Is Netflix phasing out binge-watching with the latest season of The Circle?

The streaming platform has switched up its viewing schedule

The Circle - Production Stills
(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

Binge-watching your latest Netflix obsession has become the new normal. Recently, though, the streaming service made an announcement that will switch up how we watch some of our favorite shows. 

Unscripted series that gained major popularity last year, such as The Circle and Too Hot to Handle, are coming back for second seasons this year. As two of the most-watched shows on the platform, Netflix said in a statement that ‘fans all over the world rallied around them with an energy and excitement we could not have imagined.’

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Along with new players, both seasons are also said to have new twists and surprises to keep the games ‘fresh’. But one of the most significant changes to the shows will be the viewing schedule.

Netflix announced that it was going to be experimenting with the release formats ‘so you have time to dissect and dish on every step of the competition as it unfolds.’ 

For fans, this means that you won't be able to binge-watch the entire season in one day. Instead, Netflix will be releasing episodes much like the typical cable viewing schedule. 

But if you're anxious to binge The Circle, you won’t have to wait too long for each episode. The streaming platform plans on releasing four episodes a week starting on 14th April, whereas fans of Too Hot to Handle will only get one episode a week, starting in June.

What is The Circle?

This show is the perfect combination of Big Brother and Catfish. Contestants all move into the same apartment building, but the catch is that no one meets face-to-face. Contestants communicate with one another exclusively through a special social app that the show designed. Players are granted anonymity so that they can portray themselves however they want. The catch is that they must rank each other, so anyone with the lowest amount of ‘likes’ is at risk of being blocked or eliminated from the game. Whoever is the last one standing wins $100,000.

The Circle - Production Stills

(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

What is Too Hot to Handle?

If you’re looking for a hot and steamy romance show, add this to your watchlist. In this competition, singles meet in paradise to mingle and form connections, but the twist is that they have to give up sex in order to win $100,000.

Rylee Johnston

Rylee is a U.S. news writer who previously worked for woman&home and My Imperfect Life covering lifestyle, celebrity, and fashion news. Before joining woman&home and My Imperfect Life, Rylee studied journalism at Hofstra University where she explored her interests in world politics and magazine writing. From there, she dabbled in freelance writing covering fashion and beauty e-commerce for outlets such as the TODAY show, American Spa Magazine, First for Women, and Woman’s World.