Background and aims: Binge-watching (i.e., seeing multiple episodes of the same TV series in a row) now constitutes
a widespread phenomenon. However, little is known about the psychological factors underlying this behavior, as
reflected by the paucity of available studies, most merely focusing on its potential harmfulness by applying the classic
criteria used for other addictive disorders without exploring the uniqueness of binge-watching. This study thus aimed
to take the opposite approach as a first step toward a genuine understanding of binge-watching behaviors through a
qualitative analysis of the phenomenological characteristics of TV series watching. Methods: A focus group of
regular TV series viewers (N = 7) was established to explore a wide range of aspects related to TV series watching
(e.g., motives, viewing practices, and related behaviors). Results: A content analysis identified binge-watching
features across three dimensions: TV series watching motivations, TV series watching engagement, and structural
characteristics of TV shows. Most participants acknowledged that TV series watching can become addictive, but they
all agreed having trouble recognizing themselves as truly being an “addict.” Although obvious connections could be
established with substance addiction criteria and symptoms, such parallelism appeared to be insufficient, as several
distinctive facets emerged (e.g., positive view, transient overinvolvement, context dependency, and low everyday life
impact). Discussion and conclusion: The research should go beyond the classic biomedical and psychological models
of addictive behaviors to account for binge-watching in order to explore its specificities and generate the first steps
toward an adequate theoretical rationale for these emerging problematic behaviors.