Friday night. Hours of classic TV lined up. Probably some great company with you. There’s nothing quite like the experience of a series binge. Contrary to popular belief though, a real series binge isn’t just a matter of plonking yourself down on a sofa and turning on the TV. There’s an art form to a truly fantastic binge night, and we have prepared a masterclass for you.

Get the Snacks In

While it is technically possible to have a binge with little triangle sandwiches and ice water, it’s hardly the true binge experience without an assortment of nibbles around you. While the traditional options usually included potato-based munchies, things covered in cheese dust and/or a selection of various dips, these days there are even healthy options. Grab a bit of hummus, some carrot sticks and maybe some diet fizz, and you’re all set. Otherwise, a favourite is that classic combo of galletti and bigilla. Fruit juices and coffee are best avoided though: when every moment is unmissable, there’s nothing worse than an emergency of nature, if you get our meaning.

No Interruptions

It depends on the time of day you choose to get your binge going, but there’s always a chance of outside interruptions ruining the atmosphere. In a perfect world, you’re in a house or apartment by yourself; lock the front door, turn off the doorbell and sit back and relax. On the other hand, if you happen to be sharing the house with parents, siblings or fuzzy creatures, plan ahead. Unless you plan on including them in the event, you need to walk any dogs, convince any parents that it’s a great time for a dinner date, and persuade/bribe any siblings as needed. Oh, and turn off those phones. With all the app notifications these days, you’re going to get beeps and buzzes even if you ignore your calls, plus half a dozen glowing lights in the room.

Sorry pup, we’re on episode 3 and this season is a long one…

Prepare the Room

If you ever built a fort in your bedroom as a kid, now is the time to put those skills to good use. Unless you have the luxury of a TV you can move around, your main job is to get the room as comfy and practical as possible. Seating is the big priority; no one’s going to be standing up for hours. Remember, it doesn’t just have to be sofas and armchairs – cushions or even thick duvets and blankets on the floor work wonders, especially if you have a big group to cater for. If you have windows, get the curtains drawn, but make sure you have some low-level lights. While you don’t want anything too bright, complete darkness is guaranteed to cause awkward stumbling and probably swearing.

Multitask the Breaks

Unless you are the ‘body of steel’ type, with physical and mental strength greater than the average human, you’re going to need breaks somewhere throughout the evening. While you always have the option to pause, rewind and restart what you’re watching, too many stops are a pain for everyone Whether it’s bathroom breaks, leg stretching breaks or just resupply runs, the best thing you can do is get it all out of the way at once. When someone gets the inevitable call of nature, try to organise it; check your snack supplies and send out volunteers to the kitchen and/or shops as necessary, not to mention getting everyone up and about to clear out the numbness in legs and other parts.

Don’t Be That Guy

Ok, time to deal with the incredibly annoying elephant in the room (and for the record, ‘guy’ is not just for the men). There is a definite code of conduct when watching TV on this scale, on top of what. No chattering (obviously), no asking ‘what just happened’, no pointing out plot holes or errors, and definitely no wandering about, stepping on other people or, horror of horrors, blocking the view of the TV. Don’t be a space hog, especially if your camp-out room is a bit cramped, and maintain some kind of hygiene level; if you’ve ever been on a crowded bus in a Malta summer, you know what we mean. It’s not the nicest topic to mention, but a can of deodorant goes a long way to keep the air livable, not to mention some AC or fans if you can.

Once you get all this in place you should be set. All you need then is some great, classic TV to watch, and for that, the GO Box sets have you covered. For more info, check out our Movies and Series page, then just sit back and enjoy.

How to prepare for a series binge