I rewatch a lot of shows, it’s true.

Hi all,

I love a good TV show. I have since the early 80s. A couple years ago, I tried to make a list of all the TV shows I have watched and which ones I have seen the whole series of. It turned out to be a long list, and I’m sure I forgot dozens (and dozens) of shows.

So, I made another list. This list is of shows I have rewatched. Yes, it’s a spreadsheet. lol. Magnum P.I., Star Trek Voyager, Mutant X, The Flash (original), Buffy, G.I. JOE, Quantum Leap… the list goes on.

On this glorious spreadsheet, I list a show, when the last time I watched it was and then the most current rewatch. For example: LOST. Great show, right? I watched it when it originally aired, and I loved it. Each week, I would go to my local comic book store, Brave New Worlds in Willow Grove, PA (at the time), and I would discuss theories with the guys. So much fun!

The first time I rewatched LOST was 2010 (probably recapping as the series ended). Then the most current rewatch was 2016. I recall this viewing as being very enjoyable. It was nice to revisit that island full of problem makers.

Currently, I’m rewatching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9). It runs on BBC America every morning. It used to run all day. Then it ran all morning. Now, it’s running 1-2 eps a day. I watch is casually as I work. It’s good background noise. Helps me stay focused. I can’t work in total silence, and I can’t work in an office setting with people moving and talking all around me. Think of it like one of those white noise devices that plays the sounds of crickets or frogs or rain so you can sleep better. DS9 does that job for me very well.

On top of that, I started a new rewatch a week ago. Well…partial rewatch. I really enjoy the last season of Angel and it has been a while, so I decided to put that on one night.

It’s funny, because I had just watched and ep. of DS9 where Lwaxana Troi, who has psychic abilities, comes to DS9 during a party and infects everyone with her powers. They all start acting irrationally and making weird love connections. On almost the same day, I think a day later, I watched an ep. of Angel where Lorne, who also has psychic abilities, infects everyone at a party and THEY all start acting irrationally and make weird love connections.

Hmmm… Odd. Same writers? I asked myself.

As a writer, and someone who loves TV, I’m very aware of the recycled storylines. But this was the first time these two stood out to me. So, I did what anyone in my position would do, I went right to IMDB!

Take a look at this!

As it turns out, the DS9 episode “Fascination” aired 11/28/94. Where the Angel episode “Life of the Party” aired 10/29/2003. That’s almost ten years apart! Maybe that’s the rule, TV script writers can copy each other’s work as long as it’s over 100 months old. lol

Or was it the same authors? I looked. Nope! Ira Steven Behr and James Crocker wrote the DS9 ep. And Ben Edlund appears to have written the Angel one. I wonder if Ben was a DS9 fan?

I know this happens a lot. We could go down a list of story tropes. I was simply struck by this pair, as I watched them within 24 hours of each other and they were both set in parties and had similar effects. I know. I know. It has probably been done in 5-10 other shows since. lol

Do you rewatch a lot of shows? Do you have certain ones you like to go back to? Or do you have a single favorite you enjoy watching over and over?

Let me know. Email me: kevin@kevinbreaux.com

Thanks all!

Kevin James Breaux

www.kevinbreaux.com

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