How to Organize Your TV Show Binge Watching

It wasn’t too long ago I used to lament the quality of TV. There was so little on of interest. I seemed to be stuck in an endless cycle of Big Bang Theory re-runs. Not today. Today I face a different dilemma. What to watch next? The choices are endless. Amazon Originals, Netflix, Hulu, regular network TV. Every week someone recommends a great new show. I simply can’t keep up!

This has now resulted in a new challenge; I have far too many TV-show balls in the air. Not only am I losing track of what I’m watching, I’m confusing plot lines and characters–isn’t the Secretary of State on House of Cards also the Vice President on Madame Secretary? No, wait, she’s VP on Designated Survivor right? Also, why am I still subjecting myself to Designated Survivor? Has a show ever gone so much off the rails? That’s at least 40 hours I’ll never get back!

My real challenge, however, is plot memory retention. A show has approximately only 10 episodes a season. Then starts the endless waiting; usually a year before the next season. By that time, I simply can’t remember what happened, or even worse, I forget about a show completely. If you’re still reading I assume you too can relate. Here’s my solution to this very real first world problem. Evernote.

Once again, Evernote, the cloud based productivity app. (Click here to read my previous blog on how Evernote can change your life) solves my problem. I create a notebook titled “TV Show Plot Lines” (not to be confused with my other notebook titled “Recommended TV Shows”). In this notebook, I create a note for each TV show. At the end of the season, I write (or dictate into my phone) a brief synopsis of the season, when the show ended and the approximate date scheduled for the next season. I can also paste in links of synopses from the myriad of websites that provide this crucial information.

Now with a couple of clicks on my phone or tablet I have access to which shows I’m watching, when the next season is scheduled and when someone asks me for TV show recommendations, I can provide all the necessary details and look super organized! (a major plus for someone in my profession).

If a techy solution is not for you. How about good old fashioned notecards alphabetized by show and stored inside a notecard box? This system can be helpful if you have multiple family members of different generations who’d benefit from your recommendations and organized system.

I’d love to hear your ideas of how you organize your TV show watching!

Cannot wait for season three of The Crown!

Janet