Netflix Binge Scale: Do you Savor or Devour? #StreamTeam #NetflixAndBinge

New Netflix Binge Scale Reveals TV SERIES We Devour and Those We Savor

I’m one of those people who goes against the grain.  If everyone is raving about something, I am that stubborn person who decides to boycott whatever the going trend is.  I honestly do not know why I do this.  It’s just like when everyone was obsessed with The Walking Dead.  Friends and family were talking about the show non-stop.  I decided I didn’t want to watch it because everyone was watching it.  Then one night, my curiosity was piqued…and that was it.  I was hooked.  It took me two years to finally watch an episode and then I ended up binge watching the series!

The same went for Orange is the New Black.  I whizzed right through the seasons.  I know I’m hooked when June 17th is Hubby’s and my 10 year wedding anniversary and I’m so excited that season 4 will be released on the 17th.  I haven’t even planned anything for our 10 year anniversary!  Wonder if I can get Hubby to watch OITNB with me?

The Netflix Binge Scale

Netflix members around the world are making their own rules when it comes to watching TV. Instead of one episode per week, Netflix members choose to binge watch their way through a series – that is, on average, finishing an entire season in one week. Though binge watching is clearly the new normal, not all series are enjoyed the same way. Today Netflix unveils The Binge Scale, revealing which shows we devour and which we savor.

Netflix examined global viewing* of more than 100 serialized TV series across more than 190 countries and found when members are focused on finishing a series, they watch a little over two hours a day to complete a season. When organizing series in relation to this benchmark, interesting patterns emerge, ranging from high energy narratives that are devoured to thought-provoking dramas that are savored.

Series like Sense8 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, Scream and The Fall towards the devour end of the scale. Likewise, comedies with a dramatic bent, like Orange is the New Black, Weeds 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 Mad Men and Narcos. 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.

“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 the drama of Bloodline or power through Orange is the New Black.”

The results are not a surprise.  It’s interesting to discover how much I agree with the binge scale results. The Walking Dead is hard to pull away from.  Orange is the New Black is a binge-worthy show. I’ve actually watched season 1 in four days.  I was trying to catch up with a friend so we could chat about the show.  Okay, I just couldn’t resist finding out what would happen next!

THE NETFLIX BINGE SCALE (Based on global viewing data)

SAVOR

• Irreverent Comedies:
  • Arrested Development, BoJack Horseman, Club de Cuervos, F is for Family, Love, Summer Heights High, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Wet Hot American Summer
• Political Dramas
  • Homeland, House of Cards, Occupied, The Good Wife
• Historical Dramas
  • Mad Men, Narcos
• Superhero Drama
  • Gotham, Marvel’s Daredevil, Marvel’s Jessica Jones
• Crime Dramas
  • Better Call Saul, Bloodline
• Dramatic Comedies
  • Flaked, Grace & Frankie, Orange is the New Black, Weeds
• Action & Adventure
  • 24, Marco Polo, Prison Break, The Last Kingdom, Turn
• Sci-Fi
  • Ascension, Heroes, Sense8, The 100, The 4400
• Horror
  • Hemlock Grove, Scream, The Walking Dead, Z Nation
• Thriller
  • Bates Motel, Breaking Bad, Dexter, The Fall, The Killing

DEVOUR

What are some Netflix titles you savor?  Which titles do you devour?

Disclosure – I am part of the Netflix Canada #StreamTeam.  As part of my affiliation, I receive special perks and info.  As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.