Your binge secrets revealed

New binge scale reveals the series we devour and those we savour

Binge watching a series is the norm these days. And, of course, people around the world make their own rules when it comes to watching their favourite shows. Consequently, not all series are enjoyed the same way.

In a global survey conducted by Netflix called as ‘The Binge Scale’, the shows we devour and the ones we savour were revealed. As part of the study, more than 100 seralised series were examined across 190 countries. It was found that people watch a little over two hours a day to complete a season.

“As The Binge Scale indicates, the viewing experience of a series can range from the emotional to the thought-provoking,” said Cindy Holland, Vice-President of Original Content at Netflix. “Netflix helps you to find a series to binge no matter your mood or occasion, and the freedom to watch that series at your own pace - whether that’s to appreciate drama or comedy or power,” she said.

Series like ‘Sense8’, ‘Orphan Black’ and ‘The 100’ grab you, assault your senses, and as ‘The Binge Scale’ shows, make it hard to pull away. The classic elements of horror and thrillers go straight for the gut, pushing the placement of series like ‘The Walking Dead’, ‘American Horror Story’ and ‘The Fall’ towards the devour end of the scale. Likewise, comedies with a dramatic bent, like ‘Orange is the New Black’, ‘Nurse Jackie’ and ‘Grace and Frankie’, seem to tickle our fancy and make it easy to say “just one more”.

It’s no surprise that complex narratives, like that of ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Bloodline’, are indulged at an unhurried pace. Nor that viewers take care to appreciate the details of dramas set in bygone eras, like ‘Peaky Blinders’ and ‘Mad Men’. Maybe less obvious are irreverent comedies like ‘BoJack Horseman’, ‘Love’ and ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’. But the societal commentary that powers their densely layered comedy paired with characters that are as flawed as they are entertaining allow them to be savored.

Methodology
Netflix analysed more than 100 serialised series across 190 countries between October 2015 and May 2016. The research examined member completion of the first season for all series. Data was only included for accounts that fully completed the season. Completion rates were organised into days and hours. The global median days to complete the first season of these series were five days. The median hours per session for completers overall was two hours and ten minutes.
• Series viewed less than two hours per day were identified as ‘savoured.’
• Series viewed more than two hours per day were identified as ‘devoured.’
• Series were not restricted by launch dates, runtime or number of episodes. Where a series falls on ‘The Binge Scale’ has no relation to viewership.