As a tutorial the starter dungeon is useful. However saving at the sewers saves a lot of time -- unless you've played a tank all the way through and your next character needs a bow and a short sword and some skill at sneaking, in which case you're in a lot of trouble....

But, yeah, a way of skipping the tutorial, at least, would be acceptable.

Most people seem to prefer a short beginning, but Skyrim's can't be so short it doesn't set up the story. Since there's so much crazy stuff happening they have to give more of an explanation of what's going on then Morrowind's start did, but where do you strike the balance between short and sweet, and storyline explanation? Well they really don't have to make the part that you play in the beginning very long to get the story across, because if their smart they'll make the cutscreen at the start super long and explanatory, instead of mysterious. I would be more then happy to watch a 20-30 minute video setting up the story once, then having to play through the set up ten times in a row. Once the movie is done they could have the "Your free to go, now get the hell out of here!" beginning. The problem with OB's beginning was that they set up the story every time you start a character, when you only need to see the set up once. A cutscreen can solve that problem, because it's all ways skippable, and it's fun to watch. At the same time the part that you play would have the same satisfying feeling that Morrowind's start had.

Huge frickin, everything explainin', monster opening. With a skip option! And no crap that makes you want to not skip it, like armor or such that you'd want... Maybe, skip and add all the tutorial stuff to your inventory?

Duration, whatever, but definitely skippable. I have only three words to back up my argument:

Mass. Effect. 2.

It's to the point where I line up my need to create a new character in that game alongside the use of the facilities. Just put me outside in the torrential rain (well, snow) with nothing but the clothes on my back and maybe a pointy stick already...