Admit It, You Only Watched These Shows on YouTube Shorts
We’ve all been there—scrolling endlessly through YouTube Shorts, getting hooked on a 60-second clip of a show you’d never sit down to watch in full. Thanks to bite-sized edits, some TV series have found a second life as viral snippets, making you feel like an expert on shows you’ve technically never seen.
Here are the biggest offenders—the shows you think you know, but only through YouTube Shorts:
1. The Office (U.S.)
You’ve seen Jim’s pranks on Dwight, Michael’s cringiest moments, and “Identity Theft Is Not a Joke, Jim!” approximately 4,000 times. But have you actually watched all nine seasons? Be honest.
2. Succession
You know the Logan Roy “You’re not serious people” rant, Tom swallowing his own load, and every Kendall Roy rap attempt. Yet, if asked to explain the plot, you’d just say, “Rich people… fighting?”
3. Breaking Bad
You’ve seen Walter White say “I am the danger” and Jesse scream “Yeah, science!”—but did you really sit through five seasons of meth empire-building, or just the algorithm-curated highlights?
4. Friends
You can recite the “Pivot!” scene verbatim and have watched Ross’s tanning disaster on loop. But unless you’re a ’90s kid, chances are you’ve never seen a full episode start to finish.
5. Peaky Blinders
Tommy Shelby walking in slow motion to “Red Right Hand” lives rent-free in your brain. But do you actually know what the Shelby Company Limited does? (Don’t worry, nobody does.)
Why It Matters
YouTube Shorts have become the ultimate cheat code for pop culture literacy—letting you absorb iconic moments without the commitment. But as any real fan knows, context is key. After all, “I watched the Shorts” doesn’t quite have the same ring as “I’ve seen the show.”
So, which ones have you faked your way through?
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Want me to add more shows or dig deeper into the trend? Let me know!