as she has received accolades from almost every other award series so far. Her absence in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category last season was regarded as one of the biggest snubs of the year.

  • I hope Lena Headey gets some Emmy-love this year. She has submitted for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones, of which she plays brilliantly. I firmly believe she is television's best villain. I want to see Cersei die but then at the same time I just know I would miss her. I enjoy every scene she's in but I still hate her. Does that make sense? A character you love to hate but really just love? I guess that's a prime example of why Lena deserves a nomination. 

  • Best Supporting Actress in a Mini-Series or TV Movie is comprised of almost the entire American Horror Story: Coven cast. I would bet my life that Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett both receive a nomination as well as Jessica Lane in the Lead Actress category. I would like to see Lily Rabe pick up a nomination too (#JusticeForMistyDay). While I love Sarah Paulson more than anything – she submitted herself for lead, which I think that may have been an overstep.


Official nominations will be announced live from the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre on July 10th at 5:30AM. 

Michael C. Hall hated the Dexter Finale


Turns out that Michael C. Hall is one of us. He too was not a fan of the Dexter series finale. Since it's original airing in September, the finale has been universally panned by critics, fans, and now the series' lead actor. Hall said of the finale:

"Liked it? I don’t think I even watched it, I thought it was narratively satisfying — but it was not so savoury. I think the show had lost a certain amount of torque. Just inherently because of how long we’d done it, because of the storytelling capital we’d spent, because our writers may have been gassed… Maybe some people wanted a more satisfying-maybe they wanted a happy ending for him, either a happy ending or a more definitive sense of closure."

The original show-runner, Clyde Phillips who left the show after the fourth season, would have had a different approach to series' swan song.

"In the very last scene of the series, Dexter wakes up. And everybody is going to think, 'Oh, it was a dream.' And then the camera pulls back and back and back and then we realize, 'No, it's not a dream.' Dexter's opening his eyes and he's on the execution table at the Florida Penitentiary. They're just starting to administer the drugs and he looks out through the window to the observation gallery, and in the gallery are all the people that Dexter killed...All the big deaths, and also whoever the weekly episodic kills were. They are all there."

I know I most definitely would have preferred this to the detached lumberjack mess we were given in the actual episode. It's been nine months and I still can't shake the awfulness of it all. After years of great television, that was how they wanted to go out? I'm usually unnecessarily critical of series finales, but this was just another whole level of terrible.

But what's done is done, I guess. It doesn't take away from the otherwise great storytelling the show gave us in the seasons prior. And it most definitely won't stop me from buying the complete series box set soon. It comes in a blood-slide box, how cool is that?!
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