Brits only give TV shows 34 minutes to impress them before turning off- and give movies even less!

A recent study by Currys involving over 2000 UK residents revealed TV viewers take a surprisingly short time to decide if they want to continue watching a show or not, with the average chance to impress being just 34 minutes before they turn it off, and when it comes to movies, Brits give them just 30 minutes before turning it off.

But what keeps them switched on, the survey found the storyline was the most important factor for 47% of Brits when choosing a TV program, the cast and actors follow closely at 41% and genre at 40% (with drama voted as the UK’s go-to genre).

This short time is surprising given it takes the average person in the UK 30 minutes of scrolling just to find something to watch in the first place, and for 1 in 10 it means wasting up to 2 hours on the task. For those who find themselves watching TV daily, this 30 minutes per day translates to a staggering 182.5 hours per year dedicated to the daunting task of deciding what to watch—equivalent to just over 7 days annually lost to “choice paralysis”. The survey also revealed that nearly 60% admit that after endless scrolling, they give up on finding something to watch altogether.

The reason over half of respondents (52%) gave was simply having too much choice, which is unsurprising given the number of streaming services now available.

Top ways to annoy Brits while watching TV

Considering the hassle of trying to decide what to watch, the last thing Brits want is to be disturbed while viewing. The survey found that the top bug bear of Brits while watching a film or TV is someone talking, this being a top annoying habit for 45% of respondents.

Next is spoiling key moments for 32%, in joint third, people checking their phones (30%) and constantly asking about the plot (30%) and lastly falling asleep during the show or movie, which is a pet peeve for 27%.