Confessions of a ‘box set’ addict

Box sets are one of the marvels of on-demand TV streaming services. Instead of having to buy large collections of videos or DVDs, you can binge on thousands of episodes at the tap of a screen or click of a mouse. New shows sometimes have the whole set of episodes ready for you to whizz through, which I think is quite dangerously addictive. I still like the idea of having one new episode a week, so there is something to look forward to. What I really enjoy is working my way through older shows which have many, many series. Mostly I didn’t catch these when they were first broadcast, or perhaps I only saw the odd episode on repeat. I have to start at the beginning! Over the last few years, I’ve completed Friends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek, The Big Bang Theory, Press Gang, Red Dwarf, and several others. Currently I’m working through:

• Doctor Who – the old classic shows, from the start! I’m on series 6, the second doctor, still in black and white. There were a lot of episodes per series, although some were lost. Much later, some of the missing episodes were recreated in animations to help complete the stories. Some of the earlier series were more educational than exciting.
• Grange Hill – approaching the end of series 12. This is already past what many fans consider the peak of the programme and indeed I’m not finding it quite as gripping now but I do like it. The very early series were not especially exciting, although they do confront topics such as racism and corporal punishment, but the content became edgier.
• The X-Files – only on series 2, so I have a long way to go. I have to be in a particular mood for these, because although I enjoy them, I find them too creepy to watch just before bed! Many of the episodes seem to involve going to the woods at night, or exploring abandoned buildings at night, or generally running around with a flashlight, at night.
• Charmed – I can’t remember if I ever saw this, but I remember seeing or maybe reading books based upon it. I’ve only recently begun watching. It’s about three sisters who discover they are witches and they have to juggle this with work, relationships, etc.
• Hi-De-Hi – amazingly there were 9 series of this old-fashioned sitcom set in a holiday camp. Although it was made in the 80s it seems more like a 70s creation. I’m up to series 3 and it’s a lot of fun when I’m in the right mood for it. My favourite character is Peggy (played by Su Pollard), the chalet maid who dreams of being a Yellowcoat and tends to burst into song.
• The Comic Strip Presents – now considered a pioneering comedy show, these clever and amusing parodies featured young comedians who would go on to be successful and much-loved, including French and Saunders, Mayall and Edmondson, Nigel Planer and Robbie Coltrane. I’m on series 2. I started watching after reading Ade Edmondson’s autobiography.

When I want to watch something, I usually choose an episode or two, over a film. At the moment, I haven’t got the time or focus to watch a whole film, so an episode provides entertainment and escapism without taking up the evening.