I know everyone loves the “Skip Intro” button, but I honestly think it’s killing part of the TV-watching experience. A good intro sets the tone, builds emotional connection, and often becomes iconic (think Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, The Office). But now people just mindlessly skip it like it’s a waste of time
Intros are part of the art – like skipping the first page of a book because “you already know how it starts.” Bring back the appreciation for well-crafted opening sequences. Not everything needs to be rushed
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first few times, sure
but I don’t really want to hear the intro over and over again when I’m binging something. It’s annoying.
I couldn’t imagine listening to an album —with needing to listen to the first song, after every song, just to progress through the album.
broo if i’m binge-watching a show full night, i don’t want to watch the same intro 10 times yr broo.
wrong. its saving TV shows, so you arent stuck watching the same generic unchanging intro every time.
Its optional, at least. And makes perfect sense to skip. Especially with stuff like Sitcoms where people can watch 10+ episodes a day as comfort food tv or background noise while they work.
Today’s tv series don’t even have a proper intro because of this.
Stranger things intro? That is not an intro.
Game of thrones, yes, that’s a good intro.
The 90s TV series they had proper intro, when the concept of skip button and binge watching didn’t even exist
When you start watching, if you watch multiple episodes in a row it doesn’t add much
Written by whoever is making money off of the absurdly long intros.
God, there was this show where Nicole Kidman sang this insufferably long cover song for the intro. I used to like her, but hearing that obnoxious song over and over made me hate her.
So don’t skip it? Seems a simple enough fix to me.
Or are you saying everyone else in the world should be suffering through dull intros time and again because you want them to?
I remember watching the OC on dvd on VLC on my laptop and skipping the intro song after 1 season
The only intro that you’re not allowed to skip is Season 1 of Peacemaker. Everything else is fair game ..
So just dont skip it then? Why do you need other people to watch it?
I don’t need to ser the same into 300 times
Nah, when I’m binging a series gotta have that skip button ready so the theme doesn’t drive me mad.
The Office, Friends, Community, Justified, skipping.
Game of Thrones once the intro becomes a 2 minute slog in later season, hard pass.
Unless you an 80s/90s cartoon I’m skipping like 90% of the themes
Sometimes yet nobody really wants to view a intro theme song every single episode binge watching
I love skipping intros because most of the time they contain massive spoilers so i’d rather not get spoiled but hey OP no one forces you to press that button.
I had a thought last night that I need to start skipping more intros as it might save me some minutes here and there in my life.
>Intros are part of the art – like skipping the first page of a book because “you already know how it starts.”
It’s more like staring at the cover art for 2 minutes after you finish each chapter
I mean, I usually watch it for the first few episodes, but as has been pointed out, lots of us binge and some intros are really long. If I’ve seen the exact same sequence 3 times today, watching it again doesn’t add anything to the experience.
You don’t have to skip the intro if you don’t want to.
I watch the intro on the premier and finale of any season. Unless the intro is a banger like True Detective S01 or Andor. Otherwise, ya I’m skipping.
Edit: spelling
If it’s been 7 days since you watched the previous episode, maybe. I’m certainly not going to watch the intro 3+ times during a binge.
I watched every single episode of greys anatomy and house and criminal minds and rupauls drag race within a few weeks when I had a new born and spent most nights sitting up with a baby, I would’ve gone MENTAL having to listen to intros over and over again
If it’s a great intro, I never skip. If it’s long and meh, I’ll usually watch for the first one in a binge, but slip on the rest.
Star Trek: Enterprise wants a word with you.
I don’t care about the intro, but often the intro button skips “last time on ….” And I want to skip that part. I think that part actually ruins the show because it gives a hint on what is gonna happen.
I love listening to the intro song.
Omg no
In an age where we watch multiple episodes in one go, we aren’t stuck to the old ways why waste up to 2 mins on a title screen, rusty was designed so that anyone who was a little late wouldn’t miss the show, and to set the mood for that show.
This is part of a greater issue of modern tv shows- the ability to binge them.
As long as it remains an option and doesn’t automatically skip it for me with no way to turn it off, then I don’t mind it too much. Sometimes I wish that the text block wouldn’t appear on the screen when I am watching the intro/credits but I can’t say I mind having the option.
When we would rent Friends on VHS, there would be 4 episodes per tape and the first episode always had the intro but the next three didn’t. In binge watching, I felt this did really help keep the flow of the show, so I can’t quite say I don’t like the Skip Intro button.
