Entertainment Week starts in London, in front of the TV

 Edited BY


G P Kennedy

This week we take a look at how living in a COVID world has impacted our Storytellers' use of and access to entertainment. With many places having to shut down cinemas, theaters, bars, museums, and such, we wonder how our Storytellers fill their time. especially when, for many, work has changed or gone away altogether.


Sally - London, UK







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My entertainment habits, similar to my reading habits also changed when I had the baby.  Pre-baby and pre-COVID we use to go to the cinema about once every 3 months, maybe more if a big blockbuster had been released.  But the last time I went to the cinema I was 7 or 8 months pregnant and I think it was to see Aqua Man but I can’t really remember the film. All I remember is that I was really uncomfortable and had to stand up for a lot of the film. Now I am guessing when COVID is over my next cinema visit will be to see a Disney film or some other cartoon.


Netflix has become our new best friend since COVID/new baby.  You can binge-watch and stop at any time (when the baby cries) and pick up right where you left it. We have watched all the obvious series that I think have done the rounds since lockdown. Tiger King - crazy, Better Call Saul - good, Stranger Things - series one was the best, and Ozark - brilliant.  


Then when James is out with the baby or when I stay up late I have my guilty pleasures like Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Pose, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.


Away from Netflix, I watch a lot of reality TV, Made In Chelsea, The Only Way Is Essex, etc. I’m not sure why I watch them as I hate all the ‘characters’ in them, haha!


I also love Master Chef Australia and that’s the first thing I catch up on most nights after the baby is in bed. My actual live TV viewing has definitely dropped, which is strange as TV is my job, but I think it is it do with not being able to give it 100% of my concentration and I know you can pause live TV but it is easier for us to stream things at the moment. I use to love soaps like Home And Away and Neighbours but I just don’t have the time to dedicate to watching these anymore.


Our daytime viewing is dominated by children’s programs on CBeebies and educational stuff on YouTube. I am also trying to get the baby into Disney films so I keep showing her the songs from The Lion King and The Jungle Book and as she loves music she dances around to them.  


I made the mistake of showing her the video for Baby Shark on YouTube last week and now she comes up and claps in my face about 20 times a day (I think she’s trying to do the Baby Shark dance). 


We have just got a subscription to Disney Plus for a few months so James wants to watch The Mandalorian. I’ve never watched Star Wars (I know I know, how could I get to my 40’s and have never seen it blah blah blah, but it doesn’t excite me so I never watched them) so anyway I am pretending to watch it but really using the time to write this blog.


Anyway Live Long And Prosper (yes, I know that’s Star Trek and not Star Wars, but I haven’t watched that either).

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