How long it takes to binge 'The Office,' 'Game of Thrones,' and l other famous TV shows

Netflix pioneered binge-watching after spotting an "inefficiency" in the TV market, according to Business Insider. The media behemothic entered the streaming market in 2007, initially intending to continue focusing on movies, equally it had nearly a decade prior when establishing itself as the globe's start online DVD rental store. However, Netflix officials quickly realized that obtaining and keeping rights to major releases would be a far more than difficult task than originally imagined. So, the streaming media provider decided to pivot to TV shows.

Netflix rationalized that telly shows, especially sitcoms like "Frasier" and "Seinfeld," were easy to watch out of order and didn't require as much of a fourth dimension commitment from subscribers. Fans could choose to watch one episode or a dozen—as many every bit fit their schedule—and pick up where they left off without sacrificing continuity. When the company put entire seasons and runs of shows at their customers' fingertips, Netflix subscribers found that they loved watching shows this way. Binge-watching was built-in.

Binge-watching has only become more popular as streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu have begun creating original content, releasing unabridged seasons in a unmarried day. While 20 years ago binge-watching a was an uncommon feat, today at that place are few amid TV fans who haven't spent at least ane day binging on a favorite serial.

Stacker looked into how long information technology takes to rampage some audience-favorite shows. Working with Bingeclock, Stacker collected data on the total runtimes of 52 popular Boob tube series as of September 2019. From "The Office" to "Game of Thrones" to "Breaking Bad," observe out how many hours of sequent watching yous'd have to practice to view every existing episode. Catch your popcorn—it'due south a long ride.

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ane / 52

The Office

- Time information technology takes to binge: 4 days, 3 hours

In 2005, a group of Americans was given the task of adapting the British hit "The Part" for American networks. The event was 9 seasons of groundbreaking and original comedy; a sitcom that Rolling Stone ranked 48th on its "100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time" list, despite NBC'south initial pessimism nearly the success of the serial. Those looking to binge can stream the entire evidence on Netflix.

2 / 52

Days of Our Lives

- Time it takes to binge: 470 days, 1 hour

Information technology would take you a petty nether a year-and-a-half of constant watching to binge every episode of "Days of Our Lives." The soap opera has aired on NBC almost every weekday since its Nov. 8, 1965, premiere. The soap has lasted for more than 13,000 new episodes. Initially, episodes were 30 minutes long but switched to a full hr in 1975. What remains unchanged, however, is the show's delivery to storytelling and drama.

3 / 52

The West Wing

- Fourth dimension it takes to binge: 6 days, ten hours

Gear up in the west fly of the White Firm, "The West Wing," an American political drama created by Aaron Sorkin, aired on NBC for vii seasons between 1999 and 2006. The show, which was written on the heels of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, is widely regarded equally one of the best-written TV shows of all time: The Author'southward Gild of America ranked it #10 on its "101 All-time Written Telly Series" listing.

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Blackness Mirror

- Time information technology takes to binge: 21 hours

Deriving its name from the switched-off screens that environs u.s.a. every day, "Black Mirror" is a science fiction anthology serial that airs on Netflix. Each episode features a new blazon of technology that brings about some unanticipated consequences. The serial also features some of Hollywood'due south biggest names, both as actors and writers. In the 21 hours it would have you to picket all five seasons, you could nigh swim beyond the English Aqueduct.

5 / 52

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

- Time it takes to binge: 3 days, 2 hours

A defining evidence of the 1990s, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" reportedly only made it on air because star Volition Smith owed the IRS $2.viii. His fiscal advisors pushed Smith, who played the championship character, to sign on to the bear witness to pay back the sum, despite his lack of acting experience. The gamble quite literally paid off—Smith paid the government everything he owed, and fans loved the show so much they convinced NBC to bring information technology back for 2 additional seasons after a near fourth-flavor cancelation. In the time it takes you to binge all half-dozen seasons, you could travel to the moon.

