# Do you prefer shows to be released a whole season at a time or week by week? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [March 19, 2023, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361 "2023-03-19T15:14:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![alfonzos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@alfonzos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alfonzos)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/21 "2023-03-19T23:15:45Z")
Week-by-week. Binge watching is tiresome and viewing ceases to be a positive experience. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/22 "2023-03-20T10:42:26Z")
**Pros for All At Once:** - You get to see them all at once **Cons for All At Once** - You can’t easily participate in the online conversation - Discussing theories on a particular pop culture phenomenon is one of the highlights of my week, and makes time pass faster - Carving out the time to see it is not easy - I usually choose one a day, rather than all in one gulp, as I don’t have the patience or opportunities I had when I was younger - Not having a set day each week means I sometimes forget I have it waiting, and it languishes - Looking forward to what happens next is, most often, a joy, and the anticipation just adds to my love for the show - When it’s over, it’s a very long time before the next season comes out ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/23 "2023-03-20T11:02:00Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > It’s not at all uncommon for a show to begin each episode with a brief reminder of what happened previously And when bingeing I appreciate it when they offer a “skip recap” option. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/24 "2023-03-20T11:06:32Z")
I can live with either way. NCIS is the only regular network series I watch, and I usually let half a dozen or so accumulate before watching them within a week or so. Then I usually save up the rest of the season and do the same thing. “The Glory” just came out on March 10th with its second full season. I’ll be doing that pretty soon. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/25 "2023-03-20T11:36:16Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > - I usually choose one a day, rather than all in one gulp, as I don’t have the patience or opportunities I had when I was younger > - Not having a set day each week means I sometimes forget I have it waiting, and it languishes If you’re watching one episode of a TV show per day and it’s still forgettable, then I’m surprised you would want to keep watching it. Personally, there are so few things in my life nowadays that operate on a strict weekly schedule that I can easily forget that a new episode of a series is going to drop. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/26 "2023-03-20T12:26:10Z")
I prefer all at once, as it gives me the most options. Some shows I watch an episode or two a week, others I binge over a weekend. I think binging’s days are numbered though. They’re figuring out that weekly releases let a show build momentum. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/27 "2023-03-20T13:56:03Z")
Depends on the show. Scripted dramas I have a tendency to watch a few episodes then skip to the end if given the opportunity. Comedies and reality I have more patience for, for reasons I don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/28 "2023-03-20T14:03:54Z")
I’d rather have them come out once a week. I like to savor a show that I enjoy. There are certain shows that are on cable or regular TV that I record to my DVR that I really stretch out my watch time. I like them so much that I don’t want them to end!. I just recently finished the last season of What We Do In The Shadows. I think the last episode aired in September. I do the same with All Creatures Great and Small. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/29 "2023-03-20T14:57:25Z")
Week by week. I love discussing TV shows and week by week allows for a better, more robust discussions. The binge model usually devolves into asking what episode the other person is on and then the discussion about the show is far less interesting or involved as a week by week show. I find that Netflix shows (which is dedicated to the binge model for better or worse) tend to have a short window of discussion and then it fades away. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/30 "2023-03-20T15:50:47Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Week by week. I love discussing TV shows and week by week allows for a better, more robust discussions. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > Discussing theories on a particular pop culture phenomenon is one of the highlights of my week, and makes time pass faster You people are more social than my wife and I. We watch together, and I wouldn’t be able to figure out anyone else to discuss the show with. The closest we get is something like “Did you watch the series _Only Murders in the Building_?” “Yeah, we really liked it.” ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/31 "2023-03-20T15:53:29Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I wouldn’t be able to figure out anyone else to discuss the show with. If only you were on a message board which discusses TV shows on occasion 😉 . ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/32 "2023-03-20T17:47:22Z")
Once a week. I’ve never liked binging, I’ve really only done it when I used to get DVDs of TV shows with Netflix by mail. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/33 "2023-03-20T18:18:49Z")
