Line of Duty tops list of Top 50 most re-watched box sets
Line of Duty, Friends and Only Fools and Horses are among the most re-watched box sets of the last 12 months.
The top 50 binge-watched TV series during lockdown also included Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey, according to a study of 2,000 adults. Breaking Bad, Killing Eve and The Crown also proved popular as 64 per cent of viewers say they have watched more box sets over the last year than ever before.
And while 6:30pm was the peak time to binge-watch TV, one-quarter of adults admitted they had tuned in to their favourite show before 11am.
The findings are supported by figures released by Vodafone which show a huge increase in the amount of streaming and downloading during the pandemic, with re-bingeing box sets being one of the main drivers.
During the lockdown, which started on 23 March 2020, there was a 40 per cent increase in internet data usage, driven by schools shutting and adults moving to home-working.
And whereas the first major increase in internet traffic pre-pandemic would usually occur at 3.30pm when children returned from school, the first major increase in usage now starts from 10am.
Says Max Taylor, consumer director at Vodafone, which has launched its new Pro Broadband service:
“This study shows how we have enjoyed re-watching box sets and our favourite TV shows, and that some of us are no longer restricting box set bingeing to evenings.
“It seems many of us are quite happy to settle down to a couple of hours in front of the TV during the daytime if work allows.
It also emerged eight in 10 adults absolutely love a good box set. And six in 10 even said that that spending hours in front of their favourites has helped them get through the various restrictions of the pandemic – with four episodes in a row being the most they are likely to watch.
Three in 10 of those polled via OnePoll even admitted to guiltily watching their favourite shows during the daytime – when they should have been working.
Concludes Vodafone’s Max Taylor:
“Over the past year, the way we use our home broadband has changed significantly, with more use due to the demands of home and school working.
“In addition to that, the need for online entertainment has been at its highest ever – whether that’s tuning into box sets, Premier League matches, or gaming updates for the likes of the PS5 or Xbox Series X.
“Families now want guaranteed WiFi in every room, and pricing that isn’t eye-wateringly expensive, given the fact many are having to tighten their purse strings to cope with recent events.”
TOP 50 RE-WATCHED BOX SETS
- Line of Duty
- Game of Thrones
- Friends
- Breaking Bad
- The Crown
- Peaky Blinders
- Killing Eve
- Only Fools and Horses
- Luther
- The Walking Dead
- Schitt’s Creek
- Downton Abbey
- Sherlock
- The Office (UK)
- Dexter
- Prison Break
- The Office (US)
- Star Trek
- 24
- The Mandalorian
- Lost
- Fleabag
- Orange is the New Black
- The X-Files
- The Simpsons
- Ozark
- Better Call Saul
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Sons of Anarchy
- The Sopranos
- Gossip Girl
- Desperate Housewives
- Mad Men
- This is England
- Big Little Lies
- Futurama
- Bates Motel
- The West Wing
- Battlestar Galactica
- The Wire
- One Tree Hill
- Six Feet Under
- Twin Peaks
- The OC
- Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- Queer Eye
- Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Dawson’s Creek
- Will and Grace
- Golden Girls
