Title essentially. Youtube’s algorithm is hot garbage, so I can’t search for anything anymore without a ton of AI slop and rage bait. So, who do you go to for actual good long form videos? Exposes, scandals, behind the scenes, documentaries, film, travel, transit, who do you recommend I follow?
One name I have yet to see here is We Are Not Alive (Formerly Diregentlmen), group of professional writers who talk about writing, media, and tropes. Check them out.
I only really subscribe to two channels that focus on 20-30 minute videos and post on a pretty regular basis:
Technology Connections
Internet Comment Etiquette with Erik
Seconding Internet Comment Etiquette. Information as art.
Do your research sheeple 8========D aaaand post!
8=========D That’s a rocket ship!
Seconding Technology Connections. Great long form content
The longest videos I watch on YouTube, and I enjoy every minute of them.
Especially the dishwashers.
Crime related:
- https://www.youtube.com/@thisisMONSTERS/
- https://www.youtube.com/@redtreestories/
- https://www.youtube.com/@TruRedCRIMEVAULT/
- https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondEvill/
- https://www.youtube.com/@TheVillains./
- https://www.youtube.com/@StrangerStories/
- https://www.youtube.com/@diretrip/videos
Disaster related:
- https://www.youtube.com/@FascinatingHorror/
- https://www.youtube.com/@PlainlyDifficult/
- https://www.youtube.com/@USCSB/
- https://www.youtube.com/@ScaryInteresting/
- https://www.youtube.com/@DarkRecordsDocs/
Weird medical stories: https://www.youtube.com/@chubbyemu
Interesting economic vids: https://www.youtube.com/coldfusion/
Business and economics: https://www.youtube.com/c/Wendoverproductions/
Geopolitics explainer vids: https://www.youtube.com/@CaspianReport/
Theme park history: https://www.youtube.com/@Defunctland/
Interesting historical themed vids: https://www.youtube.com/@YoreHistory/
awesome comment! saved for later
I guess I should have expected it, but I was hoping they were videos on how to do crime… ☹️
Lol. The Lockpicking Lawyer springs to mind 😁
We have similar taste in youtubers! If you enjoy those disaster related videos, I recommend Abstract (formerly Real Horror). Great production value and storytelling. She does all her own work as far as I know, so she doesn’t have a huge playlist to watch sadly. But the narration and setup really add a gravitas to the disasters that I feel the other youtubers are missing.
Has 9 videos and 0.5M subs, I feel they might be worth looking at!
above and beyond, thank you!
If you’re into true crime, I highly recommend https://youtube.com/@thatchapter
Mike is a good storyteller and makes videos that aren’t just stock footage and images spliced together.
I really enjoy Calum’s work on obscure vehicles, shipping containers, and stuff like that: https://www.youtube.com/@CalumRaasay
Mustard has other fun vehicles, often with a focus on aircraft: https://www.youtube.com/@MustardChannel
David Hilowitz does fun stuff with musical instruments (finding them, sampling them, stuff like that): https://www.youtube.com/@DavidHilowitzMusic
I love wargaming miniatures and basically the only channel I watch on the subject is Eric’s Hobby Workshop: https://www.youtube.com/@EricsHobbyWorkshop
Love David Hilowitz, he’s got such a consistent style
Do yourself a favour and watch Ed Pratt Unicycle around the world. This is one of my favourite things on YouTube, watching him go from just a kid with a weird dream to a great filmmaker and experienced traveler in such an authentic way. Highly recommended
My #1 go to is probably Cathode Ray Dude. He makes videos mostly on old tech which is what I’m very interested in.
If you’re more looking for exposing scandals there’s always Coffeezilla/Voidzill.
- Cutting Edge Engineering
- Martijn Doolaard
- AvE (though I’m pretty sure he’s conservative)
- Primitive Technology
- Watcheyes
- Clickspring
- Democracy Now
- Tech Ingredients
- Applied Science
- Cody’s Lab
- Fireship
- Mental Outlaw
- Tsoding
- Tsoding Daily
- CinemaStix
- Pitching Ninja
- Jeff Geerling
- Impure Pics
- Psionic Audio
- Computerphile
- The Amp Hour
- Abom79
- Tweag
- Serokell
- NixCon
- IOG Academy
- Mend It Mark
Great list! I would just add The Majority Report if you’re looking to learn more about politics while also trying to understand what is happening today. They do a ~2.5-hour live show every weekday which includes a quick overview of the latest headlines for today, an interview of someone with knowledge about some politics-related topic, and then an hour of mostly right wing videos that they discuss, argue with, and vent about.
I love it for how informative it is and for keeping me sane.
AvE (though I’m pretty sure he’s conservative)
You’re right. AvE went completely off the deep end during the height of Covid, and revealed that his being a scumbag isn’t just doing a bit for the camera.
Do you have a link to his undoing?
His knowledge of everything mechanical and electronic is pretty useful though. I’ve learned a TON from him but now I prefer Cutting Edge Engineering to scratch that kind of itch.
