I haven't had a TV in my room in years, and I haven't needed it. Sure, a smart TV would make sense to be able to see the content I regularly consume on a bigger screen, but I genuinely don't feel like I need anything bigger than my laptop to watch video content. Instead of TV channels, I have curated a selection of YouTube content creators that I have been watching regularly for years now, and if it were up to me, I would not need a TV provider service at all. The only TV content I ever have a desire to watch is late night TV, and fortunately for me, all the clips I care about make it to YouTube right after the segment airs.
Without further ado, here are the YouTube channels that absolutely killed off TV for me:
- First We Feast
: Although this channel has a number of shows they produce, they undoubtedly have one gem that stands tall above the rest, and that is Hot Ones
. This show broke every rule in the interviewing game by setting the stakes at the highest levels of heat possible. The host, Sean Evans, interviews mostly celebrities while both parties eat hot wings that increase in Scoville levels of spiciness. There are 10 wings which are matched with 10 questions, and the questions get deeper as the wings get hotter. The spice level of the sauces used for the wings gets to be so hot that guests tend to get almost drunk off of the spice, and start having trouble while answering the questions. It's chaotically brilliant. And because Sean is also eating the hot wings, it keeps the balance on both sides and disarms the guests. What makes the show truly stand out besides this concept, though, is the research. Almost every guest compliments Sean and his team of researchers because the questions they are asked are almost always brand new, full of obscure/deep cuts that almost no one knows about, and completely different from the endless press junkets they face during their promotional periods. Many people have tried to recreate (or flat out steal) the concept of the show, but none have succeeded. If I'm going to watch one show during a celebrity press tour, it's going to be Hot Ones.
- Philip DeFranco
: The Philip DeFranco Show (PDS) is a news show that is hosted by Philip DeFranco and posted on weekdays around 5:00pm eastern time to his YouTube channel. Phil is not a journalist, but he, like many of us, was unhappy with the way most mainstream media present the news. And so 15 years ago, he grabbed his camera and recorded a three minute show summarizing some of the most important events happening domestically and worldwide. Today his episodes can last anywhere from 14 to 28 minutes, and his show has evolved consistently to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of content creation on YouTube. For example, Phil recently introduced a segment in his show called "Let's talk about yesterday today," where he goes over some of the comments posted by viewers on the stories that were shared the day before. Phil has always been a master of community-building, and this is the perfect way for him to incentivize engagement while creating opportunities to include fans of the show in the show. Phil always shares the news from a facts-based perspective, and later adds his opinion while clearly stating when he changes tracks. He's also pretty middle-of-the-road when it comes to politics, so his takes are often more balanced than most mainstream mouthpieces.
- Drew Gooden
: After covering celebrity/popular entertainment and the news, my last stop (but by no means least) is by the humor department. Drew Gooden is one of my favorite creators on the entire platform, as he has an unparalleled dry, dark sense of humor and delivers lines better than a lot of big comedians in the mainstream. Drew's approach is kind of similar to John Oliver's for Last Week Tonight, in the sense that he dives deep into a topic and gives it a fair shot although he probably has his mind made up about it before he even starts the video script. His signature "Hey Guy" opening always brings me joy, and the way he edits the video is where his magic truly lies. Drew came up on Vine, so it's a rather big 180 degree turn to think that he went from creating six-second pieces of content to full-fledged videos that oscillate around the 20-minute mark.
I have enjoyed a number of other channels and verticals on YouTube over the past 10 or so years, but these three are my consistent go-to for news and entertainment. With a mix of the (remaining) Try Guys
, Mr. Kate
(the only Mr. I subscribe to), and all the Korean variety content you can possibly imagine (even baristas making liter-sized drinks as my go-to choice for content that puts me to sleep), I have had zero need for the TV, and I'm not turning back.
