Television is experiencing a resurgence of "appointment viewing" — watching shows live as they air on a set schedule — even as streaming has made binge-watching effortless. Variety highlights shows such as "Survivor," "The Pitt" and "Love Island" as examples of programmes deliberately using weekly or near-daily release schedules to keep fans engaged in real time, fuelling watch parties, live voting and next-day social media discussion reminiscent of old-fashioned "watercooler" television.

"Survivor" has used weekly drops since its 2000 debut and has occasionally incorporated fan-voting elements, while "Love Island" lets viewers vote live on which couples stay or leave, encouraging near-daily viewing to avoid spoilers. Medical drama "The Pitt," which released its first two episodes together in January 2025 before moving to a weekly schedule, has been praised for sparking classic watercooler-style conversations, though its second season faced online criticism from fans who binged season one and struggled to adjust. "Survivor" showrunner Jeff Probst likens the format to a road trip rather than a flight, arguing that the waiting period between episodes deepens viewers' emotional investment in a way binge-watching cannot replicate.