Vickie Fee

X marks the binge-worthy

On social media, people have been sharing how they are coping the changes in our daily lives brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of us have been playing board games with the spouse and kids. Some of us have been cooking – and eating – more comfort food. And many of us who generally escape into books have been binge-watching favorite TV shows.

 

Several Facebook friends have mentioned that they’re re-watching all the episodes of Murder She Wrote. My sister-in-law and her daughter were binge-watching Gilmore Girls, and my sister’s family has been working their way through all the incarnations of Star Trek, including the new Picard series.

XFiles T
I have two X-Files T-shirts. You can probably tell this one is faded. The other one is too holey and the image too faded to even photograph.

I’m a die-hard fan of The X-Files (known as X-philes). It was must-watch television for me during its first run. And it’s two subsequent movies. And its recent 10-episode reprise in 2018. I love The X-Files because it includes three of my favorite subjects: conspiracy theories, aliens, and David Ducovny. I also loved the chemistry between Scully and Mulder which included romance without being sappy. (This from a woman who writes books which may or may not include a kiss, but always include a murder!)

 

One year in the 90s, hubs and I threw an X-Files party for the season premiere for some of our friends who were as geeky about Mulder and Scully as we were. We put a big masking tape “X” on our front window with a lamp behind it, played trivia, and gave out candy cigarettes and little flashlights as party favors. One year, we appeared as Mully and Sculder on the cover of our Christmas card. And I may own one or two X-Files t-shirts. I recently learned there are Mulder and Scully barbies. I may need those. Seriously. #thetruthisoutthere

If we’re still sheltering in place by the time I’ve rewatched all 202 episodes of the original X-Files series and the 16 episodes of its two subsequent revivals, I may move on to my very first TV obsession from childhood: Man from U.N.C.L.E.! I have that entire series on DVD, which came packaged in a nerdy little cardboard briefcase. It was a gift from my husband. What can I say? The man understands me.

What about you? During these strange times, have you found a new favorite television obsession, or rewatched/are rewatching an old TV series obsession?

52 thoughts on “X marks the binge-worthy”

  1. I’m watching the same amount of TV as before, which is to say not much. Can you believe I’ve never watched The X-Files? And I had no idea the show had its own barbies!

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    1. X-Files is not everyone’s cup of tea, Marla. But if you’ve ever wanted to explore Area 51 in Roswell, it might be for you! The Barbies were news to me, but I may have to have them now!

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  2. I just bought Barnaby Jones the complete series and all 30 Perry Mason movies.
    I have been a knitting fool. It is soothing and productive all in one. At night I read, read, read one cozy mystery after another.

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  3. We just watched all of the James Bond movies (the treatment of women until the late 90s was really horrible!) and are now rewatching Ken Burns ‘Country Music’. I’m about to restart Doctor Who (the restart, beginning in 2005). Lots of good British TV on Acorn. We’re trying not to watch too much tv and I would rather read :).

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      1. Yay, Dr. Who! Pam, the special effects of a lot of old shows seem lacking by today’s standards– but they seemed cool at the time, lol!

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  4. We’re currently binging Criminal Minds, since the series just ended on a whimper. I too have the Man from U.N.C.L.E. set – U.N.C.L.E. stories in marble-backed copy books were my first foray into novel writing when I was 10 or so.

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    2. Tom … my co-writer for BANANA BAMBOOZLE and MARSHMALLOW MAYHEM worked on Criminal Minds so I have a couple of cool photos of Shemar Moore and Kirsten Vangsness holding up the books. I must admit, though, I’ve never actually seen a full episode. *hangs head in shame*

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  5. I’ve been rewatching Once Upon a Time virtually with friends. We comment on each episode in a Facebook group. And I’m rewatching the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Other than that, my watching is pretty much unchanged. But as many of my shows that their (early) finales, I suspect I will start to dust off more of my TV on DVD series.

    Or maybe dive deeper into my TBR mountain range. I have been getting lots of reading done.

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      1. My parents and I watched MTM back to back with the original Bob Newhart on Sat. nites when I was a kid. Loved them. My dad was a huge Lou Grant fan. My mom was less amused by him but loved The Happy Homemaker, lol (b/c Mom hated cooking). Betty White will always be Sue Ann Nivens to me.

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  6. I was obsessed with The Man From U.N.C.L.E. when I was a kid (and had a huge crush on Robert Vaughn). We’ve just finished binging Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (very cute) and are now watching Upload, which I think is clever and lots of fun.

