Pony request: How to watch (TV)

January 16, 2019 4:42 PM

Many of the shows discussed here sound really interesting, but we have no idea how to watch them. Is it on a network? Is it streaming? What network? What service?

I don't want to really make a technical pony request, but maybe if Fanfare were to be rebuilt, it would be helpful to have a field in the form to say where it's being aired.

But, until then, can we in the description try and say where the show is being aired? Even just at the bottom of the post, or in the tags, or just somewhere. Just, like, mention it somewhere.

posted by General Malaise (8 comments total)

Yeah, I try to include my streaming source in the tags if that's how I'm watching, but I've certainly had to google shows to see whether they're available to me.
posted by rhizome at 8:25 PM on January 16, 2019

Agreed. If there isn't an easy technical solution, please do your fellow MeFites a solid and put it in the description, especially for new shows (and, for that matter, for non-theatrical-release movies).
posted by Etrigan at 8:28 AM on January 17, 2019 [1 favorite]

Agree, this would be so helpful. Preferably in the description, as tags don't show up on the mobile sites.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 5:10 PM on January 19, 2019

I think this would be helpful, but that information can change - Netflix adds and drops things frequently for example, so the info would have to be updated as things change.

Also, the info might be different for different regions. I get Star Trek: Discovery on Netflix in Europe, but have to subscribe to CBS All Access to see it in the U.S. And there are lots of films I've had on my list in Netflix and Amazon Prime that I can't watch when I'm in Europe (without taking additional measures). I don't think Hulu works at all in Europe.

So I think it would be lovely to have that information at a glance, but it seems like a purely technical solution is not very easy to achieve, and a human-curated system would be unlikely to be adequately maintained over the long term.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 12:05 PM on January 21, 2019 [3 favorites]

I've long wanted some method of indicating where so many shows were being presented. I don't think the long term needs to be such an overriding consideration as to kill the idea, especially for first viewings. It could be as simple as the OP fills in a field indicating where they are seeing the program, and subsequent (i.e. interested) viewers can simply post in the thread if they are getting the program via a different service. This would also include any later viewing on other services.

But, yeah, some method of indicating where these shows are being presented is long overdue.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:46 AM on January 23, 2019 [2 favorites]

think this would be helpful, but that information can change

Yeah, I don't think FanFare needs to be a perpetual watch guide, but when shows are posted it can help people just learning about them then.
posted by rhizome at 12:46 PM on January 23, 2019 [3 favorites]

PSA: Just Watch is a search engine for legal streaming services. You can look up where to watch/purchase shows and movies, and it lets you select what country you're in.
posted by yeahlikethat at 6:36 AM on January 25, 2019 [2 favorites]

late to this, but I try to add in the tags the official place to watch the show I'm posting about, like the TV channel or streaming service.
posted by numaner at 12:26 AM on March 22, 2019