Monday, April 7, 2014

"Binge-watching", Game of Thrones, and watching television

"Binge watching", on cable and satellite, is effective.  For the audience, due to current lifestyles, it's a way for them to try a show they haven't been exposed to.  For broadcasters and channels, it might be a way to get people consider a show.  HBO had a marathon showing of Game of Thrones over the weekend.

I never understood why people watched the show.  I never wanted to.  For me, it was like The Sopranos.  Or American Idol.  A television show that seemed to be more in fashion than anything else:  people were watching it because others were.  I assume it has a cult following (this from a self-confessed "Trekkie").  And, Game of Thrones is not in the genre I have been interested in.  I like few productions with medieval themes.  The movie "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" and the television show "When Things Were Rotten", both produced by Mel Brooks.  And the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".

Unless I have a fondness for a television program, I channel-surf.  When I did not see a program I wanted to commit to...out of curiosity, I tuned to Game of Thrones.  I did not focus any attention to it, and was involved in other activities.  I did watch on and off throughout the entire weekend.  But I cannot say I will be watching future episodes.

The characters of Osha and Ygritte reminded me of (the types of) women I had dated, and would...that's a different subject completely.  Tyrion Lannister and Bronn questioning Podrick Payne as to why he didn't pay prostitutes was very entertaining.  The storylines are intricate...I would prefer to follow them by reading books so I can understand how everything relates.

When the channel BBC America had a Doctor Who marathon, I did the same.  I never had any interest in the show...but, it was available, and it was easy for me to become accustomed to it.

Binge-watching appears to have been successful for Netflix with their show "House of Cards".  I have no interest in that particular show, as well as paying to watch any programs.  As it is I have not had free time to follow shows on over-the-air television I favor, which are available for streaming for free via the internet:  The Big Bang Theory, The Blacklist, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Almost Human, and many more.

Crackle, Hulu, and others provide free content for when I have time.  The economy has been rough on many households and people.  It's bound to cause (more) changes in how consumers get their content, including the content they choose to partake of.

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