Youtube Originals

Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes On Television

Fans of cop comedies like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and meta-comedy like Community are sure to love Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes On Television, a deliciously self-aware action-comedy series that endlessly pokes fun at everything – from the titular ‘celebrity consultant’ playing an exaggerated version of himself, to the LAPD, police procedurals or YouTube itself. All 16 episodes are currently available for free and feature a frankly staggering list of celebrity cameos, from Joel McHale to Kristen Bell.

It knows its platform and its audience well and has enormous fun satirising just about every stereotype of Hollywood you can think of.

Impulse (2018 – 2019)

Impulse is a must-see tense sci-fi thriller, based on the book of the same name by Steven Gould. One of YouTube Premium’s few flagship drama series, it follows Henrietta ‘Henry’ Coles, an isolated teenager who learns she has the ability to teleport when severely emotionally distressed after a traumatic event. A must-watch for fans of I Am Not Okay With This, both seasons are now available to watch for free.

The high production value and quality of the show make it a prime example of the premium content YouTube has to offer as a platform.

Step Up: High Water (2018 – Present)

Step Up: High Water is one of YouTube Premium’s most popular originals. A coming-of-age dance drama based on the Step Up film franchise, it showcases the “rich and diverse artistry” of Atlanta and follows the students of High Water, an intensely competitive performing arts school. The show has some absolutely jaw-dropping dance sequences packed in with gripping storylines you can’t tear yourself away from.

Step Up: High Water was sadly cancelled by YouTube after just two seasons, but has a new life on US TV network, Starz.

Instant Influencer (2020)

We couldn’t get this far down the list without giving a nod to all the great reality TV series that YouTube Premium has to offer – and we guarantee Instant Influencer will be your next big obsession. Hosted by James Charles, the four-episode series gives six young and promising influencers the chance to win $50,000 and the opportunity to star in a video collab with the makeup guru himself.

Instant Influencer is all about the potential to become the next big beauty superstar, and the show has that winning combination of incredible guest judges and super talented contestants you can’t help but root for.

We’ll be practising our contour as we wait for news on a second season!

Rhett and Link’s Buddy System (2016 – 2017)

No one does surrealist comedy better than Good Mythical Morning duo, Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. Their YouTube Premium comedy series Rhett and Link’s Buddy System is yet more proof of the pair’s seemingly endless talent, as they created, wrote and starred in the whole thing.

Season one of Buddy System sees the pair trying to regain control of their show from their co-ex-girlfriend – sounds simple enough, right? At least until their clones get involved. The show was a massive success back in 2016 and is definitely worth revisiting now, especially as every episode from both seasons is free to watch on the Good Mythical Morning YouTube channel.