You’re going to hear a talk about watching series. You will hear the talk twice.

The first time, just listen. Then I’ll ask you to tell me generally what the
speaker is talking about. Are you ready?

It’s about whether we want series to reflect reality or let us escape from it. The
speaker says we want a bit of both.

Now listen to the talk again. This time make some notes as you listen, if you want
to. Then I’ll ask you to tell me how the speaker evaluates our TV watching habits,
and if he comes to a conclusion. Are you ready? Now tell me how the speaker
evaluates our TV watching habits, and if he comes to a conclusion. You have one
minute to talk.

Suggested points

1. Contagion, a film about a pandemic was popular in March 2020

2. This is surprising as we often think TV shows are escapist
3. TV lets us escape our daily worries
4. It can be active escape – we feel involved in good shows
5. They offer us experiences we couldn’t otherwise have
6. But we like reality-based shows as they are relatable
7. Eg post-apocalyptic shows in Cold War
8. It gives us a sense of control/agency over our lives
9. The speaker says we want a bit of both, a mix of realistic and escapist shows

script
March 2020, the first coronavirus lockdowns in many countries, people stuck in
their houses all day, desperately wanting something to take their minds off the
doom and gloom surrounding them.

Or did they? It turns out one of the most watched films in March 2020 on most
streaming platforms was 2011’s Contagion, a film about a worldwide pandemic.

So, do we prefer TV that puts up a mirror to our current situation, or do we long

for a distraction from it?

As most of us probably know, getting lost in a book or a series, and forgetting all
those everyday worries is a nice feeling. The immersion allows us to seek refuge
from our stressful lives.

More than that, a great series can be an active escape rather than passive. A
complex plot, nuanced characters and good writing mean that the viewer has to
really think to keep up and can feel genuinely involved in the story. Something
like Game of Thrones would be a good example here.

Escapist shows are also appealing as they expand our horizons and show us
experiences we could never have in real life, especially in the age of travel
restrictions.

Having said that, it seems we sometimes like a hard-hitting dose of reality. One of
the reasons for this is that we often look for relatability in the media we
consume. Watching things similar to what we’re going through can help us deal with
the issues. Like listening to sad music after breaking up with a partner.

Another illustrative example is the popularity of the post-apocalyptic genre in the

Cold War. As the threat of nuclear bombs hung over the world, people watched shows
to get an idea about what could happen the next day if someone pressed the big red
button.
Like with the pandemic, psychologists suggest we enjoy watching these shows that
mirror our reality to give us a small sense of control and agency. We tell
ourselves we accept and even embrace the situation by engaging with it even in our
free time.

Looking at the big picture, both approaches; escapist and realist, have their
merits. What entertains us is unsurprisingly a mix of the real and the fantastic.
Luckily there are enough series to keep everyone happy.