The way we watch television programmes is ever evolving, the era of tuning in and watching a series at the same time every week quickly vanishing. Instead, we’re increasingly likely to ‘binge-watch’ shows using Netflix.
The Netflix phenomena has startled many people but also allowed analysts to gather huge amounts of data, due to the streaming service’s online nature.
While much of this is kept behind Netflix’s closed doors, the company does occasionally release some of its insights to the world.
In a press statement, they detailed which of their shows subscribers are most likely to ‘binge-watch’ (i.e. watch multiple episodes in a row of). Using a scale, they ranked which type of programme your most likely to savour (watch over long periods) or devour (watch back-to-back in brief period).
Turns out ‘irreverent comedies’ such as Arrested Development, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and BoJack Horseman, are more likely to be watched over long periods of time. ‘Thrillers’, such as Breaking Bad, Dexter, and Sons of Anarchy, are more likely to be binged.
So, why can’t we pull away from our TV screens when it comes to thrillers, horrors and sci-fi series? According to Netflix, it is because these shows “assault your senses” and leave you wanting to know what happens next.
More surprising is that political dramas, such as House of Cards, are apparently easier to pull away from due to their complex narrative that viewers indulge in rather than race through.
Historical dramas, such as Narcos and Peaky Blinder, are more likely to be binge watched, but only just, as we “take care to appreciate the details of dramas set in bygone eras.”
In a recent interview, Marco Polo’s award winning colourist Dado Valentic argued why today’s TV might be about to kill the cinema.
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