marathon watching is more gratifying if it is a series.. because you usually get more of the story line, and usually set aside time to watch specifically.. so you don't find yourself missing the end of the beginning or being distracted by other things that we need to do..

plus as we all know.. our favorite series always leave us hanging until the next episode.. and sometimes due to breaking news or other interruptions sometimes 'our show' can be preempted.. usually with programs i have recorded on my dvr.. i can watch two episodes.. in the time that I can usually watch one.. ..

and now back to my programs.. settling in lol its a long weekend..

I find that binge viewing tends to cut down on my patience for repetitive exposition for what's come before, as well as theme music and credits music.

on the bright side, you won't have to suffer the mid-season cancellation for heavily serialized shows any more...

way back when, pbs used to import doctor who episodes and edit them into feature length stories by cutting out the recap and credits from the episodes. the only downside was that you didn't get the full effect of the cliffhanger every 25 minutes.

how and where can I get those prints?

I hate Netflix's model of releasing entire series at once. It would be self indulgent to release a 10 hour movie, why is it ok to release a TV show to be viewed all at once.

I like having to wait a week on a cliff hanger for a new episode, its how TV shows are designed to be viewed

I am a marathoner but I mostly want to know what this has to do with apartment therapy?

While I thoroughly enjoy these marathons (I recently watched all of season one of Game of Thrones in a day!), you do lose a sense of time passing. I noticed this when I had to catch up on four seasons of Lost before the series finale. The reunion of Jin and Sun lost a lot of its poignancy for me because instead of having been separated for years if I had watched it in real time, they were apart for a matter of days.

I recently watched the whole first season of Breaking Bad in one day! Don't judge, I was sick on the couch with a sinus infection. I like watching a series all in one chuck of time, but it does make it end sooner than watching one episode every week (always want to prolong things we love!).

I think a lot of binge watching has to do with this generations (look at me, sounding like my grandma) need for instant gratification.

seriously where can i get those prints?

Hii - Links to info on the prints are in the image credits section (very bottom of every post).

I blazed through HOC and the worst part is now I have to wait a year for something I went through in 4 nights to come back!!!!! I am all out of shows to watch...I need some recommendations of some rare gems because I feel like I have seen everything....

My husband is more of a binge watcher than I am; I like to eke out the experience a bit. He sat us through 3 seasons of The Sopranos in a week; intense.

Actually, I don't enjoy it much; I just like having the whole series safe at home, with no missing episodes, so that I can enjoy it at will.

There are quite a few shows that take more than one episode to understand. Deadwood, The Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad... all shows that excel at character study and rely on your knowledge of the characters. You don't completely 'get' those shows in one or two episodes. So I think one great thing about marathon viewing is that you see enough of a show to understand why it's so good.

I find all these shows along with Downton Abbey are actually better the second or third time you watch them because you are able to pay more attention to the detail of the scenes and the nuances of the actors performances.

I love having the choice to watch one at a time OR in a binge mad way. I tend to not watch things when they first come out, but watch them a year or two later on Netflix or Hulu. At this point, I'm still catching up on old series and by the time I do, the new ones will be old.

Some shows are great to immerse myself in when I feel out of sorts, like a Donna Reed marathon to return to the shadow of how life ALMOST was back then. I like hearing Donna say "You'll feel better after a good night's sleep, dear".

On the other hand, series like Smash or Nashville are such extravaganzas of music and/or dance that I would rather treat myself to one at a time to let the songs and dances shine on their own.

I LOVE marathon TV sessions. I watched every single season of LOST on DVD this way and it was great. It's nice not having to wait a whole week to see what happens next. Story lines make a more sense all at once. I've watched True Blood, Homeland, Dexter, and even some Bravo shows in a binge state. It's like watching a really, really, really long movie.

HOC wasn't my first binge but it was one of the best binges. I love losing the weekend to a long good story. I relax and forget the "chores" and just have quality time with self and story.

I haven't had cable since the late '90s or a TV in about 10 years, so marathoning is a word I coined circa 1998 for my TV habits. Back then, I had friends who would tape shows for me and send me a big batch at once.

Later, I would wait for a series to come out on DVD and buy it, one season at a time and one season behind everyone else.

Now, I wait until I have access to unlimited bandwidth and a good internet connection to download or stream shows.

