September 24, 2021
Today I’m just doin’ a fun one for all you photographers out there: Netflix & Edit. Because we’ve allll been there: you’ve been editing in Lightroom for hours on end, with no finish line in sight. You’re on your 7th hour and your eyes are shutting, you’re bored as hell, and you need something on in the background.
**cue your favorite show’s theme song**
Since basically all I do on the backend of wedding & elopement season is edit my face off, I watch a LOTTA TV. I love having the TV on in the background – you might like listening to music or podcasts, but my favorite series’ can keep me entertained (and sane) for those long hours of editing.
And I always see photographers posting on their Instagram stories asking for editing show recommendations. So I figured why not just write a fun blog post about it?
These are all shows I watch because they’re easy to follow along with while not paying attention. I definitely don’t recommend watching a show you really want to keep up with, or one with a heavy plotline – because while you edit, you won’t really be paying attention to the story too closely.
With that said, here are my 11 go-to shows to have on in the background while I edit, as well as where you can watch them! In the end, I’ve also added a section about podcasts for those of you who prefer to listen over watching a show.
I also included a fun little data point: how many weddings you might have to edit to get through the whole series 😉 (Basing that on a total estimate that it takes you 8 hours to edit a typical 8-hour wedding, then on how many hours of the show exist!)
The 11 Shows I Play on Repeat
1. Parks and Rec
This is an absolute fav – my OG binge show, sadly only available on NBC’s Peacock app now.
Where to watch it: Peacock
Average episode length: 23 min.
Number of episodes: 125
# of weddings you’ll edit: 6
2. The Office
Would this list even be relevant without this show? It’s also only on the NBC app now – I pay for Peacock just to watch these first two shows🙃
Where to watch it: Peacock
Average episode length: 23 min.
Number of episodes: 201
# of weddings you’ll edit: 9
3. Grey’s Anatomy
Another classic but only for folks who don’t mind quite a bit of medical yuckiness haha!
Where to watch it: Netflix, Hulu
Average episode length: 45 min.
Number of episodes: 380 (and counting)
# of weddings you’ll edit: 35
4. Schitt’s Creek
A great lighthearted, wholesome comedy with an awesome cast!
Where to watch it: Netflix
Average episode length: 22 min.
Number of episodes: 80
# of weddings you’ll edit: 3
5. Virgin River
Super cheesy romance but it’s so good – and you need some romance to set the mood while you edit weddings, right?
Where to watch it: Netflix
Average episode length: 45 min.
Number of episodes: 30 (and counting)
# of weddings you’ll edit: 3
6. Sex Education
Sex Ed is definitely rated R, but so entertaining and discusses important topics.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Average episode length: 50 min.
Number of episodes: 24 (and counting)
# of weddings you’ll edit: 3
7. The Good Place
Another great, easy-to-watch sitcom with a great cast of funny people.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Average episode length: 23 min.
Number of episodes: 53
# of weddings you’ll edit: 3
8. The Great British Baking Show
If you’re looking for a show that’s just so wholesome and calm this is definitely the one for you!
Where to watch it: Netflix
Average episode length: 60 min.
Number of episodes: 105 (and counting)
# of weddings you’ll edit: 13
9. Never Have I Ever
This one is absolutely hilarious and is quickly becoming a fav of mine!
Where to watch it: Netflix
Average episode length: 28 min.
Number of episodes: 20 (and counting)
# of weddings you’ll edit: 1
10. Gilmore Girls
I feel like Gilmore Girls is just a classic coming-of-age show that everybody needs to watch at some point!
Where to watch it: Netflix
Average episode length: 45 min.
Number of episodes: 153
# of weddings you’ll edit: 14
11. Grace and Frankie
Another great Netflix comedy that’s perfect to have on in the background.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Average episode length: 30 min.
Number of episodes: 82 (and counting)
# of weddings you’ll edit: 5
10 Podcasts to Keep in Your Ear
If you’re the type of person who would rather listen to podcasts while you edit, or you like switching between podcasts & TV shows like I do, here are my top 10 favorite podcasts to keep on!
I’ve included links to listen to them on Spotify & Apple Podcasts, as well as snippets from the podcast descriptions.
1. The Daily
I start my day by listening to this one!
“This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m.”
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
2. Out and Back
“In the Out and Back Podcast presented by Gaia GPS, thru-hiker Andrew “Shanty” Baldwin, professional guide/outdoorswoman Mary “Hiker Midnight” Cochenour, and professional athlete Abby Levene dive deep into conversation with long-distance hikers, record-breaking athletes, offroad travelers who sold everything to live full-time on the dusty backroads, and other awesome guests who have mastered their backcountry craft.”
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
3. Armchair Expert
“Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment.
What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert.”
Listen on Spotify
4. Stuff You Should Know
“If you’ve ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.”
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
5. Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
“I’ve spent over 20 years studying the emotions and experiences that bring meaning and purpose to our lives, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s this: We are hardwired for connection, and connecting requires courage, vulnerability, and conversation. I want this to be a podcast that’s real, unpolished, honest, and reflects both the magic and the messiness of what it means to be human.
Episodes will include conversations with the people who are teaching me, challenging me, confusing me, or maybe even ticking me off a little. I’ll also have direct conversations with you about what I’m learning from new research, and we’ll do some episodes dedicated to answering your questions. We don’t have to do life alone. We were never meant to. Unlocking Us is a Spotify Original from Parcast.”
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
6. Terrible, Thanks For Asking
“You know how when someone asks “How are you?” you just say “Fine,” even if you’re totally dying inside, so everyone can go about their day? “Terrible, Thanks For Asking” is the opposite of that. Nora McInerny asks real people to share their complicated and honest feelings about how they really are. It’s sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and often both. From American Public Media.”
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
7. Ologies with Alie Ward
“Volcanoes. Trees. Drunk butterflies. Mars missions. Slug sex. Death. Beauty standards. Anxiety busters. Beer science. Bee drama. Take away a pocket full of science knowledge and charming, bizarre stories about what fuels these professional -ologists’ obsessions. Humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward asks smart people stupid questions and the answers might change your life.”
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
8. Holy Heretics
“Holy Heretics seeks to foster honest conversations about the state of religion in the 21st century. We interview experts, spiritual seekers, scholars, and activists in our quest to examine just exactly how modern-day Christianity lost the Way of Jesus while also discovering how it can be regained through subversive thought and action.”
Listen on Apple Podcasts
9. The Liturgists
“An artful, mind-expanding, heart-opening, genre-bending exploration of how to live a life full of more love and less suffering.
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
10. Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
“Listen to the incomparable therapist Esther Perel counsel real couples as they reveal the most intimate, personal, and complicated details of the conflicts that have brought them to her door. This season, she takes on open marriage, racism inside an extended family, coming out in a religious home, and chronic infidelity, among other delicate dynamics. Esther creates a space for us to hear our own lives and struggles articulated in the stories of others. So….where should we begin?”
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
I hope you can take a few shows or podcasts from this list & keep yourself entertained during those long hours in front of Lightroom. Happy editing!
