The Anti-Binge Watcher

Star Judi Dench (center) is flanked by (l-r): Philip Bretherton, Geoffrey Palmer, Jenny Funnell, and Moira Brooker.

Although "binge watching" of favorite TV shows seems to be the norm these days, I wonder if anyone's coined a term to describe its opposite -- the deliberate, leisurely savoring of each episode. That's where I am these days with As Time Goes By, the charming, low-key BBC sitcom that, much to my regret, I've almost finished watching. I don't really want to look at the DVD box and see how many episodes I have left, but I think it's only nine or ten.

For me, this series, written by Bob Larbey, has the rare capacity to make its characters seem so real and relatable that you begin to think them almost as friends. And although I probably have more in common with Geoffrey Palmer's Lionel than I might care to admit, I enjoy all the actors and their characters. I find myself thinking about Jean and Lionel, Judith, Alistair, and Sandy between episodes, wondering what lies ahead for them in life.

So while I'd love to watch an episode (or two) today, I might just hold off just a bit longer.