After doing it this way for 15 years, I don't think I'd have the patience to wait a week or more to know what happens in the next episode. I also remember little details from episodes past that I wouldn't have remembered if I'd seen those past episodes weeks or even months before.

I used to be an endurance marathoner: I would wait until I had a few days off then put in a tape or DVD and watch until I was done. Now, I might do two or three episodes a night until the season's done. Depends on how long the season is and how much time I have.

(BTW, I only follow one or two shows at a time; not enough to justify getting a TV and cable! My current addiction is Homeland.)

I usually don't binge so much, but I enjoy watching each consecutive episode, one per night. Enjoying the series like I would a book, instead of watching mindless programming. However, I recently re-watched all of the x-files, a series I was absolutely addicted to when it was first aired...it was torture.

I find myself doing, most recently watched Girls first season. I don't usually watch a hole season in one sitting, but 3 or 4 episodes at once. As for the whole "Opening sequence/song" burnout thing, most DVDs chapters are edited so you can skip it.

HOC? To me, HOC stands for House of Commons...

My favorites have been Friday Night Lights, Borgen (a Danish series that was a big hit in the UK), The Killing (ditto).

I've found I do that more since we got rid of regular TV, as we only have Netflix. Also, as it's winter and can't do things outside (gardening, various projects) it's as though I'm hibernating. I don't watch hours a day, usually one episode per evening. I also watch a few series that are current on HULU online. It'll drop off once it warms up and the days start getting longer, though.

I think that it really depends on the show. I'm currently on a CSI: Miami binge, and it's pretty terrible. Watching all of the shows so quickly has forced me to realize that the writing is...well, not all that great. I can see the show's formula, and it makes it all far less enjoyable.

House of Cards, on the other hand, is fantastic, precisely because the show is well written and executed. I can watch it for hours - although I have been unconsciously limiting myself to just about two episodes per week - and appreciate the story so much more. I'm only on episode 6 so we'll see how I feel when I finish the series.

I TV binge all the time...currently marathoning Mad Men again (which I do before every new season), recently rewatched all of Downton Abbey in anticipation for the 3rd season, and anytime I find a different show worth marathoning, I'll watch an episode or two every morning while getting ready for work until there's no more to watch (hello Tabatha's Salon Takeover on Youtube, hahaha)

I just devoured "House of Cards" on Netflix in two sittings. My butt was actually sore from sitting so long. And I sit all day long every day. I'm addicted. Now I'm trying to find "Burning Love" on line so I can do it again.

If I have nothing to do or easy table top crafts- I'll watch Law & Order all day. And whenever a new Damages is about to come out I watch all the seasons over again before watching the new season. I'm just waiting for the last season of Damages to be released on DVD...
But, like someone said, I noticed with other shows that binge viewing certain shows is bad because you realize how bad the writing and acting is. I've noticed that with a few shows- I can't remember which, but I was happy.

I'm a guilty binge watcher. It's so gratifying in the moment, but ultimately seems less satisfying than drawing out the experience. Sort of like eating too quickly rather than savoring a dish. We binged on the first season of "Game of Thrones," then enjoyed the exquisite torture of a week-by-week season 2. Delicious.

Wasn't the first made for netflix series Lillyhammer? Not that it matters.

I love binge watching. I hear a lot of people talking about how it is self indulgent and that is ridiculous. I work long, long hours and seldom if ever get a opportunity to watch anything as it airs., Being able to sit down and watch a season of something while I clean my kitchen or just relax is great. Being able to go out on a weeknights to see friends and not worry about taping or missing something is great.

It works better than a long movie because it is still designed for chunked viewing. There tend to be discrete short term stories and mini arcs making it easy to get into and drop out of as you want. It also reveals really lazy and mediocre writing quickly.

I love binge watching and I do not think there is anything wrong with that! If anything it is good for shows because people crave so much more now. People blow through 10 episodes and share their new found fondness with others, and the popularity of the show grows along with the anticipation for more episodes! Yes, it does support the way our society is heading, into this system of instant gratification. Soooo I guess it is a little glutinous, but nothing I feel TOO guilty to stop doing :)

We are rapidly moving toward a model where all 'television' programming will be delivered on demand, streaming and with content recommendations targeted to the specific household. Even newscasts will be tailored to the target household. The broadcast and cable networks will cease to exist as we know them as content creators become the distributors. We will also see the massive film and 'television' libraries opened up making past series, even those from decades ago, available. We will also see very heavily targeted series freed from the burden of having to produce high network ratings in order to survive. Shows that would only survive a few episodes or just a season will not be so quickly axed.