I do think Netflix should in fact auto skip like Disney does and rather have a Watch Intro button for those who do want to enjoy the intro on every episode.
I just noticed that on Prime they added a skip intro button to Children’s Hospital, and the intros on that show aren’t actually recaps, but all new scenes! What are they doing over there?!
I’ll absolutely skip intros that are long and aren’t different in every episode.
No it’s not. Shut up.
Maybe, if it’s spoiler-free + catchy/ not too long. most importantly spoiler-free though, which is why I rarely watch episode 1 openings as it commonly spoils characters and interactions
Wouldn’t agree it’s ruining anything. It’s personal preference. “Skip intro” is there for people who want to use it. If you enjoy the intro, don’t hit the button.
I don’t use it much myself, but I appreciate it being there for those intros I didn’t enjoy and don’t care to see again, especially if they’re long and uninteresting.
Where it does ruin shows a bit is when it skips to a few seconds in, so you end up having to rewind a bit for a bit of missed dialogue. That’s pretty annoying. It should skip to the last couple of seconds of the intro.
Would be nice if turning off automatically jumping to the next episode was an option too. I’d rather do that manually so I can enjoy good outros without having to grab the remote and hit “watch credits”.
It’s not great when you’re watching multiple episodes in one sitting
What’s worse is the auto skip credits. Occasionally shows (especially anime) have post credit scenes. Even if it’s just a next “next time on…” I still want to see it.
Most shows make their intros skippable with meaningless images and pointless music.
Now Peacemaker – THAT has an intro which demands you watch it ever time.
The Game of Thrones intro is fine for the first few episodes, but after that it’s just super long
I’ll watch the Intro to a TV show exactly one time, skipping it every time after that. The only exceptions being “Mad Men” (because, I mean, c’mon it’s friggin’ Mad Men!) and “Friends” (obviously). I guess you can count “Seinfeld” in there too, but I don’t count that since the monologue changes every time.
Not the question, but nobody – absolutely nobody – is skipping the intro for What We Do in the Shadows.
I’m watching “Band of Brothers” at the moment. I’m feeling soo sorry for all people who watched when it was just released knowing that they did not have invented the “skip intro” button at that time…
That would suggest there are intros that are really worth sitting through these days. Long gone are the days I’d be blown away by an intro like the epic Outer Limits opening.
And as others have said, if I’m binging something I’m going to skip. If a show is having any level of the experience ruined simply by skipping it’s intro which is likely to be short and simple for the sake of the streaming format anyway, what fecking good is the show to begin with?
If your intro is longer than 20 seconds after the first episode, I’m skipping.
If you have a dynamic intro then maybe but please keep it short.
Edit: if it’s anime then I’m skipping from always. Spoiler potential is too high. I want to go into a show knowing nothing but the:
I kind of agree. However: Back when you were watching those series on TV you heard the intro twice a day at most. Nowadays if you binge watch a series on eg Netflix youd hear it 1-3 times an hour. After a while its just annoying, so it makes sense to skip it.
And if you want to experience the intro, what keeps you from doing so? You dont have to skip the intro
Nothing is worse than trying to fall asleep to The Office and hearing that god awfully loud intro every time. No thanks. 30+ watches, I don’t need to hear it anymore
It’s not like skipping the first page of a book.
It’s like skipping the cover and copyright page/edition notice.
The book analogy is really bad it would be more like there is the same page with no differences at the start of every chapter that also doesn’t add anything
It depend imo, i always watch the intros of GoT, Stargate SG1 and She-Ra.
While Andor is peak cinema, the intro is skipable
Three shows you never skip the intro of:
I find it annoying that Amazon prime cuts all the credits. Its a very jarring progression.
You can’t sit with an episode anymore. Or at the least you need to make moves to do so.
This is the audio version of insisting that someone is ruining the experience of eating a slice of cake if they don’t eat the icing rose on the top because that’s “part of the artistry”. It’s credits. I have actually downloaded music from intros before. I appreciate the artistry plenty. I just don’t need to see everyone’s name each time.
Depends on the show.
For example:
I’m never, ever, ever, skipping the X-Men ‘97 intro because it’s a masterpiece.
The only intro I never skipped, is the one from Narcos.
Some animes just straight up spoil character deaths and premises on their openings
Cool watch the intro then
It’s great to have the opportunity.
Intros I never skipped… True Detective season 1, Preacher, Better Call Saul.
Yes, I fully agree. Intros are a part of the experience if you truly love the show.
