Guido Gonzalez/Assistant Entertainment Director
With everyone confined to their homes 24/7, more people are probably browsing YouTube than ever before. And rightfully so! There’s no shortage of fun, intriguing and endearingly odd content. Here’s a list of 20 different channels, series and livestreams (in no ranking order) that will hopefully make your long hours at home go by a little bit faster.
Max Forest: https://www.youtube.com/user/TVMaxwell/videos
When was the last time you ever saw something so unbelievably absurd, that your immediate reaction was to just keel over and laugh your lungs out? This channel contains dozens of the most original, surreal and hysterical comedy sketches that wouldn’t seem so out of place in the Eric Andre show.
Critical Role: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpXBGqwsBkpvcYjsJBQ7LEQ
This web series focuses on a group of professional voice actors playing the fantasy roleplaying game “Dungeons and Dragons” as a ragtag band of loveable misfits. This series is originally livestreamed at Twitch.tv but is also available for viewing at YouTube. With over hundreds of episodes, each running from three to six hours, you will find yourself engaged with the characters, lore and binge worthy plotlines.
CinemaSins: https://www.youtube.com/user/CinemaSins
Are you a massive cinephile who also happens to be a stickler for details? If so, then this is the channel for you. Each video shows how even the most critically acclaimed masterpieces are not without their flaws or “sins.” Every single flaw, error, gag and lapse of logic is pointed out and tallied in all its sarcastic glory and you will never watch your favorite flicks the same way again.
Geography Now: https://www.youtube.com/user/GeographyNow
Learn everything there is to know about every nation on earth from Albania to Zimbabwe and love every second of it. Geography Now is as educational as it is entertaining, with over hundreds of episodes featuring profiles of all 195 countries. You will be endeared by the passion and enthusiasm present in every episode while simultaneously expanding your knowledge. After binging this show, you’ll realize it’s not such a small world after all.
I Did A Thing: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJLZe_NoiG0hT7QCX_9vmqw
Imagine if HowToBasic had a spinoff starring a slightly demented engineering student. Watch the misadventures of a nameless lad in the Land Down Under as he invents crazy, dangerous gadgets from his garage. Revel in the deadpan, absurdist comedy that unfolds in every episode from this criminally underrated channel.
Lessons from the Screenplay: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErSSa3CaP_GJxmFpdjG9Jw
What makes a scene iconic? How is dialogue delivered without sounding corny? What makes a story unique and engaging? If you’ve been asking yourself these questions, then look no further! L.F.T.S. was created by film editor Michael Tucker who breaks down all the techniques used for writing a screenplay and how it’s realized on the big screen. Not only do you learn everything there is to writing a film, it also provides excellent tips for aspiring writers as well.
Binging with Babish: https://www.youtube.com/user/bgfilms
Time and time again, you will marvel at the dedication and passion put into every dish by chef and host, Andrew Rae. Watch almost 300 episodes of recipes from the most popular movies and television shows be recreated inside Rae’s apartment kitchen into culinary masterpieces.
Kaptainkristian: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuPgdqQKpq4T4zeqmTelnFg/featured
The number of videos is fewer than most channels, but it’s clear that the channel prioritizes quality over quantity. This channel is a hidden nugget of gold. Each episode, averaging at about 10 minutes, displays a professional level of care as it discusses topics relating to the visuals of film, music, comics and especially animation.
Cinefix: https://www.youtube.com/user/CineFix/about
The other side of the coin for CinemaSins, Cinefix is the quintessential moviebuff and filmmaker destination on YouTube. Every single episode dedicates itself to analyzing nearly every aspect of filmmaking: acting, directing, cinematography, lighting, costumes, the list goes on and on. You can also learn about the differences between novels and their film adaptations.
Studio C: https://www.youtube.com/user/BYUTelevision
Okay, when you think of comedy “family-friendly” isn’t what probably comes to mind, and understandably so. But every now and then, brilliant exceptions are made. This sketch comedy show created by alumni of Utah’s Brigham Young University aims to provide the nation with clean, family-oriented humor. Not only is the comedy clean, it’s genuinely creative and funny. Plus, it’ll come in handy if you have any children or younger siblings of your own.
The Great War: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar/feature
For our history aficionados, travel back in time over a hundred years and observe one the most destructive conflicts in human history play out in real time with every episode released weekly from 2014 to 2018. This channel follows the most harrowing moment of mankind from both a geopolitical and individual perspective, providing an explanation as to what happened and why.
Crash Course: https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse
Odds are, if you’ve attended high school, then you’ve probably watched some of its episodes in class. Whether you’re in crunch time for a surprise test, impressing a more intelligent crush or just learning something new, there’s no shortage of topics. Just like the potential of the human mind, the content in this channel is utterly boundless. History, anatomy, philosophy- anything you wish to learn, you can.
Paul Taylor’s Happy Hour: https://www.youtube.com/user/paultaylorcomedy
Learn French… from an angry Englishman. Paul Taylor is a bilingual comedian from the United Kingdom who has been living in Paris for over a decade. Thanks to the ongoing pandemic, you can view his livestream every week day at noon (6 p.m. in French time) to see where he drinks, chat with the audience while also providing French translations of English expressions and jokes (and vice versa.)
Funhaus: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCboMX_UNgaPBsUOIgasn3-Q/about
Take a YouTube channel, put some foul-mouth gamers all with a sense of humor akin to South Park in it, and this is the magically messed-up golden egg you get. Okay, more specifically, Funhaus is a channel dedicated to gaming, podcasts and the ever growing topic of pop culture. It’s more of an online variety show with a sense of humor that crosses the line so many times it plays jump rope with it.
Chris Turner: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChrisPJTurner/videos
Simply put, Chris Turner is the hybrid of Einstein and Eminem. The Manchester native is both a standup comedian and a masterful freestyle rapper. This beat-dropping Brit can rap just about anything on the spot. A special mention must be made for a livestream he had done at the invitation of FIU’s Student Programming Council, where the live chat of FIU students were able to post suggestions Turner would then rap about.
Have a story? Think we should look into something? Know a person or club that has a story worth telling? Let us know. You can remain anonymous. Email editor@fiusm.com
About Post Author
