When we talk about game-changing shows in the third golden era of television, Orange Is the New Black deserves a spotlight. Premiering in 2013, during the early surge of Netflix original content, the show was more than just a drama hit, it was the beginning of a massive shift within how, when and where we watched TV. 

Before streaming, we were at the mercy of weekly airings and cable schedules on Sky and other channels. With introduction to technologies that have enhanced our watch experiences such as HD quality and portable devices, Netflix was able to adapt their platform to suit all the above. Suddenly, we didn’t have to wait for next week’s episode. We had the entire season at our fingertips, Netflix gave us the first access to the new experience of ‘Binge watching’.  Media scholar Amanda Lotz called this the “post-network era,” where we could watch shows how and when we wanted. 

Orange Is the New Black was one of the first shows  to ride this wave successfully. What made it stand out, though, wasn’t just the new way it was delivered, it was the element of story storytelling. The show gave us a rich, emotional dive into the lives of women in prison. Each episode peeled back layers of complex characters, showing us their pasts, their traumas, and their strength. It was raw, real, and deeply human. By dropping entire seasons at once, (giving us 7 to be exact). Netflix let us binge through character arcs in hours rather than months. This slow-burn narrative, stretched across seasons, was perfect for this new format and allowed up to connect instantly with the show. 

In many ways, Orange Is the New Black helped define the emotional depth and viewing habits of modern TV. It was more thna a series, it was a cultural moment that changed how we engaged with stories on screen. And for many of us (me definitely), it was probably one of the first shows we ever truly binged.

References:

Lotz, A. D. (2007) The Television Will Be Revolutionized. New York: New York University Press.

Netflix. (2013) Orange Is the New Black 

33742304 – Naomi Nemi