The best cult TV moments are the ones we watch together, says television critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan

  • saegiru@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    Comments here already extremely cynical, who I assume are younger and have already not used live TV much growing up. The sentiment does actually have a bit of a point though, as the experience of talking about a popular show the night after it aired is really something that is its own experience.

    With streaming, and more specifically binge shows that release their entire season at once, that experience is lost. Yeah, live TV was only the way it was because of technical limitations and therefore the experience was one born out of necessity rather than choice, but it was still a unique experience to, as the article says, know that you are watching the same thing at the same time with possibly millions of others. Hell, stupid things like watching the first episode of ALF when I was in elementary school, then the next day literally every kid was talking about it at recess. I had countless experiences like that in my life, and it actually does sadden me a bit that it has happened less and less as streaming and on-demand content has become the norm.

    My daughters have grown up in a YouTube and streaming world, and their tastes are so different than a lot of their friends, and the amount of varied content out there makes it so there is no longer that shared experience and for lack of a better word, bond, with their peers that used to exist. The bond nowadays I guess is more the apps you use instead of the content.

    All that being said, the convenience of streaming is great and I don’t know if I’d give it up for only the experience of live tv, but the fact that I can’t say that for sure says something.