We all love a good Netflix binge…
Netflix knows this too, that’s why it saves us the trouble of skipping the end credits and moves straight onto the next episode of whatever we’re watching in a matter of seconds.
You’ll notice that it doesn’t do this for the opening credits which, to be fair, often serve the purpose of getting you in the right frame of mind for 42 minutes of your favourite show.
However, halfway through a Gilmore Girls marathon I realised that I’ve spent so long listening to Where You Lead that I can pretty much sing Carole King and Louise Goffin’s parts note-for-note — leading me to question just how much of my life I’ve wasted watching the opening theme of the Gilmore Girls when all I really want to know is whether Rory fancies Jess or Dean this week.
I crunched the numbers and what I discovered was not pretty. For your convenience, I’ve put together some data on how much time you can save yourself by ignoring the opening credits of your favourite shows.
Friends: 236 episodes x 48 seconds = 3.147 hours
The Sopranos: 86 episodes x 96 seconds = 2.34 hours
Gilmore Girls: 153 episodes x 51 seconds = 2.17 hours
The West Wing: 156 episodes x 49 seconds = 2.12 hours
Game of Thrones: 60 episodes x 101 seconds = 1.68 hours
The Wire: 60 episodes x 91 seconds = 1.51 hours
House of Cards: 52 episodes x 97 seconds = 1.40 hours
The Walking Dead: 88 episodes x 49 seconds = 1.2 hours
Mad Men: 92 episodes x 37 seconds = 56.7 minutes
24: 204 episodes x 11 seconds = 37.4 minutes
LOST: 121 episodes x 15 seconds = 30.25 minutes
Breaking Bad: 62 episodes x 18 seconds = 18.6 minutes
And for the grand finale…