Is the Internet actually destroying the ‘surprise’ of television?
There is no doubt that the Internet has forever changed our entertainment industry. Even though the power brokers in the industry are doing everything they can to keep their talons wrapped tightly around the creation and distribution of what we watch and listen to the world of entertainment is in a total state of flux.
From things like the Roku box, Boxee, Netflix, Amazon and Apple the landscape of how we find and watch our entertainment, be it television shows or movies, has shifted and continues to shift. Rather than having to watch the things we like at a time and day that the entertainment companies think we should we are able to pick when, and just importantly – where, we watch what we want to watch.
Except, what about serendipity?
What about those favorite programs that we came across totally by accident the first time because we were surfing the channels out of boredom?
This was a point that David Worthington at Technologizer raised a few days ago in a post and it got me thinking about this whole thing.
I know many people who have “unplugged” themselves from the shackles of costly year-long contracts. Why pay for channels that you don’t watch? Those people are typically more technically savvy than most of the population. I just recently upgraded my mother’s 1980s big screen TV to an HDTV.
My mother and I find what’s on TV in much the same way: we channel surf or use a “guide.” There are more than a few shows that drew me in by happenstance. AMC’s “Breaking Bad” is my favorite “accident.” Internet TV is surfing with a net, keeping us in the familiar, and not venturing out into the unexplored.
Sure, Internet TV has media guides that showcase featured content, but where does that leave programs that aren’t already in the spotlight? Would Internet TV allow me to stumble onto a “Twilight Zone” rerun at 3 AM? Sometimes randomness is nice – I don’t always like to know exactly what I’m looking for.
Would Mad Men be the hit it is if not first discovered by accident by some folks who then shared it with all their friends? How about Glee, or Dexter, or Sons of Anarchy?
There is something to be said for the joy of finding something totally by chance and instantly realizing that you have a new favorite show, which you then share with all your friends.
So one has to wonder if by removing that option to boredom surf if we aren’t actually having a negative impact on the quality of the shows we discover and watch. By removing that serendipitous moment because watching entertainment has become a ‘destination’ rather than a winding road are we removing the chances of finding that next great hit?
