Though it's one of the most popular entertainment hubs on the entire planet, YouTube hasn't been overwhelmingly successful at convincing people that its original content is just as stream-worthy as the abundance of other videos on there. While some of its efforts have managed to grab a hold of the zeitgeist – with the Karate Kid follow-up Cobra Kai as the strongest of the bunch – most of the rest failed to make an impact.
So it's possibly not a surprise to many that YouTube decided to cut ties with quite a few of its original scripted shows this week – four of them to be exact. Let's go down the list below.
Do You Want to See a Dead Body?
Having started off as a random sketch from HBO's series Funny or Die Presents, Rob Huebel's bizarre comedy Do You Want to See a Dead Body? was very much tethered to that title as its central premise. Each episode featured Huebel taking a celebrity guest on an "adventure" to see a corpse, though myriad interruptions and mishaps made the characters' journeys slightly more difficult.
Despite having great guest stars such as Terry Crews, John Cho, Adam Scott, Alexandra Daddario and more, Do You Want to See a Dead Body? didn't make a huge mark outside the indie comedy scene after it debuted in November 2017. However, its cult comedy status will likely expand alongside other Rob Huebel projects like Human Giant.
Champaign ILL
Co-created by Black Monday's Jordan Cahan and David Caspe, along with Daniel and Matthew Libman, Champaign ILL starred Happy Endings' Adam Pally and Veep's Sam Richardson as two men who spent the past 15 years of their lives as the cohorts of a superstar rapper, whose death forces the suddenly future-less men to shape up or shit out.
Just about everyone who worked on Champaign ILL has been a part of another amazing comedy, though the combination on YouTube brought mixed results. Some critics thought it was a fun, if dumb, comedy about numbskulls trying to survive, while others saw far fewer reasons to keep tuning in. Unfortunately, while some were hoping it would land a second season after debuting in December 2018, YouTube called it quits.
Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television
Another comedy series where everyone involved seemingly worked as hard as possible to make the show look as comedically stupid as possible, Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television is the one show in this lineup to have actually lasted for two full seasons. Sadly, Hansen won't be around to solve the crime of how this show got cancelled. (Probably not a crime, or even a mystery, but it still would have given Ryan Hansen difficulties.)
The series featured the titular Veronica Mars vet as an actor who teams up with the LAPD in order to use his thespian skills in crimefighting. As it can be noted by the frustration on the face of Samira Wiley's Jessica Mathers, thought, Ryan Hansen is not an incredible detective. And he'll no longer be seen as one on YouTube.
Sideswiped
Created by and starring Carly Craig as the unhappy-in-love Olivia Maple, Sideswiped was a romantic-esque comedy with a simple enough premise. During her 35th birthday party, Olivia sets up 252 potential suitors via TInder, and vows to meet each of them, with the "help" of her mother (Rosanna Arquette) and her sister (Chelsea Frei).
With a guest cast that ranged from SNL vet Jason Sudeikis to Star Trek vet Penny Johnson Jerald to My Three Sons vet Barry Livingston, Sideswiped offered a look the many foibles of dating in the modern age. Unfortunately, those foibles won't be continuing on with Season 2, as YouTube swiped left on the comedy.
YouTube is expected to make more big announcements in the coming weeks pertaining its scripted programming slate, according to Variety, with its Brandcast event taking place on May 2. Beyond Cobra Kai, which will debut its second season on April 24, YouTube also has the dance drama Step Up: High Water, which is another winner.
Two more shows that are already in production on their second seasons are the comedy Liza on Demand, starring Internet sensation Liza Koshy, and the sci-fi drama Impulse. Two shows that are waiting to hear about their futures are the violent comedy Wayne, as executive-produced by Deadpool's screenwriters, and the anthology Weird City.
While waiting to hear more about your other favorite YouTube shows, be sure to check out all the great shows currently airing, and those that are coming this summer.
