Hazbin Hotel
Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, made by the same team, are as funny as anything on mainstream TV. Despite being animated, Hazbin Hotel is very much a show for adults, with both the comedy and plot lines often very not-safe-for-work. It has queer-friendly, gut-busting laughs, with surprisingly moving storylines and songs Lin Manuel-Miranda would be jealous of. The great strength of this being a YouTube show is that it would be extremely hard to pitch to a network. As they control their own content, creators can push the humour and actually build story around compelling (but risque) issues around sex, gender and identity. The show is essentially set in a version of hell. Hazbin Hotel focuses on the daughter of Satan trying to run a hotel for demons with the aim of rehabilitating them so they can get to heaven. It’s extremely irreverent, silly and subtle – a rousing story of someone coming into their own. Will Green, 35, London
Bangmouth Village
It’s hard to think of a soap opera that’s also unmissable prestige viewing. Bangmouth Village is neither. I found this ingenious and genuinely funny new show via TikTok clips, and immediately binged the three exquisite episodes to date. Here’s hoping for more. It has everything from devastating twists to realistic phone conversations to a true antihero of our time in Billy Bangmouth (portrayed by writer and director Christopher Bliss), who we know has been in prison because he tells us. Bliss also shares insights into his writing process on TikTok which are worth a watch. But please, please don’t be tempted to play “sticky bonnet” in real life. Rob, 42, Devon
Puppet History
I think when you stop being a child, history becomes dry and serious, so I love having a show like Puppet History, which feels like Horrible Histories – but for grownups. Every week they cover an event from history that’s either mildly bonkers like “Lisztomania” (the fan frenzy that surrounded Hungarian composer Franz Liszt in the 19th century) or someone you might not have heard of like Ching Shih, a pirate queen from China. They’ve always gone out of their way to shine a light on interesting bits of history that aren’t often discussed, particularly when it comes to women and Africa. It’s such a funny show and the Professor is my hero. Plus, each episode ends with an annoyingly catchy song! I would really recommend it as a historical version of the Muppets. Sabrina, Newcastle
Video Game High School
My favourite YouTube show has got to be Video Game High School, brilliantly produced by Freddie Wong and RocketJump Studios. The series is set in a world where video games and esports are treated with the same seriousness and passion as traditional sports, following students at a high school dedicated entirely to gaming. Thanks to its crowdfunding success, VGHS had an impressive budget, which meant the action scenes were shot with exhilarating cinematic flair. At the time, this was genuinely groundbreaking for a YouTube show. But beyond the action, what made VGHS truly special was the character development driven by great acting performances. Was it cheesy sometimes? Absolutely, but in exactly the way that all high school shows are. VGHS represented a fresh era of content that was different, engaging, fundamentally nerdy and perfectly captured YouTube at its creative height. Amen Tesfay, 25, London
Jet Lag: the Game
Jet Lag: the Game is a fantastic series of games played using geography and public transport. Previous examples include country-wide games of hide and seek, tag across Europe and races to claim as many states or countries in a region as possible. While it’s greatly enjoyable to see games unfold, it also functions well as a travel show showcasing quieter, more obscure locations and a solid manifesto for good public transport infrastructure. John Son, 29, Glasgow
The Most Upsetting Guessing Game in the World
My favourite YouTube TV show is The Most Upsetting Guessing Game in the World (MUGG) on the Grouse House channel. I recommend it to anyone who loves a healthy dose of cracked Aussie alternative comedy. It’s the highlight of my Monday evening when they upload new episodes. It gets me cackling like nothing else, and it’s a great next show for anyone new to the Aunty Donna-verse. The goal of the MUGG is for the party host to guess each guest’s “quirks”, but at the start of each episode the MC and the guests make all of the quirks as unhinged and unguessable as possible. As a result, things often go off the rails in hilarious ways. Each episode is intercut with talking head interviews where the players share their emotional states and try to explain what they were thinking as they tried to guess the unguessable. Silas Vriend, 29, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Good Mythical Morning
Good Mythical Morning is a weekday breakfast show which comes out at about 11am in the UK. I started watching it during the pandemic. The mix of humour, food and interesting facts really appealed to me. In some ways it reminds me of morning TV back in the 90s. It is hosted by Rhett and Link who describe themselves as “internetainers”. It is funny, silly and mostly about food. There are a lot of spin-off shows including Last Meals, which is a chatshow like the Off Menu podcast but if they made the meals, hosted by Mythical chef Josh. Mim Gale, Leighton Buzzard
Soft White Underbelly
Soft White Underbelly videos are documentaries that take a hard look at what abuse, neglect, drugs and untreated mental illness have done to so many Americans. It shows they are people and their lives have value. It’s tragic and heartbreaking because we can do better by them. Christy, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
UNHhhh
UNHhhh’s premise is simple: two drag queens, Trixie and Katya, sit on bar stools in front of a green screen and deviate wildly from the topic they’re given to discuss. It’s a hilarious mix of observation, personal anecdotes and surreal editing that’s all done in under quarter of an hour. The first time I saw it back in 2021, I had no idea what was going on. It was such a fever dream. But I tried another episode, then another. The improvised introductions that lead to their signature “Because it’s our show, and not yours” are unpredictable, but the show itself is one of those reliable things I can reach for whenever I need to laugh. Call me basic for recommending this one, but episode 119, “Gurl, You Gay”, has 11m views for good reason. Mary, Northumberland
PBS Space Time
PBS Space Time is an educational show focusing mostly on space science but also delving into particle and quantum physics. The host Dr Matt O’Dowd does an excellent job at explaining very complicated subjects in ways that make them approachable. While some equations are covered, they are explained in a way that doesn’t make them impossible to understand if you’re not particularly gifted when it comes to maths. Mostly, however, the topics are discussed in a way that explains what is happening without you needing to understand the mathematical reasons behind it. All of this is combined with excellent visualisations that really pull the whole show together. If you’re interested in space and like to learn, I would highly recommend this show as an excellent way to enhance your understanding of space time. Callum, 32, Blandford St Mary
