Data from Google informs us that those who watch YouTube videos on their phones are twice as likely to pay more attention than if they were watching TV. This elucidates that the platform is more engaging than traditional forms of media. In 2014, the platform launched YouTube Premium, a subscription service that gave customers access to a wealth of benefits as well as unlimited viewing of its latest productions. As such, Netinfluencer explores the most popular YouTube Originals productions. 

How Can I Watch YouTube Originals?

Many of the YouTube Originals are now available for free. In January 2022, YouTube announced that content released after the 24th of September 2019 would be accessible to all viewers.

These productions have been posted to the YouTube Originals channel. It should be mentioned that YouTube Premium previously provided paying users with ad-free viewing. With this change, all viewers will experience ads throughout the videos on this channel.

Escape the Night

Spanning four seasons, Escape the Night was one of the most popular YouTube Originals series. Created by YouTuber Joey Graceffa, the show’s premise surrounds a host of other acclaimed content creators and places them in various decades.

By embodying the classic motifs seen in murder mysteries and survival shows, Escape the Night is able to build up tension as well as add a touch of humor. The production also showcases a range of spin-offs and specials, all including a plethora of special guests. Although the show concluded in 2020, it was the longest-running YouTube Originals production.

Origin

Origin is a unique sci-fi series that follows a group of estranged travelers who wake up on a damaged spacecraft after trying to colonize a new planet. The show takes a dark and twisted turn as we are forced to watch this collective fall into a troubling sense of paranoia.

Origin also boasts a stellar cast including Tom Felton and Natalia Tena and even credits the producers of The Crown and Lost. With just 11 episodes, this series can be watched in one sitting and is teeming with a selection of nail-biting cliffhangers.

Sherwood

Although this series is aimed at children, this teenage retelling of Robin Hood will delight adults alike. Promoting a 3D-animated style, Sherwood introduces us to a young girl who is well-known as an infamous hacker.

After 23rd-Century London is flooded, Robin and her gang of renegades must travel to the Upper City to defeat the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham. This YouTube Originals production takes dystopia to the next level, allowing viewers to travel to a technical underworld with a rag-tag group of kids. Robin is voiced by Anya Chalotra, who is also known for her work in The Witcher. 

BTS: Burn the Stage

BTS is undoubtedly one of the largest boy bands in the world, inspiring their vast variety of fans with their incredible music. BTS: Burn the Stage gives audiences a glimpse into the working lives of these extraordinary artists.

The series offers a behind-the-scenes look into their sold-out The Wings Tour and shows the highs and lows in their tumultuous journey into stardom. This documentary condenses 300 days of traveling and an assortment of public interviews, providing a gripping look into how this unsuspecting group from South Korea became overnight stars. 

Mind Field 

Mind Field is hosted by Vsauce, otherwise known as Michael Steven, one of the platform’s leading creators with 18.1 million subscribers. This series offers an introspective look at the wonders of the human psyche, with Vsauce showing how we can push our delicate minds to the limit.

With three series to uncover, viewers can delve into how isolation affects us as well as how experts are trying to communicate with extraterrestrial life. Mind Field has grown from strength to strength over the years, gaining access to some of the world’s most lucrative institutions. 

Liza on Demand

This YouTube Originals production uses a single-camera approach to offer an undiluted view of the protagonist. Liza on Demand focuses on our loveable main character, Liza, showing how she juggles love, family, and operating in the gig economy.

This series was created by Liza Koshy, a much-loved content creator who is renowned for her quirky sense of humor and relatable content. Although each episode of Liza on Demand has a running time of around 30-minutes, the production lasted for three seasons, giving audiences a complete ending for Liza. 

Wayne

Played by Mark McKenna, Wayne is a 16-year-old vigilante who is determined to show the world right from wrong. He makes his name by attacking those who harm others, making him a difficult citizen in his small town. Alongside his love interest Del, the pair set out to retrieve the 1978 Pontiac Trans Am that was stolen from Wayne’s father before he died.

This series is unapologetically gritty, rough, and vengeful, helping to reignite the teenage angst found in any viewer. Wayne only has one season but manages to express an enticing and dramatic story in just 10 episodes. 

Impulse

Impulse tells the story of Henry Coles, a withdrawn teenager who recently moved to Reston New York. After a vicious conflict with antagonists Cleo and Thomas, Coles experiences a seizure that inhibits her ability to control herself.

The production is also loosely linked to the hit film Jumper, which was first released in 2008. Though Impulse first presents itself as a typical teen drama, it actually showcases an impressive array of special effects that help to elevate it to a much more high-brow position. The series is also directed by Doug Liman, whose work includes The Edge of Tomorrow and The Bourne Identity. 

Step Up: High Water

The Step Up franchise managed to produce a new generation of dancers and it achieved the same result through its YouTube Originals series, Step Up: High Water. The audience is transported to High Water, one of Atlanta’s most competitive fictional performing arts schools.

Twins Janelle and Tal begin their journey after relocating from Ohio and are swept up in the challenging nature of dance. Equipped with an extremely talented cast, Step Up: High Water details how hard these young creatives are willing to work in order to see success in their growing careers. 

The Letter

In 2015, Pope Francis devised an encyclical letter, known as Laudato Si’ that aimed to warn other world leaders about the approaching dangers of climate change.

The Letter is a deeply moving film that travels across the globe to highlight the exemplary work of many environmental activists, including those in Senegal, India, and the Amazon. Aside from the appearance of many figureheads, the film was also produced by Academy Award Winners, Off the Fence, the creators of My Octopus Teacher. This feature-length film takes an unwavering look at how human consumption has left us with a climate crisis that we can no longer ignore. 

YouTube Originals provide viewers with high-quality content that they can view on a collection of portable devices. As such, the platform is now coming closer to defeating the dominant medium of television as well as a variety of streaming services. To discover more about the most famous YouTubers, visit our website.