You can start with his video praising the “freedom convoy” shitshow plus ranting about the usual talking points re: vaccines, masks, etc. which kind of did it for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeYVyhhHY-Y
Honestly, I’m amazed he hasn’t deleted it from his channel by now.
Was really disappointed when that one came out… His stuff was great up to that point but now it feels… It’s got an ick now.
Good list, many hits with my list. Let me recommend “Tally Ho” and “Escape to Rural France” to you, although the latter might be too short for “long format” with 10 minutes per episode, give or take.
Angela Collier for commentary on physics. She has a lot of good commentary on the field itself (see her recent Feynman video), but also good science videos… that I usually lose track of about 3/4 of the way through, but I enjoy nonetheless.
I second Angela, informative, chill and kinda funny
She did Feynman dirty.
My favorite video title of all time is still “alkaline water …with lemon”
Hochelaga, Horses, Real Science, ContraPoints, Knowing better
There are two YouTubers who make videos 4+ hours long that you have to watch every minute of:
Sure but HBG is the only one who can make a viral 4 hour video.
Jenny’s last 4 hour video went more than viral, to be fair.
These two were my first thought! I’ll add that both cover a range of topics, Jenny does do a lot of videos around Star Wars, but also covers obscure films, and theme parks, wherenl HBomber runs the gamut from flat earth to vaccines to video games to plagiarism. Both are incredibly well researched and, in my opinion, offer very fair takes on the subject matter.
My same two!
I love Jenny, so HBomberGuy would probably be good too
I’m hooked on Corridor Crew. They review and explain good and bad cgi/vfx in shows and movies.
Not exactly long from, but I agree they’re great!
I watch a few different channels regularly. Here are a few of my favorites
Cecilia Blomdahl lives in the Arctic Circle/northern Norway and has lots of adventures and videos her day to day life in a really interesting way.
Also some Brits who have been renovating abandoned chateaus in France called Escape the Dream and a new one called Mucky Mansion are great escapism
Brain Pilot makes some good videos recapping a few shows i enjoy
I have a few classic youtubers I still watch from back in the day Safiya Nygard and Grace Helbig, for some beauty/crazy fashion/cooking stuff
If you want a sane political/comedy channel, Trae Crowder, the Liberal Redneck is fantastic. In that same vein, Some More News does fantastic deep dives in lots of political and social issues focused mostly on the US
Living big in a tiny house is really interesting seeing cool tiny homes around the world
Takis shelter is a channel from an amazing man who runs a sanctuary for animals in Crete and is a literal saint
Folding Ideas is a favorite of mine.
Abstract - break down of disasters and crimes with excellent narration and very interesting topics
Rare Earth - highlights uncommon locations (speaking as a Westerner) and the often horrific histories that framed their civilization/cities/people
Micerah Tewers - super talented maker that sews copies of red carpet looks and other fun custumes with some home decor. Not instructional at all, just fast paced and entertainingly wholesome
Ask a Mortician - really fascinating deep dives into what happened to the bodies of famous people, or people who died in extreme circumstances. She has recently highlighted a few infamous shipwrecks…which brings me to
Oceanliner designs and Part Time Explorer - both nautical history buffs that articulate the grandeur and sometimes horror of ship travel
Miniminuteman - archeology videos featuring a lot of lesser known sites that are fascinating. Articulate dismantling of psuedo-archeology bullshit and refreshingly modern understanding of science communication
LadyKnightthebrave - discussing the emotions that film and tv can make you feel. Honestly just cathartic if she talks about a movie you feel strongly about, like the articulate friend you wish you had to decompress with after an emotional movie
Contrapoints - incredible everything from set design to arguments. Long form, in depth explanations about a lot of topics some people would consider taboo, or that people are close minded about.
Atun Shei Films - known primarily for Check Mate Lincolnites which is a comedic sketch that dismantles lost cause myths from the civil war. Lots of interesting historical and film stuff.
Lindybeige - every video feels like an eccentric history professor’s impassioned tangent on a subject he deeply cares about, so it entirely derails the original subject of the lecture.
I love me some ContraPoints and Philosophy Tube. Whenever ContraPoints releases a new video, it’s like a big movie night for me and my girlfriend.
The wife and I have to set aside a whole night for every contra video. There are 10 minute stretches that cause an hour of discussion.
For long form,
Bobby Broccoli, ~1hr videos on science scandals https://youtube.com/@bobbybroccoli
Defunctland, 30m to 1h45m videos on defunct theme parks and rides https://youtube.com/@defunctland
Your dinosaurs are wrong, 15m to 1h45m videos on comparing toy dinosaurs to the most up to date research https://youtube.com/@yourdinosaursarewrong
2nd on Drachinifel, 7m to 1h45m videos on naval History https://youtube.com/@drachinifel
Perun, 1h videos on defense economics https://youtube.com/@perunau
Diplo Strats, 2h to 6h videos on diplomacy the board game, like risk on massive steroids https://youtube.com/@diplostrats