I have the (sometimes antisocial) habit of becoming enveloped by whatever is on the nearest television set. It could be a sports game I don’t care about or daytime talk show that lowers my IQ. If it’s on, I’m not looking at anything else.
And so, I’ve come to prefer shows that reward me for my devout attention. These shows require the viewer to watch every single episode in order to enjoy a rewarding television experience. Some examples are Mad Men, the late Lost, and most shows on HBO and Showtime. Law & Order (and its spin-offs), CSI, and The Simpsons would not qualify.
Each show has a story to tell, whether it is about an ethical serial killer or fashion designers trying create their own line. If a show has a strong narrative, I want to keep watching. And watching every episode allows me to see the humor that only loyal viewers can recognize.
Of course, these shows don’t necessarily have to be high quality. I can’t get through an episode of Pretty Little Liars without heavily mocking it. But it wouldn’t be such a guilty pleasure if it had stand-alone episodes. I would rather watch something “bad” than something arc-less.
Like a gym rat irked by hordes of resolutioners, I get annoyed when new viewers just start watching a show that’s been on for a couple of seasons. I have been tuning in every week and now all of these new converts say they’re “confused,” and lash out at the show because of it. Still, I relish the confusion. It proves that I’m dedicated.
Not everybody has time for this, though. While these kinds of shows are more likely than other to have loyal fanbases, it’s harder to attract new fans. Extended recaps during episode openings would be one way to subvert this (like Glee does), but too much of this could bore and insult the dedicated viewers and make the show a worse experience on DVD.
Now producers can know that every show I watch gets love and support. If only they didn’t cater to the interlopers…
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