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20th Century Fob Boob tube

Thousand*A*S*H

vii / 52

King of the Hill

8 / 52

Shameless

- Fourth dimension it takes to binge: 4 days, 14 hours

Set to return for its tenth season on Nov. three, 2019, "Shameless" is set to get Start's longest-running scripted serial. The show tells the tale of the Gallagher family unit, and their alcoholic father played by William H. Macy. In the time it takes yous to binge the dramedy (plant on Netflix) you could fly across the country, from New York City to Los Angeles, some 18 times.

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Blown Deadline Productions

The Wire

10 / 52

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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General Infirmary

- Time information technology takes to rampage: 474 days, 22 hours

"Full general Infirmary," created past husband-and-married woman team Frank and Doris Hursley, is the longest-running scripted drama and the longest-running American soap opera. The show historic its 55th anniversary in 2018, and has been praised by numerous national organizations for the awareness it brought to health and social issues, similar LGBTQ+ bug and HIV/AIDS. In the time it would take for a defended daytime lather fan to watch the show, 1 could exist more than halfway to Jupiter (flight time from Earth is almost 640 days).

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Business firm

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Star Trek: The Next Generation

- Time it takes to binge: vii days, 10 hours

Set in the 24th century, "Star Trek: The Adjacent Generation" follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his team on the U.S.S. Enterprise every bit they traipse around the universe "seeking out new life and new civilizations, and going boldly where no man has gone before." The bear witness ran for seven seasons and 177 episodes, despite its rocky outset. Reportedly, creator Gene Roddenberry clashed so frequently with writers and producers, that 30 writers left the show during its first season. Today, however, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is widely regarded every bit one of the all-time sci-fi series of all fourth dimension.

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Seinfeld

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The X-Files

- Time it takes to rampage: 9 days, 2 hours

Ane of the longest-running science fiction series in network history, "The X-Files," starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny equally Dana Scully and Trick Mulder, respectively, ran for a total of 11 seasons. The initial run of the bear witness, from 1993 to 2002, was and so popular that "The X-Files" was brought back in 2016 for another season, and again in 2018 for a final season. At this point, the bear witness'southward stars and network take both said at that place won't be whatever more than seasons, but devoted fans are nevertheless crossing their fingers that the two FBI agents volition uncover a little more paranormal activity.

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NCIS

- Time it takes to binge: 15 days, 19 hours

Now in its 17th season, the time it would take to sentry the Naval Criminal Investigative Service solve crimes and restore justice only continues to grow. With an all-star cast, including Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly, "NCIS" has been nominated for a handful of primetime Emmy Awards, merely has still to bring i home. In the time it would take fans to watch all current episodes, they could take a steamship from New York to London with a few hours to spare.

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Funfair Film & Television

Downton Abbey

- Fourth dimension it takes to binge: 2 days, 8 hours

A flow piece ready betwixt 1912 and 1926, "Downton Abbey" follows the lives and dramas of the Crowley family and their host of servants. Produced by Carnival Films, the prove aired on PBS in America equally a part of the network's Masterpiece series. With major stars like Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, and Michelle Dockery, the evidence chop-chop became a cult favorite, and with its 69 Emmy nominations, the almost nominated non-U.Due south. series in Emmy history. In 2019, a full-length characteristic film was released starring the original bandage.

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Dexter

- Fourth dimension it takes to rampage: 4 days

A forensic technician past 24-hour interval and a serial killer by nighttime, the championship grapheme of Outset'southward "Dexter" spent viii seasons torn between his deadly compulsion and his desire for truthful happiness. The outset season of the show was based on a volume past Jeff Lindsay, titled "Darkly Dreaming Dexter," merely over the course of the rest of the series, the testify strayed far from the source cloth. Dexter was awarded a shelf full of Golden Globes and Emmy Awards throughout its run, but in the end, fans were overwhelmingly unhappy with how it all ended.