If it’s less than a minute sure but some of the anime I watch has got like 2+ minute intros. I ain’t watching all that every 20 minutes
I actually agree, but I like that the button is there for people who don’t agree with us.
I watch anime tv shows, watching the intro is riddled with spoilers
You can just…….not press it?
It’s fine if you’re watching one episode a week or whatever. I don’t want to hear it when I’m on my 20th episode in three days.
Really depends on the show, length of intro, length of actual show, and how much we absolutely binge that shit. Like a shorter network sitcom say fullhouse… I don’t wanna see that fuckin intro every 23 minutes. Or the original Pokémon anime?! Holy shit I wanna be the very best every 17 minutes – PLUS the poke-rap.
No, skip into is the shit
The thing is, intros got worse. Intros used to be short and absolutely hype, or at least interesting in some way. Now every single TV show seems to have the same intro, that being worlds slowest fade in on several title cards while an ominous one note or otherwise simple and boring score plays very quietly
I watch it on episode 1, and occasionally when i start binging again for the day.
I usually let it play at the first episode of each season since most shows will change the intro as it goes on
I only watch/listen to the intro when I want to.
If I really like the visual and/or audio.
If it’s the first time (per season/chapter).
If they add subtle hints in every episode, like the intro is different every time.
As if people didn’t skip intro on their own before the invention of the button and accidentally skipped a few seconds of the show.
I feel the same! I always argue with my fiancee that the intro took time to make, test and then stitch into the show. Skipping it effectively is like spitting on the creators ideas for the show.
Mindhunter in particular is one I like, it’s a dark show so I get the vibes from the intro as well. Scrubs is my favourite of all, anytime she wants to skip I hide the remote
Ridiculous
Game of Thrones changed the intro based on story, it was 100% part of the show. You are definitely missing art if skipping that.
But Friends or some other pap? Who cares.
I would normally watch the intro for the first episode and sometimes after that – the Narcos series intros had some great music in them.
I’ve noticed that more of the stuff produced by streaming services (Disney/Starz especially) don’t really have intros any more it’s usually just a title screen.
Theres like 200 episodes of the office.
I dont need to hear the intro 200 times no matter how much I love it
I love shows where they switch it up (thinking of you, Archer) but there are certain shows like The Sopranos where even if the intro doesn’t change I refuse to skip.
Bob’s Burgers on the other hand.. WHY IS THE INTRO SO MUCH LOUDER THAN THE ACTUAL SHOW
I only skip it so it doesn’t wake up the whole house😭
Berea, Ky is a nice little town. You get some history and the Artisan Center.
Well you have a choice my guy just don’t skip it
Here the simple truth, due to the fact of how we consume media these days it only makes sense to be able to skip it. If imma binge a show then I don’t need the mood set for me every 30 mins. Once will suffice.
There is a difference between never watching the intro, sometimes watching the intro and always watching the intro. When I’m starting a new series, of course I watch the intro. But if I am binging 12 episodes in a row on a show like vikings or Andor, and the intro looks cool but is always the same and not relevant to the plot, I am not spending that 5 minutes of my lifetime and skip it
That’s why most people let it play on the first episode and skip after. And that’s also why it a CHOICE. Most people don’t want the cut between episodes when watching multiple at a time, in that case it breaks the mood to be cut by the opening between episodes, particularly for series with short episodes.
Anyways: a choice is a choice: you don’t want to do it, don’t. But don’t try to impose your tastes to others.
If it adds value, don’t skip. Maybe using it can ruin a show, but merely having the option doesn’t as nobody is forced to skip.
But do we need to watch it 180 times? No, we don’t.
Would you prefer a page of recap every time you start a new chapter in a book? It breaks the flow if you’re not taking a break
I’ll watch an intro the first time, and then from there I’ll watch it whenever I feel like it. However, being able to skip it lets me stay immersed in the show, instead of taking me out of it by showing me a repeated scene that interrupts my binge session.
