Binge Challenge: The Best Shows to Binge in One Day

If binging was an Olympic sport, we at SnipDaily would be on the podium taking gold. We’re hardcore bingers and regularly do multiple seasons of a show in a day. Our record is just under 23 hours for watching every episode of the BBC’s Sherlock. By the end, we had Benedict fever.

Netflix has made binging the norm. Stranger Things seasons are regular binge-fests with eager fans like Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos sitting through a whole season in one day. Whether you’re a binging novice or pro, there’s nothing like completing a great show by watching all the episodes back-to-back. Below is a list of the best shows to binge in one day and the time it’ll take you to finish the series.

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11. After Life (Netflix) – 3 hours

The easiest show to consume on this list is Ricky Gervais’ After Life, a poignant comedy about a man on the brink of suicide. It is a three-hour sprint through mental health, depression, and self-destruction. If you like Gervais or his works, this should not be missed and is perfect to get your binge on.

Difficulty: Very easy to get through. Only 6 episodes, each at 30 minutes. Audience rating of 93 percent.

10. Chernobyl (Max) – 5.5 hours

A binge-worthy show needs to keep your ass glued to the seat, and Chernobyl does that and more. It’s a gripping and harrowing dramatization of the 1986 nuclear power plant failure in Ukraine. With performances so believable, it feels like a movie quality docuseries that’s impossible not to binge through. You’ll be watching its last episode before realizing you’ve not moved for five hours.

Difficulty: Easy to get through in one sitting. Only five episodes, each lasting slightly more than one hour. Audience rating of 98 percent according to Rotten Tomatoes.

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9. Fleabag (Amazon Prime Video) – 5.5 hours

If you want a raunchy female-led comedy, then Fleabag is the pinnacle of shows currently available. There’s a compelling storyline behind the lead character’s actions, which makes it more than just about shock value. From family dysfunction to dealing with grief, the way Fleabag handles these themes is unique. The show is both an oddity to watch and incredibly binge-worthy.

Difficulty: Easy to get through in one sitting. Only two seasons with six episodes each. Episodes last around 27 minutes. The audience rating is 92 percent.

8. Sex Education (Netflix) – 6 hours

Sex Education is a teen drama that takes on taboos without coming across as a politically-correct lecture. The son of a sex therapist helps teenagers get through their sexual problems, for a fee. It’s simple, but its characters are rich. There’s an innocence to the lead and his love life that’s beautiful to watch. It’s funny, charming, and definitely not to be missed on your binge list.

Difficulty: Easy to get through in one sitting. Only one season with eight episodes, each lasting 45 minutes. Audience rating is 95 percent.

7. Extras (Sling TV) – 6.5 hours

Ricky Gervais knows how to make great short shows that meld comedy genius with deep-rooted, positive messaging. The first season of Extras is pure comedy, while the second season evolves into a bigger arc that hits a home run in the end. Some of the biggest celebrities appear in Extras, from Samuel L. Jackson to the late David Bowie. Whether you binge or not, just make sure this show is on your watchlist.

Difficulty: Easy to get through in one sitting. Only two seasons with 13 episodes total. Each episode lasts 30 minutes, and the show has an audience rating of 93 percent.

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6. Daisy Jones & the Six (Prime Video) – 7.5 hours

Daisy Jones & the Six is an Amazon Prime original mini series that is based on the book of the same name. Loosely based on the famous band, Fleetwood Mac, this is a story showing a band’s early career and evolution in addition to the struggles they face. The Six wasn’t looking for another lead singer, but the music label saw their story different. When the band adds the notorious Daisy Jones to the band, it adds a level of chaos that few could see coming.

It’s one of the best shows to binge in one day because you’ll immediate fall in love with the complicated characters. Most episodes leave the audience wanting more, especially when it comes to the twin flame, off-limits romance of Billy and Daisy. When binging this show, you’ll notice how every expression changes with each episode leaving you to believe something new about their relationship. While time passes throughout the show, you’ll get a glimpse of the journey without missing or forgetting the little moments that matter.

Difficulty: Moderately easy to get through in one sitting. There’s only one season with 10 episodes in total. Each episode is 45 minutes in length so it would take 7.5 hours to finish in one sitting. Audiences rate this series 82 percent.

5. The Good Place (Netflix) – 19 hours

The Good Place is full of twists, quirks, and an evolving storyline that takes us where no one could expect — to Hell and back. The fact all four seasons can be watched to completion makes this an enticing binge. Be sure to take breaks in the middle of a season, not at the end. Getting to the end of a season is often a bigger carrot than starting the next season, regardless of the cliffhanger. Nonetheless, it’s still one of the best shows to binge in one day because each season’s cliffhanger will help keep you motivated.

Difficulty: Hard. It’s 51 episodes running across four seasons makes this a one-day challenge despite each episode only lasting 22 minutes each. The show has an audience rating of 87 percent.

4. Episodes (Hulu) – 20.5 hours

Matt LeBlanc plays a hyper-Hollywood-ized version of himself cast in a show where its creators don’t want him. Episodes is a tragic comedy playing on the negatives of fame and fortune for those in decline on the periphery or behind the scenes. Many of Episodes‘ key moments will stick with you long after the binge is over. It’s well worth the 20.5-hour burn — just get the pizza and energy drinks ready.

Difficulty: Very hard. It’s 41 episodes across five seasons make this a challenge for any binger. Each episode runs for 30 minutes, and the show has an audience rating of 90 percent.

3. Stranger Things (Netflix) – 20.5 hours

Until recently, Stranger Things was the internet’s most in-demand show. Watching all episodes back-to-back over 22 hours (with breaks) is eye-opening. You see new connections and references adding to its perfection. Binge on it in time so that you’re ready to go for season 5, which looks like it won’t arrive until 2025.

Difficulty: Very hard. It’s 33 episodes, three seasons with episodes lasting roughly 50 minutes. The show has an audience rating of 91 percent.

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2. Luther (Amazon Prime Video) – 21 hours

This list needed some Idris Elba, and The Wire cannot be binged in one day. However, Luther can and has all the quality you need from a gritty crime drama. That’s if London, gangsters, corruption and serial killers excite you. The show tells the story of a larger-than-life detective on a crusade to do right by his own moral compass. Luther is a complex character, and the show is a challenge to binge, so plenty of coffee is required.

Difficulty: Very hard. It’s 21 episodes, five seasons with episodes lasting one hour. The show has an audience rating of 86 percent.

1. Sherlock (Philo) – 22.5 hours

We can’t help but put our most impressive feat as number one on the best shows to binge in one day list. This literally took 24 hours to watch with breaks. Sherlock is another show set in London, this time based on the greatest detective of all time. This retelling stars Benedict Cumberbatch and delivers fantastical, surreal solutions to crimes. Showcasing the deductive genius of Sherlock against brilliant criminals is addicting. As a fan of House, Numb3rs, Scorpion, and other genius-led shows, Sherlock is top billing.

Like Luther, binging Sherlock is not easy unless you’re a fanboy of the subject matter or leads. Luckily, I’m both when it comes to this show. Sherlock remains the most difficult binge completed and will only be topped when season four of Stranger Things drops. Its 30-hour challenge is accepted.

Difficulty: Very hard. It’s only 15 episodes, but its four seasons have movie-length episodes lasting towards 90 minutes each. The show has an audience rating of 83 percent.