It is a curious thing, isn’t it? There are some tv shows out there that simply seem to be “On Fire”. Sometimes, the season premier of a show is watched by so many people at the time it drops, that the provider’s system experiences a glitch or temporary shut down!
Why, though? What makes these shows so special, that millions of people are willing to drop everything they are doing, just to catch the premier?
I mean… on a specific night of the week, it can get pretty regimented around here, all over a tv show…to the point of complete Lock down.
Everyone knows that hour belongs to us. Our phones get shut off (or ignored). Dinner has been taken care of, as well as animal feedings/walks, etc. That hour has been planned for and is NOT to be disturbed.
(On occasion, we might have another obligation during that precious time and may have to see the episode the next day, but you better believe…it will happen that next day!)
It makes you wonder…How do those shows get to that extreme popularity?
(For a more complete list of recommendations, don’t forget to check out my other article, recently posted… 22 Popular Must Watch Tv Shows & Movies On Netflix, Prime, & More!)
Well…A lot of fandom talk and advertisements, for starters. The previews can be very enticing. The overall emotions that get conjured up through those marketing strategies, take hold of us. It’s the excitement…the way the people behind the preview, added in those clips at just the right time. There are many reasons I can think of, as to why millions of of us react to certain show releases as we do.
Aside from the obvious marketing, are these shows just Phenomena in the way that they capture such a large audience?
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Let’s take for example…..
Game Of Thrones (GOT)
When my husband first introduced the Game Of Thrones show to me, I wasn’t too sure I would enjoy. However, I tend to give every show at least 2 episodes, sometimes 3, just to sure. I’m intrigued enough, but I haven’t quite gotten there…maybe they will surprise me!
GOT quickly became an obsession for me. Not only did I religiously watch every new episode on a Sunday, but I discovered Mr. G Martin (I refuse to say his first name, because he left me “wanting” on a reader’s side), already had a series of books written that the Game Of Thrones show was based on.
I bought my first book, so anxious to get started. Not only did I finish that book in record time, but the morning I did finish, book #1, I went to the store again and purchased the next one in the series. That went on until I finished the series of books already published (well before the end of the tv series).
I discovered quickly during this time, there were millions of other people who were just as completely enthralled with the story, as I was. (I began having trouble finding where to purchase certain books in the saga.)
House Of The Dragon
It was reported that HBO had a glitch for some people at the time the first episode premiered live. All of the GOT fans (along with newbies to that world) were super excited about the spinoff!
I honestly went into it, thinking “It’s gonna take a lot for this to measure up to GOT, for me.” I was hoping for the best, but GOT really did leave a mark on me.
I found myself pleasantly surprised! My husband and I, both love the show. Off course, now we have another night of the week, every week, that is quite regimented around here. Well, for one more episode, at least…(until the next series!)
Other Highly Anticipated Season Premiers…
Outlander
This is another one we keep up with, as do millions of others. We found it on Netflix initially and haven’t looked back. We now have the Starz app for this particular show, so we can watch the moment it gets released every season!
I know, call it a “Disease” if you will, but for good reason… History combined with time traveling fantasy, and an epic steamy love story to boot!
Too bad we are stuck in a longer than expected “Drought Lander” waiting period, for the next season to come out.
Stranger Things
This is another series that kind of exploded, especially when Season 4 dropped. Millions gathered around their tv’s to watch. It was kind of creepy, complicated but overall, just fascinating. Who wouldn’t love it? Now, between the trailers, posters, and t-shirts, it seems everywhere you turn, Stranger Things is there.
Kate Bush even resurfaced after many years and became popular again with the featured hit, “Running Up That Hill.”
There’s a reason for the overwhelming popularity of the show. It captivates you and keeps you glued to the screen!
Short Term Popularity…
Shows like the Tiger King seemed like more of a fad. It came out during a time everyone was running out of things to keep them occupied while on “lock down”. But, then look at Dahmer on Netflix currently. That tv show is getting a lot of attention too.
These shorter series might get a bit of attention when they first hit cable, but you don’t care if you take a moment in between episodes. You’ll just see it when you get to it…still attracts your attention, though.. enough to compel you to stay tuned for a bit.
I can think of a half a million other shows throughout the years, that have captured a very large audience (including myself)…anywhere from NCIS, to The Sopranos, to Sex And The City, Ozark, Dexter, and straight down to our most basic old school cartoons we grew up with (Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry, Road Runner, etc).
So what is it about these popular shows that make them so successful? Besides all of the advertising and fandom that surrounds the show to get us excited, I noticed there are 4 major categories that draw us in, at any given time:
Drama (Humans do love some drama!)
Humor (We all need a balance to the drama!)
Knowledge (We have this need within us to observe and come to a conclusion as to how something happens in a given situation).
Love (Without some kind of endearing thought to enter your hearts here or there, what the hell is the purpose of life?)
Update: Since I initially wrote this article a few months ago, I have come up with several other recommendations for you to investigate if you haven’t yet discovered these little gems. Ms. Maisel (IMDb), Wednesday (Netflix), Inventing Anna (Netflix), Succession, You (Netflix), and Julia are just a few. Ms. Maisel and Julia are probably my favorites. Between Ms. Maisel’s filthy humor and Julia’s imaginative cooking, those two shows alone will keep you entertained for hours! Also, Don’t Forget To Check Out The New HBO Series The Last Of Us…Good Stuff!
For a complete updated list on show/movie recommendations, read my other article, 22 Popular Must Watch Tv Shows & Movies On Netflix, Prime, & More!
What tv shows have you been sucked into lately? Let us know in the comments below!
I have yet to watch Games of Thornes. I do want to check that series out. Thanks for your reviews!
Such an awesome show…enjoy 🙂 Thanks for reading!