Unlimited Binging for About $50

Hooray for the big four!

No, I’m not talking about Ernst & Young, Price Waterhouse, KPMG and Deloitte; I’m referring to ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. Prime time shows on these big boys require only a modern digital set to watch them. If you’re still flying analog, you can hook up to the action with a digital box for only about $50 from Target, BestBuy or Radio Shack.

“American Crime” is one of the best shows to come out on television and that includes the menu from your paid television line up.  Don’t get me wrong. There’s plenty to like about cable television. Some of my favorite shows are on the likes of HBO and AMC. This crime drama, however, is not your ordinary procedural. It’s a hard hitting, eye-opening story brought to you by John Ridley, the same guy who wrote “12 Years a Slave,” and one of my personal faves, “Undercover Brother.”

For the run down on what got me hooked on “American Crime” as well as a neatly synopsized review of the outcome with spoiler alerts and the whole business, go here.

Right now, I want to talk about deals. I want to talk about the sweet anticipation of next week’s episode of the latest excellent show. You can watch the teasers the networks put out on the upcoming episode. You can talk to your friends about what happened last week. But for the price of a $50 Roku streaming stick, you can participate in a revolutionary way to consume entertainment.  

BINGE WATCHING

Bing watching shows like “American Crime,” and anything else you like is truly a fantastic deal. You can load up on popcorn and Twizzlers and treat yourself to hours upon hours of fevered excitement. As the little play arrow pops up at the end of each episode, asking if you want to view the next one, you can tell yourself over and over that you really should go to bed but that you’ll only watch ONE MORE – then click YES! – until you either fall asleep on your sofa or reach the series finale.

Everyone is doing it. It’s a cultural phenomenon.  Loads of people would rather binge out than take their TV one hour per week at a time. They don’t care about the teasers and they’re not interested in the anticipation – that’s just so 2012. 

Masses more would rather binge than talk to their spouse, read a book, mow the lawn or have sex. It’s hard to know exactly when this phenomenon took root in American society. Many scientists believe working people used video cassette recorders to form the first fodder for binging. The practice grew ever easier with the advent of the DVR. Finally, On Demand cable providers and internet streaming behemoths such as Netflix appeared, streamlining the process into something hardly anyone can resist.  

Although the exact year this practice began, it seems clear that binging is here to stay and it has changed the landscape of the entertainment industry. Late to the table but getting the gist, the networks are getting hip to the trend. Now you can binge on their shows too. “American Crime” is just one of the compelling reasons to do so.

 

(Jennifer Caldwell is a an actress and an active member of SAG-AFTRA, serving on several committees. She is a published author of short stories and news articles and is a featured contributor to CityWatch. Her column at www.RecessionCafe.wordpress.com is dishing up good deals, recipes and food for thought. Jennifer can be reached at [email protected]. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennifercald - Twitter: @Jennifersdeals)
-cw

 

CityWatch

Vol 13 Issue 44

Pub: May 29, 2015