Get this, I didn't even hear about 'Homeland' until I discovered it on vacation. When I got home, I watched the whole first season - twice in two weekends. Since then, I've been a fan of binge viewing. For one thing, an 'hour-long' episode is usually 40 minutes long; the rest are 20 minutes' worth of commercials. I can cut through 20 minutes and watch exactly what I ordered, which is the show itself.

I am definitely into marathoning tv shows but I have noticed one big difference between watching whole series in chunks of time rather than waiting every week for the newest episode. Every writer or producer has their own distinctive style and I have my personal favorites but ever since changing how I watch series I have become aware of the things say quirks or obsessive qualities of some creators that I never would have noticed week to week bc I wouldn't have had the episodes to compare side by side. This has also increased the annoyance factor for my husband since I have gotten so much better at predicting plot lines and twists with sometime erie accuracy which I attribute to the extra time studying the shows one after another or perhaps a heightened sixth sense. :)

I've done this for a few years now and find that I appreciate a show more and can "get" the characters better

I like watching chunks of series at one sitting, not necessarily a whole series in one go. Around 4 eps at a time is satisfying as it allows you get back into the world of the show and make some progress with the story without getting burnt out on trying to watch it all.

Hi. My name is Looseleaf, and I've been marathoning for the past five or six years.

((Hi Looseleaf))

I usually start around the holidays. It's a rough habit, but I pick my shows carefully. I've done The Wire, Dexter, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey. I may be missing one or two. This year I did The Sopranos.

I'm not adverse to mainlining some good drama. If it's not on-demand, I stream it. HBO Go is my go-to lately. I've tried to Showtime app (not good), unmentionable underground sites, and if I'm desperate I'll tap into friend's Netflix accounts (Hello? New Arrested Development a'coming!).

I'm not afraid to get good teevee where ever and whenever I can. Oh, and it totes rules to be able to skip the credits.

I usually take an hour or so between epis to absorb what I've seen, though with some shows that's not necessary (I'm looking at you, Homeland). My feeling is that if you can read a book or watch a movie in one sitting, why can't you do the same with a television series?

Don't stop believin'. Hold onto that feelin'.

I watched the first 3 seasons of Lost normally, week by week, and like most viewers hated season 3 and stopped watching. Then Netflix came out and my husband hadn't seen any of it, so we started in on it from the beginning. Season 3 did not suck at all when watched over a span of 2-3 days! We caught up in time to watch the last season live, which ended up being the most disappointing season for both of us :(

We also have fallen victim to having lives that don't revolve around TV and therefore have the final season of Fringe all DVR'd with no time to watch it. Can't wait!

I'm a marathoner and proud! I don't watch much TV on average so when I settle down and have a stretch of time, I enjoy being able to complete or nearly complete a season in a weekend. There are even shows that I will wait to watch because I prefer the luxury of watching when time permits and I can enjoy better when my mind is clear.

Binging feel sooooo good! I'm so glad I was late to discover the magic of Homeland (as well as Mad Men, South Park, Scandal, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, 24, etc) because when each episode ended, I was like "Noooo!!! Must. Watch. Next one. Now." I have fond memories of TV binges.

can we date here too?

THIS WAS GREAT (see full post above): "Hi. My name is Looseleaf, and I've been marathoning for the past five or six years." | "(Hi Looseleaf)"

One thing I didn't hear anyone else mention is the common thread that runs through marathoning series and streaming films. That's the attraction for me - though, after reading what everyone else is watching, my selections sound low brow: "Drop Dead Diva", "Kell on Earth", "The Hills", "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy", "Hoarders", "Oddities" - a little bit of everything, mainly for laughs and when I make time for them.

It's my guilty pleasure, full of "So-that's-what-that-show-was-all-about!" moments.

I haven't subscribed to cable in 10+ years, either, or owned a TV for the traditional purpose in 10+ years. I have a VCR/DVD combo and use a large HDTV originally purchased as a severely over-sized computer monitor when my other one died. I mention that for perspective: I love films in all formats, esp. ones which create a cohesive mood and I get a similar payoff from marathoning - immersion. And, when I don't? Like another person wrote above, I can account for the inconsistencies.

