When it comes to a watch party, realize there are right ways and wrong ways to host such an event. Whether it’s a binge-watching session of your favorite show on Netflix like I recently enjoyed for “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” or a live viewing of something like The Oscars to find out results together or a night dedicated to a timeless, classic cult comedy like “Mean Girls,” be sure to avoid some crucial faux pas and incorporate some equally crucial elements and rules.
To offer some general tips on this subject, we’ll use the Gilmore Girls revival watch party I recently coordinated as a frame of reference.
Do: Take into account how many episodes will be watched and/or how long this event will last when determining a decent start time.
You simply can’t expect guests who have a long drive ahead of them to sit through a five-hour binge-watching marathon if you don’t get things going until 7p.m. (especially if folks have work in the morning).
Don’t underestimate the importance of making it interactive.
Let’s be honest if you all wanted to just sit in silence, you’d just be lone couch potatoes. But this is a watch party! You’ve gathered to enjoy each other’s company, share reactions and thoughts and, especially in the case of this “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,” get emotionally vulnerable. Activities related to what you’re watching keep everyone intently engaged and included in the experience together.
For my Gilmore Girls fans, I had everyone grab a Bingo card with all kinds of phrases, motifs, quotes and typical scenes described for guests to watch for and check off.
Do: Decide ahead of time and let everyone know the rule regarding talking.
Depending on how intense what you’re watching is or how intense your guests are, you’ll need to enforce a strict policy about when it’s acceptable to start offering commentary. Some like to banter throughout, but some have to pause completely when anyone is talking. Avoid confrontations or obnoxious “Sssshhh…” wars by establishing a designated time to chat.
At the Gilmore Girls Netflix party, we took time in between episodes to debrief, rehash or rant about what had just taken place so that everyone could share their thoughts and bounce theories off of each other. Don’t be afraid to use the pause button or replay pivotal moments together, though. Sometimes there are monumental revelations that simply require such and cannot be put off until the end of the entire episode.
Don’t be vague when it comes to the theme of the party. It may be a single movie or single show you’re watching, but you’ll need to narrow down what you want to emphasize or highlight.
With the Gilmore Girls watch party, we could have taken the approach of focusing on Luke’s Diner, Emily Gilmore and the DAR or The Dragonfly Inn.
We chose to hone in on the main two Gilmore girls – Rory and Lorelai – and embrace their eccentric eating habits. Snacks provided were as random as you’d expect with popcorn, powdered doughnuts, French fries, Red Vines, Pop-Tarts, and obviously, coffee.
Do: Tell the guests whether watching (if possible) ahead of time is allowed or not. If guests have the capability to know spoilers or view the movie/show prior to arriving to the watch party, you’ll need to inform everyone if this is a first-time viewing or if they can come prepared to re-watch together.
Make sure it’s clear who has or hasn’t seen it all so that things like in the Gilmore Girls’ case “the last four words” are not prematurely blurted out or discussed.
Don’t skimp on décor! Accessories, themed t-shirts or napkins, iconic memorabilia will mean everything. Oh – and don’t forget to take lots of pictures!
