The shows that I view regularly are 50% superhero shows and 40% animated children’s cartoons, with Ultimate Spiderman being smack in the middle. While I may catch an episode of other shows now and again, enough to keep up with them or be able to include them in conversations with others, I have what I call my core shows, the ones that I keep a mental note of in my mind which day they come out and plan accordingly.

Much of my viewing is done online, and as such my viewing patterns are more flexible than the rigid nature of broadcast programming allows for, even with technological developments allowing for the recording of shows. Many of my shows I will watch whenever I get the chance once they’ve come out, even if that means a couple days later. This does cause issues as I frequent online platforms that can often spoil the shows, so watching at the earliest convenience has become a necessity. Then there are shows that have a built in place in my schedule. ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’ comes out on a Wednesday, and while even with the time difference I can access it fairly early in the day, I delay the viewing and avoid spoilers, so that I may watch it right before I go to martial arts. The narrative and characters of the show serve as inspiration for me to pursue my skills, and so the show has become an integral part of not only my routine, but my mentality.

Another show that has become part of my routine is ‘Gravity Falls’, airing every Tuesday. Tuesday for me is date night at my boyfriends house and so this show has become part of that routine. It is one of the few shows I watch with someone else, as I prefer watching by myself. This show lends itself to communal viewing as it is laden with conspiracies and has an intriguing plot and compelling story arc. After each week’s episode Ben and I will discuss our theories and reactions to the episode. This post episode interaction is an enjoyable way of extending the experience of the show by revisiting its highlights through dialogue, which can be achieved in person, or online. Online communities exist around many of the shows that I watch, and after each episode I visit fansites, Twitter or Tumblr to participate in discussions and share my experiences while watching. This interactivity can extend to cast members of the show themselves, like the ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’ cast, who will often live tweet the episodes.

Interaction with my core shows has become a part of my viewing practices, and I noted in my viewing record the shows that prompted me to immediately seek reviews and discussion online. Some shows require monitoring at the time of airing in order to follow the live-tweeting, so as not to view spoilers ahead of time, others the interaction is delayed as people produce their reactions to the show. Some of my favourite post show traditions were looking up a particular artists comic recount of ‘Teen Wolf’ episodes, and an online blog that would recap the episodes in a humorous screen cap form. These interactions keep the audience engaged with the show in between episodes, and fans reactions can be a useful gauge for shows to keep track of popularity and viewers opinions.

My viewing habits are for the most part fluid, but the shows I most enjoy have become ingrained in my ritual and my social interactions, both online and offline. My enjoyment of them is enhanced through discussions with other fans and reading responses to episodes, sometimes as they are being broadcast. While I watch a variety of shows sporadically, I only have a dozen that I will watch every week as they air.