Binge-Watching and Contemporary Television Studies

Abstract

Binge-watching and its broader implications of self-scheduling, has become a central aspect of the way we understand and define contemporary television. Its centrality to contemporary television cultures means that it can, and should, be understood from a range of positions. This edited collection explores binge-watching and its role in contemporary television from the perspectives of fan studies, audience research, transnational television studies, and narratology. This breadth of scope makes it possible to explore a broad variety of meanings and functions of the term and concept in contemporary television studies. It offers analysis of a broad range of texts going back to 1970s television, and, thus, gives a historical perspective to the practice of binge-watching as well as its integration into contemporary everyday life. The edited collection is part of a workshop on binge-watching fostering collaboration between the researchers, who organised each section together. As a sign of this collaboration, each section features a co-authored Conclusion chapter. The collection, thus, also signifies the vibrant scholarly interest in this central feature of contemporary television.