A watchlist for the films, shows and books you mean to get to
By the Planwell team at Sumletter, , 6 min read
The best way to keep a watchlist is to write every title down the moment you hear it, give each one one of three states (to watch, watching, watched), and keep the "to watch" pile short enough that you can actually choose from it. Books work the same way with want to read, reading and finished. A watchlist app on your iPhone makes the capture step quick enough that you do it every time.
The short version
- Capture a title the second you hear it, in the same place every time, or it will be gone by the evening.
- Use three states only: to watch, watching and watched (for books, want to read, reading and finished).
- Keep the "to watch" list short enough to scan in one screen, and prune it regularly.
- Record progress on anything in flight, such as the page you are on or the episode you stopped at.
- Planwell on the App Store has a Watchlist tracker and a Books tracker that follow this method, and you can add a title by typing or saying it.
Why do recommendations disappear?
Recommendations arrive at bad moments. A friend mentions a film over dinner, a podcast host raves about a novel while you are driving, a review catches your eye on the way to something else. By the weekend you remember only that someone said something good about something.
The fix is a single, fast place to put titles, so that writing one down takes a few seconds. If it takes longer, you will skip it on the days you need it most.
How do I capture a title the moment I hear it?
Pick one place and use it for everything, or one list per kind. Three habits help.
- Write the bare title, nothing more. You can add the year or author later. The point is to catch it.
- Note who recommended it, if it matters. A short note such as "from Sam" is enough.
- Use your voice when your hands are busy. Saying a title out loud to your phone is faster than unlocking it and typing.
Do not stop to read reviews yet. Capturing and judging are two different jobs.
Which states should a watchlist have?
Three is enough, and each one answers a different question.
| Films and shows | Books | The question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| To watch | Want to read | What could I pick next? |
| Watching | Reading | What am I in the middle of? |
| Watched | Finished | What have I already done? |
More states, such as "paused" or "abandoned", tend to turn a list into a chore. If you drop something, delete it.
How long should the to-watch list be?
Long enough to give you a choice, short enough that you can see all of it without much scrolling. A list of two hundred titles is a graveyard, because you stop reading it. A list you can take in at a glance is one you will actually open on a Friday night.
Once a month, read the whole list and remove anything you no longer feel like seeing. Removing a title is not failure. It keeps the list honest about what you want now.
What should I record while I am partway through?
For a book, the page you are on is the one number worth keeping. It shows how far through you are and when a book has stalled.
For a series, note the season or the last episode in a short note. For a film you have paused, "watching" as a state is enough. Keep the in-flight list small, two or three things at most.
How does this work in Planwell?
Planwell is an iPhone app with 15 trackers, and you switch on only the ones you want. Two of them cover this method: Watchlist for films and shows, and Books. You can get it from Planwell on the App Store, and it needs iOS 18 or later.
The Watchlist tracker
The Watchlist screen opens with a count of titles tracked and a line that breaks it down, for example "5 to watch, 1 watching, 2 watched". Under that is a row of posters, then three tabs: To watch, Watching and Watched, each with its own count. Each entry shows its poster, title, year and whether it is a movie or a show.
To add something, tap the plus button and search for a movie or show, or choose "Enter manually". You can also use the bar at the bottom of the screen, which says "Add a movie or show...". Type the title or tap the microphone and say it. To move a title along, press and hold it and choose the next state from the menu.
When you want ideas, the This week's picks section shows films and shows picked for you as poster cards. It only runs when you ask for it, and needs your permission first.
The Books tracker
Books has three tabs: Reading, Want to read and Finished. A book in Reading shows its cover, author, a progress bar and a line such as "182 of 401 pages", with the percentage beside it. Update "Pages read" in the book's edit form and the bar moves.
To add a book, tap the plus button and search by title or author, or enter it by hand with an optional author and page count. Press and hold a book to start reading it, mark it finished or move it back.
A nudge for the show you left half finished
If you have a show in the Watching tab, the Home screen can ask "Still watching" that title, with two buttons: Finished it and Still going. Finished it moves the title to Watched. Home shows at most one nudge at a time. If you would rather speak than tap, the "Ask Planwell anything" bar on Home also takes voice, which is covered in voice logging: how to track your day without typing.
For how the other trackers fit around this one, read one app instead of ten.
The assistant can make mistakes, so check the title it adds. Planwell is a subscription called Planwell Pro, US$3.99 a month or US$39.99 a year, with a 7 day free trial for new subscribers, and prices vary by country.
To try the method with your own list, download Planwell for iPhone and switch on Watchlist and Books.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to keep a watchlist of films and shows?
Use one place, write the title down the moment you hear it, and give each entry one of three states: to watch, watching or watched. Keep the to-watch list short enough to choose from, and prune it once a month.
Can I track books and films in the same app?
Yes. Planwell has a Watchlist tracker for films and shows and a separate Books tracker, and you can switch on either or both. Each has its own tabs and its own progress.
Does Planwell work on Android?
Not yet. Planwell is an iPhone app that needs iOS 18 or later, and an Android version is coming soon. There is no web app.
How do I track how far I am through a book?
Record the page you have reached. In Planwell, a book in the Reading tab shows pages read against the total, with a progress bar and a percentage, and you update the page from the book's edit form.