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Dorothy Parker Drank Hither Productions

Gilmore Girls

- Time it takes to binge: half dozen days, nine hours

Set in the fictional boondocks of Stars Hollow, "Gilmore Girls" followed mother-daughter pair Lorelai and Rory Gilmore (played by Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel), too equally a host of colorful characters who populated their small New England boondocks. The show get-go aired on the WB in 2000 and its hundreds of pop civilisation references have made information technology a time capsule of sorts. In 2016, ix years after the show'due south cancellation, Netflix brought it back for a 4-function revival called "Gilmore Girls: A Yr in the Life." Die-hard fans are still holding on to hope that creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino volition bring their beloved serial dorsum for yet another revival.

20 / 52

Futurama

- Fourth dimension it takes to rampage: 2 days, fourteen hours

In 1999, Matt Groening launched "Futurama" an animated classic most a pizza commitment boy, Philip J. Fry, who was cryogenically frozen on December. 31, 1999, only to wake up New Yr'due south Day 3000. Fry and his mutant friends traveled effectually the universe for a total of vii seasons: 4 on Fox, one season of direct-to-DVD films produced by Comedy Central, and two half-hour-episode-long seasons on the Comedy Cardinal network. For all of its side-splitting humour, "Futurama" tackled some pretty heavy scientific topics, including creating a new mathematical theorem in the episode "The Prisoner of Benda."

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Mad Men

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Carsey-Werner-Mandabach Productions

That 70s Show

- Fourth dimension it takes to binge: 4 days, 6 hours

Eric, Kelso, Hyde, Fez, Jackie, and Donna were the pot-loving, Betoken Identify, Wisc., teens who filled our screens on "That '70s Testify." The comedy, which aired for eight seasons, took place over iv years of fictional fourth dimension, catastrophe on the terminal day of the 1970s. The departure of several primary characters, likewise every bit falling ratings, were both factors in the show's cancellation.

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Sons of Chaos

24 / 52

The Sopranos

- Time it takes to binge: 3 days, 14 hours

Ten years subsequently its 2007 finale, The Guardian called "The Sopranos" "the nearly masterful show e'er." Starring James Gandolfini as Italian American mob boss Tony Soprano and Edie Falco as his wife, Carmela, "The Sopranos" was dubbed the greatest Television show of all time by Rolling Stone and the best-written TV show of all fourth dimension by the Writer'south Order of America. In the bound of 2018, it was appear that New Line Cinemas had purchased a "Sopranos" prequel moving-picture show titled "The Many Saints of Newark," but a release appointment has however to be appear.

25 / 52

Criminal Minds

- Fourth dimension it takes to binge: xiii days, v hours

The love offense drama "Criminal Minds" came to a shut in 2020 after 15 seasons. To refresh their memories on storylines past and present, "Criminal Minds" fans could spend simply nether two weeks, or virtually how long it would take to hit the major sites and cities driving on Route 66, binge-watching all existing episodes.

26 / 52

Police and Order: Special Victims Unit of measurement

- Time it takes to binge: xix days, 4 hours

"Law and Order: Special Victims Unit of measurement" achieved a major milestone in 2019 with the premiere of flavor 21—the show is now the longest-running drama in TV history. Mariska Hargitay, who plays Olivia Benson, is the but character to remain from flavour ane, and according to USA Today, the "empathetic detective has become a seminal Boob tube heroine, bringing a listening ear and a drive for justice to a show that puts 'special victims' at the forefront."

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Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions

Thanks

- Time it takes to binge: 5 days, 18 hours

Information technology'south a tale as erstwhile as time: many of telly'southward biggest successes were non instant hits. "Cheers," about a Boston bar where everyone knows your name, is a perfect example. The comedy premiered in 1982 to dismal ratings (77th out of 100, according to Nielsen ratings), merely when Ted Danson announced his exit at the end of the 1992–93 season, and the subsequent cease of the serial, 84.4 million viewers tuned in for the last phone call. In the amount of fourth dimension it would take to lookout 275 episodes of "Thank you" a fast hiker could summit Mount Kilimanjaro.

