YouTube series creators for ‘Hot Ones,’ ‘Good Mythical Morning,’ and ‘Challenge Accepted’ make their…

YouTube creators Sean Evans of Hot Ones, Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal from Good Mythical Morning, and Michelle Khare of Challenge Accepted are making their case for Emmy nominations.

The behemoth video-sharing platform — which, according to Nielsen, has also ranked among the top streamers — recently hosted its first FYC event in L.A at the Pacific Design Center and spotlighted some of its standout creators.

While Evans and his celebrity talk show featuring progressively spicier chicken wings have been nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards in the past, the longtime host now feels confident about competing with network talk shows for Primetime Emmy recognition.

Sean Evans attends the YouTube FYC event (Photo: Araya Doheny/Getty Images for YouTube)

“We’re just so far beyond being an internet sideshow,” he told Gold Derby about the series, which, as part of First We Feast, has logged more than 4 billion views. “I feel privileged to be here. It’s a thrill, but I’m not embarrassed or ashamed to say that we belong.”

Evans is going up against the likes of last year’s Outstanding Talk Series winner The Daily Show, as well as late-night stalwarts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers — shows that he admitted have “defined this category for so long.” However, as Hot Ones celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, he believes their longevity only strengthens their case for Primetime Emmy recognition.

“The late-night institution is a setting where you’ll see celebrities in a looser, edgier environment. And so when you look at it in that context, Hot Ones is in the conversation,” he said. “And hitting that benchmark of 10 years. You know, once you get to 10 years, that’s really undeniable.”

During the event’s Q&A, Evans admitted he wasn’t sure he “had these kinds of aspirations for the show when we first started,” but added, “It’s always been a dream of mine to create a legacy talk show that has a sustained cultural relevance.”

Evans also revealed that the 27th season of Hot Ones will premiere on May 22.

Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal (Photo: Araya Doheny/Getty Images)

For Good Mythical Morning hosts Rhett and Link — who are aiming for an Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series nomination and boast more than 19 million subscribers — their awards campaign starts with a simple truth.

“Before we get to ‘do we deserve it?’ let’s just get out of the way that we really, really want it,” Neal said during the Q&A.

The pair, who became best friends during a 1st-grade detention, launched their humorous series in 2012. After nearly 3,000 episodes, Good Mythical Morning has grown exponentially — from “two guys in a basement in the middle of nowhere, North Carolina,” to a show produced in a Burbank, Calif., studio employing more than 100 full-time staffers.

With food-tasting challenges and celebrity competitions, McLaughlin and Neal appeal to a broad range of demographics. The key to such wide appeal, Neal told Gold Derby, is simple: “We’re just being ourselves.”

“I like to think that we are good friends to each other. So, we make ourselves available to be kind of a good friend to anybody who’s watching,” he explained. “We don’t talk about anything that’s too current or hot-button. We don’t push people away.”

“I think that our show is a silly break from the not-so-silly things that are happening in the world,” McLaughlin added.

While Evans, McLaughlin, and Neal have found success by bringing guests into their comfort zones, Challenge Accepted host Khare has thrived by stepping far outside of hers.

Khare — who has more than 5 million subscribers and is vying for an Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special nomination — has taken on everything from Harry Houdini’s deadliest magic trick to training like a Secret Service agent.

“Something I love about our team is that we are constantly, every year, trying to up the game of, ‘What can we do to entertain and inspire young people everywhere to go after their own fears and dreams?’” she said during the Q&A.

“I think often about a comment in an email that I got from a father who wanted to put his daughter in a dance class but she really wanted to do martial arts,” Khare told Gold Derby. “And after seeing our work, he decided to put her in martial arts instead.”

The host, who grew her channel from a one-woman effort into a team of full-time and freelance staffers, revealed during the Q&A that her next big project will take on movie-star proportions.

“Next month, I will be strapped to a plane recreating Tom Cruise‘s deadliest stunt from Mission: Impossible 5,” she said.

As some of YouTube’s top creators eye Emmy recognition, they’re also taking stock of what’s brought them to this moment.

“We have this audience that’s been so loyal to us for 10 years, so the mission to entertain them is what keeps me motivated,” Evans told Gold Derby.

And how does he protect his stomach from all those hot wings in the process?

“It’s just a positive attitude,” he said. “And Tums is a good product, though, I will say that.”

Source : www.goldderby.com