#Like

Do I Like Netflix?

It is a hard question to answer if I am honest. However I will do my best to come up with as detailed an answer as I can. 

The answer to the question would have to be no and here is my reason why; It is not that Netflix is a bad service, on the contrary it is certainly one of if not the best TV and Film streaming sites available today, yes there can be a lack of good shows and films to watch but it is one of the cheapest and at times one of the most reliable. The service is always ready available and at times has been there when I have had nothing else to do. 

Unfortunately though it has also been there when I have had things to do as well. The programs I have a habit of watching tend to come in many seasons and are some what quite addictive. I am a creature of habit and when I begin to watch a program I like to watch as many episodes as I can as often as I can to try and watch all of the seasons available. 

This is why I dislike Netflix, It is too readily available for my liking. This perhaps says more about my ability to walk away from a TV series however I maintain it is still Netflix fault haha. 

One thing that definitely makes it harder to walk away from a good show on Netflix is the dreaded next episode timer. For anyone that has never used Netflix, the next episode timer is basically a small timer roughly around 14 seconds long that starts to count down at the end of an episode, when the timer counts down and reaches 0 it will begin to play the next episode. A feat of genius in the streaming world as we all know the hardship of looking for the next episode or putting the next DVD in. However as genius as it is it is also evil!!! EVIL I tell you!! when you are lying in bed at 2am and really needing to get to sleep the last thing you want is another episode to start playing especially if it is a new tv series you are watching as more often than not the curiosity kicks in and you end up staying up later to watch the episode well I know I certainly do. 

This can be a real burden on sleep patterns, uni work, social lives etc and this is why I do not like Netflix. Will this stop me from continuing my subscription? No not a chance in hell, I like my tv programs and I shall continue watching.

Suits

"Suits" an American legal drama created and written by Aaron Korsh. The show airs on the USA Network from its debut on June 23, 2011, which originally aired a 90 minute pilot. The show tells the story of Mike Ross, who works as a law associate for Harvey Spencer despite never actually attending law school. The show focuses on Harvey and Mike managing to close cases whilst maintaining Mike's secret. - Wiki

I remember when Suits first appeared on Netflix. It was something I flicked past several times, even toyed with the idea of watching it but always managed to talk myself out of it at the last minute. It wasn't until I was left with nothing else to watch that I finally stuck the pilot episode of Suits on. Im strange this way, if a programs name or cover image does not scream (WATCH ME IM AMAZING) then it is highly unlikely I will give it a watch when I first stumble across it. I was hooked from the first episode! It was not how I imagined it would be when I first saw the title and cover image, I had imagined a snooty stuck up lawyer and his journey through the courts however It is far from that! It really goes to show that like a book you can't judge a tv show by it's cover.

From the off the program is jam packed full of intelligent humor, it keeps the viewer thoroughly entertained and thinking at the same time. This is something that I really liked and something that ended up making Suits one of my favorite programs to watch.

Suits received an IMDB rating of 8.8 out of 10 from little over 183,000 voters which is fantastic. I can't praise the program highly enough and have successfully managed to convince many friends to watch it who eventually began to love it as much as I do.

There are currently three full seasons of suits available on Netflix with season four being available to buy on DVD. The full boxset itself cannot be bought yet however to buy all of the available seasons would cost just over £30. However I would highly advise you just to use Netflix for the price of £6.99 a month and just buy the following seasons as you need them - You can sign up here - or if you have never used Netflix before you can sign up for a free months trial!

Any feedback on my blog would be great and would ideally add some form of extra credit or something along those lines to my university project. So feel free to leave a comment, positive or not any feedback will be taken on board :) thanks, Scott.

Bates Motel

"Bates Motel" is a contemporary prequel to the genre-defining film "Psycho," and gives a portrayal of how Norman Bates' (Freddie Highmore) psyche unravels through his teenage years. Fans discover the dark, twisted backstory of Norman Bates and how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother, Norma (Vera Farmiga), truly is.

- Written by A&E Television Networks

The show starts out as Norman Bates being portrayed as a regular young man. As the show goes on, Norma and Norman's relationship gives us insight to how Norman came to be the way he is. An intricate back story to Norma's life is revealed and Norman's pshyche slowly starts to unravel, long before the events way down in the fruit cellar. - IMDB

'Bates Motel' is a new US television series. The first season premiered on March 18th, 2013 and ran for ten hour-length episodes. The series stars Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates and Freddie Highmore as her son, Norman Bates.

While the set is a perfect match for the original from the movie 'Psycho', including the iconic house, the series is set in the present, making it more of a re-imagining than an actual prequel. The show wastes no time in raising the tension level of the story. Within the first episode the Bates are confronted by the former owner who is clearly upset over the loss of his family property. We also learn fairly quickly that White Pines Bay is not your typical small town, in that it has more than its fair share of strange goings on. 

The series has recieved a rating of 8.2 out of 10 from IMDB members with over 44,000 votes cast. I have currently watched both season one and two and have made a start to season three. The show is sickening at times but keeps you shocked and wanting more! It is a must watch if you are into dark dramas. 