28 / 52

It's E'er Sunny in Philadelphia

29 / 52

Gossip Girl

30 / 52

Rick and Morty

- Time it takes to binge: 15 hours

An blithe Adult Swim one-act, "Rick and Morty" follows an alcoholic scientific genius, Rick Sanchez, and his teenage grandson, Morty Smith as they travel out and beyond the known universe. Season three of the dark comedy ended in 2017, and no new episodes accept aired since. However, in May 2018, seventy new "Ricky and Morty" episodes were ordered by the network and flavor four is set to debut in Nov 2019. In the same corporeality of fourth dimension it would take to binge all existing seasons, viewers could hike the Grand Canyon from rim to rim.

31 / 52

Saturday Night Live

- Time it takes to rampage: 54 days, 12 hours

Created by Lorne Michaels and Duncan Ebersol, "Saturday Dark Live," the tardily-night sketch comedy show, has been airing since 1975. Currently in its 45th season, "SNL" has helped launch the careers of some of comedy's biggest stars, including Will Ferrell, Eddie White potato, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Adam Sandler. Comedy aficionados could spend almost two months watching every "SNL" episode e'er, or, in the same span of time, could summit Mount Everest.

32 / 52

Lost

- Fourth dimension it takes to rampage: 5 days, 1 hours

The twelvemonth 2004 was large for ABC: "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," and "Grey's Anatomy" all fabricated their debuts at the outset of the autumn television receiver season, revitalizing the network. "Lost" in particular, which lasted 121 episodes over six seasons and told the story of a group of airline passengers stranded on a desert island, stood out from much of the other programming on Television at the fourth dimension. The J.J. Abrams creation, with its huge ensemble bandage, utilise of flashbacks, and cinematic camera work and storytelling changed the fashion television shows would be constructed and made over the adjacent decade.

33 / 52

Parks and Recreation

- Time it takes to binge: ii days, 15 hours

Initially conceived equally a spin-off from "The Function," "Parks and Recreation" never concluded upwards having direct ties with its predecessor, merely it did share a mockumentary format and creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The first flavor of the NBC show wasn't received well by critics, but by the fourth dimension flavor 2 aired many of the formerly negative critics changed their tunes, praising the series' humor and writing. While there are no imminent plans to revive "Parks and Recreation," fans nevertheless have plenty of episodes (125 total) bachelor for a good binge session.

34 / 52

Brooklyn Nine-9

- Time it takes to rampage: two days, 17 hours

Another Michael Schur hit (he'due south worked on "The Office," "Parks and Recreation," and "The Good Identify"), "Brooklyn Nine-Ix" centers on Andy Samberg'due south grapheme Jake Peralta, a talented but horribly young constabulary detective working at Brooklyn'south 99th precinct. The sitcom, which originally began airing on Fox in 2013, was nearly canceled in 2018 until NBC picked it up and gave information technology a sixth and now 7th season. Fans of the "NINE-NIIINE!" tin expect the gang to return to their televisions in early 2020.

35 / 52

South Park

- Fourth dimension it takes to binge: 6 days, 8 hours

"South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Rock met in 1992 in a film course at the University of Colorado. It was in this class that they begin developing their famous characters—Kyle, Kenny, Stan, and Cartman—out of pure colorlessness. Five years and thousands of hours of work later, in 1997, "Southward Park" premiered, pulling in almost 1 million viewers for the first episode, and over v 1000000 viewers for episodes later on in the flavour. Over xx years subsequently, in that location are almost 300 episodes of the adult drawing, which would accept almost a full week to watch back to back.

36 / 52

Adventure Time

- Time it takes to binge: ii days, 22 hours

A totally surreal drawing meant for adults and children alike, "Hazard Time" was a surprise hit when it premiered on Cartoon Network in 2010. In the fall of 2018, the testify came to an end, but non before becoming a cultural phenomenon. "Adventure Fourth dimension" won everything from an Emmy Award to a Peabody Award, showed up at Comic-Cons effectually the state, and its merchandise lined store shelves across the country. Viewers won't have to worry about getting bored as they rampage the cartoon: Each episode is only most eleven minutes long (two episodes usually aired back to dorsum to fill a 30-infinitesimal fourth dimension slot) and storylines vary so wildly there's e'er something to keep i engaged.

