How long should TV shows be? The rise of shorter TV

The final episode of Game of Thrones had a runtime of 85 minutes. And while this lengthy runtime obviously works for such a complex and intricate TV shows. But not everyone has the time, energy and focus to sit through such lengthy episodes no matter how acclaimed or award winning they are. The introduction of streaming services like Netflix and Stan and original web series has done a lot to change the way we consume television programs. But one thing has remained the same: runtime.

Most TV shows run anywhere between 10–100 minutes. With the average “hour-long” show running for about 42 minutes and the “half-hour” shows running from about 22 minutes to the full 30, minus commercial breaks (remember commercial breaks?). Most TV shows on streaming services have stuck with this tradition for the most part. Even though they don’t have to adhere to traditional broadcast time slots or commercial breaks. This has led to TV shows with longer runtimes like The Crown. Which has an average runtime of about 60 minutes.

However, streaming companies like Netflix have started realising that shows with long runtimes may not be as popular as they were in the past. Studies have shown that most viewers have short attention spans which they tend to split with their smartphones, tablets, and laptops while watching TV. Their potential antidote to this…