If you are at all like me, watching tv is a way for you to unwind and relax. And although that means I am always open for trying out a new show recommended by someone, often, you’ll be able to find me rewatching shows and movies that I’ve seen countless times before. And I’m not the only one – almost everyone will revert back to the same programmes they used to love at some point. A recent study by Sykes showed that between 2020 and 2022, 75% of people rewatched their favourite shows and there are many different reasons for this.
One of the reasons for this is simple. After a long day of hard work, when you’re completely and utterly wiped out, the last thing anyone wants is to have to sit around and figure out what to watch. You end up sitting on the sofa, minutes ticking by, while the stress over what to watch just builds and builds. It’s even worse when trying to find something the whole family will watch (those arguments are not for the weak). In fact, according to a study by NOW, Britons spend over 100 days a year trying to decide what to watch. The average week sees 24 minutes spent deciding on TV shows and films. This is clearly a universal trauma. Therefore, the most obvious thing to do, is just to watch something you’ve already seen.
There is also some psychological reasoning behind the matter. ‘Volitional re-consumption’ is a term used by psychologists to describe ‘experiences that consumers actively and consciously seek to experience again’ and can explain this act of rewatching. Shows and movies can connect us to our past and remind us of the enjoyment we felt when first watching the show. This also fits into the comfort side of rewatching. Many people use TV as a form of escapism following difficult conversations or interactions and these comfort shows allow us to forget our own struggles and wallow in the comfort of other human interactions, without actually having to take a part in them.
Another reason may be more focused on the characters. Whether it be finding a likeness in one of the characters, or even a hint of jealousy, people tend to fixate on fictional characters. Even fictional crushes can be a reason people rewatch shows – I still have a special place in my heart for Zac Efron in High School Musical from when I was 7 (although, looking back, his dancing back then was definitely not his finest skill). It is also a way for people to feel connected to characters who may be going through similar things to them or watching people in similar working environment – my mum particularly enjoys pointing out the complete lack of truth about the legal world in Suits.
Covid-19 was a time when rewatching shows and movies was bigger than ever. Without any real social interaction, many people turned to TV and film to provide a reminder of more normal life and normal interactions which were not 2 metres apart. Also, with such depressing news and media spreading the globe like wildfire, comfort shows were everyone’s go-to on a Friday night. In fact, The Office (US) was the most streamed show in 2020 in the US, despite its final episode being aired all the way back in 2013 – although who doesn’t love John Krasinski?
Most people who rewatch shows say they get about the same amount of enjoyment from rewatching a show as the first time they watched it. And many people seem to rewatch the same things. For example, some of the most rewatched TV shows are FRIENDS, Peep Show (UK), The Office (US) and Gilmore Girls (one of my personal favourite shows ever to exist). Meanwhile some of the most rewatched movies are: Dirty Dancing, Die Hard, The Sound of Music, The Breakfast Club and Disney’s animated Lion King.
So, don’t let anyone shame you for your rewatching habits and to keep indulging in these pleasures, no matter what they may be (although you may have to be willing to defend certain choices to any TV snobs you may come across).
