Why are TV shows so re-watchable

Hi guys, welcome back, I hope you enjoyed last week’s blog and learned something new.

Have you ever watched a TV show repeatedly without trying something new? or you keep coming back to rewatch your favorites? Why? What makes the TV show rewatchable? Is it simply nostalgia or is it something deeper? Do you notice new details about characters or plot points every time you re-watch a tv show? Does your perspective change on certain characters as you grow up and experience life?

This week we dive into why shows are so rewatchable.

The Predictability

One reason I found that many people re-watch a TV show is the predictability, especially with shows like The Office . Despite going off the air in 2013 it became one of the biggest re-watched shows in the year 2020 why?

The Office is a workplace sitcom that takes place in the same setting every episode and has the same characters, personalities, and quirks that we are familiar with in an office. For example, we know that in The Office Michael is a terrible boss. He is likely to say something inappropriate, uncomfortable, or stupid, and his employees must deal with his idiocy and selfishness daily.

We know Jim and Dwight are always playing jokes and pranks on one another because that’s what these characters do every episode in every season.

Other shows like Gray’s Anatomy are predictable in different ways. The show is known for either killing off many fan favorite characters and replacing them with new ones. Despite the many changes to the cast, fans continually come back and rewatch their favorite episodes because the setting of Gray Sloan Memorial Hospital never changes.

As we watch our favorite shows, we begin to know the characters’ mannerisms, quirks, and personalities. We cry at the deaths and celebrate their triumphs just like we would with our family because these characters become like our extended family.

Since we spend around average around 3 hours daily watching tv , we get to know them on a very personal level, which is why we keep coming back to rewatch some of our favorite episodes or the entire series repeatedly.

The shows are relatable

People often wonder why generation Z loves workplace sitcoms like The Office. After all, most of them are still in high school and don't work a 9 to 5 job. These shows’ themes are universal and appeal to people of all ages, including high schoolers.

Everyone has experienced situations or feelings that are shown throughout these shows, such as people that could be considered weird or bullies, and coworkers in clicks in the workplace and on committees

For example, the main boss struggles to be liked and have popularity among his coworkers. This is something that is extremely universal in the high school experience and in life.

The universal themes of these shows is something that anyone no matter what age can enjoy and relate to.

This helps to make these shows rewatchable and may even bring us back to a time when we were in similar situations or had similar feelings to the characters.

It's psychologically healthy to re-watch shows

As a psychology minor at Longwood university, I often wondered if there was any psychological aspect of rewatching a show.

Well, it turns out there is. Have you ever noticed despite moving on to different shows, you continually watch what you refer to as your comfort shows? This is because they help comfort you when you’re sad, nervous, or when the world around you feels unknown.

There is actual research that shows the psychological effects of watching a TV show.

according to Shira Gabriel, a psychology professor at the University at Buffalo. She studies the effects of rewatching TV shows on feelings of a sense of belonging and community.

“As humans, we are drawn to the same stories,”

She also states that re-watching TV shows helps to restore a sense of self-control and self. In fact, many people report getting lost in the show setting forgetting their current problems or anxieties for a couple episodes.

Re-watching shows exposes societies’ past problems

Have you ever been rewatching your favorite show and suddenly notice a significant problem with a character or a plot line.

Maybe it's life or maybe you're watching it in a different cultural time where society has changed, but the significant shift of people rewatching shows has exposed many shows' cultural problems.

One of the most recent exposures of a past shows’ problems is the TV show “Friends. “ Yes, it was in the 90s, but still there were significant problems of diversity and the treatment of a trans character, full of stereotypes and incorrect pronouns language

Additionally, there is the character, Ross, who's supposed to be the main character’s love interest and the man of her dreamsHowever, many fans who re-watch have discovered that he is not a nice guy; he's abusive, possessive, jealous, immature, and self-absorbed.

These are not traits society nowadays wants to see on their TV show screens. All these problems have caused the show’s creators to come out and state multiple apologies

for the way they handled characters and plotlines.

This week, we examined the reasons why shows are rewatchable, but also how some rewatched shows reveal shifts in cultural norms.Next week, we will examine how well-written writing can make shows, and the 2009 writer’s strike, which highlights a shift in the TV industry.

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