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    1. Leslie, we could do a virtual Man From U.N.C.L.E. viewing party! I had a huge crush on Ilya Kuryakin! I’ve seen ads for Zoey’s Playlist and it looks like fun!

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  7. I haven’t been watching anymore than usual, but different stuff. I am in the process of watching all the “signed, sealed, and delivered” series and movies. At least until it moved to hallmark drama.

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  9. Love the X Files and now I have a HUGE hankering to re-watch.

    We recently(ish) got Netflix, and I’ve found all kinds of wonderful shows to binge. My favorite is/was Mind Hunter. NOW….this is pretty heavy stuff and definitely not for everyone, but it features the genesis of the FBI’s serial crime unit and is absolutely fascinating.

    On the opposite end of the spectrum is New Girl, which is new to me and pretty darn funny. OH, and Great News is now on Netflix. It’s Tina Fey’s brainchild and is SO good!

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      1. He’s got such range!! And his character was sooooooooooooooooo good. Complex and not wholly perfect.

        I’m waiting on pins and needles to see if they bring it back for a third season!

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  10. I’ve been sheltering in place and binge-watching Netflix since before it was cool, but lately one show hubs and I like to watch after a particularly hard day is the sitcom “Community.” We watched it sporadically in real-time a thousand years ago, but have recently rediscovered it. Donald Glover and Danny Pudi as Troy and Abed can turn any hard day around! Another series we love is “Parks and Rec.” I count Amy Poehler as one of my besties, despite the fact we’ve never met. They did, however, film at my alma mater Chapman College (now University) so that bond runs deep. Or it will if she’s ever aware of it.

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    2. She’s my bestie, too! Love her. (And Parks and Rec.)

      I think I’ve only watched Community a few times. (Did I dream this or is Chevy Chase in it?) Need to check it out again. (Donald Glover is fantastic. We just watched him last night in Solo!)

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      1. Yes, Chevy Chase and Allison Brie …. which reminds me of another fun show …. Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. She’s in it as well as Marc Maron who are both fantastic. Lots of laughs.

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  11. I just thought of a darker series I can’t wait to binge … again. Breaking Bad. I tell you what, Vince Gilligan is a genius. Watching that series is a fantastic way to learn to write. He drops a cookie in episode 3 to set the stage for something in episode 59. Absolutely amazing.

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  12. I’m another Man From U.N.C.L.E. fan of the Kuryakin variety. I also followed McCallum on Sapphire and Steele, “a British television supernatural sci-fi/fantasy series starring David McCallum as Steel and Joanna Lumley as Sapphire. Produced by ATV, it ran from 1979 to 1982 on the ITV network.” I’ll even admit to enjoying seeing him on NCIS.

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    1. Pam, Sapphire and Steele was truly a strange show — but I still love David McCallum and Joanna Lumley! And YAY Team Ilya!!

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  13. We binged through the newest season of “Bosch,” as well as a Netflix series “Outer Banks” (it’s a teen show, so there’s a certain level of suspension of disbelief required). Right now we are working our way through the Benedict Cumberbatch version of “Sherlock.”

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  14. Vickie, hilarious! I would SO want those dolls if I were you. Jer loved the Man from U.N.C.L.E. so much when he was a kid that he got their spy attache one year for Christmas. He still has the passport from the kit and it’s the cutest thing ever because under “Occupation,” he wrote “Normal Kid.”

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  15. We just finished 8 seasons of Homeland. Loved. And Ozark (the writing–and Jason Bateman!) and Dead to Me (the twists!). I recommend all of them. As far as the oldies-but-goodies, I think I would pick The Rockford Files to rewatch. (I have the videos.) Maybe I need to start The X Files, though. After Veronica Mars. Keeping a running list of options!

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    3. Ozark … YES. I always love to watch shows with my boyfriend, Jason Bateman. And we’re in the middle of Dead to Me now. Love it too. Coincidentally, it has Linda Cardellini, my husband’s girlfriend, in it.

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  17. David McCallum may have been the cuter one (though not to me, he wasn’t), but Robert Vaughn went on after U.N.C.L.E. finished to get his master’s degree from UCLA, and wrote his thesis about the McCarthy hearings and blacklist fiasco. Now that’s my kind of guy! 🙂

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  18. X-Files fan here too! Yay, V!!

    Recent shows we loved: Ozark and Dead to Me. Rewatched all of the Killing Eve episodes before this season started too. Oh and add Tiger King and McMillions to the documentary side.

    LOVE the idea of watching a show with friends and commenting on it in a group–we should all pick something and do it together!!

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