CNN —
It’s been a busy week and you finally have some time to yourself. The plan is to mindlessly scroll through social media for a bit of an escape because, frankly, you deserve it. Except maybe social media isn’t the thing you need today.
Lucky for you, we put together this nifty list of binge-worthy YouTube series that you can spend your hard-earned chill time mindlessly watching for hours on end instead of stressfully scrolling. You’re welcome!
Host Sean Evans interviews celebrities while eating spicy chicken wings that increase in heat intensity as the chat progresses. Arguably the best part of this already popular YouTube series are the deeply thoughtful questions from Evans that his guest must answer while attempting to manage chicken wings slathered in hot sauces with names like Da Bomb and Arbol Scorpion. The result? Chaos and hilarity. Everyone from celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey to Billie Eilish to Paul Rudd have appeared on the show since its 2015 debut. Spoiler alert: Not every guest makes it to the final wing.
For a chicken-eating-based celebrity interview show that is hot and spicy in a different way, check out “Chicken Shop Date.” Internet personality and actress Amelia Dimoldenberg hosts this series, which turned 10 years old this year. In it, she goes on “dates” with her guests at a local chicken eatery in the UK. It’s 10 minutes of pure comedy, a masterclass in fun and potentially a front row seat to true love (See: Andrew Garfield’s recent interview that has the internet head-over-heels for this pair’s chemistry).
Architectural Digest’s “Open Door” series is like MTV’s “Cribs” but much more chic. In this series, notable humans (i.e: actors, singers, athletes, designers, etc.) open their doors to give viewers a design-oriented tour of their multi-million-dollar homes, from beachside mansions to quaint summer abodes. This is the show for you if you’re looking for the ultimate escape.
Ever wonder what the entire Taco Bell menu tastes like? Keith Habersberger, one of the founding members of YouTube’s try-anything-group the Try Guys, has you covered with his web series “Keith Eats the Menu.” Habersberger simply eats the entire menu of a restaurant or a specific food-centric locale like, most recently, his three-part episode where he eats through Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Fair warning, you may get hungry watching these videos so maybe open up Uber Eats and put that crunchwrap supreme from Taco Bell in your cart. You’ll thank me later.
This one goes out to the curious minds who like to keep their brain muscles active even while relaxing. Wired’s “Tech Support” features people who are experts in their respective fields answering questions from X for a series that’s as simple as it is fascinating. Curious about what kind of snacks were available to ancient Romans catching a show at the Colosseum? Ever wonder how CIA spies get their codenames? Prepare for answers. There truly is an episode for everyone depending on where your interests lie.
Since 1984, The Criterion Collection has been preserving classic and contemporary films by publishing them in high-quality editions and in digital forms as the film industry has moved into the streaming era. Their closet of physical copies of movies from the decades is robust, and they’ve opened their doors to allow for actors, authors, musicians and more to peruse the aisles and pick out their favorite films in the organization’s “Closet Picks” series. This one’s great if you’re looking for some solid movie night inspiration or if you’re curious which films some of your favorite actors love.
From Bon Appetite’s Test Kitchen comes famed pastry chef Claire Saffitz’s “Gourmet Makes” series, where she attempts to recreate gourmet versions of your favorite comfort foods. Saffitz makes gourmet editions of everything from Milky Way chocolate bars to sour Warhead candies to Hot Pockets, entirely from scratch. She goes above and beyond to recreate the most obscure snacks in this series that will keep you occupied – and hungry – for hours.
