Not only has the television medium changed over the past few decades, but the way audiences consume it has evolved as well. This is mostly due to the rise of streaming, which has helped lead to the binge-friendly model, in which an entire season of a show is released at once. Not only is this a change for consumers, but it’s also new for an actor like Kevin James. The actor has been a king of network TV for some time, so how does he feel about fans being able to binge-watch his latest show, Netflix’s The Crew?
Before The Crew was released on Netflix, I had the opportunity to speak with Kevin James about his work on the new comedy and, as we chatted, we discussed the fact that he show’s first season is being released at once, a change from the actor’s past work. When I asked for his thoughts on how he view this release format compared to the weekly release model, he provided some keen thoughts:
It’s different. I mean it hasn’t come out yet, so I don’t know. It’s weird, it’s like you’re just done with the season, and the idea that people can binge-watch it if they choose to and get through the whole thing and learn about the characters that fast, it’s cool. Because I know when I watch a show and there isn’t the opportunity, you have to wait a whole week to see the next episode, I’m like, ‘[Groans]’. I can’t stand that. But this is nice. They’ll get to learn the characters really quick.
It sounds like Kevin James is just like many of us when it comes to waiting every week for a new episode of our favorite show. Just when you thought James couldn’t get any more relatable, he reveals that even he gets impatient when he has to wait for another episode of a TV series. While he does still appreciate the weekly format, he also likes the idea of fans being able to watch the season at their own pace. And as he mentions, viewers do get better acquainted with the characters if they go a bit faster.
Binge-watching has become heavily embedded into our TV-viewing culture at this point, thanks largely to streaming services. Netflix in particular has a number of shows that fans can’t help but zoom through. And if you’re like me, these may be series like Stranger Things or Cobra Kai.
When it comes to Netflix’s The Crew, the binge approach wasn’t the only area of transition for Kevin James, though. The actor had to learn a thing or two about NASCAR in order to prepare for his new workplace comedy, and it appears he learned a few key facts about the world of professional race car driving.
Ultimately, it will be up to audiences to decide whether they want to race through The Crew Season 1 or progress at a steadier speed. Either way, they’ll still be able to enjoy the adventures of Kevin James’ Kevin Gibson and his ragtag team of NASCAR colleagues.
You can check out Netflix’s The Crew now, alongside other great content on the streamer.