I can’t think of any reason I need to watch an intro more than once
And how does it ruin the show for you if someone else skips the intro? This post makes no sense
Love those intros you mentioned. GOT especially had an evolving intro that I’d try to find the difference from the previous episode. It’s that good. Sadly, most intros aren’t so captivating. But I also try not to skip it because I feel bad for the creatives who spent months on it
So you’re binging an entire season of a show and watching the intro every time? Lmao. Unhinged
I usually watch the intro on the first episode of a watch session but if I’m watching multiple episodes at once I skip after the first episode.
stranger things intro is the worst! i’m happy to skip the whole thing forever! the show itself included
Dexter intro is so long you have to skip it
I watch the into at the start of every ‘session’ the into it’s self is a mood killer when I’m watching episodes back to back to back. The only exceptions are
A) I really like the intro song or theme
B) it changes to a new into in the middle of a session
I always watch the Intro the first time I watch a show and every season finale. Other than that I want to skip
Using Game of Thrones as an example in this post is wildddd. That into is like ten freaking minutes long.
Good unpopular opinion though.
Tv has moved on from the days of intros. You had to watch an intro and they’d give you a good idea of the show/season to come to keep you entertained. Now the whole show/ season is released at once and the intro isn’t needed
You….don’t….have to press it. Not many shows have that good of an intro that I want to watch every time. Some are by rule, that I just. Others are a rule that I skip. I watch the first one so I’ve seen it. Then never again if it’s shit.
Intros are not analogues to the first pages of books. They almost never reveal or convey any plot relevant info. You really don’t miss anything by skipping the intro when you’ve just seen it 22 minutes ago, and 44 minutes before that.
I’m unnerved by the fact it isn’t an auto feature. Just skip the intro automatically. Maybe run it once a season. Especially when binge watching.
It’s more like not reading the back of the book every time you want to read a new chapter. It’s the same thing every time.
That’s cause people now are watching a lot of episodes at once. Long intros will probably die within time.
I don’t need to watch the same intro dozens of times in order to “set the tone” for what I’m watching.
I liked what they did in Battlestar Galactica reboot. They had a population number that changed in the intro depending on things that happened. Thought that was a pretty cool idea to sort of keep you watching the intro.
Not sure if they did it throughout the entire show, been a while since I’ve watched it. Might give it another rewatch actually
But it’s not like skipping the first page of a book. It’s like if every chapter in a book started with the exact same paragraph. By the third or fourth chapter you’ve memorized that paragraph and you really don’t need to keep reading it. It’s not adding anything.
I watched the show Evil and I always thought it was so clever to have the little “do not skip intro” messages as their intro went on. They were like Easter eggs and I was always looking for the messages.
This view ultimately ignores the steps already made that have allowed for the availability of the skip into button.
Streaming services mean people more commonly binge watch show.
To use your analogy, you dont read the first page of the book in between each chapter, do you?
Equally, while a great intro can become iconic, if a show needs the intro to set the tone of the episode, the show itself is evidently not that great.
“A good intro sets the tone…”
Yes, but not all shows have good intros.
It depends on the show and the intro. More and more shows are being made to be binge watched. Also more and more shows are making 30 minute episodes instead of 45 to an hour. But their intros stay being 2 minutes long. If I’m going to watch 2 hours of tv I don’t want almost 10 minutes of that to be the same intro song played again and again.
If I’m watching one or two episodes in a sitting and the intro is actually good or interesting I’ll watch it. Or if it’s a quick one like stranger things, Ginny and Georgia, later new girl, etc. then I’ll watch it. But I’m definitely skipping a 3 minute intro on a 22 minute episode, especially if I’m planning to watch a few.
You are reading the first page of a book only once tho, not every time you pick it back up.
The option of skipping isn’t bad. If anything, bad intros are. I could never skip the GoT intro. It slaps, the music is epic and by showing the important locations of the episode it gives a little teaser for the episode I am about to watch. But an intro that doesn’t change, especially in a series with 20 minute episodes, I don’t need to watch every time.
How can an optional addition ruin an experience? It has zero impact if you dont skip.
Do you think you are an authority on how TV shows can be enjoyed?
Excellent post. It’s become rare that we see truly unpopular opinions.
I get your point but removing the button isn’t gonna stop people from skipping past it anyway
I don’t wanna see the intro 100 times. I’m good
I love the sopranos and have watched it many times. After the first few episodes, “woke up this morning” becomes absolutely dreadful.
You do know that button is optional, right?
You know you don’t have to press that button, right….? It is just an option that you can choose from…
If you prefer watching intros, do that. But that doesn’t mean everyone else has to. Giving people an option to choose isn’t ruining anything.
I have the rule that if I’m binging a show, I watch the intro for the first episode of the session, and then can skip it after if I want to. But always on the first episode of any time watching the show.
I think it’s self selection honestly. Good intros will be listened to. Bad intros won’t be. Mid intros will be half and half. Some people like to listen to it, some people don’t.
