A long time ago I started working in the centre of London, and started doing a hellish commute. As you can imagine, this played havoc with my TV watching. But something truly wonderful blossomed because of my hours on the Thameslink. I fell in love with box sets. 

The first series I did this with was Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I think it was the first show I’d watched that really rewarded long term viewers, and there was no way I was going to miss out. But my passion for the box set really came into its own a few years ago… Mad Men. I eagerly read the hype and pre-series interviews of the latest series. And then I put my internet blinkers on and when it comes on TV, I don’t watch it. I order my box set, and wait. And I am loving the wait. 

It’s easy to talk about the pleasure of waiting – the anticipation of a good meal, or seeing a friend, but there’s something different about a TV box set. You have to set aside enough time to do it justice. There is absolutely no point in ordering a 22 part series and then watching one episode a week like an ordinary TV viewer (heaven forbid!). It demands four episodes in one night, a series in a week, total immersion in the lives and characters on the screen that make it special. It’s as close to hedonism as a TV watcher can get, frankly.

There are problems with doing this. Mainly concerned with other people.

1. TV wasn’t written to be watched this way. Eek. Forgive me, show runners. I know you finely craft your scripts to build narrative tension and character development and so on, and then I bugger it all up by watching weeks of your dramatic devices in eight days. And yes, it can get confusing. Peggy’s rise to success in Mad Men could seem freakishly fast unless you’re really concentrating. But this is the important part – concentrating. Watching TV isn’t always as simple as spoon-feeding Kardashians into your drooling mouth. It can require thought, focus, and an ability to connect it with wider cultural influences. Do that, and it becomes more rewarding than just appreciating that Jon Hamm is hot and Christina Hendricks wears some great dresses. 

I get more involved with a writer’s world when I concentrate on it in this way, and I’d like to think that the immersion I experience some how makes up for losing the ‘cliff hanger’ feeling that you get when watching something as it’s shown. And I think that show runners – like Matthew Weiner (who does Mad Men), the Breaking Bad team and so on – realise that there are more people that choose to wait to watch and factor that in to their script creation and planning. Arrested Development’s recent NetFlix series came with a warning to not watch all at once. I am not alone here. Nor am I alone in thinking that Jon Hamm is seriously hot and Christina Hendricks has some amaaaazing dresses. It’s not entirely cerebral you know.

2. Part time viewers. I’m going to paraphrase Yoda at this point: watch, or don’t watch. There is no background. Because the part time viewer will always – ALWAYS – ask a question. Sometimes at an inopportune time. Usually about a leading character with years of plot behind them. Or they will want to share what they’ve heard about the show they’ve just noticed you’re watching… while you are watching. So what do you do? Well, there are a few options. Do you want to share your beloved indulgence? If so, pause the TV and explain. Be prepared to continue explaining for a few episodes. This solution is much easier if the show hasn’t been running for years, although I was two episodes into Scandal and it still took me a good fifteen minutes to explain a few things. If they’re just being polite, then ignore them by waving a hand frantically and shushing them. This may not make your relationship with that person run smoothly but hey, the show hasn’t been interrupted. Now who’s the winner? (Don’t answer that.) But consider this – you might have have invested years of watching this show. You have been waiting months (if not longer) to watch this show now. Part time viewers, have some respect! It might just be TV, but it can be really good TV. If you know that this person has been waiting ages to watch it, and it’s complicated, and you aren’t going to watch it and you’re just being polite and interested, don’t interrupt. Wait. This is in no way a personal post, haha. Ahem.

But wait for that box set and you can plan to watch it free of interruptions or questions. And you can clap or cry or whoop without then having to explain or potentially ruin a relationship. Much simpler all round. Schedule your viewing pleasure. 

(Amusingly, when googling that Yoda quote, a LOT of people think that it’s one of Dumbledore’s. Really? I’m not a Star Wars geek but Dumbledore? Seriously?) (And also, how ridiculous is that quote? How can you do unless you try? George Lucas, you make me sigh, and not in a good way.)

3. Spoilers. You pesky TV watchers you. You watch stuff as it happens and then, THEN, you have the temerity to write about it! Facebook and Twitter suddenly become no-go zones while I wait for the witty commentaries to pass. This is the only time that I have to grit my teeth and remind myself that I am making the right decision and that I can wait to watch. I can. No really I can. Ok, I’ll just read the spoilers for the first couple of episodes. And then I will stop, honestly. 

But then something comes along that helps me with my resolve…

Advertisements. TV in Malaysia is rife with them, at bizarre intervals. A recent favourite TV show would have ads at 24 minutes, 35 minutes and 45 minutes (and yes, this made me so angry that I noted them). Each ad break would be around five minutes long. These ads didn’t fit in with existing ad breaks/pauses written into the script, common with US TV, they were just badly done. The pausing in TV series is usually well managed and adds to narrative tension. But I admit I take great delight in seeing that a series I’m waiting for is on TV, knowing that the ad breaks will be ruining the script and not caring, because soon, so soon, my uninterrupted box set will be ready. 

And of course, the best thing of all. Knowing that it’s right there ready and waiting for me to watch again. I’m looking at you Mad Men. And yes, specifically you, Jon Hamm. Hello. 

Edited with BlogPad Pro