Yet another complex analysis of a completely inane topic
I thought I could bang out a post on shows I've seen the most episodes of ever quickly, like, in twenty minutes over lunch. Way, way wrong. This is actually rather difficult and quite time consuming. And, there is a big question about the value of such an exercise. Unforeseen problems:
*TV shows have a truly ridiculous number of episodes, particularly popular sitcoms that go on for years and years. Half-hour shows that go on for a bunch of seasons have easily 150-200 episodes. So the amount you may have actually watched quickly gets astoundingly large. Larger than I really thought. Here I'm thinking my 178 TNG episodes are ridiculous, well, wait until you're talking about weekly sitcoms that require only the vaguest expenditure of time. A show like Frasier, that I liked but mostly just watched because it was on when other stuff was on, but maybe for like five years, well, suddenly I've seen over 100 episodes. Of Frasier?! You don't understand! I chose to watch every single TNG. Had them sent to my house. Gave each on my attention. For Frasier, I was tricked. Something I liked was on before and after! Oh, NBC, you devious bastards.
*It's a lot harder to remember how many episodes I might have seen than I thought. I did mostly watch all those Frasiers. But was it really for five whole years? It really could have been a lot more. Did I drift in and out? Did I miss it some seasons altogether? When exactly did I stop watching? I'm not quibbling over whether I watched 100 or 105. I mean, who would care? I'm quibbling over whether I watched one HUNDRED or two HUNDRED. This would be a difference of three whole years of loyal viewing, or not, and I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER.
*Take that degree of difficulty, and ramp it way, way up, and then try to guess how many episodes of a show you watched as a kid. The Cosby Show? My sister and I were loyal, weekly viewers. But also, we were, like, eight. Can I vouch for my regular viewing habits at eight? AND STILL EVEN WORSE are related shows of the time. I remember deliberately watching The Cosby Show a lot, but did I also watch A Different World? Yeah, I guess so. But that had 144 episodes! I could have watched 30 or 130. I haven't a clue. And seriously, A Different World had 144 episodes?
*Related, the factor of shame. I've discovered that it is entirely possible the the show of which I've watched the most episodes is not Star Trek: The Next Generation, but either Friends or Diff'rent Strokes. I don't know that I want to know the answers. Although I might be oddly proud if the all-time winner was Diff'rent Strokes.
*It may not be worth painstakingly inventorying every show, or even the top ten (probably a threshold of maybe, a minimum of 100 episodes watched). There are a lot of shows over the course of several decades of nerdy life. And anyway, what's the value? Sure I've watched an awful lot of A Different World, but so what? All the episodes are the same and I don't remember any of them. Plus it has no relevance to a comparison to how many episodes I've watched of a totally different show at a totally different time.
My conscious TV viewing can be lumped into four distinct eras:
1. Grade school. Exclusive loyalty to after-school and primetime sitcoms (exceptions made for shocking news magazines Rescue 911 and Unsolved Mysteries). Devoted viewership, but single-digit-aged flakiness presumed, so I undoubtedly missed plenty, even though my memory says I was completely dependable about watching. Watched everything on first-run or syndication. Likes: anything on at 3:30pm or 7:00pm, Bill Cosby, Robert Stack.
2. High school. Little interest in any television except Seinfeld, MTV, and Comedy Central. Likes: playing on the computer instead.
3. College, early adulthood. TV watching peak years. Doggedly faithful to NBC Thursday night lineup of Friends, (whatever was on at 7:30 each year), Seinfeld, Frasier, ER. When too busy to watch, these programs are taped for later viewing. Various other network shows watched, and even some on cable. Later in this period, Adult Swim allegiance develops. Likes: clinging to TV as a substitute for a broken social life.
4. Recent years. No regular viewing. All TV watching done on DVD years after initial run. Viewing choices made deliberately and thoughtfully, and watched thoroughly, by episode. No surfing or serendipitous new show discovery. Likes: going to bed on time, not having to watch commercials.
Like in sports, you can't compare eras.
*TV shows have a truly ridiculous number of episodes, particularly popular sitcoms that go on for years and years. Half-hour shows that go on for a bunch of seasons have easily 150-200 episodes. So the amount you may have actually watched quickly gets astoundingly large. Larger than I really thought. Here I'm thinking my 178 TNG episodes are ridiculous, well, wait until you're talking about weekly sitcoms that require only the vaguest expenditure of time. A show like Frasier, that I liked but mostly just watched because it was on when other stuff was on, but maybe for like five years, well, suddenly I've seen over 100 episodes. Of Frasier?! You don't understand! I chose to watch every single TNG. Had them sent to my house. Gave each on my attention. For Frasier, I was tricked. Something I liked was on before and after! Oh, NBC, you devious bastards.
*It's a lot harder to remember how many episodes I might have seen than I thought. I did mostly watch all those Frasiers. But was it really for five whole years? It really could have been a lot more. Did I drift in and out? Did I miss it some seasons altogether? When exactly did I stop watching? I'm not quibbling over whether I watched 100 or 105. I mean, who would care? I'm quibbling over whether I watched one HUNDRED or two HUNDRED. This would be a difference of three whole years of loyal viewing, or not, and I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER.
*Take that degree of difficulty, and ramp it way, way up, and then try to guess how many episodes of a show you watched as a kid. The Cosby Show? My sister and I were loyal, weekly viewers. But also, we were, like, eight. Can I vouch for my regular viewing habits at eight? AND STILL EVEN WORSE are related shows of the time. I remember deliberately watching The Cosby Show a lot, but did I also watch A Different World? Yeah, I guess so. But that had 144 episodes! I could have watched 30 or 130. I haven't a clue. And seriously, A Different World had 144 episodes?
*Related, the factor of shame. I've discovered that it is entirely possible the the show of which I've watched the most episodes is not Star Trek: The Next Generation, but either Friends or Diff'rent Strokes. I don't know that I want to know the answers. Although I might be oddly proud if the all-time winner was Diff'rent Strokes.
*It may not be worth painstakingly inventorying every show, or even the top ten (probably a threshold of maybe, a minimum of 100 episodes watched). There are a lot of shows over the course of several decades of nerdy life. And anyway, what's the value? Sure I've watched an awful lot of A Different World, but so what? All the episodes are the same and I don't remember any of them. Plus it has no relevance to a comparison to how many episodes I've watched of a totally different show at a totally different time.
My conscious TV viewing can be lumped into four distinct eras:
1. Grade school. Exclusive loyalty to after-school and primetime sitcoms (exceptions made for shocking news magazines Rescue 911 and Unsolved Mysteries). Devoted viewership, but single-digit-aged flakiness presumed, so I undoubtedly missed plenty, even though my memory says I was completely dependable about watching. Watched everything on first-run or syndication. Likes: anything on at 3:30pm or 7:00pm, Bill Cosby, Robert Stack.
2. High school. Little interest in any television except Seinfeld, MTV, and Comedy Central. Likes: playing on the computer instead.
3. College, early adulthood. TV watching peak years. Doggedly faithful to NBC Thursday night lineup of Friends, (whatever was on at 7:30 each year), Seinfeld, Frasier, ER. When too busy to watch, these programs are taped for later viewing. Various other network shows watched, and even some on cable. Later in this period, Adult Swim allegiance develops. Likes: clinging to TV as a substitute for a broken social life.
4. Recent years. No regular viewing. All TV watching done on DVD years after initial run. Viewing choices made deliberately and thoughtfully, and watched thoroughly, by episode. No surfing or serendipitous new show discovery. Likes: going to bed on time, not having to watch commercials.
Like in sports, you can't compare eras.