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Original poster

Do families sit and watch tv together in the evenings these days?

76 replies

Hothothotter · 19/07/2025 22:03

We don’t!

I have young adults now but I don’t think we have watched tv together for ten years apart from the very occasional thing that I might record for them that they might enjoy. They lose interest though and would never watch a whole series. I know times have changed and everyone has their own phone/tablet/laptop but it’s a shame. I remember watching tv with my family as a child and it was a really enjoyable activity.

Is it something you do in your house?

OP posts:
limescale · 19/07/2025 23:06

Me and ds 16 are working our way through Waterloo Road!
Other series we’ve watched:
Peaky Blinders
Friends
Young Sheldon
Friday Night Dinner
Outnumbered
Gavin and Stacey
Chernobyl

All sorts really. It’s just me and him at home and we’ll watch an hour together most evenings.

SharonEllis · 19/07/2025 23:19

Yes regularly 16 & 18.

Mykittensmittens · 19/07/2025 23:23

Yep.

DC are 14 and 16 and after about 8ish we collect as a family and watch something, and if someone doesn’t want to watch they might read or do something like a craft but we are all together in a room from 8- bedtime, unless it’s a night when someone is out or there is an event (maybe once a week?)

FunnysInLaJardin · 19/07/2025 23:26

we rarely watch TV full stop. But we will have a movie night every month or so with 15 and 19yo DS's. Usually when DS1 is home from uni.

mindingmyown37 · 19/07/2025 23:28

The core of us do, some of the others dip in and out, depending what the programme is.

Glowinglights · 19/07/2025 23:32

17 & 15 dd’s here - we have occasional tv nights. We’ve always watched shows like Race across the World together, and Traitors. We’ll only put those on when all 4 of us are home, even if that means spreading out the series over many weeks 😅.
We’re struggling a bit with films as 1 teen and dh like very different genres than other teen and me…
We still enjoy watching together when it happens.

CanIJustReadMyBookPls · 20/07/2025 00:08

Late teens, early 20s - no we don't watch TV in the evenings. The 'children' often play games together (board and card) or do their own thing, or sit and talk with us. Sometimes we read books, join in the games, talk. TV starts later for me and DH and usually just one show.

When I was younger it was TV watching in the evening. Nothing wrong with it and we enjoyed it, but I think what my kids do is probably better overall.

I think it would be nice for me and DH to start TV earlier but not sure we could hear it over the games being played!

whynotmereally · 20/07/2025 06:14

When eldest lived at home we (dh and I)watched a lot of comedy with her and her bf. But otherwise none of us really like what dh watched. I usually watch an ongoing series with dd 1 and dd2 (separately) around once a week each.
Sometimes we watch a film together and we play a lot of board games.

aGirlLikeJesamine · 20/07/2025 06:24

when my 25 year old comes home we will
my 28 year old came home and wont sit with us

newhouseplans · 20/07/2025 06:27

Yes, but only when I force them to. It's one of those activities, like going for a nice walk, that I know they'll get into it and enjoy it once we do it, but I have to cajole then into it.

They say "do I have to?!" Aland I say yes, it's important to me.

We don't do it very often though, and the number of programmes the whole family enjoys is small.

We tend to watch things like Bake Off, Race around the world, Would You Lie To Me and Taskmaster (bleeped version). DD has recently got into whodunits and DS will tolerate them, so that's opened up things like Ludwig and Death Valley which were great and made a nice change.

Amy recommendations welcome!

BogRollBOGOF · 20/07/2025 07:21

There's some series that DS2 will watch with me (Gladiators, Race across the world, The Apprentice, Traitors). DS1 favours his special interests. DH and I have different tastes.

I haven't watched dramas in years. I tend to find them too dark and gritty in the past decade.

user1476613140 · 20/07/2025 07:22

Had a movie afternoon with popcorn with whole family yesterday. Rare occasion though...

HeadWall · 20/07/2025 07:23

13 & 15 and yes, but not often. 15 is watching Stranger Things with us when 13 is not around.
Together, maybe once a week a film or series on Netflix. We've just finished Celebrity Bear Hunt. We've watched things like Mr Monk, a few cooking shows, Alone etc. Live tv never as we're never consistently all together!

Itsnottheheatitsthehumidity · 20/07/2025 07:24

I watch Netflix on the big telly. DD18 doesn't like what I watch (soapy dramas, true crime) so she watches her stuff on her laptop.

Philandbill · 20/07/2025 07:26

Sometimes. DD and DH have similar tastes and will often watch something together. I'm often working on the laptop in the evening. Like others on here Race Across the World is something we will make a point of watching together. I wonder what it is about that which is drawing so many families to it? And DD and I love Ghosts and will rewatch old episodes of that together sometimes.

minnienono · 20/07/2025 07:28

I did with dsd, but only certain programmes as her taste is different, she would also dip into the kind of series where each episode stands alone eg watching death in paradise with us if she wasn’t out. She’s moved out now

WorriedMillie · 20/07/2025 07:33

DD is 12, her and OH like the same sort of stuff, so they’ll often sit down early evening and watch an hour of something to unwind after school/work (tends to be something I’m less interested in) while I sort the horses, etc.
When I join them, we either switch to something we all like, or DD will go off and do homework, etc and I’ll watch something with OH

frozendaisy · 20/07/2025 07:33

we do have teens now but there is loads of stuff we watch together
currently watching Stick on Apple

WorriedMillie · 20/07/2025 07:34

Oh and while OH is away, DD and I catch up on Malory Towers ❤️

digiwidgy · 20/07/2025 07:39

No. DS is 17. They only thing he will watch is with me is big rugby matches, ie the 6 Nations or the Lions, if we aren’t actually there. Occasionally he will watch a film with us. DH doesn’t understand or like Rugby. He’s more of a documentary person especially the war. I don’t watch that. I am more of a Virgin River and Real Housewives person. DH and I do watch MotoGP together but DS doesn’t. We just all have varying tates. 3 of us and 3 TVs.

skippy67 · 20/07/2025 08:10

Ours are early 20s now, but when they were late teens, we regularly used to. Narcos
Broadchurch, GoT (my and dd), to name a few. It happens less now this.

stayathomer · 20/07/2025 08:14

We (family 4 kids- age 10-17) have enforced (😉) movie nights once a week. The bribe is cake and crisps and we have a laugh. It is getting more difficult to find movies to agree on (and I thought we were bad in the 80s in the video shop!!) Also try to have a board game night, it’s really more to get the older ones out of their room/ to sit down with us

eta phones and tablets not allowed

CocoPlum · 20/07/2025 08:18

16 and 14 yos here. I have shows that I watch with each individually, and ones that I watch with both together. It is much more likely that we all sit together in the evening than they go to their rooms. They also find a series to watch together in the holidays after I go to bed.

Clearinguptheclutter · 20/07/2025 08:34

No, almost never, other than some of the football last few weeks

makes me sad

blackheartsgirl · 20/07/2025 09:03

No and I never did with my parents either, I couldn’t think of anything worse than sitting with my parents watching tv in the evenings, all mum wanted to do was watch the news and the soaps. I had my own stuff to watch, read and listen to!

I do watch some stuff with my dds, but mainly a film or prog we’ve both expressed interest in especially if it’s a shocker or awful then we have a good laugh or cringe or whatever.

I don’t watch an awful lot of tv anyway tbh,