> [@epbrown](#): > > I think binging’s days are numbered though. They’re figuring out that weekly releases let a show build momentum. Agreed, dropping a whole season at once limits the ability to discuss the show. Yes you get the “OMG you need to watch Squid Game” but you can’t actually talk about each show as it comes out. I just looked back, and we had one series thread for Squid Game with about 200 posts. The most popular show in the world when it came out, with mystery and intrigue and _stuff to talk about_ and we got one sad little thread. Lost? Game of Thrones? Breaking Bad? Individual episodes got their own threads with more discussion than that whole series. Other, less popular, shows got threads 5-10x as big as Squid Game, shows like Loki, the Orville, the Wheel of Time, they get discussed because you have time to breathe. Dropping a whole series is an interesting experiment with this new mode of delivery, but I don’t think it’s ultimately as satisfying as releasing them over time. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/34 "2023-03-20T20:02:50Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > You people are more social than my wife and I. It’s online socialising. Like here, for example, but also on YouTube and Twitter, where discussions can get very detailed. > [@hogarth](#): > > If you’re watching one episode of a TV show per day and it’s still forgettable, then I’m surprised you would want to keep watching it. It’s just that I may skip a day when I get too busy with other things (some times of the year are just overloaded with TV to watch and it can be a juggling match), then I skip two days, then I’ve forgotten completely until like two weeks later and I remember I have three episodes left to catch up on. Whereas with week-to-week, I anticipate my Tuesdays. It’s easier to maintain a regular weekly schedule when I know what each day has coming, not interrupted by an interloping daily show. Not sure I am explaining that clearly. It’s all just my own preferences of my personal routine. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/35 "2023-03-20T22:30:28Z")
One more comment. Suppose (for the sake of argument) that an average TV season consists of 14 episodes which are 45 minutes long. In that case, if I want to watch 90 minutes of TV each night, I’d rather pick one new TV show to watch every week rather than picking 14 (!) new TV shows to watch every 14 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/36 "2023-03-21T01:48:35Z")
if it’s a new show I dont mind once a week … if its been out for a while or canceled I don’t mind a binge ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/37 "2023-03-21T02:50:25Z")
I would prefer streaming services drop three 30-minute or two 60-minute episodes per week. Watching one episode at a time isn’t gratifying enough. On the other hand, I don’t want to be tempted to watch _all_ episodes of a show I really like, all at once. An hour and a half, or two hours at a time is ideal—approximately the length of a movie. I enjoy delayed gratification for most things in life, but not to the point of starvation between meals. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/38 "2023-03-21T11:07:56Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > I just looked back, and we had one series thread for Squid Game with about 200 posts. The most popular show in the world when it came out, with mystery and intrigue and _stuff to talk about_ and we got one sad little thread. > > Lost? Game of Thrones? Breaking Bad? Individual episodes got their own threads with more discussion than that whole series. Not that I’m doubting you, but can you link to a recent thread where the discussion of the first 9 episodes of a TV series (not based on a pre-existing intellectual property) got much more than 200 posts? I took a look at the thread for Severance (released week to week), for instance, and it got…195 posts. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/39 "2023-03-21T13:41:00Z")
That’s quite a big exemption though. The biggest series in the last few years are based on previous IP - Andor, House of the Dragon, Rings of Power, Better Call Saul, Last of Us, etc. And Severance isn’t exactly the best comparison, since Apple TV+ has such small reach (the entire Ted Lasso discussion has 400 posts, which is less than for 1 season of the 5 shows I mentioned above). ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361/40 "2023-03-23T00:37:13Z")
My wife prefers to binge. We are waiting on Picard to be done before we start it. Same for Mandolorian. We watch Ghosts and Rookie weekly but sometimes forget them and so have two or three to watch. Not sure if that’s an argument for binging. I am torn on it. Some shows seem to be written with binging in mind and some with a week between. Sometimes I’m not sure until I have watched them. Kaleidoscope is one that I am glad I binged. Not all at once but all episodes in a week. There were tiny details that were important and especially seeing them in my special order, it was much better to see them closer together. In contrast, while I enjoyed Wednesday, seeing them all in a row, we truly binged it all in one sitting, showed the flaws of the story that I might not have noticed in a weekly format. Seeing as I still like it, perhaps it’s more about the story for me than the method in which I watch it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-shows-to-be-released-a-whole-season-at-a-time-or-week-by-week/981361.md?page=1)