It used to be that the problem of what to watch on TV was about the lack of options available. Today, it's exactly the opposite. With a dauntingly long list of vaunted "must see" shows and movies piling up, you can waste hours just scrolling through menus trying to decide what to check out next.

To help with this quintessentially 21st century dilemma, Netflix has introduced an eagerly anticipated new feature called "Play Something." Reminiscent of Google's "I'm Feeling Lucky" search button, selecting the new Netflix menu button removes curtails the search process by, instead, immediately jumping to a recommendation. Think of it as a Netflix shuffle button.

The Solution to Too Much Choice

As Netflix explains in an April 28 tweet about the new feature:

Want to watch something but not sure what? We got you covered! Starting today you’ll find Play Something when you log on to Netflix — locate it underneath your name, as a row on the homepage, or in the menu. It will show you one of three things ...

A new series/film similar to one you've watched before

An episode/film you’ve already watched and may want to watch again if it's been a while

An episode from a show you've started but haven't finished (it will pick up where you left off)

In essence, it's a shuffle-style recommender system of the kind that Netflix already uses to hone suggestions for users, based on their past choices. However, unlike Netflix's usual recommender system, this one will dive right into whatever it figures you'll enjoy.

Getting an exact count on how much content is available on Netflix is a tough ask---not least because it continually adds content at a dizzying rate. (Although this pace has slowed slightly due to COVID-related production challenges.)

Nonetheless, a 2020 estimate, published on Connectiva Systems, suggests that Netflix now has upward of 2.2 million minutes of available content. That means that it would take approximately four years to watch everything available on the service.

Available Now on Netflix TV Apps

Netflix has been user-testing the Play Something feature since last summer for a small group of users. Now it's apparently ready for it to roll out to a larger user base. The feature is initially available on Netflix TV apps, and will soon be rolling out on mobile as well.

Depending on how it's received, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see other Netflix rivals introducing something similar in the near future.