What Should You Watch Next?

You have probably watched all the shows in your backlog since the pandemic hit and need something new to watch. We all have got there. So many choices of streaming service out there now. Netflix, HBOMax, DisneyPlus, Hulu, Amazon, and even newer services like Peacock and Paramount. It seems everyone has a streaming platform. Whatever streaming platform you have, there is a way to ensure that you can always find something next on the watching block. Do not worry you can use this method if you do not have streaming service as well.

For me choosing or recommending a show to a friend comes down to a variety of tools and suggestions. I tend to recommend shows based on genre first, themes and the focus of the show. If you like a certain genre, I will suggest what you like in the genre or show. Tropes are tools and I use them to suggest shows that follow that trope. I also enjoy themes, setting, and place to help frame a show best for a friend. This method can be used for any type of show and can even be used with other types of media as well.

If you like a show or a movie, you just get recommended to watch a show that is just like it. For instance, if you like Game of Thrones someone might suggest Vikings or even Rome. Your friend suggests that you like The Goodfellows and suggests you watch some crime drama. This is because genre has become a marketing tool. Yet, what makes those shows effective might not be their genre, not even their characters, but the way in which they are written.

Game of Thrones hits a certain way as the drama and the scenes are done through a point of view framing of the characters and the narrative is pushed through that character and relationships these characters have. Yes, you could be drawn to the violence and sex so Vikings and Rome would be great follow-ups, but what if you like the drama and characters. Would a soap opera drama like Empire or the Vampire Dairies?

The best way to find out what you enjoy is to find out what you like about it. Sometimes tropes and setting are not enough to satisfy the urge. When my friends ask what I recommend, it is generally first genre, and I will ask follow-up questions such as if they like characterization and depending on if they like action or romance what type of show they enjoy.

In my opinion just asking “If you like x show, then you would love y show” is formulaic and although companies would like to tell you that it IS that simple. I do not think our brains are quite wired like that. Marketing and Advertisement as well as hype do play an important role in framing our expectations of entertainment, but I do think it is more than just a superficial thing.

Broaden Your Horizons

Finding the right show for you could be as simple as, “If you like WandaVision, try Falcon and the Winter Soldier” or it could be vaguer than that. What if the thing you liked about WandaVision was not the superheroes, but the family interaction? If that is the case, perhaps check out I Love Lucy or Malcom in the Middle, both obviously were spoofed in WandaVision itself. If you liked more of the comic book action in WandaVision’s later half, check out The Mandalorian. It has just as much humor and action as that later half of WandaVision. Or if you liked the often weirdness of the show you could easily watch What We Do in the Shadows. It has that quirky charm.

There are many aspects of a show that make it worth watching, and I do not think a simple “If this, then that” is really going to change the minds of anyone. Asking what genre can get someone in the right direction. However, they might not enjoy everything in said genre. Try to dissect what you love in a show. The characters, setting, themes, etc. It is through this method that I think would really find a good recommendation.

Sources: By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35018821

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62297139