As for your analogy of the first page, not really. An intro is more like if every chapter of a book started with the same paragraph of poetry. There’s obviously been thought put into it, but it will get repetitive eventually.
Your comparison doesn’t hold up. Books do not stick the same 3 pages of text with maybe minor alterations at the beginning of every chapter, often wedged between 2 important story beats.
This pops up every so often and every time it’s written by someone who’s forgetting that some people watch many episodes in a row.
Corner Gas is the first series we watched end to end and never skipped the intro. There was something about the song, the character intros (Hi Lacey, Hi Brent) that effectively pulled me out of the real world and into that little town of Dog River in Saskatchewan. Like the first swig of coffee in the morning or the first sip of an ice-cold drink on a hot day. Just gets you there. Similar for The Soporanos, although if we watched more than one we might skip intro on the second episode (unless we needed snacks; then we’d let it play).
Try watching AppleTV+ shows for a while, you’ll get why people skip. Every show of their has a ~90 second extended intro every episode, without fail. They never cut the intro short, and it’s not a different sequence each episode. Again, every show of theirs has this.
I’m not even that bothered, I just find it really interesting cuz like that’s gotta be a requirement that someone on high is pushing, but I have no clue why
While I dont mind seeing the intro a time or two, unless it is constantly changing I dont care to watch it every episode.
If the skip button doesnt exist, I will fast forward it. If the service removes the ability to fast forward the show, I will just cancel the service and find the content elsewhere.
i get what you are saying but i also agree with those who are for the skip intro button – i think the best solution would be to give people the option to chose whether or not they skip the intro then so everyone gets the choice they prefer
oh wait…
Mf’ers complain for the art of complaining.
The intro is fine when you watch one episode a week, but I don’t want to hear the intro song to Friends every 22 minute when it’s on Netflix
No, it’s really not lol.
Shut up
So don’t skip if you’re worried it’s gonna ruin your experience — I don’t get it?
Unless for some bizarre reason you’re fretting about how other people choose to watch TV?
You don’t need to skip if you don’t want. I generally agree with you for some intros, but if I’m binging a show or the intro is very long or boring, I’m skipping it 9/10 times
No it isn’t lol. No one needs to see an intro 100 times while watching a big series
The way media is consumed has changed. Instead of waiting a week between episodes, we tend to binge watch. This is why intro skipping makes sense.
For shows that still air weekly, I’m usually not so quick to skip the intro, because like youa say, it sets the tone – or brings you back into the mindset of the show.
I don’t need to watch the same intro for every single episode.
It’s not skipping the first page of the book. It’s like re-reading the epilogue before starting each chapter. It’s pointless.
When you used to watch shows once a week, then yeah, makes sense. When you binge the whole season in an afternoon? Absolutely not.
I always watch the intro on the first episode of a show, and the first episode of each season to see if the intro changed, otherwise I skip it.
It also seems like the intro tends to be MUCH louder than the rest of the show which is very annoying, especially watching late at night when others in the house are sleeping
I agree for some shows! If I’m watching the simpsons and you skip the intro so I miss Bart writing on the board and the couch, I’m upset. If you skip the intro below deck I don’t think you’re missing much.
The tv watching experience itself isn’t the same either. Watching a show once a week, sure let that intro okay. Watching back to back the way streaming allows….no thanks, I’ll be skipping after the first.
I will watch the intro once for each season tho, as they sometimes change season to season.
So don’t skip it? Why does it affect you how other people watch TV?
I feel like the intro for most HBO shows are 2 minutes long…(The Wire, Sopranos, GoT) I ain’t watching that everytime
How often do you try to make things deep that are not that deep?
If I’m watching 8 episodes back to back I’m not watching the intro every time
idk if i’m the minority, but i’ll watch the intro the first couple episodes and then skip. it sets the tone for the show, but if you’re binging a series it becomes needlessly redundant.
Some intros are variables. ‘Frazier’ has about a dozen small tweaks of the Seattle skyline. Fireworks, balloons and the like. ‘Young Sheldon’ has the Cooper family in a field and young Sheldon dressed as various admirables. Before being made uncomfortable by a cow. I’ll monitor those, just in case, but otherwise,skip, skip, skip.
I’ve heard the SVU intro for 25 years now… It hasn’t changed, it won’t change and I don’t need to hear it again one more time to get into the series.
Intros were great when you watched a show once every week, but now, I’m not going to watch it when I’m watching every episode back to back. Bad opinion.