Binge and Bingeability

Dr. Arienne Ferchaud has created a fantastic and comprehensive collection of perspectives on binge-watching. By looking at the past and present of both audience and industry factors, she maps the future of the often-practiced yet ill-defined behavior, and arrives at a surprisingly obvious truth: bingeability is in the eyes of the viewer. -- Matthew Pittman, University of Tennessee This book takes a refreshingly holistic approach to understanding the rise in popularity of TV binge viewing experiences. An expert on the science of entertainment, Arienne Ferchaud explores many psychological roots of this trend, but she also draws from her knowledge of history and media innovation to explain the factors that often make it hard for us to stop watching after just one episode. Whether you’re a scholar interested in studying television viewing behavior, or just someone looking for some insight into why you keep hitting the “next episode” button (even when you could use some shut-eye instead), you will find this to be a thoughtful guide. -- Elizabeth Cohen, West Virginia University Arienne Ferchaud’s Binge and Bingeability: The Antecedents and Consequences of Binge Watching Behavior is an insightful study into the workings of binge-watching. Thoroughly anchored in the field of audience research, Ferchaud offers new insights on how binge-watching affects narrative processing and parasocial relationships. Ferchaud’s study offers a particularly up-to-date ‘snapshot’ of an audience practice that is constantly developing and influencing textual and industry practices. As such, this study is an important contribution to the field of binge-watching research. -- Mareike Jenner, Anglia Ruskin University