The show can be found on Netflix, but if you prefer to own the DVD the full box-set can be bought via Amazon for around £12 -  You can get the Box-Set Here - However if you are sad and lack a social life like me you should be able to blast all the episodes in a few days so I would advise you just to use Netflix for the price of £6.99 a month - You can sign up here - or if you have never used Netflix before you can sign up for a free months trial!

The next program I will plan on discussing is "Suits" an American legal drama created and written by Aaron Korsh. The show airs on the USA Network from its debut on June 23, 2011, which originally aired a 90 minute pilot. The show tells the story of Mike Ross, who works as a law associate for Harvey Spencer despite never actually attending law school. The show focuses on Harvey and Mike managing to close cases whilst maintaining Mike's secret....

Any feedback on my blog would be great and would ideally add some form of extra credit or something along those lines to my university project. So feel free to leave a comment, positive or not any feedback will be taken on board :) thanks, Scott.

Is Netflix worth it?

I myself have had Netflix for years and over time have developed an intricate love hate relationship with the service, I love having it but hate paying to sift through a lot of rubbish to find the few good TV series/Films that it contains. Do not however let that description put you off ever using Netflix though, I only find myself in the dilemma of having to try and find good things to watch as I have watched just about everything Netflix has to offer. 

Like many Netflix users I have found myself going through many stages with it over the years:

• Used the free trial
• Paid for it myself 
• Deleted it
• Got it back again 
• Deleted it again 
• Used my girlfriends 

Netflix offer users the opportunity to use it's services on a month to month basis, there is no long term obligation which is great as this allows users the opportunity to come and go as they please depending on if they are enjoying what is currently available. This is something I have taken advantage of having deleted my subscription twice.

What are the alternatives?

In my search for the best TV series an films at the touch of a button I have come across a variety of alternatives available to users on the web; some legal and some not so. This however is not something I will delve into deeply as I don't plan to incriminate myself by detailing things I may or may not have done to watch TV and film ;-) I will however talk about another service I currently use at the moment alongside Netflix.

Now TV

Now TV is a service run by sky that allows users the chance to sign up to a monthly subscription to live stream TV and films via a variety of electronic devices. It is a service that I use alongside Netflix, I like to have the opportunity to have a backup option if Netflix does not have anything that appeals to me at that moment in time.

Now TV unfortunately though splits everything into separate subscriptions allowing you to watch films for the price of £10 a month, to watch TV it is a further £6.99 a month which is certainly more expensive than Netflix which offers both services for one monthly cost. Although Now TV has a lot more better selections to offer its users it is far more expensive and would always push me towards Netflix if I had to make a decision between the two.

Breaking Bad...

Breaking Bad is always something that I chose to pass by when flicking through Netflix, there was never a reason for it, it just never appealed to me strongly enough. However due to some powerful persuasion and light peer pressure from a work colleague in 2012 I was introduced to what would soon turn out to be one of my favourite TV programs today.

From episode one I was caught in what would be a very slippery slope. Watching episode after episode unable to stop watching what Walter White was getting up to.When I began to watch the series there was already at least two or three seasons readily available to watch. This was a downside for me as I swiftly lost a large part of if not all of my spare time to getting caught up to date with the thrilling TV series. Looking back on it now it was probably quite sad the days I spent watching episode after episode day after day, however that just highlights how addictive the program can become, with each episode ending on its own mini cliff hanger it keeps you exceedingly eager to keep watching! 

The show was initially aired in 2008 and is one of the best TV shows available to watch today, and is certainly one of my personal favorites!

"Breaking Bad" a show about a "Mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher Walter White thinks his life can't get much worse. His salary barely makes ends meet, a situation not likely to improve once his pregnant wife gives birth, and their teenage son is battling cerebral palsy. But Walter is dumbstruck when he learns he has terminal cancer. Realizing that his illness probably will ruin his family financially, Walter makes a desperate bid to earn as much money as he can in the time he has left by turning an old RV into a meth lab on wheels." - Wiki

Breaking Bad has an impressively high rating of 9.5 out of 10 on IMDB with over 671,000 votes. This is outstanding and just highlights how highly praised the show is by many. The show speaks for itself and needs no one to backup its greatness, you just need to take the first step and watch the first couple of episodes. With 62 episodes (5 seasons) you had better have plenty time to spare before starting your own Breaking Bad journey.

The show can be found on Netflix, but if you prefer to own the DVD the full box-set can be bought via Amazon for around £60.99 -  You can get the Box-Set Here - However if you think you can get through all 62 episodes in a month or two then I would highly advise you just to use Netflix for the price of £6.99 a month - You can sign up here - or if you have never used Netflix before you can sign up for a free months trial!

The next program I will plan on discussing is "Bates Motel" a contemporary prequel to the genre-defining film Psycho, it gives a portrayal of how Norman Bates' psyche unravels through his teenage years. Fans discover the dark, twisted back story of Norman Bates and how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother, Norma, truly is....

Any feedback on my blog would be great and would ideally add some form of extra credit or something along those lines to my university project. So feel free to leave a comment, positive or not any feedback will be taken on board :) thanks, Scott.