How to Watch 16 TV Shows in a Season and Do Other Things Too

It’s finally happened: I’m following more television shows than I can actually keep up with in a week. Given my love of the medium and interest in seeing storytelling develop in it, this probably shouldn’t come as any great surprise. Still, I was mildly taken aback last week when I realized I needed to sit down and rigorously schedule my viewings to keep pace with airings. Not to mention juggling recording settings on my DVR (I can only record two progams simultaneously! Sometimes this is a problem.), figuring out which shows are available On Demand, and hunting down content that falls outside of those two options via the network’s website or Hulu.

Hell, a couple days ago, I had to ask one of my closest friends to give me a deadline for catching up on American Horror Story. I’m three episodes behind now and it’s only getting worse – she kindly told me to get those viewings in, chop chop, by Thanksgiving!

I work 35 hours a week, am a graduate student working on a thesis, and also do things like read books, record a podcast, and actually talk to my husband. As such, it’s not all TV all the time here, in spite of the evidence to the contrary. In fact, we generally cap episode viewings to two a day. But, Deborah, you may ask, how do you actively follow 16 shows with that limit, and without letting any episodes get lost in the shuffle? Or losing your shit?

I’m glad you asked.

While I make it sound pesky and troublesome, formulating a way to get access to the content isn’t that difficult. The initial configuration seriously only takes about 30 minutes if you have the right equipment. To wit, this is my set-up for keeping up with my TV interests:

1. TV Calendar.
This neat little tool lets me select all the shows I watch and then integrate them into my Google Calendar.

2. A DVR.
Armed with the list of shows I watch integrated in my Google calendar, it’s a cinch to search TV listings through my DVR and set up season recordings.

3. Access to an On Demand service.
Sometimes, more than two of my shows air in the same time slot. Those available in On Demand get deprioritized re: DVRing.

4. Hulu+.
If I can neither record a show because of reasons, nor find it in the On Demand library, I check Hulu+ (preferred over Hulu since I can access it via PS3 or Roku).

5. The Internet.
If I can’t record a show, find it in On Demand, and it’s not available on Hulu, I check the network’s website. *cough*CW*cough*

6. Roku.
If I can’t record a show, find it in On Demand, and it’s not available on Hulu or the network’s website (or just taking too long to become available), there’s always the Amazon app available via the Roku box. (Securing the episodes individually via Amazon costs between $1.99-2.99, unless you’re a subscriber.)

When the onslaught of my Fall Tv lineup started, I sat down with my Google calendar, set up season recordings via DVR, noted which ones I’d have to watch by other means, and I either tune into them via On Demand, Hulu, the network’s website, or Roku when the time comes for viewing. I may not be current on any given week, but that suits me fine as I’ll explain below.

Let’s take a look at what I’m currently following:

Notes: I indicate whether you can watch the show On Demand, on Hulu, or on the network’s website after each listing – while that’s not always synonymous with “free,” it is generally folded into a larger subscription service.

While I include links to the streaming sections of network’s websites, that doesn’t mean all episodes of the series in question are available instantly after airing or in perpetuity.

Finally, I differentiate between Hulu and Hulu+, so watch out for that.

SUNDAY

Once Upon a Time [ABC 8PM EST / On Demand / Hulu+ / abc.go.com]
Leverage [TNT 9PM EST / On Demand / tnt.tv]
The Walking Dead [AMC 9PM EST / On Demand]
Hell on Wheels [AMC 10PM EST / On Demand]

The only show I watch in real time on Sunday nights is The Walking Dead, even if it has been a snoozefest recently. I imagine that’s intentionally luring the audience into a false sense of security, however. I usually wedge Once Upon a Time in on Mondays, and I’m honestly still following it only so I can have something to bitch about (entertainingly, we hope!) on my YouTube channel. (Well, that and I’m a fairy tale maven – if there’s a fairy tale-inspired show on the air, you better believe I’m going to follow it to the bitter end. For analytical purposes.) My husband and I only started watching Leverage a couple of months ago, so I’m not sure if this one will become a live-watch when it returns next week on November 27th – right now, we’re watching early S4 via On Demand and it’s so good we usually let it steal a slot a day. We’ve seen the pilot of Hell on Wheels and it’s got promise, but we’ve yet to schedule in the second episode (even if the third is airing tonight).

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