With so many TV shows released every year, why is it that some people watch the same old shows over again? In North America, there were over 500 scripted drama and comedy series in 2019, a 7% gain from 2018, and yet some of the most viewed episodes on television come from syndicated TV.
With so much content and so little time, why do people continue to watch reruns of entire seasons of shows that have long been canceled? What makes a show rewatchable?
The answer obviously differs from one individual to the next but it’s a question that got us thinking.
One of the advantages of watching older shows is convenience. Either you own a DVD or Blu-ray box set of a television series or you’re able to stream the show online. A recent study found that most Netflix members choose to binge-watch their way through a series versus taking their time — finishing an entire season in one week, on average. In fact, according to Nielsen, 361,000 people watched all nine episodes of the second season of Stranger Things, on the first day it was released.
Of course, there are many shows that stand the test of time that no matter how many times you’ve watched an episode or an entire season, they never cease to entertain us. Those are the shows among the most revered of all time. The shows that go down in the history books as the best of the best. But which shows make this list?
A quick search online shows TheRanker.com has compiled a list of shows people have voted that they love to rewatch the most.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that sitcoms like Friends, Seinfeld, The Simpsons, and The Big Bang Theory made the top ten, but it was surprising not to see a juggernaut like The Sopranos make the cut— nor Twin Peaks, which has a large cult following.
One thing is for sure, the most rewatchable shows aren't defined by genre or length. Here’s a breakdown of the top 20 shows people have voted for:
Friends
The Simpsons
The Office
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Family Guy
Futurama
Seinfeld
The Big Bang Theory
Parks and Recreation
Looney Tunes
That '70s Show
South Park
Game of Thrones
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Sherlock
Scooby-Doo
House
The Twilight Zone
Breaking Bad
Scrubs