A new consumer research has demonstrated that the fans of famous TV series that have ended, express their grief and pain in a similar way to the mourning the death of a "real" loved one.
The research conducted in the American University showed that sadness often occurred due to the demise of beloved characters and over the failure to know "what happens next".
Cristel Russell, an associate professor of marketing with American University's Kogod School of Business said that TV fueled and sustained social and cultural bonds and TV series were especially powerful because they unfold over time, that gave viewers a chance to think about and discuss the characters and the storylines with fellow viewers.
The study depended heavily on how the fans interacted with the brand, and whether or not their show had a "good" death.
Russell asserted that fans who had come to really love and care for their "friends" on TV experience their loss just like real-life break ups, and this loss was dealt with in ways that were similar to physical loss by seeking others who felt the same way and finding ways to remember the good times they had when the show was alive.
The study is published in the Journal of Consumer Research.