Entertainment tv

The 5 stages of trying to find something to watch on TV

Amanda Wilkie. Updated May 29th, 2025

It’s the evening. You’re on the sofa, wearing comfy clothes, maybe snuggled under a blanket. A cup of tea by your side, the biscuits at the ready, and the remote control in your hand. It’s all perfect. You’re ready. It’s time to find something to watch on TV. Or is it…

The 5 stages of trying to find something to watch on TV 1. Denial No! How can this be? I'm searching and searching but there's nothing! I pay for multiple streaming platform subscriptions every month which have 1000s of TV shows and films. How can I not find anything I want to watch?! 2. Anger I shell out my hard earned money every single goddamn month for all these channels and these bastards can't even provide me with one evening of entertainment! Useless pieces of crap! I'm going to cancel everything AND send them a strongly worded email. 3. Bargaining I can see you've got all 8 seasons of that show I like the look of. You seriously want me to pay £2.49 per episode for it though, on top of my monthly fee! Have a heart and cut me some slack! There must be some kind of deal! 4. Depression My tea has gone cold. I've eaten all the biscuits and now feel a bit sick. I still can't find anything to watch. I'll have to just sit here alone instead and contemplate all the bad life choices I've made over the years, and think about every stupid thing I've ever done. Then maybe doomscroll for a bit. 5. Acceptance I should have just had an early night. It's been 4 hours since I started trying to find something to watch. I won't lie, it's been a tough time, but I know now it obviously just wasn't meant to be this evening. I'm going to bed.

Image Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels