A sitcom fan’s passion has been ruined by problematic social media fandom.
Geoff has been wanting to watch long-running American sitcom The Gaming Gang for a while, having heard good things about it from friends. After waiting for it to appear on Disney+ (despite the DVDs being available in store), he fell in love with the show.
“I missed the hype when it first started. I watched season one on DVD a decade ago, but I didn’t understand it properly,” said Geoff, “but I’ve heard the show got a lot better and I started watching as soon as it was ready to stream.”
The Gaming Gang – which started in 2008 – is about a group of friends who run a video game arcade. The show is known for its dark humour and political satire, with regular comparisons to Seinfeld and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. While it hasn’t been a mainstream success, it’s been popular enough to stay on air for 15 seasons.
After watching all 15 seasons, Geoff became immersed in the show’s social media fandom, joining every Facebook page he could find, listening to the now defunct official podcast, and referencing his favourite lines and scenes as often as possible (to the annoyance of his friends).
But things started turning in 2023 when season 16 was released in the middle of the year.
“I was hyped for the new season, but it took THREE WHOLE MONTHS for it to hit Disney+ plus here. The worst part was the Gang fandom had zero sympathy. They openly spoiled the episodes and mocked any Australian or UK fans who complained about the series taking so long to get here. On top of that was the annoying political memes and some fans’ obsession with the official podcast. I had to leave a few groups as I was getting sick of the nonsense.”
Geoff realised that his perspective on the show had changed when there was no new season in 2024.
“I still like the show, but I didn’t even notice there was no new season. I’ve moved on to other stuff and – unlike some fans – my life doesn’t revolve around the show. If the Gang ends now, I’m not going to be upset. Most of the actors are doing other projects now. If they can move on, so can I.”
With that in mind, Geoff left every Gang fandom group he was in, avoiding the temptation to give a parting shot at the worst portions of the fanbase.
“I could have told them their obsessiveness ruined my love for the show, but I don’t care enough anymore to be that petty. It’s just a TV show!”
Though Geoff is still subscribed to the show’s YouTube page so he can watch his favourite clips when he wants to, and he’ll look forward to watching season 17 if it ever arrives.
