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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 18 OctOber 2017
A new spectator sport for the TV superfan: ‘binge racing’

By FRAZIER MOORE age of binge racers among
AP Television Writer each country’s number of
NEW YORK (AP) — For a customers.)
special breed of TV super- Wright hastens to say no
fans, this isn’t streaming. judgments are tied to Net-
This is a gusher. flix’s data.
Behold the spectator sport The numbers “speak to a
known as “binge racing,” certain level of excitement
defined as plowing through around certain titles, and
a streaming-network series’ they also speak to con-
full season in less than 24 sumer control — people
hours after the release of can design their own view-
those episodes. ing experience,” he says.
Sure, any viewer may “Binge racing reflects a cer-
speak of bingeing on a tain kind of fervor and love.
chosen show, by which But someone who takes his
they may mean watching time to watch the episodes
several episodes in two or isn’t any less of a fan.”
three sittings. That’s not this! So what are the Netflix pro-
Binge racing is an extreme gram rankings for binge
sport, a test of eyeball racing nationally? “Gilm-
stamina and derriere en- ore Girls: A Year in the Life”
durance, and a testament holds the top spot, fol-
to ultimate devotion. It also This image released by Netflix shows Lauren Graham, left, and Alexis Bledel in a scene from, lowed by “Fuller House,”
confers bragging rights “Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life,” currently streaming on Netflix. Associated Press ‘’The Ranch,” ‘’Marvel’s
for those who manage to the first to see a new ‘Star number of same-day binge racers, as computed by The Defenders,” ‘’The Sev-
complete this marathon. Wars’ film or lining up to racers went from 200,000 in the percentage of binge en Deadly Sins,” ‘’Trailer
Netflix, which from its start get the latest Harry Potter 2013 to more than 5 million racers among the state’s Park Boys,” ‘’Santa Clarita
defied TV’s age-old prac- book.” so far this year. total Netflix subscribers. Diet,” ‘’F is for Family,” ‘’Or-
tice of parsing out episodes Where did the term come While most binge racers Right behind are Michigan, ange is the New Black” and
week after week by, in- from? only take the challenge oc- Maryland, Delaware and “Stranger Things.” (Netflix
stead, making all of them “We wanted language casionally — when a cer- Indiana. (Sorry, Alaska and notes that this ranking has
available at once, has for that superfan who tain special series demands Hawaii — you come in last.) no relation to overall view-
taken special notice of the watched it all in one sit- a single big gulp — one U.S. Globally, the United States ership, which it doesn’t di-
binge-racing trend among ting,” he says, “and ‘binge viewer has binge-raced 36 is the binge-racing runner- vulge.)
its subscribers. racing’ was bubbling up on times so far this year, Netflix up to world champ Cana- Brian Williams, a financial
“We’ve seen it increasing social media. It was an or- says. da, with Denmark, Finland consultant in Burbank, Cali-
year after year,” says Brian ganic thing.” According to Netflix num- and Norway rounding out fornia, says he powered
Wright, Netflix’s vice presi- During the same period bers-crunchers, West Virgin- the International Top Five. through the 10 episodes of
dent of Original Series. “I when the total number of ia can boast the nation’s (Similarly, these figures are “Ozark” when that drama
equate it to wanting to be memberships doubled, the highest number of binge computed by the percent- was released last July. q

Author tells story of female codebreaker in ‘Smashed Codes’

By KIM CURTIS not only hard to understand ed to Chicago. Through supposedly embedded in
Associated Press why most Americans have happenstance, she met the works of William Shake-
“The Woman Who Smashed never heard of her, but it’s George Fabyan, a wealthy speare.
Codes: A True Story of Love, somewhat of a challenge and eccentric business- Their work quickly expand-
Spies, and the Unlikely Her- to believe it at all. man who owned a com- ed when they learned they
oine Who Outwitted Amer- In “The Woman Who pound named Riverbank. had unprecedented and
ica’s Enemies” (Dey Street Smashed Codes: A True There, scientists, inventors unmatched codebreaking
Books), by Jason Fagone Story of Love, Spies, and and intellectuals holed up skills.
Her story is so surprising it’s the Unlikely Heroine Who to study and learn, experi- Fagone chronicles the
Outwitted America’s En- ment and discover — all couple’s lives and ac-
emies,” journalist Jason funded by Fabyan’s inher- complishments against the
Fagone recreates a world ited fortune. backdrop of the birth and
and a cast of characters so Fabyan hired Smith as his growth of the modern intel-
utterly fascinating they will assistant. “Will you come to ligence community. His re-
inhabit the psyches of its Riverbank and spend the search is exhaustive and his
readers long after the book night with me,” he asked storytelling, spellbinding.
has been read. upon first meeting her. Much like Margot Lee Shet- This cover image released by
Elizebeth Smith, a Quaker Stunned and confused, yet terly’s “Hidden Figures: Dey Street Books shows “The
girl from a small town in In- intrigued, Smith agreed. It The American Dream and Woman Who Smashed Codes:
diana, first fought against was 1916. the Untold Story of the A True Story of Love, Spies,
societal norms by earning a And so it begins. Black Women Mathemati- and the Unlikely Heroine
Who
Outwitted
America’s
college degree against her During her four years at cians Who Helped Win the Enemies,” by Jason Fagone.
father’s will. When she was Riverbank, Smith met and Space Race” or “The Girls Associated Press
23, she railed against a pre- married William Friedman. of Atomic City: The Untold sheds light on a too-long-
sumed lifetime of teach- Initially, they were assigned Story of the Women Who overlooked story of a re-
ing, followed by marriage to seeking encoded mes- Helped Win World War II” markable woman and her
and children and head- sages that Francis Bacon by Denise Kiernan, Fagone accomplishments.q