Megamovies, TV Shows as Days-Long Movies

Kottke, referencing this astute 1999 review by Vincent Canby of the first season of The Sopranos, on serious TV shows as days-long movies:

Episodes of these megamovies, Canby argued presciently, are best watched in bunches, so that the parts more easily make the whole in the viewer’s mind. For many, bingeing on entire seasons on DVD or downloaded via iTunes has become the preferred way to watch these shows. If stamina and non-televisual responsibilities weren’t an issue, it would be preferable to watch these shows in one sitting, as one does with a movie.

★ Saturday, 11 October 2008