For hours at a time, we'd watch shows like I Love Lucy -- she from her sick bed and me from mine -- just breathing (or sneezing) into the phone until a commercial came on, when we'd launch into a recap of Lucy and Ethel's antics.
Consider, for instance, the way the TV recap has evolved into a nearly independent creative form.
The TV recap grew up into the TV essay, and it has led to a new style of TV consumption that's analytical, aesthetic, active and social.
As experts analyse the first piece of physical evidence from the missing aircraft, we recap the investigation into flight MH370, which disappeared on 8 March 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
A two-hour recap that led into the closing episode also earned strong numbers, and the finale itself displayed almost astonishing consistency for most of its two and a half hours.
I realize that at this point, my recap has devolved into a hot take, and that I'm making the show all about me although I'd like to think that the show would want it that way, in keeping with its native tradition.
It has also attempted to bundle birthday greetings into recap videos, which is the experience that sounds most similar to what Facebook is now teasing with this Happy Birthday Stories feature.
'The Bachelorette' recap: Emily transforms into a W.Va. hood-rat.
ALSO: 'The Walking Dead'--Carol on her own 'Once Upon a Time' recap: Ariel swims into view YouTube Music Awards: Eminem wins Artist of the Year... wait, what?
John Oliver broke the "Last Week Tonight" format and turned the entire show into "one long recap of one very long week". .
The stream of admissions made its way into virtually every recap of the show, ironically making the non-stop fart-talk a highlight of the episode -- don't tell Margo Martindale or "The Millers".