37 / 52

The Big Bang Theory

- Time it takes to binge: 5 days, xix hours

"The Large Bang Theory" ran on CBS for 12 seasons, from 2007 to 2019. The sitcom, which followed a group of scientists and their assorted friends, meaning others, and colleagues, was a Chuck Lorre production. "The Big Bang Theory" was largely disliked by critics, simply audiences liked information technology enough that it was given a spin-off, "Immature Sheldon" in 2017.

38 / 52

Orange Is the New Black

- Time it takes to binge: 3 days, 19 hours

Based on Piper Kerman'due south memoir of the aforementioned name, "Orange Is the New Black" was one of Netflix'southward get-go original programs in 2013. The bear witness, near a women's prison and its diverse inmates, prepare the case for what streaming services could do, and what future Netflix Originals would wait similar. Praised for its diversity and complexity, "Orangish Is the New Black" is currently the platform's nearly-watched original, with over 105 million households tuning in for at least one episode over the series' seven-flavour run.

39 / 52

SpongeBob SquarePants

- Fourth dimension it takes to rampage: 5 days

Stephen Hillenburg was a marine biological science professor earlier he became the "SpongeBob SquarePants" creator. Aspects of the Nickelodeon drawing, which has now been on the air for 20 years, making it the longest-running Nickelodeon series ever, were drawn from Hillenburg'southward real-life expertise. Although the show hasn't ever released new episodes consistently—for instance, there was a two-year hiatus from 2013 to 2015 equally the team worked on a full-length feature picture—in that location are still enough xi-minute episodes that it would accept one five full days of abiding viewing to see them all.

40 / 52

The Vampire Diaries

- Time it takes to binge: 7 days, iii hours

In 2009, "The Vampire Diaries" made its debut on The CW and instantly became the network'south most-watched premiere. The loftier school vampire drama succeeded not just considering it came at a time when vampire stories were having a cultural moment, simply likewise considering it masterfully built a world and mythology. Eight seasons later, as viewership brutal and ratings declined, the show came to an end with 1.19 one thousand thousand people tuning in to say cheerio to Mystic Falls and its supernatural residents.

41 / 52

Dragon Ball Z

- Time it takes to binge: 7 days, two hours

A cornerstone of Japanese anime, and a bonafide cultural miracle, "Dragon Ball Z" dates dorsum to 1984. The complicated, multi-graphic symbol story has spanned several animated series, every bit well as picture show-length "episodes" and various Television set specials. Fans can watch all of the canon episodes in a footling over a week of constant viewing, merely including every non-cannon sequel would certainly add together several days of viewing time.

42 / 52

The Walking Dead

- Time information technology takes to binge: 5 days, 11 hours

Andrew Kirkman began publishing "The Walking Dead" comic books in 2003, and seven years later, in 2010, AMC brought the zombie thriller to the small screen. Currently in its 10th season, "The Walking Dead" has been renewed for the 11th season and has inspired 2 other post-apocalyptic spin-offs, "Fear the Walking Dead" and a yet-untitled offshoot. Fans of gore, suspense, and expert storytelling could currently immerse themselves in Kirkman'due south creepy world for five-and-a-half days.

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20th Century Flim-flam Television

How I Met Your Mother

- Time it takes to binge: iv days, 8 hours

"How I Met Your Mother" spent nine seasons in a primetime slot on CBS. Over the grade of 200 episodes, Ted Mosby told his children the winding story of how, exactly, he met their mother, dated other women along the way, and navigated New York City with his four best friends. In 2017, Deadline announced that a possible sequel called "How I Met Your Father" could be in the works.

44 / 52

Pokémon

- Fourth dimension information technology takes to binge: 21 days, 9 hours

The Pokémon franchise has its roots in a 1980s Japanese gaming magazine called Game Freak. On Apr one, 1997, the menu game turned videogame turned cartoon, made its debut in the U.s.a.. There have been several different anime serial over the years, as well equally a handful of characteristic-length films, and in the fourth dimension it would take yous to watch every chapter of the Pokémon story, yous could sail across the Atlantic Ocean.

