I heart…

 

Netflix 

 Zach Braff & Michael J Fox.

I’d say that I heart Netflix but they’ve just changed their policy and fees to gouge their clients. The new fee, effective September, charges you more than double if you want to have streaming movies/shows with the DVD delivery. So basically they’re making you choose between streaming OR DVD delivery if you’re gonna keep the same price. If you want both, you gotta ante up! Boo!

More specifically, I heart old sitcoms streaming online. I finished Scrubs in a single month!  That’s right folks, around 200 episodes in under a month. I was as dedicated as one could get (*coughipadwhileshoweringcough*). Now I’m halfway through Family Ties – which is not commanding the same attention or dedication from me but who doesn’t adore APK?!

For me, watching an entire series from start to finish would be adjacent for some of you who love a good book. And re-read it. Over and over and over. Seriously. Each episode is like a chapter of the story and I’m just working my way through to the epilogue.  But it’s also visually stimulating for me as well. I get the biggest kick out of seeing the pilot episode of my favorite old shows for this very reason (Friends, Roseanne, Seinfeld, The Cosby Show, Scrubs, Who’s the Boss, The Office… even King of the Hill makes my favorites list!). When thinking of a show’s first episode, as far as looks go, the actors haven’t gone ‘Hollywood’ yet. No ridiculously whitened teeth, their hairstyles are pretty average, and no one has extreme muscle tone. I LOVE looking at that transformation as the series progresses. It’s sickeningly entertaining to see each actor get more tan and skinny as the seasons pass. 

A consistent theme in sitcoms is usually if the show has a traditional 7-10 year run, it’s halfway through that the show is usually the best and where it has become it’s most popular.  Think about it!  Name a popular sitcom and think of when it hit it’s peak. Favorite Season of The Office? Season 3. (I know that the series isn’t over but Steve Carell is gone so who’s really going to be watching now?). Friends? Seasons 3-6 Scrubs? Seasons 3-4  Same with Seinfeld, Cheers, MASH….unless you’re a superfan that will claim that every episode of your fav sitcom is good,  there’s always a pinnacle point where the show is at it’s best and its most coveted.

The whole process reminds me of a journey up a mountain. The first 1-3 seasons are the trek on the way to the top enjoying the view and the journey as you get to know your surroundings, the characters, the theme of the show. Seasons 3-6 are the “mountain-top experience” – revelling in the true entertainment that the show has become popular for. And the final seasons progress down that mountain, closing up a story and tying up loose ends. There’s an actual progression here – you just have to invest in the whole series to see it or appreciate it.

Just like reading your favorite book, there’s some sadness knowing that the ending is near – the entertainment is soon to be over. I always dread those last few episodes before  the series’ end. Sometimes I’ll even delay watching the final episode so that the show is in constant continuum in my mind. It’s crazy, I know. But who can watch “Friends” literally a hundred times over and never get sick of it?… crazy people! A crazy person like me who has a whole thought process regarding the enjoyment of mindless TV!

So…What’s your favorite show you could watch over and over?

It doesn’t have to be a cheesy sitcom.   But we might become BFF’s if it is. 😉