To binge, or not to binge?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: There was some sort of psychology experiment, a famous one, where kids were essentially given the option to have one Oreo now, but if they waited, they could have three Oreos. Something like that. Marshmallows, maybe.

And psychologists decided something based on whether the subjects, children, could wait. Were self-disciplined enough to wait. And apparently those who could control themselves, and wait to get “more,” turned out to be more successful people.

We were all fine, weren’t we, when Ed Sullivan was on Sunday night, or Dateline on Thursdays, or Downton Abbey on Sunday. Game of Thrones. Outlander. One a week. We’d watch, then discuss, then wait, knowing there was this good thing at the end of the waiting.

And that’s just how it worked. Waiting, in a way, even made it more fun.

But now, oh no. We can plop ourselves down in front of a screen, and watch 27 seasons of whatever we want. I will admit to watching, as quickly as we could, the entire six seasons of Line of Duty. I could not wait.

Even when the credit music started, I would be excited. After a day of writing and working and planning and organizing, I really looked forward to curling up with a glass of wine, and… dare I say…binging an episode or two.

Recently, the powers that be must have realized that people were burning through shows very quickly. And they flipped the switch to once a week again. Have you encountered this? I was incredibly baffled when we were watching American Crime Story, (the Monica Lewinsky story), and there was only ONE episode on! I thought – – are you kidding me? I want to watch the next episode! NOW. (Very Veruca Salt, right?)

We have been un-trained from our patience. And now we demand instant TV gratification. Has this affected you?

LUCY BURDETTE: I don’t really binge watch more than one hour in one evening, but John’s got me into the habit of watching one of something each night. This past week it’s been rewatching MARE OF EASTTOWN. Such an amazing show! I feel the same way Hank--I can hardly wait to get to the next one. I was telling my neighbor she HAD to watch this and she said ‘oh we don’t get HBO.’ And I said, ‘You don’t have to, just buy the episodes.’ So yes, patience is gone.


JENN McKINLAY: Nah, I’m not a binger. I have too much on my plate to clear off whole days of couch potatodom, sadly. That, and I like to reward myself at the end of the work day with one episode of whatever -- Bosch, Ted Lasso, Nine Perfect Strangers. Knowing the next episode awaits me at the end of each day is a reward.

That being said, I am a book binger. If I find the first in a series and love it, I will read everything that author has ever written - but only at night at the end of the day. Honestly, this boggles me, because I was definitely the kid who ate the marshmallow as soon as it appeared on a plate with no supervision. Take that, scientists!


HALLIE EPHRON: I’m not a binger. If I like a series, I ration it to one a night. Making it last. But waiting a week? By the time a week is up I’ve forgotten about whatever it was that I wanted to see.

And I still watch network tv - public television. Antiques Roadshow of course. Lydia’s Kitchen. And occasionally there’s a good masterpiece mystery, though the new ones are generally not nearly as good and they’re few and far between what with fundraising dominating the schedule.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I can do either/or. Although my idea of binging is watching a couple of series episodes two nights in a row on a weekend, so even when we really like something it can take us a few weeks to get through it. But I am finding that I am actually enjoying the once a week format on some of the new shows, just because it's something to look forward to. Friday nights at the moment are the new Ted Lasso and the new Only Murder in the Building and it's a nice punctuation to the week.

RHYS BOWEN: Certainly no binger here. I was the sort of child who made her Easter eggs last until mid-summer! We subscribe to most things--Neflix, Britbox etc but I find I only want a hour of TV at night, usually a PBS mystery or nature program. The only binge watching I can remember recently was several episodes of Bridgerton (to catch up, you know) and once, during the stress of the pandemic I watched a whole season of The Great British baking show! Otherwise I too enjoy looking forward to one night a week for a certain show.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I would binge if I could, but if I’m streaming something I’m not usually sitting down before 8pm (I think this is an atavistic time sense from my childhood and youth, when everything started at 8.) At that point, I could do AT MOST three hours before I have to knock it off and crawl into bed.

There have definitely been shows I watch two or three episodes at a time - I tore through the fabulous COUNTERPART (Amazon Prime) as quickly as possible because I couldn’t resist, and my current show, FOR ALL MANKIND, is very hard to leave at 10:30 or 11! BTW, after hearing fellow mystery writer Chris Holm rave about it, I actually subscribed to Apple + TV just for this show. Although I have my eye on Ted Lasso after I finish.

There is something to be said about the old-fashioned way, though. I saw WANDAVISION and LOKI on Disney + one week at a time and the suspense was killing me. The last time I was so anxious for Friday (or Wednesday) to roll around was back in the early 90s when Ross and I would race to the TV to see BABYLON 5. Which, not coincidentally, was the first television show to have a whole, continuous story line playing out over a season.

HANK: Wow. I love that we're all kind of different about this! How about you Reds and readers?  To Binge, or not to binge? (And what got you binging?)