\n\tThere\u2019s nothing better than sitting on the couch to binge your favorite TV show. Or, maybe, there is.\u00a0
In the era of streaming, binge-watching is easier than ever. So, it seems potentially incongruous that appointment viewing \u2014 watching a television show when it first airs \u2014 is so capable of seizing the collective attention of viewers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tBut fandom is a powerful force, and appointment viewing has tamed the beast into something fearsome. Rather than encouraging viewers to settle in with episode after episode queued up, shows like \u201cSurvivor<\/a>,\u201d \u201cThe Pitt<\/a>\u201d and summer\u2019s guilty pleasure \u201cLove Island<\/a>\u201d make their fans wait for it.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s not a new concept; \u201cSurvivor\u201d has been rocking weekly episode drops since its first foray in 2000 on the Bornean beaches. But it has reached a new fervor with watch parties popping up across the country and \u201cLove Island\u2019\u201ds reality flair convincing millions to watch almost daily as hot singles couple up.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThere\u2019s obvious incentive to watch when an episode airs if everyone is talking about it; you can hardly open your phone during \u201cLove Island\u201d season without seeing a spoiler. And the reality dating show takes it a step further: Fans can vote live on who must leave the villa and who lives to flirt another day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSurvivor\u201d has dabbled in the fan vote mechanism, too. An extra prize in \u201cSurvivor: All-Stars,\u201d casting selection for \u201cSurvivor: Cambodia \u2014 Second Chance\u201d and gameplay elements in \u201cSurvivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans\u201d were all left, well, in the hands of the fans.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tEven a non-reality show like \u201cThe Pitt\u201d has capitalized on the power behind scheduled releases. The first two episodes of Season 1 dropped concurrently on Jan. 9, 2025, but every subsequent episode has been released on a weekly schedule.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAs with any show that received such critical esteem as the Pittsburgh-based medical drama, whose first season won five of its 13 Emmy nominations, Season 2 was accused online of a sophomore slump. Those critical social media fans were accused right back of not watching as intended (i.e., bandwagon binge-ing Season 1 and being upset about starting Season 2 before that was possible).\u00a0<\/p>\n