Marathon viewing, esp. on Netflix (w/its rich pickings), is something I absolutely love.

Marathoning is the reason to own a DVR, because marathons before that were: ghastly. No really, the same commercials for the ENTIRE marathon. O. M. G. I refused to watch "The Shield" because I got so sick of their promos during a Buffy marathon. If I'd had a DVR, perhaps I would have watched the first marathon. maaaaybe.

Marathons are a great wintertime pursuit: rainy weather? Don't wanta clean house? There you go. In the summer - not really.

Guilty.
"I thought I was the only one..."
In my defence I am usually making something at the same time...More a marathon listener...

I decided I was "binging" so much that I just turned off my cable TV. Who needs it now that there is HuluPlus (to me, the ultimate TV binging buffet), with sides of NetFlix and Vudu.

I prefer the binging mode, since I don't lose track of the subtle plot points that I might if I were taking a week between episodes. Seriously, who can keep all the subplots to Revenge in their head from week to week.

((curtsy))

I definitely think "binging" on TV shows definitely plays into our need for instant gratification and it certainly doesn't help. However, I freaking love being able to watch a whole series/season in a short amount of time. I definitely pick up on things I wouldn't have picked up on if I would've waited a week. Not having to wait a week also increases the intensity of the show. To be able to go from a cliffhanger to the next episode is so satisfying. Maybe one day all shows will be released an entire season at a time and cable tv will be practically nonexistent (what would the sports fanatics do, though?).

FYI Lilyhammer is the first original series by Netflix. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1958961/

I just finished re-watching StarTrek; The next Generation with my husband on Netflix, but this time in marathon mode - we found it so much more enjoyable and were able to appreciate the intricacies and character development much more than watching it week to week.

An older series, and longer, like StarTrek TNG - with 7 seasons and 45 min an episode may become diluted after watching it weekly over 7 years - as the series did.

Many people don't consider TNG to be a very good StarTrek series and it can fall to the waist side when compared to the nostalgia of the original and the bright and shiny of DS9 or Voyager. But I found my self much more drawn to the series after watching episods back to back and seeing how well each episode was written and care taken to make each episode different while still maintaining plot and character development.

There is definitely something to be gained by marathon watching a series.

I adore Netflix--binging is only truly enjoyable if it's commercial-free. I've found that plots that I thought dragged during weekly watching had a much better tempo when re-watched in a marathon (Example/Spoiler: Sophia missing in "The Walking Dead" S2 takes FOREVER).

I'm currently marathoning "The Wire" and I think it feels a little rushed and the violence seems particularly jarring. Watching 4 eps in a row is exhausting. Maybe I wouldn't be suddenly terrified of Baltimore if I watched it in weekly installments?

"Breaking Bad" Seasons 1-4 was my most exciting marathon--I hadn't seen the show before and I think it would have been torture to wait for it week to week.

One final note--I watched Six Feet Under weekly when it first aired and adored it and have rewatched the box set in marathons at least six times through (both with commentaries and without). It's a phenomenal show and I still cry watching that finale. Give it a try.

Agreed: HBOGo is WONDERFUL. Showtime needs to step its game up.

In reverse chronological viewing order:
Call the Midwife
Downton Abby
Mad Men
Upstairs/Downstairs
Game of Thrones
Doc Martin
Modern Family
Walking Dead
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Sons of Anarchy
Big Love
Justified
Treme (my all time favorite)
The Good Wife
Damages
Deadwood
True Blood
and the one that started them all . . . The Soprano's

In the Q:
Newsroom
Girls
House of Cards
Homeland
The Hour
Portlandia
Sherlock
Burn Notice
The Office UK
30 Rock
Louie
TED Talks
Sordid Lives
Alias
Lost
Black Mirror

. . . yep, addicted.

I've got to say I was fan of viewing marathons long before DVD boxes and Netflix. Younger I would record tv shows on my VHS and then watch them all at once. I guess what I've always loved about series ( in comparison with movies) is that you can really enter their universe and it keeps on going, like in real life. I LOVE that you can watch intensively a tv show because I always have my computer near me, is it for cooking, washing dishes, folding clothes, working... I guess I hope the industry realizes it and changes its way of producing those tv shows in that matter.