45 / 52

20th Century Play tricks Television

Family unit Guy

- Time it takes to binge: 6 days, 21 hours

Some other adult drawing, this fourth dimension from the brain of comedic genius Seth MacFarlane, "Family unit Guy" follows dimwitted just lovable Peter Griffin; his wife, Lois; his iii children; and their talking dog, Brian, through their daily lives and fantastic escapades. Originally intended to be a series of shorts for MADtv, "Family unit Guy" ended up running on Trick as a standalone series in 1998. The cartoon has been canceled twice, once by Fox and one time by Cartoon Network, only fans rallied behind the series and brought it back to life. The 18th season of "Family Guy" premiered on Play a trick on in the autumn of 2019.

46 / 52

Breaking Bad

- Time it takes to binge: ii days, fourteen hours

A telly phenomenon, "Breaking Bad" followed a soft-spoken chemistry instructor's transition into a drug kingpin. Ranked third on Rolling Rock'southward "100 greatest Idiot box Shows of All Time" list, the evidence was passed on by three major networks before finding a dwelling on AMC. More than 10 million people watched the bear witness'southward 2013 finale. Since and so, a spin-off testify, "Ameliorate Call Saul," has been keeping audiences' appetites fed, and the 2019 motion-picture show "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie" garnered a lot of fizz among devotees.

47 / 52

Gray's Anatomy

- Time it takes to binge: 14 days, vii hours

"Grey's Anatomy" has aired on ABC since 2005, for a total of fifteen seasons, 342 episodes (and counting), and 2 spin-offs. Shonda Rhimes' outset series, the medical drama has had a huge bandage of characters over the years. Nonetheless, in 2017 Rhimes told East! News the show won't get on without pb actress Ellen Pompeo. "Ellen and I have a pact that I'g going to practice the show as long equally she's going to do the show…If she wants to stop, we're stopping," Rhimes said.

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Nickelodeon Animation Studios

Avatar: The Last Airbender

- Time it takes to rampage: 1 days, half dozen hours

In an alternate universe, where the world is divided into four elemental nations—the h2o tribes, the earth kingdom, the fire nation, and the air nomads—war has broken out, and only one person, a chief of all the elements, can save humankind from imminent decimation. That's the story of Nickelodeon's striking cartoon "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Testify creator Michael DiMartino left "Family unit Guy" to work on "Avatar," which lasted for three seasons for a total of 61 episodes.

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The Simpsons

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Brilliant/Kauffman/Crane Productions

Friends

- Fourth dimension it takes to rampage: v days, 1 hours

Perchance the most quintessential bear witness of the 1990s, "Friends" celebrated its 25th anniversary in September 2019. During its 10-season run, the show charted the growth of Joey, Ross, Chandler, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe equally the 20-somethings took on New York City and responsible adulthood. Insanely pop during its heyday, the show has garnered recent criticisms for some of its out-of-date jokes and storylines, only fans still regularly printing the stars and creators for a reboot. For the record: it seems we'll never get one.

51 / 52

Stranger Things

- Fourth dimension information technology takes to binge: 20 hours

"Stranger Things" is a Netflix Original that combines 1980s nostalgia with the paranormal. The evidence is popular with Boob tube aficionados and binge-watchers alike—after the July 4, 2019, release of flavour iii, Netflix announced that 40.7 1000000 households had watched at least one episode during its starting time four days of availability, and xviii.ii million households had finished the unabridged season. In that location's good news for fans who just tin't seem to become enough: creators Matt and Ross Duffer just renewed the prove for a 4th season, which may exist the last.

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Game of Thrones

- Fourth dimension it takes to rampage: 2 days, 22 hours

Leading up to its eighth and final season, which aired in early 2019, fans spent hours catching up on old episodes of "Game of Thrones," as it had been nearly 2 years since the previous season finished. The fantasy drama, based on George R.R. Martin's book series of the same name, had long since passed where the written story left off. So information technology'south no surprise that near 20 million viewers, desperate for some resolution, tuned to scout the finale. Today, fans tin rampage all 72 episodes in merely under three days.

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