by Dana Wineland O’Rourke, Contributing Writer
“Come and listen to my story…”
If you started to sing those words, chances are you grew up in a house with one television, no remote control, and only a few channels.
For anyone unfamiliar, those are the opening lyrics to the theme song from the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies. It ran from 1962-1971 and boasted 274 episodes. That’s a heapin’ helpin’ of classic comedy and my current binge-watching guilty pleasure.
Binge-watching, the term for viewing multiple episodes in sequence, began in the 1990s when television series were released on DVD box sets. In 2013, “binge-watch” made the Word of the Year shortlist for the Oxford Dictionaries.
During the pandemic, television took on the dual role of friend and entertainment source, taking binge-watching to a new level. With over 100 networks, cable, premium cable, and streaming services, today’s viewer has endless choices.
I jumped on the series bandwagon with my husband later than most binging This is Us and have lost track of the shows we conquered since. When hungry for another, we depend on suggestions from our kids or friends, who never disappoint.
As evening falls, my hubby makes a trip to the concession stand (also known as the top of our refrigerator), where there is a generous variety of chips, trail mix, cookies, and licorice. Once his selection is made, he grabs the remote, we take our seats, and it’s off to Virgin River, Schitt’s Creek, or Ozark for an hour, or two, or three. Being retired allows for late bedtimes and no snacking shame.
Our picks aren’t always the same. He indulges in action-packed thrillers while I crave biographies, documentaries, and romantic comedies. That’s not a problem. More than 50 percent of US homes have at least three TVs. Yep, we have four.
My husband spent a few days at his brother’s camp this summer, leaving me alone and in control of the remote. Of all the shows I could have selected from the countless offerings our pricey cable bill allows, I opted to binge-watch The Beverly Hillbillies.
The series debuted when I was four and ended when I was thirteen. I remember it airing in our one-television household, and I’m sure I caught several episodes over the years in reruns. Something in me yearned to experience it in its entirety. Perhaps I needed to hang out with kind folks from a simpler time and laugh.
With a bag of pretzel sticks in one hand and a soft throw in the other, I got cozy in my husband’s recliner. I believe our talk-in remote snickered when I said, “The Beverly Hillbillies” and I snickered when I saw the first season had a whopping 36 episodes. I pushed the button and found myself with the Clampetts in a vastly different Ozarks than the Byrdes, and not just because this series begins in black and white.
After striking oil on their land, the hillbilly Clampetts moved from their cabin in the Ozarks to a mansion in Beverly Hills. The perfectly cast patriarch Jed, his mother-in-law Granny, his daughter, Elly May, and his nephew Jethro, bring an unsophisticated simple lifestyle to the wealthy community with laughs and lessons in each episode while always coming out on top.
The show is corny, predictable, and comfortable, exactly the escape needed to unwind and recharge in a world of uncertainty.
It also makes for interesting dinner conversation when I share the tales of Granny mistaking a menacing kangaroo for a giant jackrabbit or when Jed and Jethro are invited to golf for the first time. My “You have to watch that one.” led to my husband enjoying the episode as much as I did.
Season 4 began in color, reminding me of when Dorothy landed in Oz. It was episode 107 and seeing the grand staircase’s red carpet and Granny’s bright pink hat took adjustment.
Yes, watching makes me happy and I promise I’ll get to episode 274. I’m the person who can’t put a crossword puzzle down until it’s completed and will get the knot out of anything when everyone else has given up.
Wellness experts chimed in on binge-watching. The word binge gives off negative vibes. Binge drinking is bad, as is binge eating, so binge-watching must also be bad, right? I’ll spare you the details about dopamine, sleep deprivation, and social connection. The truth is, like many activities, binge-watching can be both good and bad.
My television friends, the hillbillies, invite us with every episode to, “Set a spell. Take your shoes off.”
We can all relax knowing the experts concluded that binge-watching is fine in moderation, so keep that remote handy.
Unfortunately, another group of experts insist that moderation should also be practiced regarding snacks. As cousin Jethro would say, “Aw, shucks!”
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About the author: Freelance writer Dana Wineland O’Rourke retired after wearing the many hats required for her position as a school secretary for 30 years. A lifelong resident of Monongahela, Dana has been married to Tim for 45 years. Their two sons and daughters-in-law made the family an even dozen with six grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with family, traveling, gab & grubs with friends, biking, and fitness classes at the YMCA.
