When Is It Okay to Give Up on a TV Show?

With Netflix, Stan, Foxtel and many other platforms for television media, it’s no wonder we’re all struggling to keep up with the ever-expanding ‘Peak TV’ phenomenon.

Gone are the days when television was the budget storyteller; a landscape for subpar actors and predictable storylines.

With brilliant success stories like HBO’s Game of Thrones and Netflix Original series like 13 Reasons Why and Orange is The New Black, the demand for TV shows is at an all-time high.

But with the constant growth of new and exciting TV shows, I find myself adding and adding to a never-ending list of shows I’ve been told I “must” watch.

It’s not hard to suddenly find myself in a deep, dark portal with no re-emergence from my bedroom for a solid 72 hours. Trust me. It’s happened. Am I ashamed? Yes. Would I do it again? Definitely. Yet, honestly, I shouldn’t.

The fact is, I can’t seem to keep up with my own life, let alone the Kardashians'. So, when should we ultimately click the red ‘x’ at the top of the webpage, or press the power button on the TV?

My answer: Whenever you like.

If you love a TV show (or how its last season ended) and you’re a little afraid of what the writers are going to do with the next season, maybe just stop it there. I know I have.

Some shows just drag on far too long, and if you have enough answers or satisfaction from a solid three seasons of a show, who says you need to keep watching? It could ultimately get worse as time goes on—and it’ll be cancelled eventually anyway. So, why not just stop when you’re happy?

Look up recaps of later seasons if you must. I did that with Pretty Little Liars, which went on too long for my liking (and I was too far into Teen Wolf and How to Get Away with Murder to keep up), so I just stopped it. I didn’t care anymore; I’d become preoccupied with other shows.

Or, if you’re overwhelmed and sick of binge-watching, maybe pick one certain show to focus on at a time. Try and finish your Criminal Minds episodes before you start SVU. Or work on New Girl before starting The Office.

You don’t need to be watching 500 show at once. Simply take it one at a time. It’s called moderation.

To that point, you can give up on Revenge after Season Two (the rest is terrible), or be happy with Parks and Recreation’s Season Six finale (and not watch the time jump episodes made for Season Seven).

Ultimately, only watch what you can handle. Take advantage of school holidays and binge then; otherwise, keep the TV shows to one at a time and sacrifice where you should.

Not all shows end well, but if you stop watching it before it goes downhill, it can end in success. Television ignorance can be bliss sometimes.

Congratulations to Kaitlyn for winning this week's writing challenge: When Is It Okay to Give Up on a TV Show? Kaitlyn wins a $50 Westfield gift card for her submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Comps section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge!

Photo: ABC